Ever* ship stuck near Baltimore

[rubytue]

thebaynet.com/evergreen-container-ship-aground-near-baltimore/

Same company (different ship) than got stuck in the Suez Cannel. Luckily, this one is just a smidge out if the shipping channel. She draughts 42 feet (Craighill Channel is dredges to 51). Apparently, she is on a 24 foot shoal. 😳

It’s my old boating ground, but, you know, we draughted 2 feet. So, we mostly stayed *out* of the channel. Because these guys were in it. 

another link, with the numbers I cited. baltimore.cbslocal.com/2022/03/14/coast-guard-tries-to-free-container-ship-stranded-in-the-chesapeake-bay/?taid=622ff334e9b021000122aa13&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[ECB]

My husband sailed the ship (meaning his tug undocked it) - he took a pic of it and sent it to me because it’s soooo big. Then it got stuck. 🙄

It’s crazy.

[bears]

Well, the Golden Ray had finally been removed from off St Simon Island in Georgia, so if they need the removal equipment, it may be free: www.cnn.com/2021/10/26/us/georgia-golden-ray-cargo-ship-wreck-removal-largest-in-us-history/index.html

[bears]

ECB it wasn't clear from the article-- did they get stuck after having tug transport?

[wawa]

Mar 15, 2022 7:54:54 GMT -5 bears said:

ECB it wasn't clear from the article-- did they get stuck after having tug transport?

I'm not ECB, but when they get to that point of the bay they're not being tugged anymore.  
Though don't they still have a bay pilot onboard till VA?

[bears]

Mar 15, 2022 8:05:40 GMT -5 wawa said:

Mar 15, 2022 7:54:54 GMT -5 bears said:

ECB it wasn't clear from the article-- did they get stuck after having tug transport?

I'm not ECB, but when they get to that point of the bay they're not being tugged anymore.  
Though don't they still have a bay pilot onboard till VA?

Thanks. Was confusing the tug with the pilot boat!

[pixy0stix]

Is this happening more frequently or has it just been reported in the news more?

[ECB]

Mar 15, 2022 7:54:54 GMT -5 bears said:

ECB it wasn't clear from the article-- did they get stuck after having tug transport?

As wawa said - no, the tug wasn't with the ship when it grounded.  Now, in the pictures presently being aired, there are tugboats there trying to help.  one of them is from DHs company.  But no tug was with the ship when it grounded.  

And yes, from what I understand, there was a pilot on board.  Which I think is a part of what they are investigating - was it pilot error or was there a problem with the ship itself.  

[wawa]

Mar 15, 2022 8:41:20 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Is this happening more frequently or has it just been reported in the news more?

I'd hazard a guess that it's happening more frequently since vessel size has got to be a risk factor for grounding (deeper draft, harder to maneuver= more likely to run aground due to navigational errors that a smaller ship would be able to recover from).  The megaships are just going to be at more risk for a major grounding like this. 

I haven't been able to find any quick stats in an initial google search though

[ECB]

Mar 15, 2022 8:50:07 GMT -5 wawa said:

Mar 15, 2022 8:41:20 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Is this happening more frequently or has it just been reported in the news more?

I'd hazard a guess that it's happening more frequently since vessel size has got to be a risk factor for grounding (deeper draft, harder to maneuver= more likely to run aground due to navigational errors that a smaller ship would be able to recover from).  The megaships are just going to be at more risk for a major grounding like this. 

I haven't been able to find any quick stats in an initial google search though

Yup.  That's part of the reason DH sent me a picture- it's just such a HUGE ship.  All these channels aren't going to necessarily be deep enough to handle the ships.  DH was just saying that he thinks they need to dredge through that area to make it deeper and wider.

The other issue to is our train capabilities.  They are now finally working on changing this, but in Baltimore, cargo trains can only be single stacked because of one tunnel in particular - it's not deep enough.  Which means fewer containers can come through Baltimore.  But by expanding the tunnel to allow for double stack trains, that means we can process more containers through Baltimore.  Which then opens up the ability for larger container ships to come through because we can actually take the containers here.  

