Five Tugboats Deployed To Refloat MV Ever Forward

The first attempt to refloat MV Ever Forward  will take place on Tuesday, March 29, using configuration of five tugs; including two pushing on the port side, two pulling on the starboard side, one long pull from stern.

The attempt to refloat the Ever Forward will be made over two weeks after the containership grounded in Chesapeake Bay.

 

 

The US Coast Guard (USCG) said that it along with Maryland Department of the Environment and Evergreen Marine Corporation, and multiple state and local responders, would attempt to refloat the vessel at noon (local time) on Tuesday 29 March.

 

Salvors have undertaken over a week of dredging operations to help free the stricken vessel which grounded after sailing from the port of Baltimore. Poor weather at the end of last week caused a delay in plans to refloat the vessel.

 

 

A 500 metre safety zone around the vessel will be extended to 1,000 metres from noon on Tuesday during the refloat operations.

“The public should anticipate one-way traffic at a reduced safe speed to resume at midnight or at the discretion of the Captain of the Port following the refloat attempt,” USCG said.

 

“Ensuring the ship’s stability, and monitoring for potential pollution continue to be top priorities of the unified command and responders.”

Should the operation be unsuccessful further dredging around the Ever Forward will be carried out with a second attempt made to refloat the vessel on 3 April.

 

The 12,000 teu, 2020-built Ever Forward grounded 13 March in the Chesapeake Bay near Craighill Channel after sailing from the Port of Baltimore bound for Norfolk, Virginia.

 

The grounding captured public attention and imagination coming almost a year after the Ever Given grounded in the Suez Canal on 23 March 2021 blocking the key waterway for six days and causing havoc in global supply chains.

 

Salvors will use five tugs to attempt to refloat the Ever Forward in Chesapeake Bay on Tuesday.

 

Details of the refloating operation were released as part of a Marine Safety Information Bulletin first issued Sunday establishing a safety zone of 500 yards around the grounded ship in the lead up to the operation.