It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, March 03, 2024
The Marine Corps Has Turned an Offshore Vessel Into a Landing Ship
In a series of experiments at Camp Pendleton, the U.S. Marine Corps is testing out the capabilities of its novel new landing vessel, a heavily-modified OSV from the Gulf oil patch.
The Marine Corps has chartered and converted the 20-year-old offshore supply vessel HOS Resolution to try out a rarely-seen concept: stern-first beach landings. The idea has potential advantages, particularly in seakeeping, since the vessel gets to keep a conventional bow. Last year, a shipyard in Louisiana refitted HOS Resolution with a folding stern ramp, two ramp support towers and four spuds for stationkeeping. When combined with heavy skegs, CPPs and a DP2 system, the vessel may well be the only member of a new class.
Courtesy USMC
Last weekend, teams from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command and Marine Corps War Fighting Lab put the heavily-modified OSV through her paces. In an inner harbor, with calm conditions, the vessel's crew deployed the stern ramp and tested out loading and unloading military vehicles - both directly onto the beach and through the water. The team also tried launching a heavy unmanned aircraft from the deck of the HOS Resolution to simulate an aerial payload delivery to shore.
HOS Resolution will deploy to Japan after testing in California and Hawaii, and two more OSV-based testbeds are coming soon, according to USNI.
Trials with the new design will inform the service's plans for its future shore-to-shore connector, the Landing Ship Medium, which it is co-developing with the U.S. Navy. The LSM is key to the USMC's strategy to disperse small combat groups of Marines on far-flung islands in the Pacific, where they could target enemy warships and aircraft.
LSM is one of several novel strategies that the Marine Corps is pursuing to solve its logistics problems in the Western Pacific. The service's top R&D officer said last year that its researchers are developing an autonomous, low-profile supply boat designed around Colombian drug-running semisubmersibles.
Up to Four Subsea Cables Have Been Damaged Off Yemen
Just weeks after a warning about potential Houthi threats to subsea cables in the Red Sea, at least one fiber-optic line has been severed at a position off the coast of Yemen, and damage has been reported (but not confirmed) on three more.
Until last year, the Red Sea carried about one-eighth of the world's shipping traffic. Less known is its importance to the functioning of the global internet. 16 small fiber-optic lines under the Red Sea handle about 17 percent of all international data traffic, including trunk lines connecting Europe with India and East Asia. Some of these lines are in relatively shallow water depths of as little as 300 feet, where they could be accessible to divers.
The Houthi movement is well aware of this opportunity. Earlier this year, a Houthi social media account posted a map of these cables, along with a note that the density of telecom infrastructure made Yemen "strategic." The internationally-recognized government of Yemen issued a warning of the potential Houthi threat to these subsea assets earlier this month, and has reportedly discussed it with telecom operators in the past.
On Monday, Israeli news site Globes said that cables belonging to four major telecom networks - including the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1), TGN Atlantic, Europe India Gateway and the Seacom system - have been damaged in recent months.
Seacom has confirmed that its cable between Egypt and Kenya was severed on February 24, though the firm told Bloomberg that it is still too early to know if this was a deliberate attack.
Seacom warned that repairs could be delayed due to "instability in the area," and said that its team was working on a timeline for service restoration. The challenges will include finding a cable ship owner who is willing to operate within range of Houthi ballistic missiles, as well as an insurer who will cover the war risk while the vessel is holding station off Yemen.
Yemen's Houthis blame UK and US for
'glitch' in Red Sea undersea cables
Reuters Sat, March 2, 2024
CAIRO (Reuters) - The Houthi Transport Ministry in Yemen said on Saturday there had been a "glitch" in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea as a result of actions by U.S. and British naval vessels.
The actions "endangered the security and safety of the international communications and the flow of information," the ministry said in a statement, reported by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, without giving details.
"Any glitch in these cables as a result of the militarization of the Red Sea by U.S. and British naval vessels represents a serious threat to the information security and economic and social stability for all countries of the world," the statement read.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have launched exploding drones and missiles at commercial vessels since Nov. 19 as a protest against Israel's military operations in Gaza.
The United States and Britain have carried out several strikes against Houthi targets in response.
(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Alison Williams and Mark Potter)
Titanic Imaging Expedition Set for May Despite U.S. Government Opposition
Titanic continues to attract worldwide attention more than 100 years after she sank on her maiden voyage
RMS Titanic, the firm that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic shipwreck, is set to return to the site announcing that they have scheduled its next expedition for May 2024. The firm which is officially the salvor-in-possession of the famed ocean liner, says it intends to utilize the site visit to gather a detailed assessment of artifacts that can be targeted for future recovery.
The company has organized eight previous dives to the Titanic and on seven of them has recovered a total of more than 5,500 artifacts. This however will be its first mission to the wreck site in 14 years and comes after several years of opposition and court cases led by the U.S. government. Between 1987 and 2010 the company regularly participated in dives to the site assembling its collection of artifacts which have been preserved and displayed at various locations around the world.
