Salvors plan to refloat and move the stricken Dali container ship early on Monday, nearly two months after it hit and brought down a bridge in Baltimore.
Work started on Sunday to remove anchor lines and empty ballast tanks water before five tugs tow the ship 5 km to a marine terminal, said US authorities.
The 9,962-teu Dali (built 2015) is due to be pulled from the site of the crash of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the highest tide at 5.24