Ever Forward returns to port to collect its containers

WBAL ^ | 4/22/22 | Bally Simms

[Paladin2]

BALTIMORE —

The Ever Forward returned Friday to the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore to pick up its containers.

The ship ran aground on March 13 in the Chesapeake Bay after leaving Baltimore. The 1,095-foot vessel, which could fit three football fields end to end, did not move for 35 days.

A couple of attempts in March failed to free the ship. Crews tried dredging and push/pull tugboat operations.

Then, from April 9-16, hundreds of containers were off-loaded from the stuck ship so crews could try for a third time to refloat it, the Coast Guard said.

Crews then refloated the ship Sunday, and barges and tugboats towed it to Annapolis for an inspection.

The Coast Guard said extensive steps were taken for safety and to protect the environment.

In a statement, Evergreen Line, the owners of the Ever Forward, thanked the Coast Guard, the Maryland Port Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the private companies that "worked tirelessly to bring this event to a successful conclusion."

The Hong Kong-flagged ship is preparing to continue its journey to Norfolk, Virginia.

The Coast Guard said an investigation continues into what happened and could take several months. The goal is to determine the cause and prevent it from happening again.

[Paladin2]

Here's part of your supply chain disruption right here.

Sounds like they had to go back to get the containers that were offloaded to get her to float off the shallows.

[George from New England]

Sounds like a load of ‘Made in China’ crap

[BBQToadRibs2]

“... did not move for 35 days.”

35 days out of service is a lot of money down the hole.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Ever Forward, but Sometimes Backward.

[Bob434]

Ever forward went BACK to get its containers?

[TexasGator]

Yes

[woodbutcher1963]

“The Coast Guard said an investigation continues into what happened and could take several months”

Maybe just learn how to keep a vessel in the shipping channel so it does not run aground.

[Larry Lucido]

Yes but it drove back forward.

[Larry Lucido]

Don't have the gif of him driving backward.

[catnipman]

“Ever Forward, but Sometimes Backward.”

or not at all ...

[Paladin2]

Yep, tell the Navigator, the Helmsman, and in this case THE PILOT! to pay attention to their freaking jobs.

[woodbutcher1963]

First thing my father in law taught me about navigating his sailboat was RED RIGHT RETURN. Keep the Red Nuns on the Starboard side when coming back into the harbor/river from the ocean. Therefore, keep the Green Cans on the port side.
Then it is just the opposite when going out to sea.

Does a ship like this have a Pilot for navigating the entire Chesapeake Bay or just going into the port of Baltimore?

[Paladin2]

Good question:

“By state law, every ship that enters Maryland waters must have a state-licensed pilot at its helm, steering massive ships from the sea into port. That means that every vessel bound for Baltimore must be met by a pilot at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, where she or he takes command of the ship. Throughout this voyage, pilots steer their ships through a 50-foot deep channel, with sometimes as little clearance between the bottom of the ship and the bottom of the Bay as three feet. Once the ship reaches the Key Bridge, a docking pilot takes over the helm and brings the ship into its berth in the Port.”

https://port.thinkport.org/workingattheport/explore/pilots.asp

[woodbutcher1963]

SO, there are specific pilots for the channel and the actual port.

The Evergiven got stuck in the channel, so the Pilot should be fired. However, I suspect he/she is in some type of maritime union. So, at best he will get a slap on the wrist. Unless, he was drunk/drugged up at the time. I wonder if they have to take a drug test after an incident like running a vessel aground?