Cape of Good Hope
Meaning
The Cape of Good Hope route takes ships around southern Africa instead of through Suez, the standard path for laden VLCCs between Asia and the West.
Also written as Cape route, Via the Cape, COGH
Cape of Good Hope explained
For a Gulf to North-west Europe voyage the Cape adds roughly 4,000 to 5,000 nautical miles compared with Suez. The route is used whenever Suez is impossible because of draft or undesirable because of security or canal costs.
Example
Ras Tanura to Rotterdam is about 6,480 nautical miles via Suez and about 11,260 via the Cape.
Related terms
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, saving thousands of miles on Europe–Asia voyages; its draft limit is about 20 metres.
Bab-el-Mandeb
Bab-el-Mandeb is the strait between Yemen and the Horn of Africa connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, on the route to and from the Suez Canal.
Tonne-miles
Tonne-miles measure tanker demand as cargo volume multiplied by distance carried, so longer voyages absorb more ships even if volumes don't change.
VLCC
A VLCC is a very large crude carrier of roughly 200,000 to 320,000 deadweight tonnes, carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil.