Julie’s Cruising Notes – Red Sea
Julie’s Cruising Notes – Red Sea
1. Money – how much does it cost?
We had heard that we should stock up on US dough before heading up the Red Sea. Almost all of our information on this important subject was quite old. So we withdrew $2000 US cash in Phuket and hoped for the best.
Here is how we spent it: (all costs in US dollars). Keep in mind we are cheap buggers and don’t like to spend our hard earned money! Your budget might be much higher. Also we were fully provisioned – all available lockers and cubbyholes stuffed full of staples, cans, booze and nonperishables. We only bought fresh fruit & veggies, dairy and meat (sometimes) and caught lots of fish.
Sri Lanka – we did not go there but if you do, allow about $170 just to check in, then your spending money on top of that.
Maldives –
If you check in to Male, they want you to get an agent and you could pay
anywhere from $90 to $170 for clear in and cruising permit. We entered at Uligamu and did not cruise around. Our cost was $5 which allowed a 2-week stay
(that was long enough). We spent another $45 in provisions and entertainment
(dinners ashore).
Total – US$ spent - $50.
Oman (Salalah) – ATM’s available which took our TD Bank “Plus” card, so we saved our US dough and spent local currency. No fees. We spent about $100 in provisions, meals ashore and a tour of the area.
Yemen (Aden) – No fees. We got fuel for $50, got totally ripped off for a 5kg propane tank at $10, and $2 for Internet. Some took a local taxi tour for $5 per hour and reported it was good fun. No ATM’s.
Total US$ spent - $62.
Djibouti – we did not go there but reliable reports suggest you can expect to spend $60 for visas and harbour fees. Then your spending money on top of that.
Eritrea – you can get a cruising permit in Aseb a
little cheaper than in Massawa In Aseb - US citizens $25, all others $40. In
Massawa US citizens pay $30, all others $50. That’s per person. You need a visa
to do inland travel or to stay longer than 48 hours. We did not buy one in Aseb,
but they issued us a cruising permit to get us to all the anchorages between
here and Massawa. Many cruisers did not even bother to do this and cruised the
anchorages anyway. In Massawa we broke down and got Visas because it turned out
that the inland trip to the capital Asmara is not to be missed. Cost $100 for
both of us.
We changed $200 into local currency and spent this as follows. Fuel $40, Water $10 (200 liters RO), Egyptian Visas $26 ($13 each), 4 hour trip to Asmara $44 (used local bus a dollar pp each way, decent hotel cost $20, & meals), restaurants $21, market $12, changed into Egyptian pounds from another cruiser $20, bottled beer (to use up the rest of our local cash) $27.
Total US$ spent - $300.
A note on Egyptian Visas - if you go to Asmara to get them, be aware that the Egyptian embassy is closed Friday noon to Monday morning. The visa is valid for 3 months FROM THE DATE OF ISSUE.
Sudan – Cleared in at Suakin and that cost $101 (Agent fee $25, Harbour fee $20, Shore passes $28 pp). Also bought diesel at .45 per liter – cost $63 for 140 liters. Fresh market $12.
If you go to Port Sudan, (we didn’t) you will have to pay again. Agent fee $50 (negotiable down to $30), harbour fee $38 for 5 days, $30 pp shore pass.
Total spent $176.
Plan to spend time cruising the marsas in Sudan - beautiful scenery and so remote and wild.
Egypt - This is where we spent the most money. We had planned it that way.
Port Ghalib - Fuel $77 (.28 cents per liter), restaurant $14, Marina $40 (2 nights).
Abu Tig - Marina $150 (1 month), water/power $14, Diesel (.12 cents per liter), oil & gasoline (.25 cents per liter) $35. Agent fees for clearing in to the country $160, restaurants & bakery etc about $100.
Land Travel (Luxor and Cairo) $256 (5 days, 4 nights, including everything). Land travel can cost anything from what we paid (for a DIY cheapo tour using local buses and Lonely Planet backpacker hotels) to a whopping 850 US per person for 7 or 8 days using the local tour operators and staying in 5 star hotels complete with Nile cruises. Here's how our spending broke down:
Transportation - local bus and train - $42, hotels $40, Guides and admission fees $110, Meals $40, phone calls $2, essential souveneirs $17, misc baksheesh $5. So you can budget accordingly.
Here are some contacts if you want to make some inquiries in advance:
Tour companies (if this is your desire and can afford it)
1. Pro Tours at Abu Tig Marina protours@orascom.net Inas Barakat Tour Manager.
2. Thomas Cook Travel in Hurghada tchurghada@thomascook.com.eg Mohey El-Sherbiny Travel Consultant.
Independant Tour Guides which come recommended - in Luxor:
1. "Soha" mobile # 012-454-5436
2. "Abu El Naga Gabrail" (call him Gabriel) tel (002) 095-374-594 or email abuelnaga58@yahoo.com or website www.haga-gabrail.com
- in Cairo: "Ali Esmail-Hassan" mobile # 010-158-7120
- in Suez: "Houssam Yahia", a Prince of the Red Sea employee. Very nice, soft spoken man 40 years old, good English who has lived in Egypt all his life and can arrange things like Cairo trips or trips out to the Sinai and/or to the desert to travel with the Bedouins. He is found at the Suez Canal "Yacht Club" or call on mobile 0020 - 123-696-082
3. Prince of the Red Sea operates tours out of Suez - a day trip to Cairo to see the Pyramids, Sphinx and Museum for $75 pp or an overnight to Cairo for $121
.
Suez Canal Transit
We used Prince of the Red Sea, and contrary to what Abu Tig told us, they are NOT out of business. We were very happy with the cost and service and would highly recommend them - they have been in business 40 years, so that says something to me. Email for the Prince is princers@gega.net. There is also the agent "Felix" who Abu Tig recommends, and people we knew who used him were satisfied too.
