Baringo's Blog

Sadly, we left Port Said in a rather unpleasant atmosphere after a very interesting transit of the Suez Canal. We had stayed half way in Ismailia, a compulsory stop and on checking the weather decided it would be better to delay our final passage by 24 hours. We completed the administrative tasks on arrival in port Said and left for an anchorage just out side recommended by one of the TTT convoy who were ahead of us. No sooner had we anchored than we wree approached by the port authority boat and the navy and summarily dismissed and told to leave immediately. We did not want to go back to the port as there was nowhere satisfactory to stay and the cost was high so we had no choice but to start our passage and hope the bad weather would not be too serious. Despite our pleas and entreaties they insisted we leave.
Luckily the weather was not too bad and calmed after the first night. The wind was not favourable as it was from the NW where we were going so we had to sail north initially and at one stage wondered if we should go to Cyprus instead. The wind lessened so we continued to head for Marmaris motoring to get the westing as we could Tthe generator was not working again so we also needed the motor to charge the batteries.
At dawn on 17th may we reached Marmaris bay which is very beautiful and it was a very exciting moment for us as it was somewhere we had wondered if we would ever reach. We decided it would be sensible to refuel first before going to our berth and so our first stop was the fuel dock .After refueling we started the motor to drive to our berth and nothing happened, no sign of life in the engine at all ! We looked for the source of the problem but could find nothing but as we were in the marina we were able to call the local Yanmar engineer who diagnosed the problem immediately and pulled out a broken wire from the engine and replaced it ! If this had happened out at sea I might not be writing this blog for another few weeks !
We felt curiously lucky and remembered a black cat had run across our path in port Suez !
Our plan is to stay in Turkey for a year and then do a fairly leisurley crossing of the mediterranean starting May 2012 and do the ARC november 2012 so this blog will start again May 2012 all being well.

Birdy who sat here for 2 days during our crossing of the Med

We have arrived 6 months and a day after we left Hong Kong. A new blog is on its way from Julia. But at least a decent internet connection and photos of previous blogs have now been uploaded.

We crossed the border between Sudan and Egypt during a night sail keeping well offshore as the border is disputed.Our first port of call was Port Ghalib a rather soulless large holiday resort in the middle of the desert. There are apartments, hotels shops and restaurants and most importantly the internet. All the check in formalities for Egypt were completed in one office with the minimum of hassle which was very welcome.The marina is mainly for dive boats and only about three yachts were there but we made the most of the facilities swimming and gym and the hotel laundry.
We planned to go direct to Suez from there and left on 31st April but the wind became very strong during the night and the waves ever larger. They are very short and steep in the Red Sea so the boat was slamming rather frighteningly and we were only able to make 3 kts over the ground so we decided to go into Hurghada the next day for a rest and wait for better conditions. It seems the wind forecast is always about 10 kts less than reality.
There is a smart marina in Hurghada with a corniche lined with restaurants, bars and shops but the adjacent town is decidedly scruffier than the marina .It is a sprawling city and seems to be rather randomly laid out. It is a popular dive resort and there are huge numbers of dive boats which mark out the reefs during the day which is helpful. On our planned departure date 3.5.2011 we awake to strong wind and sandstorm! There is no choice but to wait even though we have checked out the previous evening but luckily the authorities understand. By mid day the wind is only 15kts so we leave and head up the straits of Gubal towards the Gulf of Suez ..It is the end of the Red sea for us.
There are many anchorages on both sides of the Gulf of Suez and after our recent experiences of night sailing when the wind always seems to pick up we decide to anchor each night on the way to Port Suez.The anchorages are variable and we stayed on the west side for the first two nights. The first anchorage Endeavour Harbour was very scenic with desert meeting the sea but the next stop was less attractive we were near an oil rig of which there are many in the Gulf of Suez. The following morning we crossed the shipping channel and and suddenly there seemed to be lots of large vessels in the way. Of course they are still relatively close coming south as they all enter and therefore leave the Suez canal in convoy.
We head ever northwards and luckily the wind is light but the air seems very heavy and polluted which gave a rather spooky atmosphere to the day .We also received a sudden squall in the afternoon which took us by surprise but luckily no major damage. We make good progress to the next anchorage another oil terminal but cannot leave the next morning as the wind is over 30 kts and as usual on the nose. We realize we are not going to make Port Suez that day but luckily there are two more bolt holes available and by afternoon we can make another 10 miles to the next anchorage only sheltered by a reef from the sea but no shelter from the wind.
On Saturday 7.5.2011 we arrive in Port Suez which was rather an exciting moment! We only had 10 miles to sail and the Newport Channel marking the entrance is very well buoyed so easy to follow .We felt on familiar territory as we were in the company of many large ships so rather like Hong Kong! The Suez Canal yacht club is soon after the canal entrance and this is the waiting area for yachts to arrange their canal transit .It is a yacht club in name only as there are no facilities! The use of an agent is obligatory to arrange the canal transit so we left him to it and went to Cairo for a short trip. It is only two hours by bus on a good road and we managed the museum the pyramids and a camel ride..all good tourist stuff!
11.5.2011 we start the canal transit .Yachts cannot do it in one day so we have to sop at another yacht club in Ismailia on lake Tismah about half way .We had a pilot on board to guide us and it was a fascinating journey along quite a feat of engineering .the canal passes through two lakes Little Bitter and Great Bitter lakes then Timsah. Ismailia yacht club is similar to Port Suez and after checking the weather in the Mediterranean sea we decide to stay an extra night to avoid bad weather. Two other yachts decide the same but a very large German yacht who kindly shared several beers with us (our stocks are dangerously low by now ) decide go ahead.
As I write we are in the final transit of the canal and plan to anchor off Port Said and sail for Turkey on 14th May hoping the bad weather will have passed and we survive the final leg.

