Made it to Turkey - Finike ... Jun 2008

25 Jun - 03 Jul 2008

***Cute little beach between Finike and Kas*** Us at Kas Fishing Harbour*** Evening out at the Opera under the Stars - Norma by Bellini performed at the stunning 1800 year old Aspendos Ampitheatre***

Our first week in Turkey has been action packed, we need to leave the marina and find a quiet little bay to get some rest!!!! We arrived at 9am on 25 June and were assisted into our med mooring berth at Finike Marina by extremely helpful and professional staff and we were tied up before we knew it, always a relief. Finike is a small town about half way between Fethiye and Antalya. It is very Turkish with few tourists except for the yachties, but has some excellent little local cafes, a couple of reasonable supermarkets, a huge Saturday produce market, a good marina with all facilities and a nice leisurely, local feel to it all. We were going to stay a couple of days to check in and have a look around, we are now up to day 8!!!!

We have had a day out exploring by car with Tony off Tactical Directions and Bill, crew member off Mariah. We headed west along the winding coast road first to the Church of St Nicholas (Santa Claus and the patron saint of Sailors), although its not in great shape it was built in the 3rd century and still has Byzantine frescoes and some mosaics floors. Next stop, about 2kms further on were the ruins of Myra with a well preserved Greco-Roman ampitheatre and Lycian Tombs high in the cliffs. Then coffee time and we headed down to the lovely harbour area at Kas. This looks like a great place, as did our next stop Kalekoy and we plan to go back on Balvenie and spend some time there exploring. Then it was time to explore more ruins at Xanthos, the ancient Lycian capital. We were befriended by a local man who we are not sure was a tour guide or not but his English was ok and he had a great knowledge of the history of the ruins and showed us all sorts of things we would not otherwise have found - terracotta water pipes, ancient swimming pools, hidden mosaics. It was a worthwhile stop and had an outstanding vista of the plains below. Next it was onto Fethiye to checkout the marina, anchorage and of course the chandlerys. It's a medium sized town with quite a tourist presence but had a nice feel to it. The drive home was interupted by a flat tyre, I enjoyed the view of the med while the boys , changed the tyre in record time, happy hour was upon us!! It was a great day out, many thanks to Tony for the car.

A couple of nights ago we joined an excursion organised by the marina to the outdoor opera at Aspendos. With a 5pm departure and 3am return it was a long evening but totally worthwhile. We had a dinner stop in Antalya with excellent food then it was onto the 1800 year old Aspendos Ampitheatre which is an outstanding venue. It is totally restored, completely enclosed around but open to the stars and is a fitting setting for an Italian Opera. A must do (even for non Opera fans) if you have the opportunity. Meanwhile this week has been the Finike Music Festival with local guest performances in the square each night, finishing off with a big nightly fireworks display at 12.30am, so you can see why we must leave and get some sleep. Nearly time for our daily dip in the med to cool down. More updates when we get out cruising this beautiful coastline.

Anchorage info: Finike Marina - med mooring, line for the bow provided, need own stern lines x 2. Gets afternoon seabreeze but very sheltered, very big breakwater. Marina fees expensive on daily rate 46Lira, no weekly rate, monthly and longer much much more affordable. One of the cheapist marinas in Turkey

Checkin info: Full checkin facilities all at marina - takes a couple of hours max. Turkish visas are 90days 43Lira for the 2 of us on EU passports, free on NZ passports. Harbourmaster fee 10Lira, Turkish Transit Log 97.50Lira

Into the Med - Cyprus ... June 2008

17 - 24 June 2008
***Balvenie squeezed into Paphos Harbour, we are the shortest mast right in the middle***Very much enjoying Diane and Clives home and pool set high in the hills overlooking the med ***Traditional Dinner out at their local taverna set down a real goat track***

After a delayed 11.30am start from Ismailia due to a warship transiting we finally reached Port Said at the top of the Suez Canal around 7.30pm. Our pilot had been far better than our previous one and the transferal of him onto the pilot boat went without incident and only one packet of cigarettes baksheesh to the pilot. We just kept on going after he had been collected. Finally we had escaped the clutches of the Red Sea, Suez Canal and the Egyptians!! We were in the Med, after 4 years and 38 days since leaving Auckland, we had made it. Of course this didn't mean that life got easy, we had a reasonably strong northwesterly blowing, sloppy lumpy seas, huge freighters in all directions, a couple of oil wells and it was nearly dark - everything comes at a price!!!

So in company with Tony and Clare off London yacht Hai Mei Gui we hoisted sails and headed for Cyprus as the sun sank in the West. We had a bumpy, noserly (wind on the nose!) trip but managed to sail about 30 hours until the wind died off in the early morning shortly before our arrival into Limassol on the southern coast of Greek Cyprus. Both Limassol Marina and the town harbour were full and turned us away but we were able to anchor in sheltered waters outside the Commercial Harbour for the night. We weighed anchor at first light and headed west hoping to find room in Paphos harbour on the Southwest corner of Cyprus. We motored along the south coast enjoying the spectacular scenery of the steep cliffs dropping straight in the Med. Because of this there are few natural bays or harbours to anchor so cruising Southern Cyprus is limited to the couple of marinas and fishing harbours. Paphos was very full but we were lucky enough to squeeze in as one of the police boats was away being serviced. After some time we even managed to get Hai Mei Gui secure as well, check in procedures went well, we had finally, officially arrived in the Med.

Paphos is a cute little place, the fishing harbour area is dominated by a fort on the seaward end. The harbour is still used by local fishing boats but now also packed with day trip boats, offering all manner of options for the crowds of tourists (mainly British) that arrive each year. Although touristy the area has been restored and extended tastefully and has a very nice laid back feel to it. It was great to be in somewhere that felt "normal" to us after so many months in Arabic and African countries. While in Paphos we were lucky enough to catch up with relatives of Mark's who retired to Paphos 5 years ago. Diane and Clive extended us excellent hospitality, took us to their local taverna for dinner, entertained us in their beautiful home set high in the hills overlooking the med, where we very much enjoyed cooling in the swimming pool and drove us to some spots we would otherwise have missed.

We shared a 3 day minimum car hire with Tony and Clare and took to the roads exploring all the nooks and crannies we could find along the coast then we headed to the hills.. It is so nice to smell the trees, hear the birds and enjoy all the varying colours of the landscape after months of being in desert environments. We visited small fishing villages then passed vineyards, olive groves, fruit tree orchards and as we headed higher drove through pine forests and bush right up to the snow level at Mt Olympus. We enjoyed a picnic lunch after a walk to the Caledonia Falls in the Troodos Region, a leisurely stroll around the beautifully preserved Kykkos Monastery and stopped at every opportunity to enjoy the views and local culture. We even fitted in a dip in the Med at Pissouri where the local hilltop village road was barely wide enough for us to fit our little Micra through.

We saw some great sights, everyone we met from check in officials to waiting staff could not have been more helpful or friendly, and I would certainly recommend this part of Cyprus, we love it and it was such a welcome breath of fresh air after Egypt. Sadly our space in the harbour was required again by the Marine Police so after provisioning and an easy checkout we headed for Turkey along with Hai Mei Gui, Tania and we rendezvoused also with Tactical Directions who were en route from Israel, hopefully this would be our last overnight passage for a very long time.

