Community Corner

Dredging Underway To Free Container Ship Stuck In Chesapeake Bay

Crews are dredging near the container ship Ever Forward in an attempt to free it after it became stuck March 13 in the Chesapeake Bay.

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The ship isn't blocking navigation in the channel, unlike last year's high-profile grounding in the Suez Canal of its sister vessel, the Ever Given, which disrupted the global supply chain for days.
The ship isn't blocking navigation in the channel, unlike last year's high-profile grounding in the Suez Canal of its sister vessel, the Ever Given, which disrupted the global supply chain for days. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

MARYLAND — Crews hope to free a giant container ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay for more than a week now by dredging the area around it.

The 1,095-foot container vessel called the Ever Forward was carrying 4,964 containers of general dry goods when it became stuck March 13, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The vessel was en route to the port of Norfolk when it ran aground, VesselFinder.com shows.

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Maryland Port Administration Executive Director William Doyle said U.S. companies, Don Jon Marine and Cashman Dredging & Marine Construction, are leading the surgical dredging operation, which began Sunday.

Appropriate permits have been issued by state and federal agencies, Doyle confirmed.

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Capt. David O’Connell, the sector commander of Coast Guard Sector Maryland - National Capital Region, and Cmdr. Christopher Rosen, chief of response at Sector Maryland - National Capital Region, monitor the grounded vessel, the Ever Forward, Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in the Chesapeake Bay. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Breanna Centeno/Released.)

"All dredge material excavated will be re-used for the beneficial use of rebuilding Poplar Island," he tweeted over the weekend.

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It's not yet clear what caused the Ever Forward to become stuck.

The good news is there have been no injuries, pollution or damage to the ship, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of the Environment are working to develop a plan to safely refloat the 1,095 foot ship carrying 4,964 containers of general dry goods. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Breanna Centeno/Released.)

According to The Washington Post, Ever Forward is owned by Evergreen Marine Corp., the shipping organization that also owns the Ever Given, which got stuck March 23 in the Suez Canal, blocking the waterway and drawing worldwide attention.

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