The infamous ship will need to have multiple parts replaced.
The name “Ever Given” has become synonymous with perfect disaster after the massive cargo vessel almost perfectly wedged itself between the two shores of the Suez Canal back in March. The incident delayed numerous global shipping efforts for several days (something the world at large is starting to become annoyingly familiar with), and left the vessel’s owner with a bit of a bad look. As it turns out, though, the owner wasn’t the only one left with a bad look; the ship itself got a bit of an unpleasant facelift while stuck in the canal.
New pictures of the Ever Given at a port in Qingdao, China originally taken last month have been released publicly. These pictures detail the damage that the vessel sustained as it grinded across the shores of the Suez. The bow of the ship, which is to say it’s lower front, has been completely torn asunder, likely as a result of the canal authorities’ efforts to get it unstuck. The area has been worn away, removing multiple hundreds of tons of steel.
The owner of the vessel had to have a “whole new lower bow section in the yard prepared,” according to Dr. Salvatore R. Mercogliano, an associate professor of history at Campbell University and adjunct professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
“They will cut out that entire area and replace it with the new one they have fabricated,” Dr. Mercogliano said in a tweet.
So, what does it look like when you run your bow into Asia at 13 knots and close the Suez Canal for six days in March?#EverGiven pic.twitter.com/pIzAPNvZse
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) November 2, 2021
During the repair process, nearly 1 million cubic feet of assorted debris, including sand and mud, had to be scrubbed from various nooks and crannies around the vessel. The vessel spent about six days in total at port, and is presumably either on its way home, or has already arrived there.