Salvors are gearing up to attempt to refloat an Evergreen Line ship on Tuesday, two weeks after the vessel became stuck near Baltimore.
The US Coast Guard said that if the initial attempt to refloat the 12,118-teu Ever Forward (built 2020) fails, another will not be made until 3 and 4 April.
The ship, owned by the Taiwanese liner operator’s Taipei-listed Evergreen Marine unit, has been aground in Chesapeake Bay since 13 March.
On Tuesday, five tugs will be configured along the Hong Kong-flagged Ever Forward as salvors attempt to free it at high tide.
The US Coast Guard intends to halt traffic near the vessel during the effort.
If this fails, the second effort will see the tugs joined by two anchored pulling barges that will be positioned at the site as early 1 April.
Evergreen Line has hired Donjon-SMIT, the salvage joint venture between Donjon Marine and SMIT Salvage, for the effort to refloat the ship.
The first attempt to dislodge the ship comes after more than a week of dredging operations.
“Ensuring the ship’s stability, and monitoring for potential pollution continue to be top priorities of the unified command and responders,” the Coast Guard said, referring to the unified command made up of the agency, Maryland state’s Department of the Environment and Evergreen Marine.
The Ever Forward has protection and indemnity insurance from Norway’s Gard and is classed by UK-based Lloyd’s Register.
The vessel is worth an estimated $199m, according to valuation platform VesselsValue.