To view more Cyprus Photos click on www.picasaweb.google.com/yachtbalvenie/2008Cyprus

Excursion to Cairo ... June 2008

05 - 15 Jun 2008

**4000 year old boat in the Solar Barque Museum** **Pyramids Police on Camelback** **The Sphinx with the Great Pyramid of Khufu** **Pyramids of Khafre and Khufu at Giza**

We had a few days sitting in Ismailia, stern to at the little marina wall there. Ismailia is a nice place, pretty laid back for Egypt, good places to walk to for dinner, supermarket down the road, very very cheap diesel and petrol the only downside were the "guards" on the gate who wanted bakseesh for everything, it was almost at the point where they didn't want to let us in or out unless we gave them something, certainly getting the groceries in - bakseesh, taxi to drop us off - baksheesh, and to get diesel, very much baksheesh to bring diesel into the marina, its not like we are doing the marina out of business by not buying it there, because they don’t have any, its just the “guards” love the power of being able to refuse us access with anything we bring in, its all about the baksheesh/bribes/favours, whatever you want to call them. Also everytime we left they checked our passorts, if we went out 5 times in one day and saw the same person he would still check them, normally they would actually look at the wrong countries stamp, Eritrea seemed the favourite, even if we gave them the passport opened at the correct page, often they would hold them upside down! Sometimes this could take up to 5 minutes, I’m sure baksheesh would have made this quicker but you really have to draw the line!!!

Ismailia is just a couple of hours by road from Cairo so we had planned to do our Cairo excursion from here, and after a few days cleaning Balvenie inside and out to try and rid ourselves of more layers of red sea dust, dirt and salt we were ready for our Cairo minibreak. We used a driver with car recommended by other cruisers instead of the hassle of local buses, we felt Egypt had given us enough challenges, we were over challenges!! Mohammed, our driver, spent the 2 hour journey speaking with Mark about Islam while I sat quietly in the back seat, happily watching Cairo and its outskirts unfold around me. We had a slight hiccup on arrival at our hotel, we had understood our car to be EGP200 for the return trip, guess what – yep, that was only oneway! Egypt wins again!!!!

We had chosen a small hotel http://www.hotellongchamps.com/ ph 022 7352311 on Zamalek Island, this is the “Embassy” district of Cairo, it’s a very leafy lane environment, small cafes, book shops, quiet and felt safe. The island is located in the middle of the Nile, close to the Egyptian Museum and downtown Cairo. The very clean and nicely furnished room with ensuite and aircon was 360EGP (approx USD70), including an excellent breakfast, free wifi, and several taxes which seemed to be a large part of the bill!!! We settled in then wandered out for a look round, had an excellent lunch in a very local café then tried to catch a cab out to the Pyramids.

Once upon a time we were steadfast backpackers, and we certainly still have that mentality, as do most cruisers we know, we are not on holiday – this is just our chosen lifestyle – so we are as frugal as our bank balance necessitates. In Egypt we broke these rules and lived entirely by “What’s the easiest option?”, Egypt was wearing us down, slowly but surely day by day, we needed to make things easy for ourselves so we could leave the country still with a sense of humour and a glimmer of hope that maybe, one day, we might want to return! So we decided the Lonely Planet suggestions on how to get to the Pyramids by local transport sounded way too hard from where we were and flagged down a cab, but he wouldn’t take us, Mark tried another one, same thing. Maybe it was a language thing but surely they know what the Pyramids are, so on our 3rd attempt we show the cover of the Lonely Planet with the Pyramids on it, we are in business. We also show EGP30 (EGP25 was the suggested price by the hotel) and it would appear we are in business and on our way. It’s actually quite a way into the suburbs to Giza Plateau where the Pyramids are so we had a good look around Cairo’s outskirts before finally arriving around 3.30pm. The last half mile is somewhat interesting, the touts for the camel/horse trips through the plateau actually block the road to get business, it’s a little intimidating but our taxidriver did a good job of getting us through without running anyone over. But then ofcourse it comes time to pay, and now the EGP30 agreed upon is not nearly enough, and EGP50 is required. After much to-ing and fro-ing we pay EGP40 and Egypt wins yet again.

None of this can take away from the magnificence of that first up close vista of the 3 Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, they are truly awesome. We bought our entrance tickets (50EGP each) and set off to explore. This was a great time of the day to visit, the light was good, it wasn’t quite as hot and the crowds start to thin as the tour buses leave. We headed first for the Barque Museum (40EGP each) as it closes at 4.30pm. We had the place to ourselves and spent ages studying the 4000 year old Solar Barque (boat – see photo), we viewed the spot it was discovered and saw photos of the reconstruction. It was an interesting “extra” and although expensive we enjoyed it (plus its air-conditioned!!!) Then back out into the heat of the dropping sun and we spent the next couple of hours wandering around Giza plateau admiring these wonders of the world. We didn’t go inside them as that is only available at certain times of the day but we certainly inspected all nooks and crannies on the outside and again because of being late in the day shared these historical marvels with just a handful of others. We were last to leave as the guards locked up behind us, and had planned to stay for the evening sound and light show but it was cancelled due to a concert by a Lebanese singer being held instead.

So after a leisurely drink, we farewelled the Pyramids and braved the awaiting taxidrivers. After some negotiation we agreed on 40EGP for the return trip to our hotel, but then to our amazement we discovered that it wasn’t the taxi driver we had been speaking to it was the middle man tout who then wanted his negotiating fee. We had had enough, Egypt did not win again, the negotiator was not paid, the taxi ride was uneventful and the driver received nothing extra, we were getting even!! After having had an early start, large lunch and busy afternoon we had a quiet night in the hotel with a couple of drinks and crashed.

Next morning we walked through Zamelak, along and over the Nile and after spending way too much time trying to cross all the roads through the chaotic traffic we finally arrived at the Egyptian Museum. The 50EGP entrance fee is well worth it and you could just spend hours and hours foraging around in here, they have so many exhibits, not nearly enough room and a lot of it is just sort of “plonked” all over the place. The Tutankhamen Exhibition is outstanding, most of the contents of his tomb from the Valley of Kings are on display here and they are truly magnificent, we managed to view them inbetween tour parties which was achievable and spent plenty of time reading all the excellent information boards and starring in wonder at these priceless pieces of ancient history.

There are several truly worthwhile pieces in the museum but for the most part it is cluttered, they do not have the space to display these pieces in the grandeur they deserve. We also visited the Royal Mummies Hall an extra 100EGP, we felt this was overpriced but did want to see the mummies. The overwhelming impression was of how small the people were back then, we expected these great leaders of early civilisation to be large and strong, still a few thousand years preserved and wrapped up probably doesn’t do anyones physique any good! Just a word for anyone visiting, there are actually 2 Mummies halls at opposite sides of the museum, the one ticket gets you into both but they don’t tell you there is more. We spent several hours in the museum, with a coffee break to gather more strength and did very much enjoy all the pieces on display. Then it was back to the hotel, we were smarter this time and found the under/overpasses to cross the busy roads, a much better idea!!!

