This is to inform and entertain my friends and family. 23 January to 7 May, 2002, Three months, two weeks, 5,440 miles, Thailand to Greece, as I saw it.
Early in the year of 2001, I had made plans to depart Thailand 1 January 2002 to go west across the north Indian Ocean, then north through the Red Sea and into the Med.. RPhurst had been hauled, repairs done, anti fouling applied, new spinnaker made, sails re-stitched, some improvements done and general upgrades. This was also the time for a new survey which is an inspection by a professional to determine the condition of the boat for insurance purposes. He could find nothing wrong.
With the events of 11 September I was advised by my insurance broker that coverage for the Red Sea will not be offered. So, at this time I began looking for alternatives for cruising. One possibility was to go around Singapore and into the Gulf of Thailand. Other cruisers have told me the cruising is good and the diving excellent. It was not until mid December when the broker advised coverage was again available. So, quickly make plans to head west, find crew, provision the boat and get ready to be underway.
While checking internet sites for crew I noticed an item on the bulletin board at the yacht club restaurant for a couple looking to crew, Alain and Maud. I contacted them and we talked. They were French but spoke pretty good English. He had done quite a bit of sailing, so his experience was good, she had done some, one Atlantic crossing, so she knew some of what was needed. She also cooked, which is good. They agreed to join me for the passage to Greece. I had previously agreed to take a woman, found on an internet crewing site. Jenny was a Brit, had spent time on cruising boats, knew how to cook and was pretty attractive. So, with a crew of four we set out on another great adventure. With this mix we now needed to fly the United Nations flag.As this was a time of passage, no guests were invited. I could not predict with any certainty where I would be or when I would get there. Consequently no friends or women arrived, I did have some hope for Jenny, which will be explained later. Having four on board relieved the watch schedule to the point of being easy. Alain and I did a four hour, Maud and Jenny did three. Is that being a chauvinist or a gentleman, you decide. Alain overlapped the women by an hour each. So really they did two hours alone each and I four, each twelve hours.
I had visited with other cruisers and found a SSB, long range radio, sked, time and frequency. Where boats report in with their position and weather conditions. These are invaluable for passages. Knowing the weather ahead and behind you will give you some idea of what to expect as forecasts in the area are non existent. As it was the winds were light for the whole passage.
After only 290 miles we stopped, but did not go ashore, at the Nicobar Islands, going ashore is not allowed, they are part of India and unless you first go to India, about 400 miles each way, to check in you are not allowed to stop. We wanted some time to review the short passage, rest up for a couple of days and get into the water. The water clarity is excellent. Then on to the Maldives, 1,220 miles.
Shortly after leaving Thailand I noticed we were using more electrical power than we should, also noticed that things coming out of the deep freeze were not as hard frozen as they should be. While in the Maldives I checked the Freon level in the compressor, it was fine, I then changed the thermostat setting to higher and lower temperatures to verify the operation of the compressor. It was then I discovered the compressor would not always start right away. And after it started it would turn off, then on, then off, then on, not running for a long period of time. I could not determine if the compressor or the control had a problem. Being early into a four month passage we were heavily loaded with meats, from Thailand, I did not want this to happen now. Remember Mr. Murphy, expect the unexpected, at the most inopportune time. As the freezer in the refrigerator has excess cooling capacity, I began cycling meats out of the deep freezer, into the freezer of the fridge for 12 hours to re-freeze and then back into the deep freeze. In this way everything remained frozen or close to it and this went on for some time.
In the Maldives yachts are able to check in at only two islands. Once checked in your cruising is very limited. To avoid this problem we entered the central group just north of Male, a check in point and the Capital of the central island group. Then proceeded north to arrive at Ihavandiffulu Island, which is the capital of the north island group. In his way we were able to see more of the islands. When we were approached by their coast guard and told to go directly to Ihavandiffulu to check in, we did. Once checked in there we could no longer cruise.
The Maldives have been a world renowned dive destination for many years. Foreign operators lease an island, build a resort and take guests diving. They are very jealous and protective of the water around their island. The reality of diving there is that the coral is all DEAD. Bleached, colorless rocks with little algae and no coral polyps growing. The fish life is still pretty good, but not the reef. On our arrival at the first atoll we were followed into the entrance by three large black tip sharks, I think they hoped we would go swimming, which I did later.