This will also be the first dive to the Titanic since the 2023 expedition when the Titan submersible imploded during a mission to view the wreck of the Titanic in June last year. RMS Titanic says it aims to honor PH (Paul-Henri) Nargeolet, French deep-sea explorer and Titanic expert, who perished with four others last year.
At the center of the objections by the U.S. is the company’s plan to use the expedition to access the Marconi room of the ship that played a crucial role as the vessel sank. The room contains the wireless telegraph equipment that sent possibly the first-ever SOS Morse code message. Not only detected by nearby vessels. the signal was relayed to the United States providing the first news of the tragedy. There were approximately 2,200 passengers and crew on the Titanic’s maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York when the ship hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic east of Nova Scotia, Canada. About 700 people were saved. In May 2020. a U.S. court gave RMS Titanic permission to proceed with the mission.
The U.S. took the company to court in 2020 and again in September 2023 arguing that the company must “obtain authorization from the Secretary of Commerce” before conducting “any research, exploration, salvage, or other activity that would physically alter or disturb the wreck or wreck site.” The U.S. cites an international treaty, but the company contends it does not require permission as the “salvor-in-possession.” The announcement of the 2024 expedition made no mention of recovering artifacts or an attempt to enter the Marconi room.
“As a company, our mission is to preserve the legacy of Titanic, its passengers and crew for future generations,” said Jessica Sanders, President of RMST.
Despite the legal battle, RMST is using its “exclusive stewardship of RMS Titanic” to proceed with the 2024 expedition. The company announced that it intends to utilize the latest imaging technology and remotely operated vehicles to capture detailed high-resolution images of the Titanic, as well as the broader wreck site and debris field. The mission they said will allow the firm to comprehensively analyze the current condition of the wreck site and to gather a detailed assessment of artifacts that can be “safely targeted for future recovery.”
“This monumental undertaking will allow us to document the Titanic in unprecedented detail and share new discoveries from the wreck site with the public,” said Sanders. RMST contends that the expedition and its research findings will also help grow educational and outreach resources that will help inspire the next generation of explorers.
ECOCIDE
Rubymar Sinks in Red Sea 13 Days After Houthi Attack Damaged Bulker
Rubymar was lost after remaining afloat for nearly two weeks (Government of Yemen on X)
The bulker several damaged in a Houthi attack and abandoned by its crew finally succumbed to its damage reportedly sinking after having drifted since the February 18 attack. The government of Yemen issued a statement reporting the sinking of the Rubymar followed by an update to its previous reports from the UK Maritime Trade Operations.
The attack was reported to have taken place in the range of 15 to 25 nautical miles from the Yemeni port of Al-Mukha. The UKMTO in its statement confirmed the vessel had been dragging anchor. Previous analysis reported by Sky News calculated the vessel had drifted approximately 37 nautical miles north in the Red Sea.
The Yemeni government statement said the vessel was lost as the weather deteriorated on March 1. Previously it was said the vessel was continuing to take on water and images released on Yemeni TV earlier in the week clearly showed that it was continuing to settle at the stern. The BBC had published pictures a few days earlier showing the stern still above the water. Efforts to salvage the vessel and tow it to a port possibly in Djibouti or Saudi Arabia were hampered by the security situation in the Red Sea.
The government statement reported the bulker Rubymar registered in Belize was lost in a position about 11 miles from the nearest point of land in Yemen. It is unclear if any crew or authorities were at the ship when it was lost. The crew was evacuated immediately after the attack and taken to Djibouti where reports said they were flown home.
“The Yemeni government holds the Houthi militia responsible for the environmental disaster, and the repercussions of its continued targeting of shipping,” the government said. They reiterated that the Rubymar was carrying 41,000 tons of fertilizer as well as oils and fuel. The U.S. Central Command a week ago highlighted an 18-mile oil slick formed behind the damaged ship.
The statement from the spokesperson from the Yemen government highlighted the danger coming from the phosphate and other dangerous chemicals saying it was likely an algae plum would form which could result in the death of the coral, kill marine animals, and possibly damage desalination plants in the region. They referred to the “recklessness and indifference to the catastrophic repercussions,” using the loss of the Rubymar to call for further international action against the militants.
The loss of the Rubymar would be the most significant casualty since the Houthi attacks began in November days after they seized the car carrier Galaxy Leader. UKMTO calculates a total of 55 commercial ships have been targeted by the Houthi. While they were also successful in causing a significant fire on the Marlin Luanda in late January, and multiple strikes on vessels, the 32,200 dwt Rubymar (564 feet/172 meters in length) would be the first vessel to sink. Reports have alternately linked it to UK ownership although the manager is based in Lebanon.
While most of the leading shipping firms have diverted vessels away from the Red Sea region, many ships are still operating in the area. This week the Houthi leader Abdul-Maliks said “We have a big surprise that the enemies do not expect, and we will indeed start it." He wrote on social media of the “greater effectiveness” of the operations while the group has vowed to continue in support of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.
