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The ordeal of the crew of the Rubymar began late on the night of Feb. 18, when the first of two missiles struck the bulk vessel as
it made its way toward the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb—“the Gate of Grief.”
The crew would have barely three terrifying hours to decide whether and
how to save their 563-foot-long ship, with their lives hanging in the
balance. The WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson, using interviews, ship logs and videos, report on a harrowing night as water streamed in
and pipes burst after missiles launched by Houthi forces in Yemen
triggered back-to-back explosions that tore open the vessel. The
experience is part of the toll that the Red Sea crisis is taking on ship
crews imperiled by the
Houthis’ attempt to effectively close off a major shipping lane leading
to the Suez Canal.
In peacetime, a third of all containerships pass through the canal, and
large numbers of tankers and bulk ships—such as the fertilizer-laden
Rubymar—navigate the waters. Now, a diminishing number of shipping
companies are trying their luck, hazarding the ship, crew and cargo, at
times offering their sailors a modest premium to stomach the risk. But
the conflict has forced the world’s most powerful fleet to reconsider
whether it has the tools to secure the vital shipping lane. A future in
which the seas are only open to some seems on the horizon.
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