Two years after the spectacular Houthi attack that made headlines around the world, the tanker Sounion—now renamed Deckasis—remains abandoned off the coast of Piraeus, causing a headache for Greek authorities.
The 163,800 dwt vessel, which belonged to the Greek company Delta Tankers and sustained extensive damage from the rebel attack in the Red Sea in August 2024, remains in limbo, as no interested party has yet come forward to undertake its removal and scrapping.
The Piraeus Port Authority has already announced three tenders in 2026 for the sale of the ship, but to no avail. In fact, following the failure of previous attempts, even the minimum starting price of 344,000 euros set in the first tender in March was abandoned. The fourth attempt is scheduled for June 25.
Port authorities describe the Deckasis as “dangerous and harmful,” noting that in the event of adverse weather conditions, it lacks the ability to respond, a fact that could pose risks both to the safety of navigation and to the marine environment in the wider area of the country’s largest port.
The ship had become a global symbol of the Houthi attacks when the rebels seized the vessel and set off a series of explosions on its deck, releasing footage of the incident. After months of rescue operations, it was towed to Greece in 2025 and sold to interests planning to send it for scrapping.
However, problems arose when the American ship recycling consulting firm Deckmann LLC, which had acquired the vessel, requested permission to transport it to a shipbreaking yard in Turkey. The request was denied, as the Greek authorities had previously demanded that fuel and oil residues be removed from the ship.
Subsequently, the company reportedly faced financial difficulties, leaving unpaid bills totaling approximately 1.5 million euros to the towing company Med Tugs, which proceeded to seize the vessel.
Documents from the Ministry of Shipping state that the Deckasis lacks a crew, classification, operational main engines, or safety systems, while waste and fuel residues remain in the tanks and engine room. Despite repeated warnings from the authorities, the ship remains anchored in Piraeus, awaiting a buyer who has yet to come forward.