After leaving Thailand 23 January and the Maldives 22 February, we arrived at Salalah, Oman, 3 March, safely. The passages from Thailand to the Maldives, 1,550 miles, and Maldives to Oman, 1,250 miles, were uneventful. The lack of wind has been more problematic than too much wind. The passages have been slow because of this and we carry and use a lot of extra fuel on account of expecting the light wind. The crew are working out well, we are safe and well fed. I appreciate the many messages of concern I picked up when I could have internet access in Salalah, but we are being careful.The area between Oman and the south end of the Red Sea, south of Yemen and north of Samalia is a known area for piracy. I know people who went through there the previous year, were boarded and everything, food, clothing, tools and parts were taken. No one was harmed, at the time, yet Chrissie had a nervous breakdown before they completed the Red Sea. A real shame, they are wonderful people. The thieves were trying to take the engine out of the boat when they discovered they could not lift it. While in the Maldives I met up with some other boats, going the same way, and with the danger area ahead decided to join up with them for that portion as it makes sense to travel in convoy, stay at least 50 miles offshore, do not use VHF radio, do not use navigation lights at night and stay in sight of each other for safety. We stayed in contact by SSB radio. It has 10,000 frequencies and is more difficult to locate. The plan had been to stop at Aden, Yemen, however, the political situation there had deteriorated and we will give it a miss. Our next stop will be Djibouti, Africa, 720 miles, then on into the Red Sea planning to arrive the Suez Canal the end of April.
The lap top broke down again in the Maldives and I hoped to get it repaired in Oman, maybe? good luck.!!!!!! Along with the freezer and one engine heat exchanger. Many ports are nothing but a blur of repair shops and trying to find someone qualified. Time just slips by. I was able to
find an electrical technician to check the freezer compressor control box. After a few hours and replacing some components he declared it was working and ready to reinstall, at which time he gave me a bill for US$100. An amount I thought was quite reasonable. When I reinstalled it to the compressor, of course, it did not work. My first introduction to Arab honesty. It was here I found another cruiser with a working freezer in which some space was available, so we filled his, gave away what would not fit between the two of ours and we solved the problem, for now. Many boats do not have freezers and rely on canned meats and fish while on passage, so they did enjoy having some steaks, chops and roasts.And speaking of fish. We were able to pick up the occasional Spanish Mackeral, very good, which we ate and a sailfish of about 5 feet in length. Without a freezer and it being far too large to eat at once, I returned it to the sea.
Oman is my first introduction to Arab Muslims. The traditional dress for both sexes is eye opening. Or should I say the dress for women is eye opening. All that is exposed are their eyes through a small slit in their all black outer wear. Most of the men wear some variation of a full length cloth. Some as simple as a sheet with a hole for the head, draped over the body, some intricate with folds and layers of different color, right up to the turban. All of the people are very friendly and have no problem with my being from America. Some well intended jokes about bin Laden, but no problems. These people are just trying to live their lives also. It is extreeeeemily dry here with camels and goats wandering around seemingly wild. They are on the road like deer at home. Little outside of the city is paved and the dust is everywhere.The Navies of the world know this to be a problem area, so there are regular coast patrols by France, Germany, England and America, watching for piracy. We met some of the British fleet, a mini carrier group, in Oman. We told them our plans and they told us they were also going this general direction, being military they could not say where they were going but indicated that we may see them along the way. For the entire 720 mile passage to Djibouti they were never out of sight, we enjoyed flyovers by helicopters, some doing aerobatic maneuvers, observation aircraft and visits from a Frigate, sometimes splitting our little fleet down the middle. We discussed that if this display did not discourage nocturnal visitations, nothing would. We felt very safe. They stayed within a few miles of us the whole way with a promise to launch support with any distress call from us.
Again, the lack of wind was far more of a problem than too much: The highest was 22 knots, the lowest 0 for 3 days straight. We used a third of our fuel in the first 3 days, of an 8 day passage, then sailed the rest of the way. Being in convoy we all needed to match our speed with the slowest boat. So, we had a very slow passage.
We arrived safely at Djibouti, Africa,12 March. The danger area is now behind us. We will start into the Red Sea in the next few days. Djibouti is a French naval base and little more than a sea port. It is very French and therefore very expensive, very African which means dirty, dusty and littered. To do again I would not go 350 miles out of my way to see it. Aden, Yemen is a much better choice, for reprovisioning, if the world situation will allow it. Clearly, no one here would be able to do anything with the freezer.