Mohammed arrived a little after our agreed time, apologising for his delay which was due to him spending all day copying off “An understanding of Muslim” for Mark with a couple of special sections for me on “The women’s place in Islam”, just on 360 A4 pages in all, what can I say, all we wanted was transport to Cairo and back!!!! Our trip home to Balvenie was uneventful, Mohammed’s driving by Egyptian standards was very good and we had enjoyed Cairo, it was now time to move on from Egypt to the Med.

See our web album for more photos http://picasaweb.google.com/yachtbalvenie/2008Egypt

Gulf of Suez - A sting in the tale ... June 2008

29 May - 04 Jun 2008

**The Sinai Peninsular from the Straits of Gubal**Finally into flatter water with the Suez Canal in view**Annie and Liam from "Gone with the Wind", our welcoming committee into the Suez Yacht Club**

Day after day we sat tucked up at the Marina in Hurghada watching the wind instruments register the high 20’s. By now we had quite a collection of cruisers itching to get the last part of the Red Sea behind them. Finally everyone agreed the 29th of May was looking the best option with a 4 day weather window of lighter winds to get up the Gulf of Suez. Of course on the morning it wasn’t looking so good with over 20 knots still blowing from the north, but after Swanya, Endeavor, Margret, Skylark and Theleme left and reported the sea state as not as bad as expected, we, along with Hai Mei Gui and Gone with the Wind let the lines go and stuck our noses out too. We headed inside the reef and spent a quiet night at South Quesim Island along with Theleme, Hai Mei Gui and Gone with the Wind. All looked promising the next morning for the jump across the Straits of Gubal to the Sinai Peninsular and at 6.30am we weighed anchor in just 10 knots of breeze. All too good to be true and before we had even turned the boat we were up over 20knots in those particularly nasty short sharp seas the Red Sea is infamous for. We motored up inside the reef hoping for calmer seas but experienced one of the nastiest seas we had in the Red Sea, slamming into and falling off short steep waves and taking way too much water over the boat. We persevered and headed out across the Gulf, weaving through the shipping bound for and exiting the Suez Canal.

Once across the shipping lanes the seas finally started to flatten a little and by 4pm we were at anchor in El Tur on the Sinai Peninsular. There were several other yachts there waiting for better conditions to head north. Several of them had left Hurghada over a week before us and had been patiently awaiting better weather. When we awoke at 6.30am the following day there was only Gone with the Wind and ourselves left, we spoke to the others heading up the Gulf, they were having a hard time of it bashing north so we decided to stay the day in El Tur. The following day conditions were no better but Gone with the Wind decided to move on, we stayed, the only ones left!!

With conditions no better the following day and the forecasted easing of winds never eventuating we decided if the others could do it and get through then so could we. Over the next 2 days we had some mean little boat stopper waves, but just kept on ploughing our way through them and when we left our final anchorage 20 miles south of the Suez Canal the calm seas finally arrived and we motored north through the many anchored cargo ships to the Suez Canal. Finally we had made it to Port Suez and had the Red Sea behind us. We can’t begin to explain the feeling of absolute achievement and relief of getting to the bottom of the Canal. Sadly this is short lived when you then have to start the process of getting the boat “measured” so the fees for the Canal transit can be calculated. This is not as simple as the length or weight of the boat, this is after all, Egypt!!!

Port Suez is a good sized town but the harbour area has very little to offer. We went for an evening walk and joined many Egyptians out for an evening stroll along the Corniche, watching the ships motor by. There were no restaurants, cafes or any food vendors – everyone must eat at home. Finally we found a small local kebab place and had excellent kofta each, USD1.60 for the two of us, including a bottle of water, finally a bargain in Egypt.

The next morning after considerable negotiations with our agent and the measurer we finally agreed a price for our canal transit, port fees and agents fees of USD350 and without any delays our pilot was aboard and we departed Port Suez for Ismailia, 50miles up the Suez Canal. Many negative reports are said and written about the Suez pilots for small craft such as ours, unfortunately I cannot add anything positive. Our pilots boat handling skills were poor, manners appalling, he smoked nonstop in our cockpit when we asked him not to, he constantly complained about the speed we were achieving when we had adverse current and headwinds, demanded extra baksheesh over the USD25 offered then had the nerve to want the USD5 bill changed as he had ripped it when opening the envelope! Of the 15 boats we knew that transited the week we did everyone had similar stories to tell - Suez Port Authority it is seriously time you looked at your staff who we understand are paid quite well by Egyptian standards.

We arrived into Ismailia before dark and were helped into our med mooring spot by all our cruiser friends already there, just how you are supposed to pick up the very heavy mooring buoys that don't have any lines attached is a mystery to us all but Gone with the Wind were there with dinghy to take our lines and make life much easier, thanks
.

See our web album for more photos http://picasaweb.google.com/yachtbalvenie/2008Egypt

