The arrival of the Evergreen Line’s Ever Atop into the Port of Felixstowe has set a new UK record for the deepest-draughted container vessel. The 24,000-TEU Megamax ship entered Harwich Haven at 16.85 metres draught. Weighing in at around 300,000 tonnes displacement, it breaks a record set only a few months earlier.
The record-breaking arrival on Wednesday 2 July was safely managed by Harwich Haven Authority (HHA), which oversees shipping movements in the Haven waterway. The operation further underlines the capability of Suffolk’s Felixstowe port and estuary to accommodate the world’s biggest container ships at maximum load.
World-class coordination
“Bringing in a vessel of this scale and draught highlights the world-class expertise and infrastructure we have here at Harwich Haven Authority,” said Will Barker, Marine Director at HHA. “We’re proud to play our part in enabling global trade by ensuring the safe, efficient arrival of the world’s largest ships, even at their deepest.”
Careful coordination between the port, pilots, and vessel master allowed the Ever Atop to make her approach and berthing at Felixstowe without incident. HHA noted that the success of the operation was the result of extensive planning and simulation to safely handle a vessel of this magnitude under real tidal and traffic conditions.
Pushing physical limits
Built in 2022, the Ever Atop is part of Evergreen’s A-class Megamax fleet and measures over 400 metres in length. The vessel arrived from Europe’s major transhipment hubs carrying approximately 24,000 TEU, setting a new UK benchmark for laden draught and ship displacement.
The previous record in the Haven was set earlier this year by the OOCL Spain, which docked with a draught of 16.3 metres. The Ever Atop surpasses that by more than half a metre, a significant increase in terms of port and estuary handling parameters.
Felixstowe remaining at the forefront
Felixstowe, often referred to as the Port of Britain, is the UK’s largest and busiest container port and a critical node for supply chains across the country. Located in the county of Suffolk on the east coast of England, it continues to invest in quay infrastructure and navigation channel dredging in partnership with HHA. With shipping magnitude only going in one direction, and port competition intensifying, constant waterway maintenance is the only way to ensure Felixstowe remains capable of welcoming the largest vessels afloat.
Even so, it remains a hugely complicated operation, manoeuvring and berthing a 400m-long container ship. Will Harper, as Harbour Master, has the privilege of observing operations at first hand and has no hesitation in getting afloat. Last week he was out in the Haven, with tugmaster Robin Wright and his crew on board the Svitzer-owbed tug Deben, which was providing towage for a return port call from the Megamax container ship OOCL Spain.
Pilot cleared for landing
“OOCL Spain was assisted by four tugs with the Deben located in the centre lead aft position to provide active indirect escort towage around the Beach End turn at the entrance to Harwich Haven,” explained Will. Indirect towage creates a high steering force by using the tug’s thrust to maintain a heading at a sheared angle relative to the ship’s heading.
The tug’s hull form generates “hydrodynamic” force, which is transmitted to the ship through the tow line. This tow line force is in excess of the tug’s nominal bollard power rating. The ship was piloted from the Sunk Pilot Station into Harwich Haven and safely alongside Felixstowe Berth 8 by Harwich Haven Authority Senior Pilot Mike Robarts. Both the pilot and the harbour master anticipate that the record-breaking port call will be challenged before long.