British ship M/V Rubymar, crippled by Houthi strikes, sinks in Red Sea
Mike Heuer Sat, March 2, 2024 Cargo ship M/V Rubymar, carrying Ukrainian grain, is shown at anchor in the Black Sea in November 2022. The ship sank on Saturday after being crippled by Houthi attacks in February.
File photo by Tolga Bozoglu/EPA-EFE
March 2 (UPI) -- The British bulk carrier M/V Rubymar, crippled by fire from Houthi rebels last month, sank in international waters in the Red Sea on Saturday, Yemeni government officials announced.
The ship's sinking "will cause an environmental catastrophe" affecting Yemen's territorial waters and the Red Sea, Yemen's ad hoc Crisis Management Cell said in a statement reported by Turkey's Anadolu Agency.
The vessel was carrying 41,000 tons of fertilizer, and its sinking raises worsens what the U.S. Central Command called an environmental disaster caused by the "unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists."
The ship was attacked in a missile strike launched by Houthi militants on Feb. 18, which caused a large oil slick and concerns that its cargo of fertilizer would create a catastrophe.
The Rubymar took on water following the attack and was awaiting a tow to the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah before sinking overnight. Its crew had abandoned the ship following the missile attack.
The Houthi militants are based in Yemen and are targeting cargo ships owned or operated by Israeli firms or that are carrying supplies to or from Israel in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea since the onset of the war in Gaza.
Joint strikes by the United States and Britain against Houthi targets recently caused the Houthis to declare all British and U.S. ships to be legitimate targets for military action.
After the Rubymar was attacked, officials in and around the ports of Aden and Djibouti refused to accept it. Oil spill, fertilizer leak from sinking of cargo ship highlight risks to Red Sea from Houthi attacks
JOSHUA GOODMAN Sat, March 2, 2024
In this satellite image provided by Planet Labs, the Belize-flagged bulk carrier Rubymar is seen in the southern Red Sea near the Bay el-Mandeb Strait leaking oil after an attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. Despite a month of U.S.-led airstrikes, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. This week, they seriously damaged a ship in a crucial strait and apparently downed an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)More
MIAMI (AP) — A vibrant fishing industry, some of the world’s largest coral reefs, desalination plants supplying millions with drinking water. They're all at risk from large amounts of fertilizer and oil spilled into the Red Sea by the sinking of a cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Officials on Saturday said the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged vessel reportedly carrying 22,000 metric tons of toxic fertilizer, sunk after taking on water in the Feb. 18 attack.
Even before plunging to the ocean’s depths, the vessel had been leaking heavy fuel that triggered an 18-mile (30 km) oil slick through the waterway, which is critical for cargo and energy shipments heading to Europe.
Since November, the Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea over Israel’s offensive in Gaza. They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, has warned in recent days of an “environmental disaster” in the making. That has less to do with the size of the vessel’s hazardous cargo than the unique natural features and usage of the Red Sea, said Ian Ralby, founder of maritime security firm I.R. Consilium.
Aggravating concerns over the Rubymar's sinking is the Red Sea’s unique circular water patterns, which operate essentially as a giant lagoon, with water moving northward, toward the Suez Canal in Egypt, during winter and outward to the Gulf of Aden in summer.
“What spills in the Red Sea, stays in the Red Sea,” said Ralby. “There are many ways it can be harmed.”
Saudi Arabia for decades has been building the world’s largest network of desalination plants, with entire cities like Jeddah relying on the facilities for almost all of their drinking water. Oil can clog intake systems and inflict costly damage on saltwater conversion.
The Red Sea is also a vital source of seafood, especially in Yemen, where fishing was the second largest export after oil before the current civil war between the Houthis and Yemen’s Sunni government.
Ralby has been studying the Red Sea’s vulnerabilities in relation to what could've been a far worse maritime tragedy: the FSO Safer, a decrepit oil tanker that had been moored for years off the coast of Yemen with more than 1 million barrels of crude until its cargo was successfully transferred to another vessel last year.
While the amount of oil the Rubymar leaked is unknown, Ralby estimates it couldn’t have exceeded 7,000 barrels. While that’s a mere fraction of the Safer’s load, it’s significantly more oil than was spilled by a Japanese-owed vessel, the Wakashio, that wrecked near Mauritius in 2020, causing millions of dollars in damages and harming the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.
Harder to grasp is the risk from the 22,000 metric tons of fertilizer that port authorities in Djibouti, adjacent to where the Rubymar sank, said the ship was transporting at the time of the attack. If the Rubymar remains intact underwater, the impact will be a slow trickle instead of a massive release, said Ralby.
Fertilizer fuels the proliferation of algae blooms like the ones seen every year in the Texas Gulf Coast as a result of far larger nutrient runoff from farms, urban lawns and industrial waste. The result is the loss of oxygen, asphyxiation of marine life and the creation of so-called “dead zones.”