Egypt Anchorage Info:-

Across Foul Bay (aptly named). Thought how lucky we were leaving Elba Reef on an overnighter with a southerly this far up the Red Sea and ran with it all day and into the evening. About 10pm it suddenly died and while the sails were flapping and we were thinking of what to do, the wind came in from the north. Within about 10 minutes it had built to 25 – 30 knots and we got our first experience of the Red Sea short sharp chop which really does stop you dead. We bore away and headed for shelter in Ras Banas our first Egyptian anchorage and ended up there 8 days sitting out 30knots. You can day sail this and it is probably a good idea. Welcome to Egypt and a taste of things to come.
Ras Banas - 23 53.62N 35 46.93E dropped 8m settled 14m well hooked to coral but there are sandy patches. No respite from the wind as land low lying, sea choppy but it was 30knots and comfortable enough. All 14 boats managed to get anchors up ok at the end of the blow.
Dolphin Reef - 24 10.06N 35 40.77E 10m sand, excellent visibility there are some big bommies but easy to see. Didn’t note entry waypoint but came into western anchorage and entered from the west. CMap useless. Excellent shelter from sea, none from wind. Several boats had sat out the 30knots comfortably here. Swimming with the dolphins here was an absolute highlight and must not be missed!!! Had a huge day, motor sailed in light winds inside the reefs and just kept on going until
Samedi Reef - 24 58.91N 35 00.13E 20m coral with sand patches. None of this reef is above the water line and in flat seas you have no idea where it is (could be nasty). We could not locate the entrance in the Red Sea Pilot and ended up just picking our way in with Mark high up the rig, more nerves of steel required. There did look to be some mooring buoys in the northern part of the reef but light was so bad we didn’t risk motoring up there. Once anchored we noticed a marker and went over in the dinghy. It is on an outstanding coral bommie and had the best snorkelling we had seen since Papua New Guinea. This is the port marker for entering. It is on the western side of the reef. The starboard marker was snapped, we attached a bottle but how long will that last? The snorkelling on both these bommies was great and this was at about 6.30pm with very poor light. ENTRANCE WAYPOINT IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE 2 BOMMIES 24 58.87N 34 59.82E about 20metres no obstructions.
Port Ghalib - Marina - Port of Entry. Big yellow entry buoy outside entrance. Quite narrow entrance but very well marked and in lee of any northerly winds. You will be directed to big concrete wall on right as you come in to complete entry procedures, very clear water looks shallow but depths all ok. Once completed staff come around into marina with you (basically they are useless don’t give them important job!!) We stayed 2 nights but I don’t have note that we paid anything, maybe it was included in our USD150 checkin. Some berths side tie, some stern to. Fuel available in jugs or alongside but much cheaper in Hurghada. Very sheltered, but flies and dust, yuk.
Hurghada - Marina - Had another lovely southerly when we left on overnighter to Abu Tig Marina, just kept waiting for the following northerly buster and it came around 3am. We dropped sail as soon as we lost the southerly and motored the rest. Came in through the reefs to Hurghada as day broke, CMap spot on right through. Stopped at Hurghada Marina. 20 nights cost 1758EGP (could have stayed 1 month same price), included water and power.
South Qeisum - 27 40.16N 33 44.40E 6.2m mainly sand. Flat water but no shelter from wind. Came up through the reef in fairly flat water to here. Left in 20knots following morning, horrible most of day. Went inbetween Sandy Island and Nth Qeisem, between the 2 small reefs then up Zeit Channel. Absolutely no respite from seas, possibly would have been better out in straits from beginning. The further we got across the Straits of Gubal the better the seas were, but it wasn’t one of our better days.
El Tur - 28 14.03N 33 36.72E 5.5m sand good holding. There is a reason this is a world renowned windsurfing destination. Do not believe any wind forecasts that say it blows less over this side, we were having 30knots when it was forecast 5-8 knots.
Sha’b el Hasa/Sheritab Shoals - 28 35.50N 33 11.55E 5m find a sandy spot. Much flatter than it looks it will be. Swung to current. BEWARE of some huge mooring buoys north of here around 28 39.65N 33 10.67E, about 5 of them. In choppy seas or early morning light not easy to see.
Ras Sudr - 29 34.94N 32 42.16E 8m hard to set, possibly hard packed sand base. ALSO BEWARE chopped off oil rig reported at 29 37.75N 32 37.85E
Suez Yacht Club - 29 56.85N 32 34.40E fore and aft mooring buoys. USD20 per night (rip off but nowhere to anchor and you are SO pleased to be here!)
Ismailia Yacht Club - 30 35.10N 32 16.35E mooring buoys to attach to then stern tie to big concrete wall. Pray someone gets in before you to help cos no staff. No lines on buoys so rather tricky to pick mooring up without actually climbing off the boat and balancing on it. Good luck!!!! 10 nights was 649EGP including water and power.
Breathe a sigh of relief, the Red Sea and Indian Ocean is done and you can now leave Egypt (well you can stop at Port Fouad or Port Said, but WHY!!!!!!)

Inland to the Nile ... May 2008

Avenue of the Spinxes in Luxor

10-28 May 2008

We spent the next a few days cleaning up and relaxing while organising our Nile Cruise and minibreak!! We were recommended the “Nile Admiral” ship and Cairo based GAT Tours and booked everything via internet and received excellent and prompt service. We were able to pay the 4 night cruise (USD76pp pn including all meals, tours, admissions, guides) at a local bank in Hurghada in either USD or EGP which suited us well and they also arranged our transfer to Luxor with the tourist convey to connect with the cruise. This was USD45pp which was much more than we paid for our other transfers we organised independently enroute but worked well for us at the time.



Statues of Menom on Luxors West Bank

 We were picked up by private minibus at 5.30am from our dock in Hurghada Marina along with Annie and Liam off Gone with the Wind to start our Egyptian holiday. By 12.30pm we were checked into our comfortable cabins onboard and enjoying the first of many excellent meals onboard whilst overlooking the famous Nile River. A busy afternoons sightseeing included the Karnak and Luxor Temples, both outstanding sites and our first taste of the immense history Egypt holds. The following morning it was an early start to beat the intense heat of the day. After watching the Hot Air Balloons rise over the West Bank we visited the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepust and the Colossi of Memnon. They were all excellent, although very hot and busy. It was back onboard to let the lines go and we headed south down the Nile as we enjoyed the afternoon at leisure lazing in the shade by the pool, watching life on the Nile pass us by. Late afternoon entertainment was provided when we slowed to transit the Esna lock. The local stallholders take to their boats and throw items of clothing, shawls, rugs, really anything they can onto the ship in the hope that the tourists will like them. If you do then you start the bartering process yelling backwards and forwards until the price is agreed then you throw down the money in a plastic bag and hope it lands in their boat!!!! All very entertaining and many purchases were made.

Day 3 dawned hot and sunny yet again and there were more sights to see. A morning tour to the excellent Temple of Horus in Edfu followed by a short shopping excursion then it was back onboard for another restful afternoon as we headed further south. Our late afternoon stop was at Kom-Ombo Temple, positioned beautifully on a bend in the Nile overlooking the setting sun. Running the gauntlet through the stalls to get back onboard before sailing time was not an easy task. That evening onboard was fancy dress Egyptian style and many of the previous day’s purchases were worn in high spirits. Another early start on day 4 was not welcome after a late night but there was more to see.



Temple of Edfu

 We had arrived at Aswan and visited the great modern Nile engineering feat, the High Dam. This was followed by a short local boat trip out to Philae Island. Here they have resited a temple that would have been lost underwater when the dam was built. This has been undertaken in many places in this area with the help of UNESCO and has truly saved many historical treasures that would have been covered for all time. Next up it was time for our felucca ride around Elephantine Island, unfortunately the wind didn’t come out to play so we didn’t get much of a sail in. Then that was the end of the pre-planned activities so we relaxed and enjoyed another leisurely afternoon on the ship with our unobstructed Nile view, and even caught up on some much needed sleep.


Next morning the 4 of us taxied to the local bus station and boarded the early Upper Egypt Bus Company bus to Abu Simbel. Big mistake, but we must all learn the hard way and it was an experience. All looked ok to start with but before we had even left Aswan we were diverted to the bus company depot and all changed onto a bus that would not have passed a safety inspection in most countries for at least 10 years. It had just been hosed out, so seats (which weren’t actually attached to the frames), floor, basically everything was wet so the only dry seats we could get were at the back, above the motor. Oh well, it was only 4 hours, it would be fine. But it got hotter, and hotter, and hotter, to the point where we couldn’t put our feet on the floor. This was combining nicely with the outside air temperature which was over 40 degrees and of course this bus didn’t have air-conditioning. Surprisingly we actually arrived safely and almost on time, way more by good luck than the drivers skills. We were escorted by a local military man to our overnight accommodation just 4 minutes walk away, the Eskaleh, ph 0020 (97) 340 1288, 40Euro double room. It sits lakeside in a quiet street and is a traditional Nubian mudbrick house. Our cute room had air-con, fan, ensuite and free wifi, (or free use of their computer) the owners and staff were absolute delights and the food very good, the only downside was no swimming pool which might have been good.

Flat out on the Nile after another busy
 morning spent sightseeing

Time for relaxing during the heat of the day then at 4.30pm we headed to the Temples of Ramses the Great and his wife, about 20 minutes walk away. This is the best time of the day to visit as over 95% of the visitors to Abu Simbel do it as a very long day trip from Aswan and have been and gone long before lunch. We had the luxury of exploring with only a handful of others and stayed until the caretaker locked up at 7pm. Then we purchased our tickets for the Sound and Light Show and went back in and enjoyed hearing the history of Ramses and the visual effects of the lighting on the temples exterior. Alone these temples are truly magnificent, but what makes them even more special was that they were also moved when the dam was built to a new site about 70 metres higher than their original location. This was a huge undertaking and has been done superbly, with even the broken pieces lying as they would have fallen. Some parts were repaired, some cleaning was also done, and then they tunnelled it all into the hillside overlooking the Nile. I am sure even Ramses would have approved.

