The Suez boat saga enthralled the world – but not those with naviphobia

Stuck container ship triggered people with fear of ships and sea wreckage and megalophobia, the fear of large objects

When Grace Gibson was texted a picture of the giant container ship Ever Given stuck in the Suez canal, she clenched.

The image - of the gargantuan vessel wedged sideways into the canal - and the lone excavator working to free it - struck most as absurd. Against the massive underbelly of the ship, the equipment looked tiny. But for Gibson, a 26-year old Angeleno, it immediately evoked discomfort.