At risk in the Red Sea are some of the world’s most colorful and extensive coral reefs. Several are major tourist draws and increasingly a subject of great scientific research owing to their apparent resilience to warming seawater temperatures that have destroyed reefs elsewhere in the ocean.
However manageable the fallout from the Rubymar’s sinking, Ralby worries that it could be a forerunner of even worse to come. He said most of the container ships pulled out from the Red Sea shipping lanes since the Houthis began targeting ships in the area over the Israel-Hamas war. What remains, he said, are poorly maintained vessels, oil tankers and bulk carriers that pose far greater environmental risks.
“With fewer and fewer container ships to target, the odds of another spill with massive environmental impact has increased enormously,” said Ralby.
___ British cargo ship sinks after Houthi attack in Red Sea
Our Foreign Staff Sat, March 2, 2024 The Rubymar was carrying more than 41,000 tons of fertiliser when it came under attack - Yemeni Al-Joumhouriya TV HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A British-owned cargo ship sank in the Red Sea after it was damaged in a Houthi attack last month, Yemen’s government said on Saturday.
The government statement said the Rubymar sank on Friday night and warned of an “environmental catastrophe”.
The ship was carrying more than 41,000 tons of fertiliser when it came under attack, the US military’s Central Command previously said.
Yemen’s Houthi militants have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea region, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
On Monday, a Yemeni government team visited the Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned cargo ship, and said it was partially submerged and could sink within a couple of days.
The US military previously said the attack had significantly damaged the freighter and caused an 18-mile oil slick.
The United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet did not immediately respond to a request to confirm the sinking on Saturday.
Houthi attacks have prompted shipping firms to divert vessels on to the longer, more expensive route around southern Africa. They have also stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread, destabilising the wider Middle East.
The United States and Britain began striking Houthi targets in Yemen in January in retaliation for the attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government is based in the southern port of Aden while the Houthis control much of the north and other large centres.
Ship hit earlier by Yemen's Houthi rebels sinks in Red Sea
Euronews Sat, March 2, 2024 Ship hit earlier by Yemen's Houthi rebels sinks in Red Sea
A ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday.
It is the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The sinking of the Rubymar comes as shipping through the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe has been affected by the Houthi attacks.
Already, many ships have turned away from the route.
The sinking could see further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels plying the waterway — potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid shipments to the region.
The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been made to try and tow the ship to a safe port.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who had falsely claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, did not immediately acknowledge the ship's sinking.
The US military’s Central Command previously warned the vessel’s cargo of fertilizer, as well as fuel leaking from the ship, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea.
The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014, expelling the government. It fought a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a stalemated war.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel Hamas war.
Despite over a month of US-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. That includes the attack on the Rubymar and the downing of a US drone worth tens of millions of dollars.
The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.
However, there has been a slowdown in attacks in recent days. The reason for that remains unclear. Ship sunk by Houthis threatens Red Sea environment, Yemen government and US military say
Updated Sat, March 2, 2024 By Mohammad Ghobari
ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) -A UK-owned ship attacked by Houthi militants last month sank in the Red Sea, the U.S. military confirmed on Saturday, as it echoed a warning from Yemen's internationally recognised government that the vessel's cargo of hazardous fertiliser posed a risk to marine life.
The Belize-registered Rubymar is the first vessel lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in November. Those drone and missile assaults have forced shipping firms to divert ships to the longer route around southern Africa, disrupting global trade by delaying deliveries and sending costs higher.
The sinking bulk carrier also "presents a subsurface impact risk to other ships transiting the busy shipping lanes of the waterway," U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in its statement on social media platform X.
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control the north of Yemen and other large centres, say their campaign is a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The Houthi attacks have prompted a series of strikes against their positions by the United States and Britain, and have led other navies to send vessels to the region to try to protect the vital Suez Canal trade route.
The Rubymar went down in the southern Red Sea late on Friday or early on Saturday, according to statements from the Yemen government and CENTCOM.
The U.S. military previously said the Feb. 18 missile attack had significantly damaged the bulk vessel and caused an 18-mile (29-km) oil slick. The ship was carrying about 21,000 metric tons of fertiliser, CENTCOM said on Saturday.
Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, the foreign minister in Yemen's internationally recognised government in Aden, said in a post on X: "The sinking of the Rubymar is an environmental catastrophe that Yemen and the region have never experienced before.
"It is a new tragedy for our country and our people. Every day we pay the price for the adventures of the Houthi militia ..."
The internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, has been at war with the Houthis since 2014.
MARINE LIFE THREATENED
The release of such large amounts of fertiliser into the Red Sea poses a serious threat to marine life, said Ali Al-Sawalmih, director of the Marine Science Station at the University of Jordan.
The overload of nutrients can stimulate excessive growth of algae, using up so much oxygen that regular marine life cannot survive, said Al-Sawalmih, describing a process called eutrophication.