This was a big side trip almost back down to the Sudanese boarder, but a definite highlight of our Nile Valley minibreak. Next morning we did the wise thing and asked the hotel to organise a private car for us and we joined the 10am tourist convoy to Aswan. Our driver then organised another car to take us on the 2pm convoy to Luxor where we stayed the night at the St Joseph Hotel, on the Corniche. The room was comfortable with air con, ensuite with bathtub, lake views, balcony, rooftop swimming pool, free WIFI, and breakfast included for USD30. The staff were helpful and booked a private minivan for the 4 of us to join the following afternoon’s convoy back to Balvenie and Gone with the Wind in Hurghada. Our final mornings sightseeing included a ride on a horse and carriage with the obligatory stop at the papyrus market, and a leisurely look through the Luxor Museum which has been set out very well, with some excellent pieces recently discovered in Luxor Temple, a couple of mummies, some pieces from Tutankhamun’s Tomb and a host of other interesting artefacts, all displayed well and explained (in English). The transfer worked well and we arrived home to the marina before dark, having very much enjoyed our 8 day excursion. A new adventure awaited us, the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal.

See our web album for more photos http://picasaweb.google.com/yachtbalvenie/2008Egypt

Egypt - Where history began ... Apr - May 2008

Crabcastles in the sand at Ras Banas

26 Apr - 19 May 2008


We have been in Egypt now for nearly a month. Our run of dream weather with favourable winds came to a very abrupt end at midnight on the 26th April as we were crossing Foul Bay (aptly named) from Sudan to Egypt. We were hit with a nasty northerly of over 25 knots and experienced our first taste of the famous short steep chop of the Red Sea, unlike any wave action we have come across previously, basically they just stop the boat. So although our target had been Dolphin Reef we bore away about 20 miles short of it and headed in company with Gone with the Wind for Ras Banas. Its a very low lying, windswept, remote spot with a sandy beach and a small army outpost of just 2 personnel. The following 7 days saw more action at Ras Banas than probably has ever been seen. We ended up with a united nations collection of 11 yachts sheltering from the howling winds, 4 of them very skilled wind and kite surfers who were out enjoying every second and entertained us all. We even partook in windswept walks on the beach, choppy snorkeling, very wet dinghy rides and soaked up enforced downtime.

The magical Dolphins at Dolphin Reef

On the 8th day the wind eased just long enough for a mad dash up to Dolphin Reef to join up with another 6 yachts taking refuge in there. Dolphin Reef is slightly dry at all times so affords good shelter in flat water from the seas but no wind shelter at all, but the winds were easing and we had come to swim with the resident pod of dolphins and were not disappointed. We swam amongst over 100 dolphins of all sizes for over an hour, till our little legs just couldn't keep up with them any more. I can only describe this as a highlight of one of the things we are so lucky to be able to do because we have our own boat and the time and flexibility to wait for nature and the amazing sights she has shown us. Just brilliant.

Moving on the next day in calm waters we just kept on going about 64 miles and anchored the night at Samedi Reef. More underwater treats awaited us when we decided to snorkel the reef entrance. There were two huge bommies, with a good array of live coral, very clear water to 20 metres and an excellent selection of small to medium sized fish, with over a dozen varieties we hadn't seen before. This would have to go down as one of the best snorkels we have had since Papua New Guineas Louisiade Archipelago, even if somewhat colder water. Egypt was treating us after such a rough start!!!

Evening camel tour at Port Ghalib

We kept heading north while the winds were light and arrived in Port Ghalib to officially check into Egypt on May 06. Port Ghalib is under construction. They are building an entire new city and have started with the port and waterways area, to date there are a few “American” style restaurants, ATM machines, gift shops and a couple of hotels. The marina, at this point is a very long concrete wall to tie onto, with some med mooring spots also. We had no power facilities, metered water was available via an extremely long hose which didn’t quite reach us as we were at the end, rubbish disposable was charged at USD1 per bag, WIFI was available at USD10 per hour or USD20 per day (not a typo!!!!) but we did get plenty of free layers dust and sand from the building works, and the most flies we have had anywhere. However, check in facilities were reasonably fast and efficient and much cheaper than checking in at Hurghada the next option. Ghalib is really in the middle of nowhere but we relaxed for a couple of days then decided to brave it and try another overnighter to Abu Tig Marina at El Guana, about 15miles north of Hurghada.

All us on the marina wall at Port Ghalib

We had a good weather forecast and left with light winds and flat seas, put the throttle down and motorsailed in light winds. In the afternoon a light southerly set in, and although that is the perfect wind when heading north we were cautious from our previous experience across Foul Bay that southerlies are short lived and turn to strong northerlies at a moments notice, generally in the wee small hours. Unfortunately this was to be no exception and by 3am we had 25 – 30 knots from the Northwest with the short choppy seas that make headway difficult. Fortunately we, along with Gone with the Wind, had made very good time and were almost abeam of the reefs outside Hurghada. Skipper made a good call and as day broke we started heading in through the reefs and ran along the coastline in much calmer water. We passed Hurghada and continued onto Abu Tig for about half an hour but we got out of the reef shelter again and at 8am on May 09 turned back and went into Hurghada Marina and undertook with much trepidation in 30 knots our first “med mooring” experience!!!!

Hurghada Marina has a great location less than 5 minutes walk from the main tourist strip and the old town. It’s very touristy with mainly Russian tourists but compared to the rest of Egypt it is pretty laid back. The marina area is almost completed and will be smart when it’s all finished. Power and water were metered but not expensive, WIFI was free and accessible onboard, berthing charges up to 16m USD20 per day or USD300 per month and it wasn’t too dusty and will be better when all works are completed. It is a good place to leave the boat while off land travelling as it is close to Luxor and the Nile Valley. We took a day trip up to Abu Tig Marina to check whether it would be a better option. It is in an enclosed “tourist environment”, all western restaurants, hotels, very little privacy if stern to, pool club access by membership, WIFI charged and we heard from friends noisy at night with music into the wee small hours. We decided to remain in Hurghada.

For anchorage information on Egypt see the "Gulf of Suez - A sting in the tale" posting with detailed info on the above anchorages

See all our Egypt photos on our web album http://picasaweb.google.com/yachtbalvenie/2008Egypt

Sudan - the last of the slave traders ... April 2008

Hai Mei Gui entering Suakin

13 - 26 April 2008


Here we are sitting in Suakin, Sudan, with Liam and Annie off Gone with the Wind waiting to leave but havent got our passports back yet from Immigration, and each minute we wait the northerlies are building. We are only planning on going 10 miles up the coast but still dont really want to bash into it so we will see what its like when we are ready. Had an interesting day yesterday, if we thought Massawa in Eritrea was a bit ramshakle you should see this place, basically the whole of Suakin is in ruins, the buildings were made of coral so eventually they just crumble, and crumbled they have!!!This used to be a very important port and goes down in history as the place the last boatload of slaves were sent from Africa to the US. There are a handful of cars here, mainly donkey and cart, dirt roads the odd camel, plenty of goats and lovely people. Most of the men wear the long white thobe and the women the very colourful wrap around that pretty much covers them all up, but its a pleasant change from the black in Oman and Yemen.

