The Great Bit of Lake - The Yellow Fleet

When the canal was closed in 1967, there were 15 cargo ships from eight different nations. They became known as the yellow fleet due to the sand that blew onto them. The crew of these ships met up regularly and would go yachting on the lake or they'd organize soccer games for their crews. In 1972, all the crew were able to leave and a specialized company maintained the ships until 1975 when finally the canal was reopened.