I used to be an officer of the deck on navy ships. From liking at the bridge and knowing the history, it looks like a very narrow and technical route under the

I used to be an officer of the deck on navy ships. From liking at the bridge and knowing the history, it looks like a very narrow and technical route under the bridge, and probably slow and prone to wind. At slow speeds, it’s difficult to get steerage due to less water over the control planes, so without auxiliary thrusters it’s hard to control. That means you need both familiarity with the local conditions and also with the ship and its dynamics. Going a few hundred kilometers is a day or less and it’s easier and safer, so it’s the best choice when there isn’t a compelling reason other than saving a bit of time once in a while. Maybe next time they’ll choose to do the training and certification, but this time they didn’t. I think this article tries to make it sound like a huge deal, but no one really cares in reality.