This past March, the cargo ship Ever Forward ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay while it was traveling from the Port of Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia. It took authorities over a month to dislodge the Taiwan-based container ship from the bay’s shallow, muddy bottom.
A newly released Coast Guard investigation into the matter has faulted the pilot tasked with helping the ship navigate the waterway, citing the “pilot’s failure to maintain situational awareness and attention while navigating and inadequate bridge resource management.”
While a ship is captained by a “master,” pilots are frequently tasked with guiding ships through specific passages, where they have knowledge of the waterways.
The Maryland Board of Pilots said that they are suspending the pilot’s operating license.