"An urgent plan should be adopted by countries of the Red Sea to establish monitoring agenda of the polluted areas in the Red Sea as well as adopt a cleanup strategy," he said.
The overall impact depends on how ocean currents deplete the fertiliser and how it is released from the stricken vessel, said Xingchen Tony Wang, assistant professor at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Boston College.
The ecosystem of the southern Red Sea features pristine coral reefs, coastal mangroves and diverse marine life.
Last year, the area avoided a potential environmental disaster when the United Nations removed more than 1 million barrels of oil from a decaying supertanker moored off the Yemen coast. That type of operation may be more difficult in the current circumstances.
The Houthi attacks have stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread, destabilising the wider Middle East.
In a separate report, the UKMTO agency said it had received a report of a ship being attacked 15 nautical miles west of Yemen's port of Mokha.
"The crew took the vessel to anchor and were evacuated by military authorities," the UKMTO said in an advisory note.
Italy's defence ministry also said that one of its naval ships had shot down a drone flying towards it in the Red Sea.
The Houthi Transport Ministry, meanwhile, said there had been a "glitch" in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea as a result of actions by U.S. and British naval vessels. It did not give further details.
(Reporting by Mohammad Ghobari in Aden, Andrew Mills in Doha, Yomb Ehab in Cairo and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Writing by Enas Alashray, Andrew Mills and Mark Potter; Editing by Alison Williams, Giles Elgood and Jamie Freed)
A ship earlier hit by Yemen's Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea, the first vessel lost in conflict
JON GAMBRELL Updated Sat, March 2, 2024
This satellite image taken by Planet Labs PBC shows the Belize-flagged ship Rubymar in the Red Sea on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. The Rubymar, earlier attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels, has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday, March 2, 2024, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
(Planet Labs PBC via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Persistent Houthi attacks have already disrupted traffic in the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe. Already, many ships have turned away from the route.
The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen's internationally recognized government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship sank. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization was given to speak to journalists about the incident.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which watches over Mideast waterways, separately acknowledged the Rubymar's sinking Saturday afternoon.
The U.S. military's Central Command said early Sunday the Rubymar sank at 2:15 a.m. local time Saturday. It released an image of the vessel on its side as it was sinking.
“The approximately 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer that the vessel was carrying presents an environmental risk in the Red Sea,” it said in a statement. “As the ship sinks it also presents a subsurface impact risk to other ships transiting the busy shipping lanes of the waterway.”
The Rubymar’s Beirut-based manager did not respond to a request for comment.
Yemen's exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank as stormy weather took hold over the Red Sea. The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been made to try and tow the ship to a safe port.
The Iran-backed Houthis had falsely claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the initial attack. Late Saturday, a Houthi leader tried to blame British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the Rubymar.
“You have an opportunity to salvage the ship M/V Rubymar by guaranteeing ... that the relief trucks agreed upon at that time would enter Gaza,” Mohammed al-Houthi wrote in an online message.
Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, the prime minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government, called the ship's sinking “an unprecedented environmental disaster.”
“It’s a new disaster for our country and our people,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Every day, we pay for the Houthi militia’s adventures, which were not stopped at plunging Yemen into the coup disaster and war.”
Greenpeace also raised concerns about the ship sinking.
“Without immediate action, this situation could escalate into a major environmental crisis,” said Julien Jreissati, program director at Greenpeace MENA.
“As well as any further leaks of fuel oil from the engines, the sinking of the vessel could further breach the hull, allowing water to contact with the thousands of tons of fertilizer, which could then be released into the Red Sea and disrupt the balance of the marine ecosystems, triggering cascading effects throughout the food web.”
The Houthis have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014, expelling the government. The rebels have fought a Saudi-led coalition since 2015 in a stalemated war.
Satellite pictures analyzed by The Associated Press from Planet Labs PBC showed smaller boats alongside the Rubymar on Wednesday. It wasn't immediately clear whose vessels those were. The images showed the Rubymar's stern sinking into the Red Sea but still afloat, mirroring earlier video taken of the vessel.
The private security firm Ambrey separately reported Friday about a mysterious incident involving the Rubymar.
“A number of Yemenis were reportedly harmed during a security incident which took place” on Friday, Ambrey said. It did not elaborate on what that incident involved and no party involved in Yemen's yearslong war claimed any new attack on the vessel.
A satellite image taken Friday from Maxar Technologies showed new blast damage on the Rubymar not previously seen, with no other vessels around it. Additional satellite images taken Saturday by Planet Labs PBC of the area the Rubymar had been in recent days no longer showed the vessel.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.
Despite over a month of U.S.-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels have remained capable of launching significant attacks. That includes the attack on the Rubymar and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.
The attacks have also disrupted aid shipments to both Yemen and Sudan, which is gripped by its own monthslong war. In recent days, the International Rescue Committee said it suspended its aid shipments to Port Sudan through the Red Sea over long delays and drastically increased costs.