With great planning, good luck and a little help from the British Navy we had nothing more serious than fishermen wanting water, cigs, food or to sell a fish. No problem. I always gave them water. We didn’t need fish anyway after the 4 foot dorado we caught, in my opinion the best eating fish in the sea. By now we did have some room in the fridge freezer. Some of the other boats did purchase fish from them, a good deal and something fresh to eat. I have been very fortunate with fishing all along this trip; usually have more than we can eat in the freezer, of course now I have no freezer.
I am told email access may be very limited in the lower Red Sea. Many of the Arab countries do not want their people to access the world, they are very poor and could not support an internet café. Sending email from Djibouti there was a real treat. Often when I sent to multiple addresses, some would receive all of it, some receive some of it and others none.
I could tell Jenny was not happy on passage. The second day out of Thailand she began pacing and that continued until our arrival. She also became very irritable, argumentative and insulting. While at Djibouti, she surprised me by announcing, in her own words, I will no longer stand a watch, will not cook a meal but I expected to be fed, will not do any of the clean up or any of the other work needed to be done AND I am going to make your life so miserable you will put me off the boat. Then I expect you to buy my ticket home. Well this is not part of the deal. When you come on as crew, you get a cheap ride; however, transportation is your own. It was a very tense few days, the end result is I put her off of the boat and I did not buy her ticket. We continued with three. I suggested a watch of Alain 4, Maud 3 and I 5 hours, with no overlap, Maud would have nothing to do with it. She insisted on 4 each, to which I agreed. She was good crew.
Eritrea, Africa, 420 miles from Djibouti, requires very little time. It is very poor, very smelly, very dirty and undeveloped. It is a reprovisioning stop only, which is very difficult when most of the food belongs in the dumpster, not on the table. I was told, Asmara, a town up in the mountains, from Massawa, is worth a visit. I did not go there. Ask for Mike on the pier, or he will find you, he is honest and helpful. Money exchange at the banks was 12 to one US$. On the street 18 to one. People were very friendly and some, but few, spoke English. One very large woman at the market spoke English very well and I was able to talk to her, get a sense of the area and people, she wanted to go with us.
The border between Sudan and Egypt is under constant dispute. We sought shelter in a large, well protected bay called a marsa, along the coast of Sudan. The Egyptian Navy has a small ship anchored in the bay and they claim jurisdiction, even though this is Sudan. They have moved all of the people out of the village who now are refugees. The Naval crew were very friendly. It was a good thing, as we were required to tie along side the ship with 2 other sailboats, we were not allowed to leave the boat, go ashore or even swim. We did have a good time. Almost like being in a marina. Just walk across the ship and onto another sailboat. And they sold us some fuel which we desperately needed.
The diving around the offshore islands and reefs of Sudan is as good as I have seen anywhere in the world. And little wonder the coral is in such great shape, there are no divers touching everything in sight. The fish population was better than most dive sites, anywhere. Finding a fish to spear was a matter of choosing which one. Anchoring is another issue. With very small islands, fringed by reef, often with less than 10 feet of water over the reef, outside of which is a wall falling 200 feet to the sea floor, finding a place to put the hook is difficult. One time, in very settled weather, we put the bow of RPhurst over the reef, put down the anchor, backed away and let down a second anchor, after which I swam in to find a hole for the anchor on the reef, doing as little damage as I could.. Any change in wind direction and this could have been a disaster. I do not recommend it.
It was in this area we discovered we were getting farther north. With the strong North wind blowing down from the mountains in lower Europe the temperatures have dropped. The stronger the wind the colder it becomes. I had always understood that the desert will be very hot during the day, it is, and cool at night, but this is ridiculous. I have not had a blanket on the bed for years, I now have two.Shab Rumi, the circular reef where Jack Coustou had his underwater habitats built so he could live underwater for weeks at a time, provided shelter for 6 days waiting out a big blow. This was a good place to sit as the diving was great. The reefs have provided many of our meals from the end of my spear. We have also caught some fish while sailing. The food problem is the fresh stuff we like, veggies and fruit. Towns are very primitive and poor, with small open markets selling produce that is ready for the dumpster, not the table. Still we are getting by and look forward to getting into the northern end of the Red Sea where cities are located and supermarkets are not just a garage with a few canned goods.
