Abandoned Greek carrier floats in Red Sea, new safety warning

The Greek bulk carrier Tutor has been abandoned and its Filipino crew evacuated, two days after it became the first victim of a remote-controlled Houthi rebel vessel. The Tutor is the third ship to be damaged and abandoned in an attack, leading safety experts to advise increased vigilance and a reassessment of traffic passing through the area.

The attack on the 82,357 ton Tutor occurred on June 12. The ship, built in 2022, was struck in a sensitive area on the stern. The ship’s engine room was flooded, rendering it unsailable and it is currently without power. One Filipino crew member is missing, possibly trapped in the engine room. The Philippines reported early this morning that an evacuation was underway. The remaining 21 crew members, most of whom are Filipino, are en route to Djibouti. The Philippines is working with local authorities to arrange repatriation for the crew.

The UK Maritime Authority warned that the vessel is currently adrift in the Red Sea. It called on maritime authorities to be vigilant as the fire has reportedly been extinguished, but Reuters reported that a salvage team is not expected to reach the vessel until Monday. Ambry issued a public circular today with further details and warnings based on his analysis of the incident. The report highlights that the Houthis used unmanned boats in the early stages of the Yemeni civil war, but have shifted their focus to missiles and air-launched drones since November 2023. Saudi Arabia has reported attacks on its ships by remote-controlled boats during the civil war, and US Central Command has recently reported some actions to counter these boats.

The circular said the attack was carried out using a fishing boat, which is consistent with UKMTO’s description of the boat that attacked Tutar as being between 5 and 7 meters (16 and 23 feet) long. Ambry noted that such boats are typically made of fiberglass or wood. They report that the Houthis place dummies on the boats to hide the threat, and that in previous incidents a second boat was in the area, likely operating a remote-controlled vessel.

According to Ambry’s report, one of the attack boats washed ashore near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in January 2024. 25 kg of C4 explosives and 50 kg of TNT were found. The explosions involved three electronic switches using contact switches. As this is the first time an attack on a commercial ship has been successful, Ambry advised vessels to assess the threat situation and advised high-risk vessels to reconsider their voyages and diversions. He also recommended that crews establish safe waypoints well above the waterline and away from external walls. In the Yemeni area, if any suspicious activity is detected, all movements on deck must be halted and AIS communications and other signals must be blocked.