'Ever Given' sets sail again

HYDERABAD: Giant vessel ‘Ever Given’ has set sail again. The ship owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd said that following the conclusion of a formal agreement with the Suez Canal Authority, the vessel and her crew departed The Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal on Wednesday.
Ever Given will proceed to Port Said, Egypt where a dive survey of the vessel will be completed. Subject to approval from the vessel’s classification society which is the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Ever Given will then complete her voyage to the next port where her cargo will be discharged, the company said.
“We would like to take a moment to specially acknowledge the “Ever Given’s” master (captain of the ship), officers and crew who played a vital role in the safe refloating of the vessel and in her maintenance over the last months. We would further like to acknowledge the families of the crew who have faced the uncertainty of not knowing when their loved ones would return. We thank the crew of the Ever Given. Your hard work and professionalism exemplify the very best of those who serve at sea,” the company said. All the crew of Ever Given when it got grounded in the Suez Canal were Indian seafarers.
Shoie Kisen Kaisha also thanked the ‘Suez Canal Authority and others who worked tirelessly to release the ship as swiftly as possible when she ran aground over three months ago.' “Our company has a large fleet of ships and will continue to be a regular and loyal customer of the Suez Canal,” it said.
Over a period of time after the ship was refloated and sailed to The Great Bitter Lake, the Indian crew who had served their period of contract time were allowed to return to the country and a set of the new crew went on board. An additional captain, also from India, had boarded the ship at The Great Bitter Lake during the initial days itself.
On March 23 this year, the ship had got stuck in the Suez Canal and after six days it was refloated. The shipping company was involved in a legal tussle over the payment of compensation for the revenue losses suffered by the Suez Canal Authority. The issue was settled by the company and the SCA following which the ship was permitted to set sail again.