At Anchor
A final stop for curious facts, small discoveries and snapshots from the world of “Navigating Uncertainty”
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Hapag-Lloyd’s history dates back to 1847 – and it is also a history of navigating uncertainty: From losing its entire fleet (twice), to economic crises, blocked canals and lost ships, emerging each time with new experience, resilience and perspective.
This timeline traces key challenges, crisis and tragedies:
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When operations are running smoothly, innovation can feel optional. But under pressure, it becomes essential.
In Tangier, Morocco, one of the Mediterranean’s busiest transshipment hubs, that pressure sparked a bold idea that helped unclog mounting congestion – not by adding new infrastructure, but by adopting a novel approach to inter-terminal container transfers.
1893
Cholera changes the course
Hamburg’s cholera epidemic hit Hapag’s passenger business and shifted the company’s focus more toward cargo transports.
1895
A safety wake-up call
The Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) vessel “Elbe” was rammed in the English Channel and sank within minutes, claiming more than 200 lives and triggering a debate about ship safety.
1917–1919
A fleet disappears
During and after World War I, Hapag and NDL lost their entire fleets, but managed to already return to their old trades in 1924.
1938
Lost near Cape Horn
Hapag’s training ship, the four-mast barque “Admiral Karpfanger,” disappeared on her maiden voyage to Australia, with 60 people lost at sea.
1943–1947
Destruction and restart
War destroyed major parts of Hamburg, Bremen and their maritime infrastructure. After 1945, almost the entire German merchant fleet had to be handed over.
1967–1975
Eight years in the Great Bitter Lake
During the Six-Day War, Hapag’s “Münsterland,” along with vessels of three shipping lines, was trapped in the Suez Canal for more than eight years before returning to Hamburg.
1979–1983
Oil shock and deep crisis
Rising fuel prices and overcapacity put Hapag-Lloyd under severe pressure. The company responded with difficult restructuring measures and relied on shareholder support to navigate the crisis.
2008–2010
Financial crisis and rebound
The global financial crisis caused a sharp downturn in container shipping. Hapag-Lloyd weathered the crisis through cost-cutting measures, shareholder support and the gradual recovery of the market.
2019
Fire on the “Yantian Express”
In the North Atlantic, a fire showed how dangerous undeclared or wrongly declared cargo can be for crew, ship and supply chain.
2020–2021
Pandemic supply-chain shock
COVID-19 brought demand swings, port congestion, empty-container shortages, crew-change challenges and remote work across the company.
2024
Red Sea rerouting
Due to the security situation in the Red Sea, vessels were routed around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transit times and costs.
2026
Strait of Hormuz disruption
Security risks in the Persian Gulf led Hapag-Lloyd to suspend Strait of Hormuz transits and adjust services in the region.
In March 2021, the 400-meter container ship “Ever Given,” operated by Evergreen, blocked the Suez Canal for
days
The blockage began when the vessel was caught in a sandstorm, veered off course and became lodged across the canal. The impact was immediate and far-reaching:
More than
ships
were held up, creating major disruption across global supply chains. After six days of intensive dredging work and support from tugboats, the vessel was finally refloated with the help of a spring tide.
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”
Peter Drucker American economist, author and pioneer of modern management thinking
Navigating Change
“Don’t accept everything as it is”
Prompted by her involvement in a regional Diversity, Inclusion & Equity working group on disability inclusion, Vanessa Escobar began to look at everyday work from a different perspective.
Her key lesson: Inclusion starts with paying attention to barriers that others may overlook – from information that is difficult to find to building entrances that are not accessible to everyone. For Vanessa, inclusion is not only a principle or policy. It has to be visible and tangible in daily work.
Her advice: “Ask for change, even when it feels uncomfortable to raise difficult topics.”
Vanessa Escobar, Digital Manager in Region North Europe
Between issues, still in motion
You’ve reached the end of this issue of Logbook – a collection of perspectives, experiences and voices from across our world at sea and on land. We hope it introduced you to people and stories that will stay with you.
As in shipping, there is now a moment of “idle time” until the next issue arrives in October 2026. Yet beyond these pages, nothing truly stands still. Our vessels keep moving – and so do the stories behind them.
While the next issue takes shape, our series continue: from seafarer portraits and short videos with unique moments on board to recipes shared by colleagues across our organization. There is always something new unfolding, with more to discover until we meet again with the next issue (3/2026).