Our fees for the transit:
Tonnage fee - $165
Agent - 40 (discounted from $50 because we were SSCA members, but you can also get a group discount if there are a few of you)
Port Clearance 25
Immigration - 35
Yacht Club - 18 (mooring $9/night for less than 15 m LOA, $13/night for over 15m)
Diesel - 16 (.40 cents per liter)
Hints on the Tonnage measurement:
The idea is to try to measure the "girth" of your boat, multiplied by its length. The "girth" is the measurement from your toerail, underneath the boat and around to the opposite toerail at the point of maximum beam. The "girth" assumes you don't have a keel because it was originally created for use on the large ships. So, for the sailboat to get an accurate measurement of "girth" and ignore the fact that you have a keel, you ideally need:
1. A blueprint from the builder, showing cross section of your hull.
2. A photo will do, of your boat in the slings or cradle or something - the measurer can actually take a piece of string and measure the cross section contour vs the beam and get a ratio.
3. Failing all that, the measurer will get you to take a piece of your own rope, tie a weight to it and sink it under the boat, tying the ends to the lifelines at each side of the boat, at the point of maximum beam. OK so far. The confusion starts at how to subtract the keel from the measurement. He just subtracted our draft (1.9 meters) from the length, and we decided not to argue.
4. After getting this measurement, you can give him a copy of your boat papers for the beam and LOA measurements.
5. He will also measure your "house" - this is your cabin height and length that pops up from your deck level. That is added to the 'volume" or "girth" of the boat I think. If you have a hard dodger, this is also measured for volume, and added. If you have a substantial canvas dodger and bimini affair like we do, it pays to take out the centerpiece, or fold it down or something, to make it not look like a living space.
6. Finally, he will measure your "engine room". This volume is SUBTRACTED from the volume measurement, so it pays to use your imagination and make the engine room as big as possible with the measuring tape.
Just be real nice to the measurer, make him some nice gifts for his wife and daughters (cosmetics and beauty creams are a big hit) and a T shirt or two, cigarettes but not booze, as their religion forbids it.
By the way, the Prince of the Red Sea told us that Suez Canal Authority is trying to clean up its act with regards to the bad behaviour of its pilots, which is legendary. One pilot, 2 years away from his pension, got fired for grabbing a female cruiser. I think it set an example, because we had a great, polite pilot, and we heard the same from the other cruisers. There were no rude demands for baksheesh and the guys did their jobs. We were told to give them $10 US for their baksheesh. Optional was to give a pack of cigarettes if we could spare them and whatever else we wanted (see list below) but it was strictly up to us and the service we felt we had received.
Total spent in Egypt - around $1200.
Speaking of spending, no cruiser notes would be complete without talking about the subject of "Baksheesh" in Egypt. We North Americans seem to have the most problems with this concept. I thought that baksheesh was a way of ripping off us rich yachties, extortion really. But I saw that the Egyptians baksheesh each other all the time. It really is a way of life. The hotel is full, the bus is full, something is not possible, but as soon as 5 pounds comes out (about .80 US) the hotel or bus is miraculously not full anymore! I think it is a way of supplementing their income, which is not much. Here is what they want:
1. Cigarettes. Absolutely all the men chain smoke. Two cartons should see you through.
2. Money. A pound here and there. We only gave money like we would do a tip in North America for a service. There is tipping in restaurants in Egypt.
3. T shirts. We wished we had a half dozen T-shirts with our boat name on them to give away as 'remembrances'.
4. Cosmetics for their women. Beauty creams, nail polish, perfume. They didn't get any perfume from me - if I get a luxury like perfume, its for ME! But they really want things for their wives and daughters.
5. Little clothes for their kids.
We made a special gift to one of the "Prince" agents of the textbook "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship" because we had a long talk with him, and he expressed an interest in someday getting his own boat. Wow, was it ever a hit! I think educational books and kids books would be a better thing than just cigarettes and t-shirts all the time for them.
We never got asked for booze.
1a) Marinas
If you are a marina person, you will find them. But plan on anchoring in Oman (Salalah), Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea and Sudan. There are marinas starting in Egypt.
Port Ghalib - Our first Marina experience in Egypt was a short stay at Port Ghalib Marina. Location is 25' 32 N / 34' 38 E. We stayed two nights giving us a break from the wind and waves and enjoyed the friendly environment. Captain Sherif Fawzy the Marina manager couldn't do enough for us.... great folks. E-mail portghalibmarina@marsa-alam-airport.com
The marina is very much under construction right now, and there is only a fuel dock and main concrete wharf to tie up to so far. Cost $1.50 per meter for a boat less than 15 meters, and $2.00 a meter for a boat greater than 15 meters (per night).
Ras Abu Soma - there is a new marina being built here. We did not stop there but reports are that it is free until construction is complete.
Location is 26' 50.9 N / 33' 59.0 E. Entrance reported to be straightforward and 3m depth. Free in 2004 because marina is not complete. Email efc@internetegypt.com
Abu Tig - is the fabulous primo marina. Location is 27' 24 N / 33' 40 E. The price is right at about 10 bucks a night, or $150 per month. For that price you might as well stay a month. Electricity, water, stern-to mooring and the staff come out in a dinghy and help you back in to the dock. Very nice place and we would highly recommend it as a great rest stop. Cost $10 per day regardless of length, or $150 per month. Power & water extra, cable TV free. Email info@abutig-marina.com
There is a whole complex here of hotels, boutiques, little restaurants, a french bakery with authentic fresh baguettes and pain au chocolat , and small supermarket type stores. Really nice.
There is another on the Sinai Peninsula which we did not see or stay at. But it called Dome Yacht Marina and is at 29' 26.38 N / 32' 29.10 E. Email domemarina@link.net
The Suez Yacht Club is at 29' 56.9 N / 32' 34.4 E on very big, secure fore and aft moorings (need long lines). A guy will row out to you in a dinghy and help you with your lines. We didn't know at the time, but it really is an ideal place to leave your boat and jump over to see the Pyramids and Cairo. It is far closer, and therefore much less traveling than doing it from Abu Tig. The same happy, smiley guy who helps you tie up brings fresh bread out to the boats, and will fetch eggs and veggies or whatever you need if you don't want to go yourself. Just keep smiling back and say no thanks if he becomes pesky. He's just trying to make a living in a very poor city.