[wawa]

Mar 15, 2022 9:04:15 GMT -5 ECB said:

Mar 15, 2022 8:50:07 GMT -5 wawa said:

I'd hazard a guess that it's happening more frequently since vessel size has got to be a risk factor for grounding (deeper draft, harder to maneuver= more likely to run aground due to navigational errors that a smaller ship would be able to recover from).  The megaships are just going to be at more risk for a major grounding like this. 

I haven't been able to find any quick stats in an initial google search though

Yup.  That's part of the reason DH sent me a picture- it's just such a HUGE ship.  All these channels aren't going to necessarily be deep enough to handle the ships.  DH was just saying that he thinks they need to dredge through that area to make it deeper and wider.

The other issue to is our train capabilities.  They are now finally working on changing this, but in Baltimore, cargo trains can only be single stacked because of one tunnel in particular - it's not deep enough.  Which means fewer containers can come through Baltimore.  But by expanding the tunnel to allow for double stack trains, that means we can process more containers through Baltimore.  Which then opens up the ability for larger container ships to come through because we can actually take the containers here.  

It's wild to me that they spent the huge $$ to put in the new panamax cranes when the tunnel issue was still up in the air.
I'm glad it's all coming together now, but jeez.

[cville]

Mar 15, 2022 8:50:07 GMT -5 wawa said:

Mar 15, 2022 8:41:20 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Is this happening more frequently or has it just been reported in the news more?

I'd hazard a guess that it's happening more frequently since vessel size has got to be a risk factor for grounding (deeper draft, harder to maneuver= more likely to run aground due to navigational errors that a smaller ship would be able to recover from).  The megaships are just going to be at more risk for a major grounding like this. 

I haven't been able to find any quick stats in an initial google search though

In addition, reduced staffing/increased automation at ports and tighter timelines for everything have an impact. Not that anyone is purposefully messing up or even being careless, there's just more opportunities for error in ballast, etc.

[rubytue]

Mar 15, 2022 8:41:20 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Is this happening more frequently or has it just been reported in the news more?

FWIW, we lived just off craighill channel for 10 years, and I can’t recall any other stuck ships. Anecdote 😂

[mala]

Mar 15, 2022 12:31:32 GMT -5 rubytue said:

Mar 15, 2022 8:41:20 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Is this happening more frequently or has it just been reported in the news more?

FWIW, we lived just off craighill channel for 10 years, and I can’t recall any other stuck ships. Anecdote 😂

My parents have been living on the bay for 20+ years now and this is the first one they recall too.

[tacokick]

I wonder if they are overdue for dredging? My dad lives on a river and it’s been pushed back twice due to Covid shortages/issues.

I don’t recall anything getting stuck like this before.

[wawa]

Mar 15, 2022 13:10:03 GMT -5 tacokick said:

I wonder if they are overdue for dredging? My dad lives on a river and it’s been pushed back twice due to Covid shortages/issues.

I don’t recall anything getting stuck like this before.

i mean, they're outside the channel.  Dredging is due is my understanding, but the channel itself can still handle the big boys - it's just narrow and turns just north of where they went off-track.

eta: the difference in depth in at least that area of bay between in the channel and not in the channel is abrupt and and BIG, and there are huge sections of the bay that are basically swimming pool depth.  Big ships, even normal sized containers (i.e. not these monsters) MUST stay in the channel.

[mysteriouswife]

This is a fascinating conversation for me. I know more about the actual cargo than the ships and how they get in and out of ports.

Does anyone know if it was going to berth or heading back out? I guess I should go read a few articles posted around work. NVM.. I just read an article.

I need to check my logs. I have some medical containers coming in via Norfolk this week.

[tacokick]

Mar 15, 2022 13:17:53 GMT -5 wawa said:

Mar 15, 2022 13:10:03 GMT -5 tacokick said:

I wonder if they are overdue for dredging? My dad lives on a river and it’s been pushed back twice due to Covid shortages/issues.

I don’t recall anything getting stuck like this before.

i mean, they're outside the channel.  Dredging is due is my understanding, but the channel itself can still handle the big boys - it's just narrow and turns just north of where they went off-track.

eta: the difference in depth in at least that area of bay between in the channel and not in the channel is abrupt and and BIG, and there are huge sections of the bay that are basically swimming pool depth.  Big ships, even normal sized containers (i.e. not these monsters) MUST stay in the channel.

