First attempt to refloat Ever Forward fails
Written by Nick Blenkey
Screenshot from W-BAL-TV 11 video shows tugs attempting to refloat Ever Forward
Yesterday’s attempt to refloat the giant containership Ever Forward using five tugs did not succeed. The 1,095 foot long, 12,118 TEU Evergreen Marine containership remains grounded in Chesapeake Bay.
Cargo claims consultancy W.K. Webster, which has been closely following the Ever Forward case, today cited reports that “further attempts to refloat the vessel, involving additional assistance from two anchored barges, will be made on April 3-4, 2022. If those attempts also prove unsuccessful, efforts will be made to partly lighten the vessel by transhipping some containers from the vessel. In that case, the delivery of cargo to destination ports will be further delayed.
NEW ATTEMPT TODAY?
A refloat attempt may, in fact, come sooner than April 3-4. The Baltimore Sun cites the Coast Guard as saying that another attempt to free the Ever Forward will be made again today, when the tide will be higher.
W.K. Webster says that there are “currently no reports of any damage being incurred to the vessel during the last refloating operation and we understand that experts and the vessel’s crew are constantly monitoring the vessel’s stability and the condition of the ballast tanks and fuel tanks for any signs of leakage.”
Video from WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore shows yesterday’s refloat attempt.