We arrived Safaga, Egypt, 9 April, 790 miles from Eritrea. This is most of the way up the Red Sea. We still have the Gulf of Suez and then the canal. The Red Sea has lived up to its reputation. 85 percent wind from the Northwest, very strong and lasting for up to a week. This means that when the wind is calm for a few hours, usually at night, it counts toward the 15 percent. Look at a map, the Red Sea lays southeast to northwest. The wind is always on the nose. The wind strength has certainly provided us with some sailing. It also has caused us to seek and stay in shelter for days at a time. Sailing into 30 to 45 knot wind is no fun. Especially when it comes as wind over current, as happens for 12 hours at a time. The sea really does get steep. We had opportunities of a day to several days of acceptable to good weather for making distance.
We took advantage of one light wind situation to move a couple hundred miles up the coast, only to be caught out in the open at 0045 by a cold front, The wind went from SW 15 knots to NW 25 knots in 25 minutes, then increasing to 45 knots and a building sea. Of course, the wind direction was from exactly where we were trying to go. It took us 13 hours to cover 27 miles to Safaga and shelter. It was a rough ride going to weather, with RPhurst falling ten feet or more off steep waves and crashing down into the trough. As we are usually faster we called other boats behind us to advise the weather and many of them were able to get to shelter before the wind hit them.
We have found the people very friendly. For all of you worried about an American traveling through this area, don't. People, when told I am American, are very receptive, offering a hand shake, smile and the thought America is good. Our land travel has been limited as we choose to spend our time moving when the weather is good. That means don't go too far from the boat when the wind could change. This arid Arab area is just like we see in the movies. Rugged mountains that have not had enough moisture to erode them, however, the wind blows all of the time. Why doesn't that knock them down? Blowing sand is always all over the boat, which means constant cleaning. The towns and villages are all cement, block, brick or coral covered with stucco then painted. Many of the buildings appear to have been built years ago or are still in the process and most need a coat of paint. Seeing brick put up without level lines and rough mortar tells me to not buy anything here. Just cover it over with stucco and wait for the paint. Most of the work is done by hand, or donkey.The diving along the coast of the Red Sea is living up to its reputation. The south end is murky water and little coral. The mid area the water turned quickly to clear and the fish and coral have been great. On one dive the fish were more plentiful than I have seen anywhere previously. I was impressed.
Officialdom in Arab land is as difficult as anywhere I have been. Many places require you to use an agent, even to buy fuel, who charge huge fees, up to US$ 200. for their service. You must check into and out of each port or town. Another reason to not go into any more towns than is necessary to provision or land travel.
Most of the people appear to be very well fed. Seeing the women in their traditional black from head to foot is something to see. There is nothing to see. Even down to black gloves, socks and shoes. The only human part that shows are the eyes, through a slit in the cloth. Hawkers are very aggressive, you hear 'come sit my friend I want to talk', it is only a come on to sell you something you do not want. I guess they need to make a living. I have discovered you must take every word with a grain of salt. Ask directions and you end up in their cousins store waiting for the hospitality cup of tea while they show you their wares. There are no set prices on anything. Something offered for 200 Egyptian pound can be bought for 5 or 10.
The crew went to Luxor from Safaga for 3 days. When they returned I was to do the same trip. Luxor is only a 4 hour bus ride from Safaga, using the local bus. The tourist buses go all at one time, 0530 departure having police vehicles in front of and behind the convoy. It really seems this is to provide reassurance for the tourists as nothing has happened for some years now. The other option is to take the local bus. No guards, just get on and go.
As it turned out I did not get to go from here. The day before the crew were to return I received an update to the weather, which claimed wind going to the east then south. We had a choice, go now to Port Suez from where I could still do the trip to Luxor, or stay here for the days I would be gone, risking the possibility of the same strong north westerlies after the delay. When they returned I began the process of checking out of Safaga to Suez. You must clear into and out of each Egyptian Port. We could still stay in Safaga if the wind did not clock to an advantageous angle. The night I checked out the wind died, this will generally indicate a change in direction. And change it did, yes to the east although very light. We departed at 1300 hoping the change would continue to the south. Even if it didn't an easterly wind in the Red Sea gives us a pretty good angle. The next day the wind freshened and we could put up the spinnaker. The first time in the Red Sea. By late evening the wind had gone to the south and strengthened to 20 knots and by midnight to 30, good thing we took down the spinnaker before dark. These are very good conditions for us. The problem now was we would reach Suez before daybreak. This caused us to do some gybes under shortened headsail only to slow us down. We were approaching the outer canal markers at daybreak. We either needed to get to the yacht club, the only allowed place for us to be, before the northbound ships began at 0615 or wait until they were all through about 1100, yes, we arrived in time, with a ship right behind us.
