One year after the Ever Given container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal, her sister vessel is repeating the feat – in the US state of Maryland. The ironically-named Ever Forward is not currently affecting transit through the US port, according to the Maryland Port Administration (MPA).
After two unsuccessful attempts to free it, officials are pivoting to a new approach. On Monday, the US coast guard announced that containers would be removed from the Ever Forward to lighten the load before another try.
The ship ran aground after departing Baltimore for Norfolk on March 13. Position data shows it missed a right turn in the deep shipping channel leading out of Baltimore and down the bay, becoming lodged on the bottom of the bay north of the Bay Bridge. It’s not clear whether the ship suffered a mechanical problem or the crew didn’t complete the turn.
Salvage experts determined they wouldn’t be able to overcome the ground force of the more than 1,000ft (305-meter) vessel, loaded with nearly 5,000 containers, according to a news release. Unloading the ship offered the best chance to refloat it, officials said.
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