However, there has been a slowdown in attacks in recent days. The reason for that remains unclear. Between four to eight U.S. and allied warships now patrol the Red Sea on any given day, said Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Defense Department spokesperson.
On Saturday, the Italian Defense Ministry said one of its vessels, the destroyer Caio Duilio, shot down a suspected Houthi drone in self-defense that appeared to be flying toward it.
"The terrorist attacks by the Houthis are a serious violation of international law and an attack on the safety of maritime traffic, on which our economy depends," the ministry said.
___
Associated Press writer Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.
Only grain ships from Black Sea and for Iran still crossing Red Sea, analysts say
Reuters Fri, March 1, 2024 Satellite image shows cargo ship Rubymar, attacked by Yemen's Houthis, according to U.S. military, on the Red Sea
HAMBURG (Reuters) - Grain ships originating from the Black Sea or bound for Iran are about the only ones still sailing through the Red Sea as Houthi militants continue to attack vessels in the area, analysts said on Friday.
The attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis have disrupted global shipping since November and forced firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.
"Just about all (dry bulk grain) vessels going from the Americas and western Europe are avoiding the Red Sea, the only exception is vessels going to Iran, they're still taking the Red Sea route when shorter," said Ishan Bhanu, lead agricultural commodities analyst at data provider and analysts Kpler.
"All vessels we are tracking going from the Black Sea to Asia are going through the Red Sea, almost without exception," he added.
Grain transit through the Suez Canal hit a low of 2.6 million metric tons in February, down from 5.3 million tons in February 2023, Bhanu estimated.
The United States and other countries have sent naval vessels to protect civilian ships while the U.S. and UK have launched air strikes against Houthi forces, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's military actions in Gaza.
"The Red Sea naval operation and air strikes have been going on for weeks now and it is pretty obvious that the Houthi attacks cannot be stopped easily by military means or that commercial ships can be given blanket protection," said one grain trader booking vessels to export cargoes from Europe.
"Many ship owners are still willing to accept the danger to their ships and vessels still can be booked for Red Sea sailings. Chinese purchases of Ukrainian corn recently are expected to transit the Red Sea."
(Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Germany Accelerates Offshore Wind Development With Three Sites for 5.5GW
Germany started auctions for three additional North Sea locations (file photo)
Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has issued the fourth phase of its offshore wind program publishing the results of surveys for three new lease areas in the North Sea. They are releasing the details and beginning the second auction of 2024 with a deadline established of August 1 for bids on the three new sites.
The authority published the 4th WindSeeV, which contains the results of the preliminary area investigation for the construction of the three offshore wind farms. The newest area is in the western reaches of Germany’s North Sea exclusive economic zone near the border with the Netherlands.
BSH President Helge Heegewaldt commented, “With the entry into force of the 4th WindSeeV, the BSH is giving the offshore industry planning and legal certainty for the construction of three wind farms with an installed capacity of 5,500 MW in the North Sea. We are thus reaching another major milestone on the way to the Federal Republic of Germany’s 70 GW target.”
One of the three areas covers 158 km2 (61 square miles) with an installed capacity of 2,000 MW. It is located approximately 98 km off the Dutch island of Ameland and 107 km off the German island of Borkum. A similar-sized second area is located approximately 101 km from the nearest island, Ameland (Netherlands), and 111 km from the German island of Borkum. The third area is slightly smaller at 106 km2 (40 square miles) and would have a capacity of 1,500 MW. The shortest distance to the nearest island Rottumerplaat (Netherlands) about 108 km and it is a similar distance from Borkum as the other two parcels.
In addition to the three new sites, for which developers will have the benefit of the pre-investigation reports, last month the German authority also launched an auction for sites that could provide 2.5 GW of capacity in the North Sea. These sites, however, have not been pre-investigated. This follows similar auctions in 2023 for 7 GW of capacity.
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics is also moving forward with a draft law for the implementation of the third Renewable Energy Directory. To speed the development of offshore wind assets, the draft proposes replacing the requirement for project-specific environmental impact assessments (EIA) with a broader strategic assessment for the areas yet to be designated.
In a rare move, some of the leading wind farm developers including Ørsted, RWE, and Vattenfall, joined with environmental groups calling for continuing the EIA requirement. They said this step creates better legal certainty for the developer and aids in investment decisions. They argue that the EIA does not delay the overall development of the projects.
The German government is looking to streamline the process to encourage more development and address challenges in the supply chain to ensure more projects are entering the pipeline. Experts however argue that one of the biggest challenges in the German industry is delays in developing the offshore grid connection systems in the North Sea.
South Africa Buys Tugboats as Efforts Proceed to Improve Port Efficiency
Transnet is buying more powerful tugboats as it works to improve port operations in South Africa (Durban file photo)
South Africa’s ports operator Transnet reports it is moving forward with a fleet renewal program as part of an overall effort to tackle the perennial challenges of inefficiencies that have placed the ports at the bottom of international rankings and led to massive delays and congestion. Transnet National Ports Authority said it will invest $52 million to acquire seven tugboats to be used at Durban and East London.
