A DRONE boat strike on Greece-owned bulk carrier Tutor has killed a seafarer and left the ship unable to manoeuvre in the Red Sea yesterday, Lloyd’s List understands. 

This makes Tutor the second vessel to lose a member of its crew as a result of Houthi attacks, after three crew were killed on True Confidence (IMO: 9460784) earlier in the year. 

The latest report from UK Maritime Trade Operations said the vessel is taking on water and is not under command of the crew.

An EU Atalanta warship is to coordinate help for Tutor. Two tugs have been dispatched by Tsavliris Salvage Group, which said it is expecting to reach the vessel in two days. 

The Liberia-flagged, 2022-built, 82,357 dwt Tutor (IMO: 9942627) was first hit by what has been described as a “small white craft five to seven metres in length” at 0714 hrs, 66 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, Yemen.

Lloyd’s List understands this was in fact an explosive-laden, remote controlled boat.

Control Risks director Cormac McGarry said this was the first time a Houthi drone boat had hit its target, but added: “They’ve been using this weapon for years.”

McGarry said the Houthis had hit Saudi targets with similar explosive-laden boats in the past.

He explained that these vessels are “fairly rudimentary” and are simply packed with barrels of explosives. They are controlled using VHF, which requires line of sight to the craft.