Evergreen claims General Average for Ever Forward that ran aground in Chesapeake Bay

The ship Ever Forward ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay (Image: MaritimeInnovationSafetyLab)

The latest attempt took place on Wednesday in the hope of taking advantage of the weather to bring the tide level about a foot higher than usual. Unfortunately, the attempt to rescue the stranded Ever Forward was unsuccessful and the ship did not appear to be making any movement.

In a statement, shipping line Evergreen said general average was claimed "in light of the increasing costs arising from the continued attempts to refloat the vessel."

Common average is a principle of maritime law that requires shipowners and shippers to share equitably in the costs involved in rescuing a ship following a major accident. When General Average is claimed, owners of goods are required to contribute to a General Average fund before their cargo can be delivered.

Evergreen also claimed General Average in the event that the Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal.

Ever Forward ran aground on March 13 outside the Craighill shipping channel in the Chesapeake Bay as it departed the Port of Baltimore with a navigator on board. AIS showed the ship was moving at about 13 knots when it came out of the channel and came to a stop at a depth of about 25 feet. The ship's draft was reported to be 13 meters (42.6 feet).

Two dredgers worked to remove sediment from around the vessel. To date, there has not been a way to lighten ships with fuel, gas or ballast water.

The attempt to resurface the ship last Wednesday night involved six tugs towed from the stern. This deployment attempt follows an initial effort that used five tugs to resurface the ship last Tuesday afternoon. But both failed.

Officials said another attempt would take place April 3-4. If that still fails, the Coast Guard has indicated that unloading the containers on board may be necessary.

The 12,000-TEU vessel Ever Forward, with a length of more than 1,100 feet, is owned by Evergreen Marine (Hong Kong) Ltd., a subsidiary of Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine Corporation. The designated rescue unit in this operation is Donjon-Smit.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

So far no contamination or injuries have been reported and the hull is stable. Fortunately, the ship did not block the entrance to Port of Baltimore.

Read more:

• Evergreen's Ever Forward vessel runs aground in Chesapeake Bay
• Evergreen's profit increased 9 times, reaching US$9.5 billion in 2021
• Ever Given vessel that ran aground in the Suez Canal has arrived in Rotterdam
• Ever Given vessel is about to leave Suez after reaching a compensation agreement with SCA

Source: Phaata.com (According to Gcaptian)

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