It has been 19 days since the container ship Ever Forward ran aground near Pasadena, Maryland, on its way from Norfolk to Baltimore. The area around the boat was dredged, and there was an attempt to refloat the Ever Forward this past week, but five tugboats couldn’t shift it.
1/2 MV Ever Forward grounding- dredging continues today, Sunday March 27, 2022. First refloat attempt will be Tuesday, March 29, 2022 using five tugs; two pushing on starboard side, two pulling from port side, one long pull from stern. pic.twitter.com/FW3y37b4Sk
— William Doyle (@WilliamPDoyle) March 27, 2022
The next attempt, scheduled for early next week, will add two anchored pulling barges at the vessel’s stern to the tug flotilla. If that doesn’t work, some of the Ever Forward‘s cargo will be removed.
The Hong Kong-flagged Ever Forward is a sister ship to the Ever Given, which famously got stuck in the Suez Canal in March 2021, blocking an important international trade route, and was refloated after days of dredging. Both are owned by the shipping giant Evergreen Marine Corporation, whose name adorns the Ever Forward‘s hull. The Ever Forward isn’t impeding any maritime traffic, though the Coast Guard has established a 500-1,000-yard safety zone around the boat.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