Right, I was hearing local gossip that the area it is stuck in (off track) was overdue for dredging and was much shallower than it had been in years past and might have contributed to them not being able to get back where they belonged. I guess it’s all speculation at this point until they find out why it went off track.

[rubytue]

Mar 15, 2022 13:34:39 GMT -5 mysteriouswife said:

This is a fascinating conversation for me. I know more about the actual cargo than the ships and how they get in and out of ports.

Does anyone know if it was going to berth or heading back out? I guess I should go read a few articles posted around work. NVM.. I just read an article.

I need to check my logs. I have some medical containers coming in via Norfolk this week.

It was going back out. Headed down to Norfolk. ECB mentioned above her H undocked it and sent it on its way. 

I’ve seen some speculation that they missed the waypoint turn from the channel to a “craighill angle” approach. 

And to support what wawa said, the general area has some really shallow shoals through there. 50 foot channel, 20 foot just off the channel (and the fish love that, as my husband would tell you, he trolls the channel edge for hours). Also, it’s near a hill called “7 foot knoll”, which is rumored to get some weird rouge waves from big ships in the channel.

[rubytue]

I know, I know, citing a Twitter thread. But it has a good picture of the charts there. 

Attachments:

[mala]

The average depth of the bay is only about 6' {EDIT: fact checked my idiot husband and it's 6 METERS deep on average. 21 feet. and about 25% of the bay is 6' deep or less}. There are deeper areas, and the shipping channel, but if a big ship goes off the channel it's fairly likely they're going to run aground very quickly.

[mysteriouswife]

Mar 15, 2022 8:41:20 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Is this happening more frequently or has it just been reported in the news more?

It’s more than before.

I’m curious if there is a correlation between the urgency and frequency of cargo boats moving now. We are seeing higher than ever volume of imports for my office. Could the captains/pilots be skipping steps to get moving faster? Is it fatigued workers? Climate change and change in waters?

[marcyiam]

I always love threads like this. Not only are they interesting to read but I love how there seems to be such a diverse range of knowledge on these boards.

You have an issue or a topic? Probably someone around who knows something about it. And you may even learn something along the way.

[Birdie]

There is a riverboat cruise that travels between Western Kentucky and TN. Last July on one of its first voyages it got stuck on a sand bar in Lake Barkley. It ended up shutting down through-traffic in that section for over a week. It was right after the 4th, so it impacted a lot of people since that area of the lake is very busy. The channel where it became stuck is narrow with the surrounding water being fairly shallow. Depths go from 6 ft to 60+ feet almost instantly. I'm surprised they got it free as quick as they did.

[basilosaurus]

42.5 feet! That rules out a lot of busy ports. I don't think even Port Everglades can handle it, and it's the deepest port south of Virginia. We used to sit at the entrance to the port and watch the ships coming and going at night. I cannot imagine seeing one of these monsters.

[wawa]

Mar 15, 2022 14:12:40 GMT -5 mala said:

The average depth of the bay is only about 6'. There are deeper areas, and the shipping channel, but if a big ship goes off the channel it's fairly likely they're going to run aground very quickly.

the fact that the average NBA player could wade through huge portions of the bay is one of my favorite stats about it.

Other fun chesapeake bay facts...it was in part formed by meteor impact crater.

[rubytue]

Check out the photo in this tweet. 😳

[wawa]

I really can't stop snickering at the fact that this stuck ship's name is the ever forward. Like, I know, the joke has been made, memed and beat to death, but....it's still funny.

[rubytue]

I know, I know. Me and my Twitter info, but this guy made a cool video of the AIS track. My H and I watched it, and were screaming “turn turn turn” when he plowed forward into the muck. My H would also like to report its good fishing grounds 😂 And he is commenting on how there is going to be a new hole there for the fishes.

[rubytue]

Not only is the bay pretty shallow, the much of bottom is mud, not rocks or anything. Hence all the muck comments. Especially the upper bay. I flipped my kayak in my creek, and to stand up, my feet sank up to my knees in the muck. Although I don’t know the bottom at this point, H said he doesn’t think it’s an old oyster bed or rocks or anything. So, think of being suctioned into mud. It you watch the video above to the end, you can see the tugs show up to try to unstuck it.