Evergreen Line has devised a way to refloat the cargo ship that has become stranded in the Chesapeake Bay.
“Evergreen’s salvor, Donjon Smit, has undertaken many underwater inspections on Ever Forward.” The acquired data has been examined, and an effective refloating strategy has been devised. “This strategy can be implemented following clearance from the appropriate authority,” an Evergreen representative stated in an email to American Shipper on Friday afternoon.
The Ever Forward, which had a carrying capacity of 11,850 twenty-foot equivalent units, ran aground after leaving the Port of Baltimore last Sunday.
“Dredgers will be used to drill around the stranded vessel to remove part of the mud, raise the buoyancy of the hull, and extend the gap (clearance) between the rudder and the bottom to ensure the ship’s safety,” an Evergreen spokeswoman said.
“The rescue crew is mobilizing all available local tugboats to assist with the refloating operation,” he added. “Once enough mud has been removed, the amount of ballast water on Ever Forward will be altered to lessen the ship’s weight, and the refloating operation will commence, utilizing both tugboats and the power of her main engine.” The strategy will be carried out by the rescue crew during the most advantageous high-tide period in the port region.”
The official did not specify when the dredging would begin or how long it would take to free the Ever Forward. However, Sal Mercogliano, a Campbell University department chair, and frequent FreightWavesTV guest indicated in a video this week that the process would be “slow and difficult.”
The Ever Forward was on its way to Norfolk, Virginia, when it became stranded. The cargo ship has also stopped in Colon, Panama, and Savannah, Georgia, in addition to Baltimore. The Ocean Alliance’s Asia-US East Coast service is served by the Ever Forward. It was scheduled to call in New York before sailing through the Panama Canal to pick up cargo in China.
Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Marine, cautioned this week against drawing parallels between the Ever Forward’s situation and that of another Evergreen container ship, the Ever Given, which was famously stuck between the banks of the Suez Canal for a week in March 2021.
Jensen remarked in a LinkedIn post that the Ever Forward incident “should not be blown out of proportion,” adding that “truth is that vessels do occasionally get stuck and this is not an event with big global repercussions.”
In an email to American Shipper late Thursday afternoon, William P. Doyle, executive director of the Maryland Port Administration, confirmed that the Ever Forward’s location just off Gibson Island near the Craighill channel is not preventing other ships from transiting to or from the Port of Baltimore.