I did my land tour to Cairo and Luxor from Port Suez. My bus ride through the desert provided a view of a desolate, barren, dry, dusty and hostile environment. I do not know how people have lived here for thousands of years. Obviously they have figured it out, they are here. Close to the Nile it is different, green, lush, stuff growing everywhere. Farmers are allowed to own 10 acres of land and most of the work of planting and harvesting is done by hand. You still see a team of oxen pulling a wooden plow handled by a man, just as it was done hundreds of years ago. Sugar cane is the largest crop with wheat a close second. The sugar cane may not be planted withing 300 yards of any roadway, no, not to avoid collecting snow, it provides cover for the terrorists who attack tourist buses and cars.
Of course, in this arid land water is essential for the growing of crops. In centuries past the Nile would overflow its banks, inundating the low lying land with a fertile layer of mud and moisture, from which most things will grow something like the Red and Mississippi back when. After the construction of the Aswan dam, which provides electrical power for all of Egypt, the annual flood has been controlled causing the need for irrigation and fertilizer to be added. Canals have been dug, large ones leading from the Nile using large pumps, medium ones branching off these using medium pumps and lastly small ones from which the farmer pumps or hand lifts the water into the fields. Seeing men working on a cantilevered pole drawing water up in a bucket to water his 10 acre garden makes you wonder if we have a better idea than Ma did in the first place, O'well, progress. Another problem brought on by the canals. With the standing water becoming stagnant parasitic worms have emerged. When people enter the water, the worm enters the people by burrowing through the skin on the feet, working its way to your liver, where in 4 years it will kill you, therefore, warnings are put out not to swim in the canals. Can you imagine telling children to stay out of the water, when the temperature is 130 degrees in August!!!!!!!The reason so many of the homes and buildings are not finished is because the government assesses a 40 percent tax once the building is finished. So leave off the roof, don't finish the walls and certainly forget the landscaping. They do not need a roof because it never, really never rains. I was told that last January a few drops did fall, no reason to put on a roof.
The mating rituals are far different from home. Here, only the male does the pursuing and an out of wedlock pregnancy is legitimate cause for killing the suitor. Men appear to need to purchase his wife from her family, The price is based on the cost of a camel. A good young camel will cost about 4000 pound, a wife the cost of 4-5 camels. I know a few guys that would have thought this cheap after their divorce. By the way there are 4.6 pound to the dollar. So, fagism seems to be pretty well accepted. Men that can not afford a wife get by another way. One young man told me sex with men is for fun, sex with women is for children. I do not agree, but I do not live here. When you see many men sitting around coffee shops and cafes they are not escaping the family, just can not afford one. You see many May September couples, obviously the more mature man has more money, success and is better able to care for a wife or wives, yes, they can have as many wives as they can afford. The only rule is they must be treated equally.
Begging or backsheesh in Egypt, demanding something as a gift from you is pretty wide open. Young men and girls think nothing of asking for money, failing that, how about your watch, some cigarettes, your hat, etc. Many will not take no for an answer and will follow you for a block reducing their demands. Anything will do, just so they get something.
10 years ago Egypt had its trouble with terrorism. Muslim fundamentalists felt tourists were bringing in unwanted influence from the outside world and tried to discourage tourism by fire bombing buses, shooting at tourist cars and buses and in 1997 killing 58 tourist at the Temple of Hatshepsut. Consequently tourism has fallen from the number 2 income source to number 5. The Canal is number 1, has been since it was built. Many of the people who make their living from tourism can not understand why the tourist does not come like they did years ago. I have tried to explain to some of them that tourists do not like being shot at and will not go where this is a possibility. Now you find heavily armed guards at every location where tourists go, where money is handled such as banks and jewelry stores, restaurants, hotels, government installations, schools, maybe we should try this one, and on the street. The only place you never see a guard is by a Mosque, makes you wonder, doesn't it.
