Back in 2020 you can easily conclude the poor captain of the MV Ever Given (Evergreen) is having an awful time of it. After managing to get stuck across the Suez Canal the cargo ship managed to block the lane for the hundreds of other vessels trying to pass through that region.
Around 50 vessels a day pass through the Canal, with the alternative journey requiring sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. That's another 3,500 nautical miles to the journey that everyone would rather avoid. After a week, the Evergreen was finally freed, which was good news for everyone.
Over the time it was stuck, though, all manner of memes appeared online and they're well worth a look if you're looking for a good chortle.
Austin Powers was at the helm
Another of the best memes about the Suez Canal simply involves a gif of Austin Powers trying to pull off an infinite point turn of a vehicle after wedging it into a corridor. We can easily imagine the ship's captain doing the same thing.
Steal the look
Looking to ride a wave of fame by stealing the look of the famed ship? Jamie Jones has you covered with some interesting suggestions including Dolce & Gabbana trousers and some bin stickers.
How to avoid ships
Though there's no book on how to avoid getting your cargo ship stuck in a canal, there is a book on avoiding huge ships. The other boats in the canal could probably have done with a copy of this book. Which might explain why it was out of stock at the time of this Tweet.
Tokyo Drift
The Ever Given is one of the largest cargo ships in the entire world. So it might be one of the biggest vehicles to ever be drifted. Unlike a street racing car though, it's not really designed to go sideways, as has been proven by recent events.
Awkward adverts
Adverts are a necessary evil of the capitalist world, but they sure can be pesky, especially on mobile. This meme had us chortling.
A nice walk
Being stuck at home for so long has certainly played havoc with many people's mental well-being. Government guidance isn't terribly useful and those in charge would have us believe that some regular exercise is enough to combat the misery. But just like a small digger wasn't enough to free the Ever Given, a nice walk won't help you out of depression.
Take the next right into the Suez Canal
We've all seen the horror stories about people taking sat nav instructions too literally and ending up driving a into a river. What if the ship's captain was just doing the same thing. Wouldn't that be worth a good chortle?
Cotton buds will sort it out
Although you should never insert cotton buds into your ear canal, maybe a massive one could have been the solution to the stuck ship problem. If nothing else it would have been amusing to watch and it might have cleaned up the waterway at the same time.
That escalated quickly
Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse. The situation in the Suez Canal quickly escalated when Godzilla and King Kong showed up to lend a hand. Ego got in the way of the task at hand.
We're all the ship
Many of the people who have crafted the best memes on our list have related the plight of the boat and its crew to their own lives. These are some of the funniest. We're all the Ever Given in various ways. Cartoonist Chaz Hutton, made the perfect comic strip for just this moment.
Could be worse
Sure, you might be having a rough day, but it's probably not as bad as the captain of this ship. Stuck in the canal, holding up the world economy, everyone watching and making memes.
Enthusiasm vs inbox
Do you look at your inbox and dread dealing with it? Hundreds upon hundreds of unread emails staring back at you, daring you to jump into the void. This meme feels your pain.
Doing your best
How about this - a meme so good that someone created a Twitter account specifically for it. It's been a rough time for everyone, but you're doing your best.
Carbon footprint problems
Elon Musk is regularly encouraging people to invest in Bitcoin. A currency that's not really known for having a great carbon footprint. As a counterpoint, his company makes incredibly popular and green vehicles, but those cars aren't enough to counter the damage to the environment.
Stimulus money
The financial problems caused by Covid are no joke. The financial support offered to help alleviate that problem though is rather measly, as perfectly summed up by this meme.
WD-40 solves all problems
Did anyone try using some WD-40 to loosen the ship? We've found it works wonders for most other tasks. You'd need some big cans, but if it worked it would be an awesome marketing ploy.
Rotate 90 degrees
If only everything could be fixed by using software. Right-click, click rotate 90 degrees, problem solved. Once again the Ever Given is on its way.
LOL
Surely it's all a conspiracy if the rear of the ship spells out LOL with the placement and colours of the containers. Or maybe this is just some clever editing?
Drake does not approve
Drake does not approve of a stuck cargo ship, but he certainly is entertained by a floating one. Imagine if they could fly over water like this, we'd never have this problem again and things would get to your door faster too!