Time out for a coffee Sudanese style on the
Corniche in Port Sudan

Yesterday afternoon we caught the local bus about an hour north to Port Sudan. It is a long straight flat road through the sand, several settlements of what could only be called cardboard shacks, all looked somewhat bleak but most tidy and cared for. Port Sudan was alot bigger than we expected, very wide streets and some old colonial buildings in not too bad a shape. We went for a walk to the Port (cos it was over an hour since we had seen water!!!!) and sat on mats on the ground, drinking some rather good sweet coffee from one of 17 vendors on the Corniche (promenade), they have a little drum type fire permanently in the ground, with the big pots of water, tea and coffee bubbling away over coals. It was quite an experience. Then we wandered through all the streets and back to the bus station which at 5pm was a absolute hive of industry.

Downtown Suakin, hardly what you could call modern!!

After stopping for some fresh mango juice and spiced kebab meat chopped and mixed with tomato and herbs served in fresh hamburger type buns we went to find a bus back here. About 1/2hour later and still not being able to find a bus the 4 of us were deposited into a mini-minivan not actually sure of where we were being taken, just hoping we werent being kidnapped!!! All was well, one should have faith in Allah, as our driver took us to another bus station on the outskirts of town and we hopped onto the next bus home. It is just a two lane road and for some reason there were about 100 trucks backlogged and almost stationery, not to be deterred our driver simply drove down the wrong side for miles with some rather sudden breaking to squeeze between these big beasts, alternatively we went offroading into the desert sands to avoid oncoming traffic, one of the more action packed rides we have had, and happily we live to tell the tale!!!! Although the trucks werent marked as UN or were obviously carrying Aid we can only assume that that is what it all was, as there is almost zero industry here, maybe they were all headed for the Dafour region, many many miles away.

So we have our passports back now (but no Sudan stamp!!!) but the wind is up to 20knots so we are staying put and will leave at first light, which since our latest time change is now 4.30am eek!!! From here we do some marsa (reef) hopping up the Sudanese then Egyptian Coasts and according to those that have done this we should experience some of the best diving/snorkelling in the world. We have now moved out of the region of prevailing southerlies so will go as far as we can each time we have favorable winds - until we pop out into the Med.

The boys with their boats, ashore on
 Long Island in the Shubuk Channel

Another sunny day in Sudan. Yesterday we left from our anchorage north of Suakin and sailed up past Port Sudan out to the wreck of the Umbria, reputed to be the best wreck dive in the Red Sea. We picked up a mooring buoy and went for a snorkel over it which was pretty good as some of it is quite shallow so worthwhile doing, then we sailed out to a reef into an anchorage with GWTW and a couple of dive boats for the night. Today we sailed back into the coast and GWTW went up to another reef where Jacques Cousteau lived underwater for months observing hammerhead sharks and now they have joined us here at Marsa Fijab and we are going ashore soon to watch the sunset. There were camels on the beach when we came in but they have gone now. Tomorrow we will move again, trying to nibble away at the many miles we still have to go to get up the Red Sea. We were going to do an overnight tonight but all the boats ahead of us on the radio net this morning were getting 20-30knts on the nose so changed our minds.

We are just nibbling away at the miles each day, Taila Island was beautiful and we would have loved to stay longer but we are getting towards the end of the season, we need to keep going, onto Wreck Recovery Anchorage which we arrived into too late in the day and it was very difficult to see our way, we took it very slowly and were ok. On next to Kor Shinab another stunning spot with a lunar landscape, met up again with My Chance, Sandpiper and Shiraz, nice to see some more yachts again. We would have liked to spend longer here too but we had a good forecast so onwards we go. Next stop was Elba Reef with some excellent snorkelling through the pass, we arrived late in the afternoon but the light was still good enough and it was one of the better snorkels we have had so far up here. From here we will do an overnighter across Foul Bay (sounds ominous, can't wait)

Hello all from Egypt, we think this is our 17th country in the past 12months and the 9th since leaving Rebak, phew no wonder we feel pooped. Actually we do feel rather pooped, we left Elba Reef (best snorkeling since the Louisiades) just south of the Sudanese/Egyptian boarder at 6am yesterday with a very rare southerly forecast of 10-15knots and had a great sail in those winds and flat seas for about 3 hours, then it just built and built but luckily still from the south but peeked at 30knots with some rather lively seas to go with it. It started easing after dark and at 8pm just died for about 10 minutes then whamo, 20-25knots from the dreaded northwest just where we were headed. So we bashed into it all night motorsailing, changed our destination and are tucked up in Ras Banas, no cover from the wind but reasonably flat seas. Besides GWTW, 5 other boats have come in too so far, so we will now just sit and wait. Egypt doesnt look to have nearly as many anchorages that we can do as day sails unfortunately so might have to do some more overnighters to get us the 401 miles left to the Suez Yacht Club at the bottom of the canal. Still sounds quite a long way really, but we are getting there. Got in at 7am so have had a little sleep, snorkeling looks good but a little choppy at the mo. Afternoon at leisure I think, well it is Sunday!!!!