Port Ghalib port office

entry to Port Suez

Suez canal yacht club with ship exiting the canal behind

ship passing in canal-close!

The inevitable tourist pic at the pyramids

Port Said- end of the suez canal

We left Massawa on 13.4.2011 planning to reach an anchorage in a suitable bay locally known as a ‘marsa. There are many of these along the coast of varying degrees of difficulty in entrance because of the reefs. The wind varies from NW to NE and from 0 to 35 knots, you just have to take it as it comes. The first night we sailed but the mileage made overnight was not that good because of headwinds but we crossed the Eritrean –Sudanese border without incident keeping safely offshore. By dawn we had arrived in Khor Narawat and we anchored behind the usual flat pancake island which breaks the sea but not the wind. We recovered from the overnight sail; surprisingly one night is more tiring than a few as we don’t get into the rhythm of reversed day and night sleeping.

We spent the next day at anchor and swim and snorkel and walk around the island. “Oukiok,” a French boat in the group, has a dog Zsa Zsa so it was great fun swimming and walking with her. Although the anchorages are bleak and flat the colour of the water is wonderful and there was plenty of coral and fish to see. On 17th April we sailed off at the usual early hour 7.00am as journeys are best made in the morning and arrival in the afternoon because reef spotting is much easier. Surveying and therefore charting are very inaccurate in the Red Sea and GPS may be up to 2nm out so a look out is essential. The next stop is Trinkitat Harbour another marsa where there is a Sudanese naval base who checked us out but did not give any trouble.

Suakin is the next stop an old port with an unusual ruined coral city. We decided not to stay there but press on up the coast and leave the group as we wanted to go a little faster, but I am sure we will meet them all again somewhere en route and we remain in radio contact every day.

We left early again and have a good days sail past Port Sudan, Sudan’s second city. We stayed in the inner channel and the water is flat and with a good wind we make 7-8knots at times. We found another marsa for the night, Marsa Fijab where there is meant to be plenty of bird life but we didn’t see very much and surprisingly in the evening we get a thunderstorm with rather more lightening than is pleasant. Amazingly we were not struck but in these flat Marsas the mast seems very vulnerable.

The coast is very dry, truly desert meeting the sea, and very little habitation. We left Marsa Fijabnext the next morning in a 25 knot wind and had a difficult day beating into a strong wind and choppy sea. Our next anchorage was in the lee of three small flat sandy cays, Taila islands, just off the coast with wonderful colours on the water. The sea was calmer but the wind persists. The holding is good and as the wind persists 25-30 kts all the next day we stayed in the relative shelter. We exchanged two T-shirts for three fish from some local fisherman who came by and had a good supper. We left the islands and motored up the coast and navigated a rather complicated route through a series of reefs before reaching the open sea. Luckily it is well charted.

