Irie Vibes had just been launched when news came of a major maritime incident – the grounding of the massive container ship, The Ever Forward, on a mud bank just outside the Baltimore Harbor and the Patapsco River. This incident serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly things can go wrong on the water, even with modern navigation technology. We soon visited the location and quickly realized how the shallow depth of the Chesapeake Bay and many sand bars can thwart even the most modern of ships and experienced pilots.
When the Ever Forward departed Baltimore’s Seagirt Terminal on March 13, 2022, it was supposed to be a routine journey down the Chesapeake Bay. Instead, the vessel became the star of a month-long maritime drama that captured international attention and exposed the dangers of distracted navigation. The 1,095-foot vessel, loaded with nearly 5,000 containers, missed a critical turn in the Craighill Channel. Like a car veering off a highway, the ship strayed from the dredged shipping channel into the bay’s shallower waters. Within moments, the Ever Forward was firmly stuck in about 20 feet of Maryland mud.
The cause of this expensive mishap? A Coast Guard investigation would later reveal that the pilot had been distracted by his cell phone for approximately 30 minutes before the grounding. Instead of focusing on navigating one of the largest vessels to transit the bay, he was checking emails and looking at his phone. This lapse in attention would lead to his license suspension and spark important conversations about navigation safety protocols.
Getting the Ever Forward unstuck proved to be a monumental challenge. The ship’s predicament was worse than it initially appeared – it was buried deep in the bay’s muddy bottom and held like a suction cup. Multiple attempts to refloat the vessel failed; the salvage operation became increasingly complex. Crews worked tirelessly, dredging thousands of cubic yards of material from around the ship. When this wasn’t enough, they had to lighten the vessel by removing about 500 containers, a delicate operation carried out by giant cranes. Finally, after 35 days – one of the longest ship groundings in Chesapeake Bay history – a coordinated effort using multiple tugboats successfully freed the Ever Forwardon a full-moon, spring high tide. The moment of liberation came with both relief and lessons learned. Despite the length of the ordeal, there was a silver lining: no injuries occurred, and remarkably, no environmental damage was reported.
The incident also showcased the incredible skill and persistence of maritime salvage teams who worked for over a month to resolve the situation. Today, as container ships continue to transit the Chesapeake Bay’s channels, the Ever Forward grounding stands as a cautionary tale. It reminds us that no matter how routine a journey might seem, the basics of maritime safety – including undivided attention to navigation – remain as crucial as ever. The saga of the Ever Forward was reminiscent of the Ever Given, which is also owned by the Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corp. The Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal for six days in 2021, causing major shipping disruptions. The bay’s channels, while well-marked and regularly maintained, demand respect and careful attention from those who guide these massive vessels through their waters. In the last nine years, Irie Vibes has helped pull four sailboats off the sand bars of the South and Rhode Rivers – never take depth for granted!