Ismalia Yacht Club is at 30' 35.1N / 32' 16.3 E. Bow or stern to a good concrete pier complete with rubber bumpers. A very long line is needed because you take a mooring and then drive forward or back up to the pier and the mooring is about 80 ft from the pier! It's not a real easy manoeuvre and hopefully another cruiser will be there with dinghy to help. If you have cleared out at Suez, you will not be allowed outside of the Yacht Club building, but the staff will happily get you bread and provisions if you need something. There is a decent, inexpensive restaurant but is not licensced. Only $9 per night ($13 for over 15 m LOA) and very protected out of the wind. Free water! Washing machine and dryer $3 per load. Be careful of the shore power - we blew up the desktop and the ship's battery charger because the supposedly 220 volt shore power was actually 385! We got no sympathy from the club - in fact when Ed told the manager we felt we shouldn't have to pay dockage he simply said "No pay, no pilot!". We were told that the Yacht Club is not allowing anchoring off anymore, so it seems you have no choice but to pay up.
2. The Weather
Yeah. The weather. Everybody is scared to run the ultimate purgatory of cruising – the Red Sea.
We started a Net in Phuket. We used 4030 at 0400 UTC successfully for yachts within a couple hundred miles, then 15 minutes after this sked, switched to 8173 for those further away from Net control. It worked.
As everyone has said in the past, the most reliable weather reporting comes from other cruisers ahead of you. Don’t be shy – even if you hate the radio, participate in the radio net so others behind you know what the wind is in your area.
“Buoyweather” has a good reputation for accuracy here. I
think it was worth the $20 US subscription fee for 365 ‘downloads’ via email
right to the boat, of the 6-day forecast. Check out their website at
www.buoyweather.com or if you are not
near a cyber café, you can subscribe using your email on the boat (I did) – send
a note to Dan_Martin@buoyweather.com.
In the Southern Red Sea, the weather pattern seems to have a daily pattern – calm overnight and honking up in the afternoons. But at least it’s from the southeast IF you enter the Red Sea early enough (by March 1). Otherwise you will be waiting for calms or beating into northerlies.
The further north you go, the stronger the winds get. If you want a fast track up the Red Sea, try going really early (Feb), use the southerlies as far as you can and then motor like hell the rest of the way in (hopefully) light northerlies.
If you are cruising and coast hopping like us, just drag yourself up out of bed really early and get in to your next anchorage as early as possible. 30 miles is about maximum in headwinds. People who have done the ‘thornless path’ from Florida to the Virgins will know exactly what I mean. If you have electronic navigation, use the feature where you can mark your actual course and then you can follow it out of your anchorage into the open water right at the crack of dawn. Otherwise make a bunch of ‘marks’ on your GPS and follow these out. That’s because you will be leaving your mainland anchorages in the morning and the sun will be in your eyes. Definitely plan your day to get anchored before the sun is low or you will not see the reefs.
Also, it gets pretty chilly as you get north, especially at night. Pull out those flannel shirts!
And finally, some notes from cruisers who have transited the Red Sea several times:
- when a "Low" moves across the Med from Italy to Greece and into Turkey, or if there is a Low over Northern Africa moving across Algeria and Libya, that Low sucks the force out of the Red Sea Northerlies.
- If you are out, and boats -75 miles north of you are reporting strong Northerlies, don't keep going - run for cover immediately.
- Don't rush to get to the Med. Arrive in the Med after May 15, or you will get bad wind, gales, big seas and besides, it's still cold there.
- Never trust a southerly in the Northern Red Sea. It will suddenly turn to the NW at twice the strength, and hang in for days. If you get a southerly, only go a short distance and have an anchorage in mind to run to when the wind turns.
- a High in the Med, and a Low in the Red Sea brings strong northerlies.
- in general, the weather pattern goes like this: A strong northerly lightens up, then it is calm for 12-24 hours, then the wind shifts to the SE. Sometimes this SEW strengthens, then a sudden shift (within minutes) to the NW sometimes gale force, and full of sand.
3. The Pirates
Yes, make no mistake; there are pirates in the Gulf of
Aden, and they are definitely targeting yachts during the 'migration season'.
There are no problems once you get to the Red Sea. Here’s a quick summary for the spring 2004 season:
Conclusions:
Sail in convoy.
Stay far away from the Yemen coast (50 - 60 miles) and Somalian coast.
Run without lights at night. Black out cockpit lights too. A new moon gives you extra darkness coverage.
Hide valuables deep in secret hiding places. Cash, binoculars, radios (VHF, HF) seem most popular but we hid laptop, satellite radio, hand held GPS, video camera, credit cards, prescription eyeglasses (yes, – anything we were unwilling to do without. We put out sacrificial old binoculars, broken laptop and broken video camera for them to steal if they wanted. We also ‘hid’ cash in an easily found stash, and filled a wallet with old expired credit cards and small-bill cash, about $60 worth.
4. Charts & Guides
A brand new Red Sea Pilot (2nd edition) has just come out. Get it – it is way different and much better than the old one. It’s the Bible for here. There are also tons of yachtie cruising notes like the one you are reading now.
You can get photocopied charts at Darwin, Australia, and Kuah, Langkawi. They already have copies; you just order what you need. They even have the catalogues, or in the case in Darwin, he will tell you from experience what you need. You can get charts copied in Hurghada, Egypt once you are ready to start your Mediterranean collection, but the quality we got was really poor. The place to get Med charts and guides, apparently, is in Cyprus, where there is a similar guy to the one in Darwin.
SK Intertrade, in Langkawi has cruising guides.
SK Intertrade also has all the courtesy flags you need for the next leg up the Red Sea. Courtesy flags can also be bought very cheap in Sri Lanka (about $1 US per)
For accuracy on C-Map, see the anchorages below.
