A year on since the infamous Suez Canal incident, Evergreen Marine has found itself in yet another pickle
The vessel Ever Given might be a household name to many seafarers; since it was the subject of thousands of memes following the ship’s lodging in the Suez Canal that disrupted traffic for nearly a week. But one year on, the month of March does not seem to agree with the vessels of Evergreen as yet another vessel of the company – Ever Forward – ran aground in Chesapeake Bay near the Craighill Channel.
The vessel had left the Port of Baltimore heading towards Norfolk, Virginia and had been travelling at a speed of 13 knots, which was above the recommended speed for the area, when it grounded itself. Based on transmission AIS data and navigational charting, the vessel seemingly strayed from the narrow shipping corridor and anchored itself on the soft mud seabed. With the speed it had been going, the vessel would require massive pulling power to disengage itself from the seabed and refloat. So far, authorities estimate another week or so to get the vessel out.
Thankfully, less disruptive than previously
Since the incident, the US Coast Guard had issued a Captain of the Port order, which would require the crew to monitor and report any anomalies in the vessel’s status or of any potential pollution or oil discharge. So far, none has been reported and the vessel has not become a hazard to navigation. However, the Coast Guard had enforced a 500-yard safety zone around the stuck vessel.
Although the grounding of the vessel comes at a time where the maritime industry is facing increased port congestion, it has thankfully not affected global trade as vessels are still able to navigate around Ever Forward. Hopefully, there would not be too many “Ever Grounded” jokes or memes for Evergreen this time.
Crewing Online Media Team
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