Red Sea Transit Season: February to June

Source:  Zeilen

While the Red Sea has a reputation as a “no-go” area due to piracy and especially in 2024 due to the Houthi rebels, about 50 sailboats still took the plunge between February and June 2024 to transit. While none were attacked by Houthi rebels, there were three incidents which caused some concern for the vessels concerned.

Suez Canal agent Captain Heebi told Zeilen that every year, an average of 70 sailing yachts pass through the Red Sea. The Suez Canal Administration shows that between February and June 2024 a total of 54 sailing yachts transited safely.

Three Unsettling Incidents Reported

The yacht Islander was one of the vessels to report an unsettling incident when on passage through the Red Sea.  On March 11, 2024 – when the incident took place – skipper Barbara, with her crew of two men, was just five miles off the shipping route, SW of the Hanish Islands, when Islander was approached around sunset by a motorboat with several armed men on board.  Despite being fired upon by the intruders, Islander was able to continue on their journey.  The incident happened in rough seas and the crew sent out a Mayday and was in contact with the coalition forces (MSCHOA and UKMTO).

The second incident was on the morning of April 11, when a solo-sailor who had set off from Djibouti was sailing in the middle of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and was approached by a skiff with three men on board. Again, a weapon was brandished, but then the skiff turned back towards Yemen.

Also in mid-April the Swedish sailing yacht Alice set sail from Djibouti to Sudan. In light weather conditions they sailed through the narrow Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. On the border to the Red Sea, they were approached by a motorboat. “Suddenly there was a skiff with a handful of men,” says skipper Maria. It was a moonless night and the men shone a huge lamp on the sailboat, causing the crew to be blinded.  A call to the coalition forces (MSCHOA and UKMTO) with their satellite phone resulted in a patrol ship escorting the yacht into a safe area.

The three incidents occurred inside, or just outside, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait (20 miles wide, 70 miles long). On the west side is Eritrea (African territory) and on the east side Yemen (Middle East). Due to the Arabic language, close proximity to both countries and no official uniform, it is unclear whether the men come from Eritrea or from Yemen. According to the Zeilen report, it is therefore more likely that the incidents were related to piracy, rather than the Houthi rebels.

Read the full story at:

• Zeilen: Overseas Correspondent – Is the Red Sea Really a No-Go Area? (In Dutch)

Read a Cruiser’s Report from January 2024:

• Red Sea Transit:  Nerve-Wracking but Uneventful

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Related News:

• Red Sea:  Cruisers Re-assess Security Situation (Noonsite January 2024)

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Related Reports:

• Crossing the Red Sea in Both Directions – Tips and Advice
• Travelling North and South through the Red Sea – Wade Alarie (2022)

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