5. Provisioning and Grog:
Everybody in the world has to eat, so you will not starve. If you like fish, you will be very happy because fish jump onto any old thing you throw overboard. Fishing right off your boat in the anchorages will get you big groupers & snappers (get a little shellfish critter on the beach, pull him out of his shell and put the guy on the hook). If you like specific things like chocolate and good cheese, or other favourite things, stock up before reaching this area.
Fresh fruits & veggies are available wherever there is a
city or village. From Massawa north, the fresh stuff is very basic – onions,
potatoes, carrots, sometimes eggplant, tomatoes, citrus fruits. Meat is a
different matter and depends on how many flies you are willing to tolerate in
the markets! Flies gross me out, so we tried to keep the freezer full when we
found a ‘civilized’ supply.
Non perishables - We stocked up on canned stuff, rice, flour (you will need a sifter to sift out the little weevils!), coffee, canned butter & cheese, and anything heavy to carry before we left southeast Asia just because transportation was convenient and it beats having to carry the stuff on your back on a hot bus! Rice is excellent in Thailand. Buy lots. Just get the most expensive variety (it’s still cheap). Non-perishables are better and cheaper in Malaysia than Thailand.
Oman had great provisioning if not real cheap – really good hamburger, coffee, tea, biscuits, crackers, canned cheese, boxed milk and good fresh stuff – even romaine lettuce! The dates in Oman are fantastic and cheap. Buy kilos for your night watches!
Suakin (Sudan) had a decent fresh market – tomatoes, potatoes, onions, citrus, dried beans, flatbread, the usual basics but no greens.
Grog - Get all your grog in Langkawi and beer kits in Australia or New Zealand if you are into home brewing. If you are not into home brewing, give it a try – we did – and it is surprisingly good stuff and gets you there. Also less weight to carry on the boat. Don’t let the yeast get hot or it will die. We tasted some alcoholic ginger beer from an Australian kit and it was fantastic.
Prices in Langkawi – Beer $7.50 per 24 cans, Gin $5.80 Gordon’s, Vodka $4.75 Smirnoff’s, Rum expensive at $5.25 and not very good. Wine $8 for a 4-liter box of Australian stuff.
Prices in Thailand – in Phuket we found some surprisingly drinkable local rum called SongSum 700 ml bottle for $4. Good for baksheesh if nothing else!
Eritrea had good local beer $8.75/24 plus $7.50 deposit for the bottles. You can get cans of Heineken too, but buy bottles – cans, if available, are past expiry date and skunky. Also in Eritrea is decent wine at decent prices.
In Egypt you can get decent local beer but it is not real cheap. And seriously, stay away from the cheap local imitation liquor - reports of one cruiser actually dying when imbibing it!!! For example, it looks like "Gordon's" gin, but is actually spelled "Gordoon's". Don't fall for it.
A
n extra note – when you are in the grocery store, think
about what you can conveniently give away to fisher people and other folk who
have so much less than you. Tins or small packages of food, juice & non
alcoholic drinks, clothing (T-shirts, ball caps and other clothes), fish hooks,
even household items like towels and pots & pans are much appreciated by people
who are scratching out an existence in the fish camps, or the fisher people who
are lowest on the economic and social scale. Of course, the cigarette is an
important local unit of currency so bring lots of Marlboros.
It helps a lot to have a conveniently-stowed grab bag of give aways for those times when the bug ugly fishing boat comes alongside, coming very close to smashing your beautiful topsides with their scruffy wooden boat, and asking for ‘gifts’. You can throw them things quickly and keep them away from your shiny topsides easier.
Oh, and not to sound Victorian or anything, but women, you should cover up if the fishermen approach or you would think they have never seen a woman before – especially in Sri Lanka and India. They may even harass your boat more than if just your dirty ugly old man of a captain shows his face. Put on a light long sleeve shirt and keep yourself sort of hidden in the cockpit or companionway. It’s a sad state of affairs, but true in this part of the world – the men really can be problems when they see a wanton white woman from the West!
And, not sure if this belongs in the ‘provisioning’ category, but before you take off, get yourself at least 6 passport-type photos and keep them on hand for visas & shore passes.
Make dozens of photocopies of your crew list. Also make copies of your passport page that contains your photo, and ship’s documents.
Get a ship’s stamp – we got a cheapo one made in Darwin just with the name of the boat, its home port and registration number. It makes the officials happy for you to stamp all the paperwork for some reason. We forgot our stamp at one place and they got Ed to ‘stamp’ the paperwork with his thumbprint!
We wish we would have had Lonely Planet guides. Get them in Australia because you probably won’t find them further along the track, or if you actually find them, they will cost a fortune. The one for Egypt is definitely worth getting.
6. Fuel, Water & Propane (cooking gas):
Oman (Salalah) – For fuel, use Mohammed the cruiser friend, who charges a surcharge for delivering to the anchorage. Or if you are renting a car you can get together with other cruisers and jerry jug from the Shell station.
Water can be jerried from the wash house and is drinkable (we are still alive) but “hard” containing lime, I think. If you are used to well water, its actually pretty good!
Yemen (Aden) – It is a big paper chase to get fuel, but
it's really not that hard. Just go with the flow. It works out to about .25 per
liter. You can jerry or take your boat alongside the (really dirty!) pier.
You can get water by jerry just ashore using an outdoor sink. The local guys also use it to wash their hands (and feet!). Bringing a hose to jam up onto the tap helps. Don’t tie up the sink for too long, or the locals get (rightfully) pissed at you.
We got our American style propane tank filled but it was very costly ($15 US). If you don’t absolutely need it, give it a pass.
Eritrea – Fuel & water available at Aseb but we did not have the pleasure of needing any. In Massawa you can sneak over to the shore close to the service station and jerry jug your diesel, or use “Mike” the cruiser friend. He can also arrange good RO water, which you must buy (not free).