Two contracts were awarded to Damen Shipyards Cape Town to deliver the seven tugboats between April and August. The new tugboats will replace aging crafts that have reached their operational lifespan. The company said the new tugboats boast will have the latest hull design and propulsion, as well as a 60-ton bollard pull which is a much-needed improvement from the bollard pull of the existing tugboats that range between 32 and 40-ton bollard pull. The new crafts will also be highly maneuverable while guiding larger vessels.
“This investment demonstrates TNPA’s ongoing commitment to providing reliable marine craft at our ports, which will enable us to effectively service the marine industry and respond to global shipping demands,” said Captain Rufus Lekala, TNPA Chief Harbor Master.
Durban, the country’s biggest container seaport that handles approximately 60 percent of container traffic will be allocated five of the tugboats with the other two going to East London. Durban has drawn the most attention highlighting the inefficiency of the port operations. Late last year, the port of Durban witnessed unprecedented congestion that peaked in the last week of November when vessels with more than 61,000 containers were forced to remain at the outer anchorage due to operational challenges, equipment failures, and bad weather.
The inefficiencies at Durban have mainly been attributed to underinvestment in equipment and maintenance. An analysis by Economist Intelligence showed that while South Africa may have picked up new business, its ports have been constrained by inefficiencies, congestion, and power supply issues that have prevented operators from fully exploiting the Red Sea security crisis and the increased flow of seaborne traffic.
“The travails of South Africa have pushed some shipping companies using the Cape route for east-west trade to look further afield for restocking and bunkering services,” states the analysis. It contends that the problems in South Africa’s ports have directly benefited the Toamasina port in Madagascar, Port Louis in Mauritius, and Walvis Bay in Namibia, which are strategically located on the east-west route connecting Asia with Europe.
The investment in the tugs comes as the South African government is pushing other key steps including new management for the company and contracting international companies to operate terminals across its eight ports.
On February 28, Michelle Phillips and Nosipho Maphumulo were appointed Transnet’s chief executive and chief financial officer. They are replacing Portia Derby and Nonkululeko Dlamini who resigned in October last year due to pressure. Phillips had been acting Group Chief Executive and has 21 years experience with the company. Maphumulo joins the company from private enterprise and according to Transnet is a “highly accomplished business leader, financial steward, operational strategist, change catalyst, and trusted advisor, with extensive public and private sector experience.”
“Transnet plays an important catalytic role in the South African economy. We are confident that these appointments will provide Transnet with the strategic direction and the ability to execute on its ongoing reforms,” said Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Public Enterprises.
The Board of Directors of Transnet today, March 1, announced that it completed the financial due diligence of ICTSI, which was designated as the preferred bidder in July 2023 in a new public-private partnership for the Port of Durban. The board approved moving forward to finalize the contract award to ICTSI in a 25-year joint venture with Transnet Port Terminals to develop and upgrade the primary container terminal in Durban.
Rotterdam Container Terminal First in Europe to Invest in Shore Power
Container terminal which handles the highest capacity boxships is becoming the first in Europe to invest in shore power (Rotterdam World Terminal)
Rotterdam World Gateway, one of the largest container terminals in the Port of Rotterdam serving carriers including CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, and Ocean Network Express (ONE), is set to become the first deep-sea terminal in Europe to invest in shore power. Starting in 2026, the terminal which currently has a capacity to handle two large vessels and more than 2.35 million TEU will begin transitioning to shore power for all vessel calls.
“The investment in shore-based power is a crucial part of RWG’s investment program, the aim of zero-emission storage and handling of containers,” said Ronald Lugthart, CEO of RWG. “Together with our clients and other stakeholders, we are creating possibilities to achieve this strategic goal in the near term using shore-based power and other facilities to support the energy transition.”
The terminal which includes DP World, CMA CGM, HMM, MOL, and the Port of Rotterdam Authority as its stakeholders, is already fully automated and operating CO2 neutral. European Union rules stipulate that all container, passenger, and cruise ships larger than 5,000 gross tons must use shore-based power by 2030 in European ports.
RWG’s first berths are expected to be equipped with shore-based power from 2026, putting it ahead of the EU requirement. In addition, the terminal is opting to design, finance, and build the shore-based power systems itself.
“We are very pleased with RWG’s decision to invest as the first European deep-sea terminal operator in shore-based power,” said Boudewijn Siemons, CEO & Interim COO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. “This represents a further contribution to greater sustainability of the supply chain that runs through Rotterdam for the clients we share in common.”
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and RWG have signed a letter of intent that includes agreements to share knowledge and data concerning the construction and use of shore-based power and the necessary civil engineering works to quay walls and fenders that this requires. The municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are also working together to accelerate and scale up shore-based power for sea-going vessels and anticipate together with enterprises in the port, as well as the shipping companies, a series of projects will be initiated over the coming years to accelerate and expand shore-based power.
