MV Rubymar explained

MV Rubymar was a Belize-flagged Handymax-size bulk carrier cargo ship completed in 1997. She previously sailed under the names Ken Shin from 1997, Chatham Island from 2009, and Ikaria Island from 2020, before being renamed Rubymar. On 18 February 2024, the ship was struck by a Houthi anti-ship missile during the Red Sea crisis while carrying a cargo of fertilizer. After being adrift for weeks, the ship sank on 2 March as a result of the strike, becoming the first vessel lost due to a Houthi attack during the crisis. The wreck poses a risk to navigation of the Red Sea, and also has the potential to cause environmental damage due to the leakage of its oil and fertilizer.

Characteristics

Rubymar was a Handymax-size bulk carrier cargo ship of and . It was 171m (561feet) long and wide, with a draft of . It was equipped with a Mitsubishi engine plant that supplied of power.[1] [2] The ship was valued at $4.82 million in February 2024 before its sinking.[3]

Ownership

The ownership of Rubymar was complex in 2024. The ship sailed under the flag of Belize, but was managed by the Lebanese GMZ Ship Management Company S.A., for Golden Adventure Shipping S.A., of Majuro, Marshall Islands,[4] who offer a Southampton, United Kingdom, correspondence address for a Lebanese owner.[5] [6]

History

The ship was built in 1997 by the Onomichi dockyard in Kobe, Japan. It was called Ken Shin in 1997, Chatham Island in 2009, and Ikaria Island in 2020, before being renamed Rubymar. In 2022, it took part in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, carrying 35,000 tons of wheat from Ukraine to Egypt during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[7]

Red Sea attack

Rubymar was transiting through the Red Sea in February 2024, transporting a cargo of fertilizer from the United Arab Emirates to Bulgaria. The United States Central Command announced that on 18 February, Houthi forces launched two anti-ship missiles at the ship, one of which struck it and caused severe damage. A container ship, the Singapore-flagged Lobivia, and an Operation Prosperity Guardian warship responded to the incident. Lobivia evacuated all 24 crewmembers of Rubymar and took them safely to Djibouti.[8] [9]

The ship was abandoned in the vicinity of the Bab-el-Mandeb following the attack, but did not fully sink.[10] Despite dropping its anchor, by 26 February it had moved more than while not under command.[11] During this time, its dragging anchor may have damaged several undersea internet cables, disrupting up to a quarter of the internet traffic through the Red Sea's underwater network.[12] In the aftermath of the missile strike, a 29km (18miles) long oil slick developed, with continuing oil spillage contributing to what Central Command called an environmental disaster.[13] Furthermore, it was predicted that the cargo of fertilizer could contribute to further damage by causing an algal bloom in the coastal regions near the ship.[14]

Salvage and towing operations were stymied by political barriers in the weeks following the attack. While the United States Navy offered to help tow Rubymar, the nearest port of Djibouti refused to accept the ship because of the risk of explosion from its cargo of fertilizer. Houthi leader Mohammed al-Houthi stated that the group would only allow the ship to be towed if humanitarian aid was supplied to Gaza.[15] By 28 February, the ship was still adrift and waiting to be towed into port, possibly in Saudi Arabia or Yemen.[16]

Sinking

On 2 March 2024, the internationally recognized Government of Yemen reported that Rubymar sank in the Red Sea.[17] [18] A combination of foul weather and strong winds caused the ship, which was already partially submerged, to fully sink.[19] Rubymar is the first ship to be sunk by Houthi forces since the start of their attacks in the Red Sea.[20]

Environmental impact

Concerns over the potential for environmental damage were renewed following the ship's sinking. The Yemeni government's environmental protection authority warned that the dual threats of the ship's fuel and its fertilizer cargo could impact up to half a million people who depend on fishing in the Red Sea to make a living.[21] The United States Embassy to Yemen echoed the environmental concerns, as well as pointing out the vessel's "risk to safe navigation" for other ships moving through the area.[22]

