After anchor watch became a necessity overnight, given the sustained winds of 30 to 35 Kts, we were both definitely very sluggish today, spending most of the day catching up on lost sleep. However, besides undertaking an inspection of the exterior to ensure items remained secure in these brutal winds, Roy also rigged one of our spare anchors as an emergency backstop in the event of a malfunction of our existing ground tackle. It’s fair to say we definitely expected more protection in this anchorage, especially with the number of buildings ashore, but, Murphy’s Law, the wind is coming from the direction that offers the least amount of protection and it’s creating rather large waves with the fetch, adding to the unpleasantness.

Another chat to Hasan, off Kandiba, and contact with family and friends via social media has provided some “company” and helped stave off the drudgery of being “pinned down” by weather. It is definitely the last thing we needed at the end of such a long passage. However, keeping things in perspective, every yacht north of Suakin, Sudan, is experiencing the exact same issue with this weather.

We understand from Golden Spirit, though, after receiving a message from Michael this afternoon, that they’ve managed to complete the first stage of their Suez Canal crossing and are currently in Ismailia awaiting an improvement in the weather before proceeding to the Mediterranean Sea. It’s definitely comforting to know that the weather has, at least, improved 200NM to the north of us! We just need to be patient for a little bit longer!