Our final stop in Sudan was Khor Shinab an amazing anchorage surrounded by desert and mountains which made a pleasant change. The landscape is quite lunar and we had hoped to go ashore and climb one of the hills but the wind remained too strong all day despite being quite far inland up the creek. We managed a swim off the boat attached with a floating line …thanks Sue and Jug it has been really useful! Tomorrow we plan to sail until we reach Port Ghalib in Egypt about 300 nm. There is a modern marina there so we can provision and refuel. As usual how long it takes all depends upon the wind and it is not pleasant motoring against a strong headwind and short choppy sea so will just have to wait for a weather window in another marsa or a reef anchorage. The coast is littered with reefs useful for an anchorage but a serious navigations hazard. The Red sea pilot by Elaine Morgan and Stephen Davis (from Hong Kong) is invaluable. Luckily there are many anchorages along the coast where one can wait for the weather and they are all well described in the book with text and a diagram.

ruined old city of suakin

sudan coast

khor shinab anchorage

lonely tree in Khor Shinab

We anchored for the second night in Eritrea, again behind a very flat island but although this did not provide much shelter from the wind at least the sea was calm. The island was coral and had a wonderfully primeval atmosphere populated only by birds: herons, gulls, pelicans, flamingos and many other sea birds. (Paul Harris where are you?) We could walk around the island easily. It was a pleasure to walk and swim after being on the boat .We caught up on sleep as usual staying for two nights and left on 7.4.2011 planning to anchor in Howakil bay. However our lead boat Alondra again developed engine trouble and needed to be towed so we decided to go straight to Massawa a port over which the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea was fought.

The results of the war are still very evident there as most of the buildings around the port are bombed ruins including a palace built for Haile Selassie. The best building in town was the mosque. The people are very friendly but the town had hardly any cars so walking around was very easy. There were several bars but one often had to visit a few to find a beer! There was a good restaurant so we enjoyed some nice fish but vegetables seemed scarce.

There was a definite Italian flavor despite the destruction and with the aid of the evening light one could for a moment imagine one was in Italy…but it was only for a moment! We took a trip to the capital city Asmara through very dramatic mountains up to 2400 m. The scenery was very dry and there were amazing terraces covering many of the slopes which must have taken a lot of effort to build but did not seem to e used now .Camels and goats wandered freely and then the mountains suddenly became green so they were replaced by cows and donkeys. The road was good and luckily the bus as well as the road was very steep at times with precipitous drops over the side.

Asmara as the capital of one of the poorest countries was surprisingly sophisticated with a very strong Italian stamp. It is clean and tidy with pavements and no surrounding slum area or apparent shany town. The streets are lined with truly Italian bars and cafes and we stayed in a very quaint Italian style hotel with marble floors ornate lights and Italian paintings. We had lunch there and were presented with a glossy menu describing many Italian dishes so after great deliberation we chose our meal only to be told that we could have only steak or fish! Anyway it was delicious when it came accompanied by Italian bread.

Luckily we had been handed on a 2000 edition of LP for Eritrea so we could navigate the city easily and see all the different styles of architecture which are there. There are some beautiful Italian villas and faded art deco buildings. Pizza was a must for the evening cooked in a proper oven .The people were very friendly and welcoming and gave no hassle and there is very little begging.

The following day we visited the “Tank cemetery” where all the detritus of the war is stored .It is rather a depressing sight to see so much waste with land rovers, tanks, various military vehicles and aero planes all left to rot away.

We arrived safely back in Massawa glad to see Baringo in the same place and the next morning we left heading north west up the Red Sea. Unfortunately the wind is now blowing mainly from the NW so beating is the only way forward .It does veer and back so we just have to make the best we can while we can.
There are many anchorages along the west coast in the bays but there are also many coral reefs which make it difficult. The charts are often inaccurate so great care is needed. So far we have avoided collision.

coral island beach with sailor

Birds on island -any suggestions for correct name?