By 18 March, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was still unable to conduct any salvage operations. It stated that while the cargo of fertilizer was contained, the oil slick was the main source of damage to the environment.[23] In July, the IMO made a request for contributions of equipment to respond to the ongoing oil spill, asking for a remote operated vehicle and additional supplies.[24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rubymar, Bulk carrier . . Baltic Shipping . 24 February 2024 . 30 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190130142937/https://www.balticshipping.com/ . live.
  2. Web site: Rubymar – Dry bulk / Handysize / General cargo – IMO 9138898 . . Maritime Optima . 24 February 2024 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224213923/https://maritimeoptima.com/public/vessels/pages/imo:9138898/mmsi:312168000/RUBYMAR.html . live.
  3. News: Saul . Jonathan . 4 March 2024 . War insurers shrug off Rubymar sinking in Red Sea, rates stable . 4 March 2024 . Reuters.
  4. Web site: Golden Adventure Shipping SA, Majuro MH, Marshall Islands World Shipping Register . 3 March 2024 . world-ships.com.
  5. Web site: 2024-03-05 . Sunken Rubymar's only UK link was its disputed insurance cover . 2024-03-07 . Lloyd's List.
  6. Web site: . 20 February 2024 . Bulk carrier reported abandoned at Bab-al-Mandab after Houthi missile attack . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240228012241/https://insurancemarinenews.com/insurance-marine-news/bulk-carrier-reported-abandoned-at-bab-al-mandab-after-houthi-missile-attack/ . 28 February 2024 . 28 February 2024 . Insurance Marine News . en-GB.
  7. Web site: Four ships to transport food from Ukraine to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Greece, Spain, Netherlands . . . 24 February 2024 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224213924/https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/85956/ . live.
  8. Web site: Crew evacuated from UK ship 'taking in water' 36 hours after Houthi attack in Red Sea . Cecil . Nicholas . 20 February 2024 . Evening Standard . 24 February 2024 . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224002428/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/red-sea-ship-missile-drone-houthi-rubymar-yemen-iran-gaza-b1139969.html . live.
  9. News: Moniglio . Heather . 20 February 2024 . British-Owned Cargo Ship Damaged by Houthi Missiles, Crew Evacuated . 24 February 2024 . USNI News . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224165844/https://news.usni.org/2024/02/20/british-owned-cargo-ship-damaged-by-houthi-missiles-crew-evacuated . live.
  10. News: Westfall . Sammy . 20 February 2024 . Cargo ship crew forced to evacuate after Houthi missile attack off Yemen . 24 February 2024 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286 . 2 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240302203723/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/19/houthi-attack-rubymar-ship-yemen/ . live.
  11. Web site: Ship sinking in Red Sea after Houthi attack drifts north – as US Navy offer help . Parker . Adam . 27 February 2024 . Sky News . 29 February 2024 . 28 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240228231941/https://news.sky.com/story/uk-ship-sinking-in-red-sea-after-houthi-attack-drifts-north-as-us-navy-offer-help-13082231 . live.
  12. News: 7 March 2024 . Houthi sunk ship Rubymar's anchor likely severed Red Sea internet cables . 7 March 2024 . Alarabiya News.
  13. News: Gupta . Gaya . Kim . Victoria . 23 February 2024 . U.S. Warns of Environmental Damage if Vessel Struck by Houthis Sinks . 24 February 2024 . The New York Times . 24 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224002004/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/23/world/middleeast/mv-rubymar-vessel.html . live.
  14. Web site: Houthi attacks jeopardise recovery of stricken Red Sea cargo ship . Tollast . Robert . 28 February 2024 . The National . 29 February 2024 . 28 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240228160623/https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/palestine-israel/2024/02/28/houthi-attacks-jeopardise-recovery-of-stricken-red-sea-cargo-ship/ . live.
  15. Web site: Houthis link Rubymar salvage to Gaza aid as stricken vessel leaks fuel . Dixon . Gary . 27 February 2024 . TradeWinds . 29 February 2024 . 28 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240228142105/https://www.tradewindsnews.com/casualties/houthis-link-rubymar-salvage-to-gaza-aid-as-stricken-vessel-leaks-fuel/2-1-1604051 . live.
  16. Web site: Abandoned at sea, Houthi-damaged ship awaits towing to Saudi Arabia amid oil slick concerns . Iordache . Ruxandra . 28 February 2024 . CNBC . 29 February 2024 . 28 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240228195225/https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/28/houthi-damaged-ship-awaits-towing-to-saudi-arabia-amid-oil-slick-concerns.html . live.
  17. Web site: Rubymar cargo ship attacked by Houthis has sunk, Yemeni government says . 2 March 2024 . Reuters.
  18. Web site: 2 March 2024 . Jemen meldt dat beschoten vrachtschip Rubymar is gezonken . Yemen reports shelled cargo ship Rubymar has sunk . . nl . 2 March 2024 . 2 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240302203747/https://www.nd.nl/varia/varia/1214898/jemen-meldt-dat-beschoten-vrachtschip-rubymar-is-gezonken . live.
  19. Web site: Rubymar cargo ship earlier hit by Houthis has sunk, Yemeni government says . 2 March 2024 . Al Jazeera . 2 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240302203809/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/2/rubymar-cargo-ship-earlier-hit-by-houthis-has-sunk-yemeni-government-says . live.
  20. Web site: . 2 March 2024 . Cargo ship Rubymar sinks in Red Sea after attack by Houthis . 2 March 2024 . The National . 2 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240302203715/https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2024/03/02/cargo-ship-rubymar-sinks-in-red-sea-after-attack-by-houthis/ . live.
  21. News: 2024-03-05 . Sinking of Rubymar in Red Sea poses grave environmental risks, experts warn . 2024-03-06 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  22. Web site: 6 March 2024 . CENTCOM shoots down Houthi missile, drone attack on USS Carney . 6 March 2024 . I24news .
  23. News: Dickie . Gloria . Gloria Dickie. Baertlein . Lisa . 18 March 2024 . Houthi attacks must ease for salvage of two vessels, UN shipping agency says . 27 March 2024 . Reuters.
  24. Web site: 5 July 2024 . IMO Urges Immediate Action To Aid Clean-Up Efforts In Yemen After Rubymar Sinking . 22 August 2024 . Marine Insight.

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