A year after the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal and disrupted global trade, one of its sister ships—the Ever Forward—has run aground in the Chesapeake Bay. Since Sunday night, the 1,095-foot-long cargo vessel has been stuck in the mud off the Maryland coast.
Shipping company Evergreen marked the first anniversary of its container ship, Ever Given, blocking the Suez Canal with the grounding of its sister ship, Ever Forward, off the east coast of the U.S.
The Coast Guard began efforts on Tuesday to refloat the stranded 334-meter (1,096-foot) containership, which became stuck in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore two days earlier.
The Ever Given, slightly larger at 400 meters, was trapped in the Suez Canal for six days in March 2021, blocking the vital shipping route in both directions and delaying over 400 vessels. In contrast, the Ever Forward was about two miles offshore when it ran aground on Sunday, March 13.
A Coast Guard spokesperson informed The Baltimore Sun that captains navigating the area have been instructed to reduce speed and follow one-way traffic around the stranded ship to allow shipping to continue from the Port of Baltimore.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Steven Lehman stated that there is no confirmed timeline for when the ship will be refloated.
"Everything like this is kind of its own challenge," Mr. Lehman said.
The challenge posed by the Ever Given required six days, a fleet of a dozen tugboats, and a dredger named Mashhour to free it from the Suez Canal.
Current tracking indicates that the Ever Forward remains "aground," but it is expected to arrive at its destination, the port of Norfolk, by Thursday, March 17.
The ship, flying the Hong Kong flag, arrived in Baltimore on Sunday after traveling from Savannah, Georgia, and previously through the Panama Canal, according to Vessel Finder.
A spokesperson for the Maryland Department of the Environment, which is assisting with operations, told The Independent that there are currently no signs of pollution, but they are on-site reviewing and monitoring the vessel’s fuel tanks.
Stay tuned to GlobalHeadlines22 News throughout the day for updates on all.