Suakin (Sudan) – Another “Mohammed” the cruiser friend is pretty much a necessity for clearing in and arranging fuel and stuff. He’s a good guy, makes money from you – that’s his job and who can blame him. Most people in Sudan don’t speak English so Mike is good for arranging things. Get enough fuel here to get you to Port Ghalib, although we hear cruisers got fuel at Ras Banyas. We did not want to stop at Banyas because it is the biggest wind acceleration zone in the Red Sea.
Egypt - We got fuel at Port Ghalib Marina at a fuel dock (no jerries!), and you can get fuel brought to you in the form of jerries at Abu Tig. Fuel also readily available in Suez & Ismalia. RO water can be purchased very inexpensive at Port Ghalib (but kind of salty the day we got it), and Abu Tig and Ismalia have water at the docks. We got propane filled in Abu Tig.
7. Yacht repairs –
Oman (Salalah) has quite an extensive automotive, building and engineering industrial zone, so with a bit of imagination and a guide, you can get just about anything mechanical fixed. One cruiser had a diesel mechanic out to his boat, recommended by Mohammed the cruiser friend, and he solved his problem, whatever it was.
Yemen (Aden) is quite a large city, and although we had no need of repairs, can probably handle the usual ‘bush mechanic’ things that could go wrong.
Eritrea – good luck. You should be self-sufficient, get help from other cruisers or do without. People will say they are mechanics, but they are just not, and there is nobody who can recommend one. You can have parts sent in though, using DHL (no duty) – the parts come to the capital Asmara, then in to Massawa. One large yacht (75 footer) got his back end hauled here up on a crane to replace the prop.
Sudan – I think your best bet would be to get “Mohammed” in Suakin to help you arrange for repairs or parts. One yacht got stuck in a marsa south of Suakin, hitchhiked to Suakin, and Mohammed arranged for a diesel mechanic to come out to the marsa. You could try Port Sudan but it is a filthy, awful place and maybe it would be better to leave your boat in Suakin and have help sent in there. But thankfully, we did not need repairs, so that’s just what I would do.
Egypt - There is a "gyp" in Egypt for a reason. If you have any parts sent in, there is a 100% duty, that is, if you ever get them. Everyone who deals with money is dishonest. Everyone. So just be careful and negotiate till you feel like you are going to scream. Good luck. Hopefully there is another cruiser in your fleet who has the skills you need and you won't have to deal with the Egyptians at all.
Boat breakdowns.
The Red Sea, being so windy, salty and remote, is hard on your poor old boat. You will watch your beautiful, shiny pride and joy disintegrate to a dusty, salty, grimy old scow before your very eyes! If you have a big watermaker it helps a lot! If you have a brand new paint job you will cry when the fishermen bash into it with big smiles on their faces, wanting to trade your stuff for their fish. You will cry even harder if you had just had it painted in Phuket. Your lines will go absolutely stiff with salt and red mud, and barely curl around your winches. Your winches and sail track will fill with fine sand. Your canvas will be dirty, salty and stiff not to mention your body! Did I mention it is very salty here?
Still want to go? If you want to get home, guess what - you have no choice! That’s all part of the experience.
Here’s what broke down – from the boats we knew or heard about on the “Net” and ourselves.
Not a very scientific list but it gives you an idea of how important that engine is!
8. Medical, Dental
Get your teeth looked after in Malaysia or Thailand. It’s cheap and cheap insurance. There is not much up the way that you would want to experience!
Abu Tig has a first class clinic and doctors and dentist right in the resort complex.
Get your 10,000 mile physical check up done in Penang, Malaysia. Many cruisers did and reported good facilities and inexpensive service.
There is a good clinic and hospital in Salalah, Oman. One cruiser got a hernia operation done there, and reports they did a good job. There are medical and dental clinics in Asmara, Eritrea where it might be possible to get emergencies looked after. The UN personnel use these, but there is a long, long waiting line – one cruiser we know tried to get a chipped tooth taken care of and gave up in frustration.
Stomach ailments – starting in Eritrea, many cruisers were getting stomach ‘bugs’. Diarrhea with severe stomach cramps and some vomiting were the main symptoms. At least one member of each boat got it in Massawa, some cruisers got it twice. We couldn’t find a common ground for the cause. Stock up on Immodium, and carry it with you for those long bus rides! Also get some heavy duty prescription antibiotics like Cipro or something for stomach ailments that are very serious (Giardia).
Sun – there is serious sun here. We ran out of sunscreen – can you believe we planned so poorly? Bring lots.
9. Internet
We found Internet cafes in Oman (Salalah), Yemen (Aden), Massawa and Asmara (Eritrea – but really hopelessly slow - try very early or very late in the day). Also Internet in Port Sudan but no firsthand knowledge.
Nothing else until Abu Tig in Egypt.
10. The Anchorages: the
places in bold are places we stopped at.
The others are information and rumours from other cruisers who have been there,
so please be careful if you try these ones.
Bab el Mandeb – not an anchorage, but my advice would be to go through the Small Straits to avoid the many ships in the Large Strait. Also, don’t be afraid to go through at night – it is a mile and a half wide and actually wider than it looks on the chart, and the lighthouse works. The land on both sides shows up well on radar. The weather here is extremely variable, flat calm to 4-5 knots with big following seas. Have a back up plan to run for shelter if the conditions deteriorate. There is heavy ship traffic here but there is a traffic separation scheme, so you can do your 'chicken crossing the road' thing.
The Hanish Islands, near the Yemen Coast, as well as the Zubayr Group are reportedly disputed territory. As such, they are patrolled, yachts are not welcome, and shots have been reported directed at yachts. Check in Aden if you want to cruise this area to see what the latest situation is.
Similarly, the Farasan Islands must be disputed - they are not covered in the new Red Sea Pilot, but there is sketchy information in the old one. This would require some checking and research if you want to cruise there.
The Saudi coast was covered in the old Pilot, but not the new, and it is reportedly not a good idea at all to go there.