Sudan Anchorage Info:
Shatira Islet at Kor Nawarat - 18 15.00N 38 19.33E 8.9m good holding. Entered through East Passage around noon. Excellent visibility, CMap ok. Watch for charted shoals
Reasonable snorkel on outside of reef between Shatira Islet and Farrajin Island.
Long Island in Shubuk Channel - 18 46.39N 37 39.47E in 5.5m. We arrived late in day, visibility poor. We encountered some patches shallower than charted and took it very slowly. A boat anchored a little further to the west of us outside a natural indentation in the island nudged some uncharted rocks there. Interesting vegetation ashore, did big walk
Transiting Shubuk Channel - CMap is all off but it gives you a reasonable overview along with the waypoints in the Red Sea Pilot. I thought they were out but I think it may have been my fault. The channel markers are mostly in place and if you take your time its fine. Don’t recall any shallows to worry about. We motored through in light winds.
Suakin - 19 06.48N 37 20.33E 6m holding ok, very sheltered from everything. Final part of entrance a little tight and scenery amazing, the scenery is still there once you have anchored so just concentrate on getting in first!!! CMap pretty good and visibility excellent for commercial port. Don’t miss this place.
Marsa Ata - 19 17.42N 37 19.67E 12m sand Entry on CMap was close enough but rest out. Again go slow, have someone up the rig. Snorkelling was quite good on inside of reef, very shallow but good. We did a dinghy drift for happy hour, went up the Marsa for about 10mins in the dinghy, got the nibbles and drinks out and drifted back to the boats. We drifted under the bridge deck of GWTW without any manoeuvring, beat that!!!!
Umbria Wreck - Mooring buoys approx 19 38.45N 37 17.44E in about 14m. Take dinghy over to the wreck, there are little buoys to moor dinghy to. Wreck located approx 19 38.17N 37 17.44E (this is estimate), there are 2 funnels partly sticking out of the water, not that apparent. We snorkelled the wreck and it was interesting enough, Liam dived on it and thought it was excellent. We did not stay overnight but in calm conditions it would be fine.
Sanganeb Reef - 19 44.07N 37 26.74E dropped 12m settled 19m lots of coral (well it is a reef) and mostly quite deep. We arrived late and although not entering into the sun visibility was poor. Followed the leads 107o in, then turned right between marks, the port mark is snapped off at water level hard to see. Zoom CMap to 15,000. Didn’t snorkel here, late arrival & early departure. It is said to be good. GWTW went up to the Shab Rumi the ex Cousteau site and enjoyed diving/snorkelling there and managed to pick up a mooring for an hour enroute.
Marsa Fijab - 20 01.80N 37 11.46E in 4.5m holding ok. Entrance ok on CMap then eyeball, channel is apparent. We saw camels on the beach here (the only place). We continued north up inside the reefs
Taila Island - 20 38.05N 37 13.45E dropped 8m settled 13m. A lot of coral on bottom but water so clear you can pick your spot. It was lovely here, this along with Shumma Island back in Eritrea were my 2 favourites in the Red Sea. We went between Taila Island and the mainland heading north (its just a big grey patch on CMap) until north of Jazirat Magarsam then turned right through channel markers and over shallows. We followed the markers around to
Wreck Recovery Anchorage - 21 00.95N 37 18.57E in 13m coral everywhere. Visibility very poor, we had no wind but it didn’t look like there would be any shelter. Few of these reefs were above water, we were not at all comfortable in here but had a peaceful night and made it out again the next morning. This was our least favourite anchorage. Sailed up outside Qumeira Reef onto OUTSIDE ENTRANCE WAYPOINT to Kor Shinab 21 20.91N 37 03.93E can eyeball from there even in afternoon sun.
Kor Shinab - 21 21 09N 37 00.73E 10.5m good holding. CMap in channel all out but stay in the middle and very straight forward. Amazing place, worth the motor in.
Elba Reef - ****need anchor w/p**** 13m flat water. Very good snorkelling all around reef entrances. CMap for entrance gap was ok but for reefs all out. WAYPOINT IN ENTRANCE 21 59.12N 36 59.47E. Need very good light (we arrived quite late), must have someone up the rig and helmsperson must trust their judgement and have nerves of absolute steel. We could not pick the entrance without Mark up the rig, GWTW waited for us as they could not locate it as no mast steps.
Across Foul Bay (aptly named). Thought how lucky we were leaving Elba Reef with a southerly this far up the Red Sea and ran with it all day and into the evening. About 8pm it suddenly died and while the sails were flapping and we were thinking of what to do, the wind came in from the north. Within about 10 minutes it had built to 25 – 30 knots and we got our first experience of the Red Sea short sharp chop which really does stop you dead. We bore away and headed for shelter in Ras Banas our first Egyptian anchorage and ended up there 8 days sitting out 30knots. Welcome to Egypt and a taste of things to come.

Sudan Cruising Info:
Weather - We had blue skies and light northerlies right though Sudan. The waters are sheltered by the reefs and we managed to sail nearly all of it in the light winds. Hai Mei Gui and Yosun encountered their first taste of the Red Sea infamous short and steep between Shubuk Channel and Suakin and took shelter in Marsa Ibraham. It was just 15 knots but they could make no progress with the sea state. They were just one day behind us.
Security - Just no issues, felt totally safe on the boat, in Suakin and in busy Port Sudan. Recommended to keep at least 5 miles offshore when passing the boarders in and out.
Phone/Internet - No cells, possibly pay phone in Port Sudan not in Suakin. No Internet in Suakin but HMG found somewhere in Port Sudan (very very slow).
Checking in and out - Mohammed in his flowing white gowns will stand on shore waving at you. Take your papers in to him, he is English educated and easy to deal with, and organises everything. Cost was USD130 total. Yosun tried to checkin independently but gave up and used Mohammed too
Money - We changed USD25 for 50 Sudanese Pounds with Mohammed, he will change back any unused at same rate.
Tours - We took the local bus to Port Sudan and back, 14 pounds return for 2. The bus in Port Sudan does not leave from where it drops you (see tale above)
Provisions - Excellent fruit and veg market in Suakin, also good pita type bread. Chicken and goat available from the market – not for the faint hearted!! No other provisions but Port Sudan had some reasonably stocked stores and a good market.
Fuel and water - Mohammed organised fuel easily @ USD.74c a litre in our jerry jugs. We didn’t need water but probably can be done, there are water tanker donkey and carts that could come right to your dinghy if needed.

Eritrea - Land of contrasts ... Apr 2008

01 - 12 Apr 2008

***Barbie on the beach at Shumma Island*** Choosing a basket enroute to Asmara***The excellent fruit and Vegetable market at Asmara
***Donkey on Dhow in Massawa***

We have finally made it into the Red Sea. We left at 1am from a small fishing village on the southern coast of Yemen to the "Gates of Sorrow" - the southern entrance to the Red Sea then sailed up the middle to the Hanish Islands, still part of Yemen, a large volcanic island group in the middle. We had the most winds - 35 knots and biggest seas - 3 metres, we have had in a long while but coped ok and sure made good time. We have now said goodbye to Yemen and had a more enjoyable sail across to the African Coast tucked up in another stunningly spectacular volcanic spot on the southern coast of Eritrea at Mersa Dudo. We lost our fishing gear on the way over, taken by a big tuna that just wasn't ready to die. Oh well the freezer is pretty full anyway.

We are now in company with 2 more boats, Hai Mei Gui and Mariah and will make our way north taking advantage of the southerly winds when they blow. We moved up overnight with gentle southerlies to Port Smythe at Shumma Island, not really what you would call a port but what a beautiful little island with a lovely beach for a barbie and some good snorkeling and enjoyed two nights there. HMG stopped before Shumma and TD and Mariah decided to get some miles under their keels and fast tracked to Egypt leaving GWTW and us to explore the nearby anchorage at Dehalak Desert. This lagoon anchorage was very interesting with Russian shipwrecks lying about and some sort of mining going on ashore, all rather weird really.

Next it was across to Massawa, once quite a bustling port, but that was then! Although unfair to say Massawa is basically a town in ruins it is close to the truth, but Eritrea has the 2nd lowest GDP in the world and it is evident here. The anchorage was very sheltered and although there had been some problems with locals boardings yachts at night and undertaking petty theft we decided to travel inland and visit the capital of Asmara with GWTW and HMG. We organised this through Mike's Yacht Services at the Jasmine Cafe on the waterfront, he booked the minivan and driver and organised our hotel.

