Yemen’s Houthi militia have set the conditions for the salvage of a stricken cargo ship that has been leaking oil in the Red Sea.
The 32,200-dwt Rubymar (built 1997) was damaged in a Houthi attack on 19 February, leaving it in danger of sinking and forcing the crew to evacuate.
The incident caused significant damage to the ship and a 29km fuel slick, the US military’s Central Command said, with the Rubymar — which is flying the Belize flag and whose registered owner is UK-based — taking on water and dangerously listing.
The vessel was carrying fertiliser.
Now Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi has said the Iran-backed group will only allow a salvage operation to take place if humanitarian aid is sent to Gaza.
“The sinking British ship might be hauled in return for delivering aid vehicles to Gaza,” Al-Houthi said on X.
The day after the attack, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree had said the Rubymar had completely sunk, but this information turned out to be inaccurate.
Sources told TradeWinds last week that salvaging the half-sunk ship was one option on the table, even though it was far from clear if this would be actually feasible, given the security risks in the area and the ship’s condition.
According to reports, the vessel might be towed to nearby Djibouti.
“Djibouti is the only immediate option where some repairs or recovery would be feasible,” Reuters quoted shipping and insurance sources as saying.
“It is too risky for a ship in that condition to be towed too far or in more open waters,” they added.
The Rubymar’s Lebanese manager, and likely owner, GMZ Ship Management, declined to give any information about the ship’s condition.
The seafarers on board were safely evacuated after leaving the vessel at anchor last Monday, with the assistance of the 2,082-teu container ship Lobivia (built 2001).
Asked by TradeWinds to comment on Tuesday, GMZ Ship Management declined to make any statements about the vessel.