Dumeira Island is reportedly a possible shelter at 12' 43.2 N / 43' 08.8 E (8m) but some gusts off the hill. The water is murky dark green to pale green-brown and disguises hazards underneath.
Eritrea:
Aseb – Anchored at 13’ 00.132”N / 42’ 44.704”E (26 ft) but some others have tied stern to at the big break wall. C-Map was right on. Try to anchor south of the south jetty and east of the separate breakwall for best protection in a marginal 'harbour'.
Not recommended. Decent holding for our Bruce but very windy and exposed to the SE winds. The anchorage then gets very bouncy. There is nothing to recommend the town but it is interesting in a sad sort of way.. Just a stop if you want to get your Eritrea Visa and make sure it is OK to cruise the coast up to Massawa. (Visa is cheaper to get here than Massawa). But, because it is a town, you can get basic food, fuel and water if you need it.
Sanahor Islet 13'04.8 N / 42'4.5 E (8m) on NW shore
Ras Terma – Anchored at 13’ 11.637 N / 42’ 30.794 E (22 ft). C-Map right on. Excellent holding in 30+ knots of wind and of room for 50 boats easy. Good shelter in SE wind in relatively calm water. There is a military base here but nothing else ashore. We stayed aboard so have no first hand knowledge. A)n anchorage reported at Bianco Islet 13'11.6 N / 42'30.4 E (7M) SW of fishing port.
Dannabah Island/Beraisole Bay - best anchorage is north of Dannabah Island. Can also anchor south of Candana Island but be careful, Beraisole Bay is all shallow, but the water is reported to be clear. Good for an overnight shelter but that's about it.
Mersa Dudo – Anchored at 13’ 51.952 N / 41’ 54.342 E (20 ft). Excellent holding in 30+ knots of wind. Also lots of room for 50 boats easy. No details on the C-Maps but the waypoints and chartlets in the Red Sea Pilot 2nd ed are accurate. Beautiful and remote, reports of good snorkeling. Reportedly an anchorage at Little Abail island 13'53.1 N / 41'56 NW shore.
Ras Demerri - 13'56.1 N / 41'42.4 E 7m 1 mile east of the village called Ed
Anfile Bay - Reportedly need good light to navigate around this uninteresting area. It is only a convenient stop and not much else to recommend it, apparently. Some reefs are not shown on charts or Red Sea Pilot. Anchorages reported to be at:
14'45.79 N / 40'48.07 E 15 ft good spot
14'46.594 N / 40'47.935 E N of Hant Deset good in winds N through SE
northeast of Handa Deset protected from N through SE winds
14'45.7 N / 40'48.1 E 5 m
Ras Anfile - just west of the point, protected from S wind
Howakil Bay - Adjuz I is low and uninteresting with murky water but protected. 15'13.1 N / 40'13.8 E 9m sand, or 15'13.1 N / 40'16.01 E 27 ft sand. North of Umm es Sahrig is shelter from southerlies. Also reported anchorage at Um es Segor (NW shore of Howakil) 15'05.1 N / 4'29.1 E 7m
Port Smyth 15'32.16 N / 39'59.48 E 3 ft sand. Clear water, great snorkeling, uninhabited. Channel through the reef is not marked but clearly visible.
Massawa – Anchored 15’ 36.585 N / 39’ 27.692 E (20 ft clean mud). Excellent holding, very protected all directions. C-map is bang on. No problem to enter at night, lights are all working. There were 15 boats in the harbour when we were there and could fit another 5 easy.
Sheikh el Abu – Anchored 16’ 02.053 N / 39’ 27.180 E (25 ft sand). Short trip from Massawa, a good first stop after checking out, and a good staging anchorage for an overnighter to Khor Narawat, Sudan. Beautiful turquoise water of the ‘lagoon’ between the islands of Harat and el Abu. Sheltered from the sea but not the wind. C-Map is accurate for position, but no details. Use Red Sea Pilot for chartlet. You can anchor where shown, or to the east of the anchor symbol, south of the reef line. Inhabited, nobody bothered us but another cruiser just got asked for water. Room for 50 boats.
Difnein Island 16' 36.49 N / 39' 19.12 E 35 ft coral & sand. Reported to be land mines ashore. Don't go ashore! Uninhabited.
Sudan: be sure to fly your courtesy flag as soon as you get into Sudan waters.
Khor Nawarat - reported to be a good stop with several anchorage possibilities. South of Ras Istahi at 18' 15.72 N / 38' 18.82 E 30 ft sand with good snorkelling among manta rays and sharks. The reef extends further to the east of Ras Istahi than shown. Southeast of Shatira Islet is very protected at 18'14.99 N / 38' 20.12 E in 4-7m of sand. The Haj Dugah Islets are good, low, sandy with great snorkeling and shelling, and well protected from all winds at 18'15.9 N / 38' 19.6 E in 5m close to the west shore. There is an uncharted reef reported at 17' 14.7 N / 39' 42.0 E. The anchorage shown southwest of Crazirat Irj island is not usable in strong southeasterly winds.
Shubruk Channel - don't rely on C-Map for this area. Use the Red Sea Pilot waypoints, and it is well-beaconed.
Long Island – Anchored at 18’ 46.402 N / 37’ 39.831 E (49 ft off a coral reef drop off wall). Red Sea Pilot says there is 10 meters here but we did not find it. Good holding though, protected from waves but not wind. Uninhabited. We had 7 boats there and still had room for another 7.
C-Map position is accurate but no detail.
Marsa Sheikh Ibrahim – Anchored at 18’ 52.809 N / 37’ 24.867 E (19 ft sticky red mud). Excellent holding, in fact, the windlass had to really pull to get the anchor up. Protected from waves but only fair protection from the wind. There is really nothing ashore, just some people living in tents. One poor cruiser had to go ashore here to hitchhike to Suakin to find a diesel mechanic, and had the dinghy stolen.
