After winds that reached 32 Kts overnight, this morning we endured sustained winds of 30 to 35 Kts out of the northwest, producing at least a half a metre of standing waves due to the fetch. Fortunately, for the remainder of the day the winds dropped slightly to 25 to 30 Kts, but it has been relentless!
Of course, although we’d received a request from one of the establishments ashore to move Paw Paw, so as not to be “in the way of the windsurfers”, it was a request we were certainly not going to entertain under any circumstances in these extreme weather conditions and we certainly didn’t believe we were being unreasonable in our unwillingness to move at the risk of damage to our equipment, personal injury or jeopardising Kandiba, who are anchored about 300 metres off our port bow. Unless conditions improved significantly, although the forecasts have indicated conditions are expected to deteriorate further over the coming days, we were staying put.
However, not wanting any confrontations with the personnel of the resorts or possibly with the Egyptian authorities, messages were sent early this morning to the UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organisation) and our agent in Port Suez, requesting their invention / assistance on our behalf to explain the situation. After a number of phone calls, we were informed that the request had come from the Robertson Windsurfing Resort and assurances were given that the matter would be resolved.
Grateful for these efforts, we spent the rest of the day, similar to yesterday; eating, napping and watching movies; neither of us particularly interested in too much else, other than to secure the cockpit cushions and have a brief chat to Hasan, off Kandiba. This has become a daily routine to ensure all is well on both yachts, discuss the latest weather forecasts and consider an approach to getting to Port Suez, once the weather dissipates. It hadn’t helped matters, though, that messages from the agent had informed us that Endeavour Harbour was to be avoided as an overnight stop, due to fees of $600USD per night being demanded from cruisers. It seems the Red Sea has kept the “worst for last”!We’re definitely looking forward to getting to Port Suez and into the Mediterranean, but we’re having to take a large dose of patience first!
It was also lovely to hear from both Talulah Ruby III and Golden Spirit, informing us that they’re all safe and well in the Port Suez Yacht Club, although yacht bound like ourselves, but were looking forward to their transit to Ismailia in the coming days, the halfway stop en route through the Suez Canal, where they’ll wait again for weather to improve in the Mediterranean Sea. Given the news of a cargo ship sinking in this storm on the Mediterranean side of the Suez Canal, was not something we wanted to hear!
A heartly homemade minestrone soup, accompanied by freshly baked soda bread, went a long way to warming us up for another cold night on the water.
