Why Ever Given was so difficult to handle in the Suez Canal

A giant container ship behaves like a low-speed vehicle whose master must balance momentum against rudder authority. Speeding up increases water flow past the rudder and can improve response, but in a narrow waterway the same choice can magnify an overcorrection once the vessel begins to sheer. The high sides present enormous sail area, so a crosswind can push even a huge hull and turn a steering correction into a skid-like oscillation. A wider and deeper canal would provide more recovery margin, though it would require costly infrastructure work. The grounded Ever Given would also need its cargo removed before destructive salvage, tying the navigation problem to cranes, access, and logistics.