C-Map has detail, but the positioning is off. Enter at 18’ 52.986 N / 37’ 25.713 E then turn west to 18’ 52.986 / 37’ 25.407 then follow the dark path of water to the anchorage. Entrance is well marked, and sticks mark the channel. Very easy to read the water with the sun high overhead – like the Bahamas. You could fit many boats here, lots of room.
Suakin – Anchored in the little harbour at 19’ 06.427 N / 37’ 20.285 E (10 ft sand). Small harbour but room for 10 boats or so. Protected all directions.
C-Map is dead nuts accurate, even showing the important wrecks and the .5m shoal in the middle of the anchorage. But I would definitely not come in here at night, the channel near the old city is very narrow - you could shake hands with people on shore (but easy to see in daylight).
This is your last diesel stop before Egypt so fuel up. There is an agent working here who does your clearance and fuel/water if you need it.
Talla Talla Saqir - deserted, tall island with good shelter from the wind at 18'45.85 N / 38'00.97 E 31 ft coral.
Port Sudan - reported to be an awful, filthy place where you will have to pay to clear in all over again for 'port fees'. But you can do provisioning here.
North of Port Sudan, stay inside the reef for flattest water.
Wreck of the Umbria - anchor at 19' 37.4 N / 37' 17.3 E, there is a dive boat mooring here.
Sanganeb Reeef is not recommended at all. It is deep with a coral bottom and not secure.
Shab Rumi is not recommended either, with a narrow entrance and very deep 30m.
Marsa Fijab is sheltered, pretty with mediocre snorkeling. Entrance is 20'01.59 N / 37'12.18 E. Anchorage is at 20'02.1 N / 37'11.4 E 5m.
Marsa Inkeifal is peported a beautiful spot, landlocked and deserted. Anchor at 20'47.3 N / 37'10.8 E 6m near the NW shore.
Ras Abu Shagrab is not recommended, just for the bold and/or desperate, very uncomfortable.
Khor Shinab – Anchored at 21’ 21.049 N / 37’ 00.631 E (30 ft good holding mud). A huge anchorage and you can fit many, many boats in here in the various ‘bays’. For many boats, this is their favourite Red Sea anchorage.
C-Map has a little insert with the details of the area, but the little inset is .06 M too far south. Just get to the entrance point 21'21.8 N / 37'03.8 E and follow your eyes. It’s easy to see the deep water channel.
Beautiful spot, good walks ashore but a long way inland (3 miles). Worth the stop!
Marsa Halaka – Anchored at 21’ 24.157 N / 36’ 59.171 E (28 ft sand) between the ‘remarkable rock’ and the mangrove islets described in the Red Sea Pilot. Good holding in 20+ knots. Clean sand. Room for 10 boats or so. Go slow and watch for coral. We got asked for clearance papers here by the army.
C-Map is very inaccurate. For rough guidelines for you to check your C-Map, we passed over these points:
Entrance 21’ 25.4000 N / 37’ 01.2501 E
21’ 25.3674 N / 37’ 00.8296 E
21’ 25.0525 N / 37’ 00.3679 E
21’ 24.5364 N / 36’ 59.8837 E
21’ 24.3191 N / 36’ 59.4151 E
then to anchorage point above.
The channel is not all that wide, so use your eyes; the channel is quite easy to see.
Marsa Abu Imama - entrance is at 21'30.03 N / 36'58.73 E. The reef at the north end of the entrance extends a little further out than shown.
Marsa Wasi - anchorage at 21'38.556 N / 36'53.97 E has excellent snorkeling right off the beach.
Marsa Hamslat - enter per Red Sea Pilot waypoint, then 225 deg into the entrance.
Marsa Oseif – Anchored at 21’ 45.661 N / 36’ 52.409 E. Entrance was wide open, the channel straight, short and no reefs. There was a refugee village there which we were nervous about, but nobody bothered us. Good holding in 20+ knots. Room for 10 boats. We were boarded by a boat and asked for papers.
C-Map is not accurate. Use Red Sea Pilot 2nd ed waypoints.
Uncharted reefs are reported at 21'56.2 N / 36'59.5 E and at 21'46.44 N / 36'55.87 E - dangerous, awash and about 6M from shore. Not onC-Map.
Marsa Ribda - reportedly has a long twisty entrance but is a good safe anchorage
Khor El Marob - reportedly a top spot, the entrance is narrow but deep with coral walls and sandy beaches close to each side. Great visibility if you have goodlight, beautiful and serene. The southern arm of the marsa has room for only about 2 boats.
Marsa Umbella is reported to have good snorkeling at the entrance to the marsa. Anchor at 21'58.558 N / 36'51.833 E.
Egypt:
Foul Bay - Siyal Island is not recommended - extremely difficult to approach unless perfect conditions because there is poor visibility in the water, and uncharted coral outcrops. Shab Abu Fendera is supposedly sheltered from the sea but not the wind, and you can ride out bad weather here in good but nerve-wracking holding amongst all the coral heads. Mirear I Reef is reported better than Fendera at 23'23.17 N / 35'45.44 E 19 m. Dangerous Reef, despite its name can be used to ride out bad weather too - approach from the SE on 345 deg T, watch for uncharted rock with 1.5 m over it at 23.22.9 N / 35'45.4 E.
Port Bernice - at the north end of Foul Bay is not good. Too windy but there is a hospital here if you need one.
Geziret Zabargas is not good and not recommended.
Ras Banyas is one of the strongest wind acceleration zones in the Red Sea. Avoid if you can, the wind here is always 10-15 Kt higher here than the open sea. An uncomfortable rough anchorage can be found at 23'53.53 N / 35'46.87 E in steeply shelving coral. When you leave, the wind will die down as you round the headland.
Marsa Wadi Lahami - there is a resort here and they will chase you out after 24 hours.
Ras Quian - anchor at 24'17.1 N / 35'23.0 E in 7m south of a low island.
Sharm Luli - is reportedly a good place but if the weather is ok, carry on to Wadi Gimal.