Already able to handle the largest containerships in the world, RWG in June 2023 announced an expansion program. Working with the port authority, a third deep-sea berth will be added which they expect to be in commercial operation by 2026. The terminal also handles transshipment with inland vessels and has strong road and rail access.
Port of Virginia Reaches Milestone in Project to Widen and Deepen Channel
Port of Virginia can now handle two-way ultra large containership traffic improving port access and efficiency (Port of Virginia)
The Port of Virginia reached a milestone in its ongoing effort to enhance port access and improve operating efficiency by widening and deepening its access channel. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Virginia today, March 1, officially removed the one-way restrictions in Thimble Shoal Channel West Reach, meaning the channel can now handle two-way traffic for ultra-large container vessels.
Widening the channel is part of the port’s $1.4 billion strategic infrastructure investment package that focuses on creating efficiency, supporting larger cargo volumes, and increasing the speed of cargo moving through the gateway. According to port officials, the project will reduce the amount of time one of the large vessels spends in port by up to 15 percent, which also reduces emissions.
“Ocean carriers are putting larger vessels into their East Coast port rotations with additional ULCVs on order, and our partners know their vessels will not outgrow our capabilities,” said Stephen Edwards, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. “In Virginia, there is no concern for channel width, overhead draft restrictions, capacity, or cargo handling infrastructure.”
In parallel to widening the channel, the port is also dredging Thimble Shoal Channel and the Norfolk Harbor to 55 feet deep and the ocean approach to 59 feet deep. Upon completion of the $450 million dredging project in fall 2025, the Port of Virginia promotes that it will have “the deepest, widest channels on the U.S. East Coast.”
“This is a true advantage for anyone delivering to or from America,” said Edwards. “Our wider channel sets The Port of Virginia apart by allowing for consistent vessel flow, increasing berth and container yard efficiencies, and further improving harbor safety.”
Capt. Whiting Chisman, president of the Virginia Pilot Association highlighted that the focus for more than a decade has been on widening the channel to support the larger classes of containerships that are just now appearing on the East Coast.
The dredging work began in December 2019 and is being completed with collaboration and support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state, local, and community elected officials. Port officials report that they are ahead of schedule on the deepening of the channel and the work is proceeding in the harbor.
In addition to four general cargo facilities in the region, the port is also the staging area for the construction of Dominion Energy’s offshore wind farm. The first components for the wind farm began arriving in the fall of 2023 as the project prepared to move into the construction phase.
Livestock Carrier Permitted by Australia to Sail to Israel Avoiding Red Sea
Bahijah docked in Fremantle, Australia (port webcam)
The saga of the Australian live export of sheep and cattle continues with news that the vessel which was turned back in January has again been given permission to sail with a newly loaded cargo for Israel. The vessel, the Bahijah, was ordered to return to Australia in mid-January when the shipping company decided the risk was too high for the vessel to transit the Red Sea.
Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry reported today that it has approved a notice of intention to export a consignment of livestock to Israel on the Bahijah. “The exporter intends to transport the livestock to Israel without passing through the Red Sea,” they wrote in the official notice.
The 7,900 dwt vessel moved back into the port at Fremantle yesterday to prepare for a new voyage. Media reports are that the ship was loading fodder and supplies which was expected to be completed today and then the loading of the animals will begin. The reports are that 14,000 sheep and 1,000 cattle will be reloaded after having spent the past three weeks in quarantine in Australia. In addition, approximately 1,000 cattle will be transported.
Animal rights groups renewed their protests calling the plan cruel. Instead of the normal two-week trip, it is now expected that the vessel will travel for up to 30 days and may be required to load foreign supplies. The previous attempt to follow the route around South Africa had met with various problems and ultimately saw the vessel return to Fremantle where there were further delays in offloading the animals. The Australian authorities reported that in the more than a month the animals were aboard the ship four cattle and 64 sheep died and a further seven cattle and six sheep died on land, rates “below the reportable mortality levels.”
It began on January 5, when the department granted an export permit and health certificates for approximately 2,000 cattle and 14,000 sheep. The initial consignment was loaded and departed from Fremantle intending to travel directly to Israel through the Red Sea. The exporter on January 12 reported that it planned to divert the ship away from the Red Sea transit and requested permission to load additional fodder and supplies in South Africa.
Both Australia and Israel objected to the plan to load foreign fodder and as a series of challenges emerged Australia recalled the Bahijah on January 19. The exporter then requested departmental approval, upon arrival back to Australia, to load fodder, chaff, bedding, and additional veterinary medication to the Bahijah and that the vessel be permitted to immediately recommence the voyage to Israel traveling via the Cape of Good Hope.
As further objections and legal challenges emerged, it was finally decided to offload the animals back into Australia which was completed by February 12. One of the key concerns was if the vessel was permitted to proceed the animals might have been aboard for as long as 60 days.
Courtesy USMC
