1/Some photos from today of #EverForward. A view of her shows her bow is almost 4 meters (13 feet) out of the water. She is 17 to 24 feet of water and draws 42 feet.
This is is going to be a prolonged salvage to get her off.
2/She missed her southbound turn (unknown why) and went out of Craighill Channel - dredged from 38 to 50 feet to accommodate neo-Panamax ships like #EverForward.
She departed the channel between red buoys 16 & 14 and plowed into the spoil area from the dredging; about 24 ft.
3/Unlike her larger cousin #EverGiven (400m in length and 20,000 TEUs), which grounded at her bow and stern in the Suez last year, #EverForward (334m & 12,000 TEUs) is aground from bow to stern as demonstrated by her exposed bottom fore and aft.
4/Many are asking how this could happen, and it will come down to either mechanical or human errors?
What we should ask is how everyday, ships this size typically transit the world's oceans and ports with no issues.
As I post this #EverGiven is preparing to transit the #Suez.
5/Fortunately, #EverForward did not block the channel to @portofbalt. She did not do this coming over the tunnel into Thimble Shoals and seal off Chesapeake Bay, or the southern passage to the naval base at Norfolk, or San Diego or LA/Long Beach and cut off our trade or Navy.
6/ Unfortunately, the only time we pay attention to shipping is when we have disasters or tragedy. Their is a movie for Titanic, but not for her sistership Olympic.
Throughout the pandemic, ocean shipping never stopped. #EVERFORWARD is a reminder of that oceanic #supplychain.
1/The latest video release by the #Houthis is just amazing.
This was filmed after the large three explosions set off at night, as indicated by the fires on deck, and the recent photos by @EUNAVFORASPIDES as the bridge is still intact in this video.
2/This was the original video shown by the #Houthis and has three large explosions on deck.
It is believed that they removed some of the manhole covers on the main deck to start the fires off the cargo tanks.
3/This image from the new video shows the ship on fire via those ports.
Not the extent of damage is not as extensive as we see in the later @EUNAVFOR photos and the bridge is intact.
1/It is time to discuss a Tale of Two Carriers, @usnavy @CENTCOM Edition.
The @DeptofDefense just showcased the return of the @TheCVN69 strike group and the award of the Combat Action Ribbon to the ships (although they omitted the ships of the @MSCSealift.)
2/At the time of the #Houthi attacks on shipping, USS Ford Carrier Strike Group was in Med and IKE was in the Persian Gulf, with the destroyer USS Carney making its dramatic appearance by shooting down missiles and drones heading to Israel.
3/With the #Houthi seizure of MV Galaxy Leader (they still hold the ship and crew hostage), @CMF_Bahrain allocated reinforcements to plus up CTF 153 in the Red Sea and initiated Operation Prosperity Guardian.
1/I have been receiving a great deal of info on the #GazaPier and this is what I have been able to put together
1οΈβ£Weather was a major factor. A Sea State 5 storm necessitated the crews to evacuate to Benavidez and locally hired tugs. The offshore pier broke loose.
It took 5 hours to chase down the RRDF platform after it drifted 2 miles off.
2οΈβ£ Much of the equipment had not been fixed or refurbished from Exercise Talisman Saber 23. There was a dry run before the execution of Gaza and took 3 days. The test found deficiencies in the LSVs.
3οΈβ£ Most of the NCOs had little hands-on experience with the system beyond ops to resupply McMurdo Station since the cutback in the Army Watercraft program. Additionally, the Army Causeway Company lacks Warrant Officers. Many mid & junior officers lack similar knowledge.
1/The latest is that a portion of the Trident pier - the section that is grounded in #Gaza - broke loose while being towed to Israel due to high sea states.
2/ As I discussed in my video yesterday, if the US wanted to deliver aid to Gaza The best way to accomplish this 3was to use existing ports in Israel and Egypt and ship it overland into Gaza.
The least efficient is airdrops and then over the shore.
3/If the administration directed the @DeptofDefense @SecDef to conduct aid shipments by sea, there were several options available instead of a Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) using the assets currently in place.