Everything went well except it poured with rain and was even colder than expected, about 12c so that made things a bit soggy and none of us took raincoats. It was all very strange, no mobile phones (for international), no atm's - for a capital its all pretty backward, but the main palm lined boulevard filled with Italian style cafes with espresso machines and all manner of pastries, pizzas and pastas, with all the black African locals just sitting around supping on something, lattes were 50cents so pretty affordable. Then there were some flash shops selling Italys latest designs and then one block back you are back in Africa, markets, donkey drawn carts etc. Quite bizarre. They are holding onto their Italian influence but only by their toenails!! The market was amazing, excellent fruit and vegetable with basically everything, next door was the 2nd hand clothing market with the tailors close by to adjust new purchases to measure, as was the footwear market with the cobblers positioned ready for minor adjustments. The Asmara trip was definitely worth it just to see this tiny piece of Italy in poorest Africa and the scenery en route was spectacular as you climb higher and higher into the mountains, the temperature drops, the clouds appear, the hillsides are greener, the contrast from the desert scenery we had become used to was welcome.

Back in Massawa we took a day off to have a wander round town, took some photos, and saw all there is to see (which is alot of bombed out buildings). It was time to start heading north again, from here on we could expect to start getting more northerlies so we needed to keep moving so on we went. We had one night anchored about 20 miles north of Massawa at Sheikh Al Abu then with GWTW did an uneventful overnighter and headed for Sudan.
see our web album for more photos http://picasaweb.google.com/yachtbalvenie/2008Eritrea
ERITREA
Anchorage Info:
Greater Hanish Island – 13 40.63N 42 40.94E dropped in 11m settled in 24m. Already 3 others in before us and a lot of coral patches so difficult to find a spot shallow enough
Mersa Dudo – 13 52.05N 41 54.39E 8.5m sand, good holding, big bay plenty room. Some winds bullets as closing on anchorage but flat seas. Had a great sail across to here. Very good walking here (we heard) we had a favourable wind window so left the next day for an overnighter. Some boats earlier in the season got stuck here for days in 40knots.
Port Smyth/Shumma Island - 15 32.10N 39 59.49E 7.8m sand. Whoever named this a port was over zealous. It’s a lovely little deserted island anchorage entry in through the reef. CMap was pretty good, sun is behind in the afternoon so reef fairly easy to spot, shows bearing of 055 on CMap scale 15,000, we entered on 071. Makeshift leads onshore didn’t look right so we eyeballed it from up spreaders. Bar-b-que ashore, beautiful. Snorkelling/diving very good
Dehalak Desert - 15 40.82N 39 57.99E 12m holding ok. Slight side trip to here but rather an interesting place in a weird way. Ex Russian military base and still some inhabited buildings ashore. CMap ok and entrance through into lagoon very straightforward. Not a must do but worth seeing
Massawa - 15 36.59N 39 27.84E 7.7m good holding. CMap ok, channel easy enough to follow. Inner harbour enclosed anchorage very sheltered. Entered the convergence zone here, first cloudy days and very little fine mist of rain. After the convergence zone you should expect Northerlies to be the norm.
Sheikh El Abu - 16 02.11N 39 27.23E 7.3m good holding, still overcast skies. From here we did an overnighter to Sudan back into the sunshine and we would not see clouds again until late October in Turkey

Cruising Info:
Weather – The winds howl most of the time up the Straits of Bab el Mandeb, the southern entrance to the Red Sea. They blow from the south, year round. As we entered the small boat strait (the eastern one) at dawn the winds were light and seas flat, we thought we had done oh so well. As day broke the winds and seas built and built up to 30 – 40 knots with 3 - 4 metre seas, from behind. We stayed east of the shipping lanes but some ships were outside the lanes, and we did have to cross as well so you need to be pretty alert all day (and you have been up since at least 1am, or longer if you have come straight from Aden). As we closed on the Hanish Islands the seas calmed as did the wind, but as you round the bottom of Greater Hanish to head for the anchorages there were some strong gusts off the land but flat water. From here on we didn’t get more than 15knots, until Foul Bay in Egypt. Enjoy light winds and flat seas inside the reefs.
Security - Earlier in the season a boat had been boarded in Massawa and a few things stolen off the deck, while they slept below. This put many of the fleet off stopping there which is a real shame. We left the boat while we did an overnighter to Asmara, we paid for 1 boat boy between the 3 boats just to keep an eye on things, he slept in the cockpit. We put away anything they may have been tempted to steal, we had no issues. At night we started putting out a portable entry alarm in the cockpit which has a heat sensor on it and makes a hell of a racket. This gave us peace of mind that if someone came onboard we would be awoken and they would get a big fright with the noise. We used it right through until Cyprus. The night after we left Massawa an Australian yacht was boarded. They hadn’t been aware of the possible problems and unfortunately had laptop, camera and chargers for both stolen. Sadly they did hear noise but did not get up to check on it, their things were not recovered.
The Island of Difnien which is north of Sheikh El Abu has not got a yachtie friendly reputation. Tactical Directions were chased by men in a speed boat with guns, indicating they wanted them to stop and anchor at the island. Tony just put his foot down and got out of there as quick as he could. It is suggested you go up the west side of the island and keep well clear if you are worried. Hai Mei Gui and Yosun both anchored there just days after TD’s incident and had no problems but men with guns in a speed boat did want to check their papers.
Phone - As you enter Bab el Mandeb there is cell coverage briefly, so use up all your credit on your Yemen or Oman SIM, they don’t work further on. Ring or text everyone and tell them you’ve made it to the Red Sea!!!! No phones in Eritrea, SIM cards for local calls only. Pay phone at post office
Checking in and Out - Everything is in the harbour area, took a couple of hours. Checking in cost ENK10. We got visas for the 2 of us USD80 (can’t remember but think we only needed these if we went to Asmara, otherwise would have just been shorepasses). Passports checked every time we exited and entered the harbour complex. Make sure you have them as HMG went into town one day without them, got out without them but were NOT allowed back in in the evening. They ended up having to stay ashore overnight until they could go to Immigration in the morning!!!!, No charge to check out.
Money - Change USD into ENK (Nafka), changed some with Mike at Jasmine Café USD1 = ENK 17 and changed USD50 officially upon checkin USD1 = ENK15. No ATM machines in Massawa or Asmara, no credit cards accepted. Start using those USD’s!!!!
Tour - 6 of us shared a mini bus (no aircon but didn’t need it) to Asmara, up one morning back next afternoon. Cost 870ENK our 1/3rd share. (There was a local bus). Hotel Central in Asmara, with bathroom and tv 368NK double. Its a lot cooler up in Asmara take warm clothes and covered shoes, also rain jacket it poured down on us. Our share of the boat boy was ENK80. Mike at Jasmine Café organised the minibus and boat boy and also booked the hotel and we paid them all direct. We then paid him USD5 to arrange it all. Journey up and down to Asmara very interesting and scenic. Excellent Italian Restaurant on Main St in Asmara, called something like Pizza House and has a logo that looks like Pizza Hut, lovely inside and great food. Heaps of little cafes. Don’t miss the huge market just 2 blocks back, and the recycle market comes highly recommended but it was closed due to too much rain.
Provisions - Those that had been hoping to get alcohol were sadly disappointed. The beer bottling machine had broken down, not a bottle to be had. Wine in Asmara was off, basically don’t plan on getting anything here. Excellent fruit and veg market in Asmara, we filled up here. Very little in Massawa, no supermarkets – get it all in Aden.
Fuel and Water - We didn’t need fuel or water. Could get diesel at fuel station down the road, don’t have cost. Not an easy exercise as taxi not allowed into dock area.