Massive Ship Blocking Hundreds of Boats Finally Freed

It's finally free.

One of the largest ships in the world has been blocking a vital waterway for the past week.

According to authorities, the ship was refloated and is now moving freely through the Suez Canal.

A salvage team of tugboats can be seen on video pulling the vessel toward a wider stretch of water known as the Great Bitter Lake where it will undergo technical inspections. Crews were visibly excited once they were able to get the vessel turned around.

Canal authorities say the stern of the Ever Given was originally grounded about four yards away from the bank. Crews managed to refloat the boat, swinging it more than 100 yards away.

This was the result of successful push and tow maneuvers, which led to the restoration of 80% of the vessel’s direction.

There are reportedly more than 360 ships waiting to get through the passage and experts say it will take more than three days to get the traffic jam cleared. Some suggest it could take twice that long.

Don’t cheer too soon. The good news is that the stern is free but we saw that as the simplest part of the job. The ripple effects on global capacity and equipment are significant.

Ever Given is a 220,000-ton ship that is a quarter-mile long and carries 20,000 massive containers. Last week, the ship spun around in high winds which put it in a compromising situation.

But for now, it seems like Ever Given is back on track and people already have jokes.