According to WK Webster, the container ship EVER FORWARD has been assigned professional salvors by shipowners to refloat the grounded vessel following efforts by the Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of the Environment.
On March 14, 2022, one year after the EVER GIVEN container ship went aground in the Suez Canal, her sister vessel, the EVER FORWARD, became stuck off the coast of Gibson Island in Chesapeake Bay, US.
According to initial reports, the vessel appeared to be travelling normally at a speed of about 12 knots with a pilot on board.
The Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of the Environment were said to be collaborating to refloat the vessel while shipowners assessed it for bottom damage. There have been no reports of pollution in the area so far.
According to additional media reports, the vessel deviated from the Chesapeake Bay’s narrow fairway on its outbound trip from Baltimore and is thought to have grounded in shallow water on a largely muddy bottom.
WKW stated: “The vessel’s draught at the time of departure from Baltimore was stated to be 13 metres, despite the fact that the average depth of the Bay is just 6.4 metres.”