The best part of traveling around has been taking in the hysterical sites. While the pyramids are impressive, somehow I imagined them to be larger. Don't get me wrong they are huge and an engineering marvel, just smaller than I perceived them to be. The pyramids are nothing more than a very large headstone, containing one burial chamber. The beauty of the era was preserved in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens on the west side of the river at Luxor. The tomb of Nefrititi is the best. At a whopping 100 pounds entry many people do not see it, it is worth every cent of this US$ 20. The Temples of Luxor and Karnak are equally impressive and should be on your list. I also took in the Egyptian Museum while in Cairo, just a lot of old rocks with manmade chips out of them called hieroglyphics. The place is large and certainly worth the trouble.
Many of you are familiar with the young King Tutamenkamen, King Tut. His is the only grave that had not been robbed, before it was found in1922. Of course, it has been robbed now. All of its treasures are in the Cairo Museum. If these treasures are any indication of what the early archeologists, a term used for old time grave robbers, found, no wonder they tried to uncover all the tombs they could.
Mini bus taxis cost from 50 piastas to 1 pound, about a quarter, the bus from Safaga to Luxor was 13 pound, the bus from Suez to Luxor was 35 pound, the train from Luxor to Cairo was 62 pound, the bus from Cairo to Suez was 7 pound. Remember, 4.6 pound to the dollar.
Hurrah, we made it through the Red Sea and have arrived at Port Suez, 230 miles from Safaga, on 27 April, after 5 weeks and 1,500 miles in the Red Sea. The only thing left now is the Suez Canal, which is just two, one day motor trips.
In dealing with an agent in Port Suez, for transit of the canal the exchange went like this, from me to him. When will the measurer come to measure the boat, he did it yesterday, so tomorrow we will have a pilot and go, yes, next morning no pilot, call the agent, where is my pilot, can’t have pilot until the boat is measured, you told me they measured the day before yesterday, someone else’s boat, when will he measure my boat, today, he came boat measured, call the agent, when will be have a pilot and go, tomorrow morning, next morning no pilot, call the agent, where is my pilot, no pilots available today, when will I have one, tomorrow. I asked other agents and pilots if this was true and was told the pilots are sitting outside of the pilot office like crows on a wire, just hoping to get a job. Next morning, pilot, and made the first half of the transit.
With a stop in Ismailia, from where the crew did their Cairo trip. I searched for and found an old guy that does compressor repair. I looked over his shop, he had many compressors, in various stages of assembly, in boxes, cans, piled upon each other. Perhaps he could repair my wayward compressor. I brought it to his shop on a Saturday, he assured me it would be working by Tuesday. On Tuesday he told me he had sent it to Cairo. By Thursday he had it back, in a pile of parts. More Arab honesty at work.
I had a pretty bad experience in Port Suez. All of the boats awaiting transit are tied, bow and stern, to moorings. One morning during strong wind, about 25-30 knots an 80 foot, stinkpot, power yacht, with an Egyptian delivery captain on board, came into the mooring field, from the windward end, to attempt securing to a mooring. As we were the boat most to windward in a line, they came around us first. Of course, they lost control of the boat as they rounded the wind and tried to go downwind between rows of moored sailboats. We were the first one they hit. A 40 ton cruiser coming down sideways into my eggshell does not please me. We were slightly holed, well above the waterline and the sound of crushing fiberglass is not pleasant and tells me there will be more damage found later. After they were secured, no not in the moorings, they had no business being in there, the captain came to my boat to see the damage. While he was very pleasant and admitted what he had done when I asked for money to repair the damage he merely told me he had no money. He was willing to have a local come out and repair the damage. Can you see the repair that would be done by a local in high wind with water constantly splashing up onto the damaged area. He would smear some bondo on the damage and paint with a spray can, NO thank you. When I threatened to contact the police I was told the boat was owned by a high ranking general in the Egyptian Army and if I reported it the process would take several days and I would need to watch my boat, for other boats would run into me. The final resolution was he did pay, however, a much smaller amount than the cost of repair. The agents, mine included were brought into the process as we as boaters can do nothing without the agent. They advised take whatever you can get, because the stinkpot was going to leave soon and would never be heard from again. This is not America.
At times the Red Sea lived up to its reputation, rough, but by being patient and waiting out the strong NW winds we were able to get through without getting too badly beaten up. In some ways I regret the speed with which we made it through the area. I would have liked to do much more diving, however, when the wind is right we must go. The alternative is to face the beating into strong wind and large sea state. Some of the best diving here is in the northern part and I have done none of it. The dives I did in the middle part were great, the ones in the southern part disappointing.