Wadi Gimal - need good light. Possible anchorages at 24'38.38 N / 35'10.48 E 47 ft sand, or at 24'38.6 N / 35'10.26 E 12 m sand. There are many coral heads and a thin layer of sand over rock so not good holding. Ras Quian is the best of these 3 places.
Marsa Alam - reportedly tricky entrance and you need good light. There is a village here, a clinic and you can get fuel.
Marsa Igli is narrow, no turning room, room for one boat and not a good spot.
Marsa Tarafi is also reported to be very small. There are moorings here but too close to the reef fore your big boat.
Ernesto Reef - The moorings they talk about in the Pilot are reported too close to the reef for the average sailboat. OK for the dinghy though.
Port Ghalib - Tied to dock at 25' 32.051 N / 34' 38.266 E. This is a big marina and condo complex just at the start of the building stage. Email is portghalibmarina@marsa-alam-airport.com Entrance is well marked, lots of depth and you could come in here with the sun low on the horizon. Fuel stop. Also available is RO water but not very good (a little salty). No detail at all in C-Map but info in Red Sea Pilot is good.
Ras Toronbi - reported at 25' 39.33 N / 34' 34.86 E. Room for only 4 boats.
El Quseir - not recommended. Can't go ashore even with a visa. Can be rolly.
Mina Safaga - reported anchorage off the Paradise Hotel at 26' 47.59 N / 33' 56.53 E. The Paradise Hotel has no sign. Look for Orca Dive. Others have reported that you must tie to the wall at Orca Dive. Not very sheltered anchorage, but you can put 2 anchors down here and leave the boat and tour Luxor. There is a market here - take a taxi for 5 piastres (they will try to charge you double) For more security, and comfort, most go to Abu Tig. This is a port where you can check in, There is a bank near the harbourmasters office.
Ras Abu Soma - staging anchorage to go north. You can tie stern to the marina here, or the best anchorage is at the north end of the chartlet in the Pilot. The one shown off the "Hotel Strip" further south is rocky and not good.
Marsa Abu Makhadiq - reported at 27'02.77 N / 33' 53.65 E.
Hurghada - anchored at 27' 13.673 N / 33' 50.792 E. We really had to hunt around to find shallow water, and the best we could find was 75 feet! Very confusing place, difficult to get ashore - you have to scramble up to a very high dock. If you are travelling in company, just launch one dinghy and go in a group for easier landing.You MUST check in here before stopping at Abu Tig. If you don't, Abu Tig will turn you away.
Abu Tig Marina - dock at 27' 24.450 N / 33' 40.547 E. C-Map is accurate for the entrance but no detail for the marina. The Red Sea Pilot 2nd ed has good instructions for getting there. Great place to leave the boat and tour Egypt. A welcome place of civilization after the tough trip up the Red Sea.
Endeavour Harbour - anchored at 27' 33.723 N / 33' 46.867 E. C Map accurate and Red Sea Pilot bang on. A very pretty place, great holding in clay. Well protected, wide open entrance, easy to get in even at night in 5 knot wind.
Shab-el-erg - reportedly dubious holding among many bommies and could be dangerous if the wind shifts.
Shaker Island - reportedly at 27' 30.1 N / 33'56.5 E. 6m.
Shab Umm Usk - reportedly good anchorage.
Mersa Zeitiya - anchored at 27' 49.736 N / 33' 34.945 E. Not very pretty, but convenient distance and easy out for an early start the next morning.
Sand and patches of rock so pick a sandy spot and back down well.
Gulf of Suez:
Go up the west side. If you have to go at night, sail close to the shipping lanes. There are many unlit oil rigs. Don't go unless you have good weather. There are many hazards, and you could lose your boat. Stay well clear of oil rigs - they have anchors all around them.
Sheikh Riyah Harbour - reported at 28' 09.1 N / 33' 39.5 E 1 mile east of a small pier.
El Tur - reported good holding in sand. Protected and peaceful.
Ras Gharib - 28' 20.92 N / 33' 06.87 E 22 ft coral. Reportedly almost no protection. Not recommended.
Wadi Feiran - reportedly not good unless you have shallow draft. Difficult to tuck in far enough to avoid roll.
Marsa Thelemet - reported at 29' 03.58 N / 32' 38.06 25 ft sand. Huge protected anchorage.
Ras Abu Zenima - reported sheltered but very dirty - quarrying black rock nearby and chimney smoke. Anchor east of the pier clear of the moorings. Difficult holding.
Ras Malab - reported anchorage at 29' 12.6 N / 32' 56.0 E hard sand on steep slope off the beach. Set anchor well. Shelter from swell but not wind. The 'rock about 3 m high' is conspicuous with pale stripes like a tree trunk.
Ras Matarma - lots of room and good shelter reported at 29' 26.23 N / 32' 45.31 E 16 ft sand.
Dome Yacht Marina - reported at 29' 26.38 N / 32' 29.10 E. 20 berths, 3m depth. email domemarina@link.net Thee south tip of the Sinai peninsula is all marine park, and there are high fees. You need clearance to go here. Sharm el-Sheikh in particular is reported to have high fees.
Ras Sudr - only fair shelter reported.
Suez Yacht Club - moorings at 29' 56.932 N / 32' 34.431 E. A possible place to tour Egypt from. The boat is safe on the moorings. If you are planning to stop at Ismalia for more than an overnight, and want to go ashore, DON'T clear out of Egypt in Suez. Wait till Ismalia.
You can get provisions, fuel, water propane here.
Ismalia - Yacht Club is at 30' 35.097 N / 32' 16.353 E. Your pilot will bring you there. You must tie stern to the wall. No anchoring out allowed. Very convenient for the Yacht Club to have such a captive audience. There is reportedly laundry facilities, good provisioning and email here. Could not get past the marina gates because we had already checked out. Check the power voltage at your plug-in - ours carried 440 Volts!
Port Said - don't stop here unless you have to. Awful, busy filthy place. Just carry on out into the Med.