I am still amazed that people can live here. This is the edge of the Great Sahara Desert and is very inhospitable, with blowing sand and dust obscuring the sun. The Nile valley is the garden.
For the cruisers among you coming behind me. Stay in touch with the boats ahead of you. The weather definitely moves down the Red Sea and advanced warning is very helpful to find shelter. As the weather patterns in the Red Sea are consistently strong, 20-30 up to 45 knots, NW wind you will need to make a choice. Either beat to weather, usually with steep seas caused by the wind over current, for most of the Red Sea or take shelter for the periods of high winds, usually up to 6 days, then sail, motor sail or motor when you get 2-3 days of lower NW or better yet southerly quadrant wind, usually light, but sometimes up to 30 knots. Fuel will be an issue for the passage, with over 1,000 miles, from Aden or Djibouti to Safaga Egypt, the first chance to clear into the country. Fuel can be found in Massawa, Eritrea and many marsas, particularly Alam, Luli, Haabib, Quessier along the coast of Sudan and Egypt without clearing into the country. Don't forget the dive boats and local fishermen who will take your cans to shore and bring them back full. They appear honest and usually return to the same reef day after day. Fuel cost has varied greatly, from US$.12 to .50 per liter. Massawa is a great stop, go to Asmara. Port Sudan is very expensive to enter, US$ 130. On arrival to Suez, use the agent Felix, prices between agents seem to be fixed, so they offer better service. Do not believe anything an Arab tells you, get it in writing. Spend as little time as possible in Port Suez, insist your agent give international clearance for your boat from the country, NOT your passports, you can clear them at Ismailia, otherwise you can not go ashore at Ismailia and it is worth a stop of several days, a real treat compared to Port Suez or Port Said, including your land trip to Cairo. Abu Teg, the new marina at Hurgada is well worth the stay. I did not go there as I stopped at Safaga, where you can clear in yourself, about 2 hours, 4 hours to clear out. Hurgada is very expensive, US$ 130. to clear into. Even if you cleared into the country at Safaga, you must again clear into Hurgada, using an agent.
Yes, I have made the Greek Islands. It has been a long way from Thailand. Over 5,440 miles, the way the crow flies, in 4 months. The transit of the Suez Canal was no problem. Working with the Egyptian agents was. If you are ever in Egypt just remember one thing. Do not believe anything, anything an Arab tells you. To do over again we would have stayed at Port Suez only to arrange transit, the halfway stopping point in the canal, Ismailia, is much nicer, less money, a better town and travel can be arranged to anywhere.
For those following, watch your navigation in the reef strewn Red Sea. I have heard of 5 boats having been lost to the reefs this passage year. I would not want to hear of any of you having done so. Along with engine failures, fuel shortages and torn sails the carnage takes its toll.
The crossing from Egypt to Greece was without difficulty. Other than the last 4 miles, the highest wind we had was 18 knots, which is nothing for RPhurst and a seasoned crew. The last 4 miles we were faced with 25 knots on the nose. Seems Ma did not want us to get here at all. The wind direction, W and a contrary current, up to a knot were the greatest challenges. The 372 mile, as the crow flies, crossing took 3 ½ days, about 12 hours longer than I had thought which required an after dark arrival. Arriving into an unknown port after dark is something I seldom do. The exception to this is when it is a well lit commercial harbor, as this is. We had no problem entering, finding a place to tie up was. We ended up tying between a large ferry and a pier. I knew we would need to move to the marina in the morning so didn't see this as a problem. .
I found a refrigeration repair place, had the guy check out my control box for the freezer, he stated it is working fine, so it must be the compressor. We ordered a compressor, installed and nothing, it didn’t work, OH, must be the control box, we ordered a control box and everything is working fine. US$600. later. Nice to be in civilization where enough money will fix almost anything. He felt so guilty he reassembled my old compressor, now I have a spare.
The next leg is to the Greek Islands where I will spend the summer months, then moving on to the south coast of Turkey for the winter, or Cyprus if it gets too cold. The following year I will head west then north into the Adriatic Sea or possibly through the Med, down to the Canaries and cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean, planning to take in Carnival at Trinidad.
If you enjoy these and wish to continue to receive them, let me know, if you do not want to receive them any longer, let me know, if you want to join me at any time in the next year, let me know.
Your friend,
Bruce Parnham S/V RPhurst