Pelican

flamingos- a wonderful African sight

french canine crew member enjoying himself

Eritrean fisherman with easily rigged sail

Bombed palace

Bombed town hall or bank in Massawa

terraces cut into hillside on road to Asmara

wonderful views from the road to Asmara

train line that runs from Massawa to Asmara- not operational but what a great train ride.

Deco architecture in Asmara

Albergo Italiano in Asmara- highly recommended

the extraordinary "tank" war debris site outside Asmara

The final stage of the convoy started. We are now 10 boats so two groups of five. In Aden the wind had usually picked up in the afternoon and as the saying goes: whatever it blows in Aden it will be 15 knots more in the Bab El Mandab strait, the entry to the Red Sea. We left in a good breeze but by nightfall along the coast the wind died. This made convoy sailing much easier but nevertheless it was a busy night. I managed to confuse a fishing boat light with one of the convoy stern lights and caused chaos in the convoy at around 3.00am by getting totally out of position … Oh dear! Luckily I was spotted by our leader who seems to have amazing vision for errant yachts, fishing lines and skiffs and the situation was rectified without any disasters. (sorry Richard!) Dawn found us approaching the Bab El Mandab strait which was a truly welcome sight after our long voyage to avoid the pirates; rarely do attacks occur in the Red Sea. We entered by the Small Strait on the east side of Perim /Mayun Island, the passage is quite narrow between a rocky shore to starboard and the Yemen military perimeter around the island on port. The military zone is not demarcated by any buoys but it is on the charts and entry is strictly forbidden so a steady course into the strait was a necessity. There was a good but favourable wind from SE and the sea was fairly calm and we all entered without any problems. Just as we were past the military zone we were approached by a very fast skiff and wondered if our number was up at the eleventh hour, and if we had been premature in our celebrations but they were only fishermen and as we were going at a good speed we just waved and continued feeling rather relieved.

As we proceeded the tension visibly waned and we realized we had all made it into the Red Sea. I don’t think we had been aware of the level of anxiety amongst us until it was over! Certainly talking to the other boats from BWR in Salalah had done nothing to allay our fears, in fact the reverse. Perhaps they were just justifying their decision to put their yachts on carrier vessels who knows. The next task was to cross the main shipping lane in the Red sea to reach the Eritrean coast. The wind had built to 30 kts and as we had to cross the lane at 90degrees we had to sail more to windward which was tough going. AIS was extremely helpful we had switched ours off to avoid detection by the pirates but could still see other vessels coming full tilt down the channel. Once across we could go downwind again and so whizzed along towards Assab.

We anchored off a low lying island Lalaheb Deset in sight of Assab a small port. The sea was calmer but there was little shelter from the wind which still blew 30 kts, I think this is the strongest wind we have ever laid an anchor in. However these problems were all diminished by the great relief to be where we were. We had quite a party on Alondra that night with everyone exhausted but relaxed and delighted to be there safely. We are now heading towards Massawa stopping at night in the various bays along the Eritrean coast which are not always that sheltered from the wind as the numerous islands are very low lying. Anyway it is pleasant to have a rest each night for the moment.

Passing through the Bab el-Mandeb straits with a good following wind

Sadly closer inspection of Aden only revealed more dirt, squalor and danger. There was a smell and atmosphere of imminent trouble. Aden consists of several small townships linked by rather dangerous curving roads between the large rocky outcrops which are such a significant geographical feature of the area. Aden must have one of the largest collection of old cars most on the road were at least 30 years old and there were many Peugeot 505s which we remember so well from West Africa. We were anchored off the Prince of Wales pier under a small look alike of Big Ben still called little Big Ben! There was a small township Tawahi just behind our anchorage which was good for provisioning for fresh fruit and there were other small shops but they seemed to be full of things one did not want, for example one had a cabinet full of TV remote controllers! We did have an excellent meal there where they baked amazingly delicious flat bread in the oven which came straight to the table accompanied by grilled fish.

We did venture into Khormaksar to a shopping mall for the internet and supermarket. It was like a short trip back to the 1950s with so many shops displaying 1950s style ball gowns.It seems the ladies wear these at home as outside they are all in black burquas, certainly most of the dresses would not have fitted under a burqua.The atmosphere was slightly uneasy so that was our only excursion.

The people were very friendly and the standard of English good enough to chat but most seemed much fed up with their situation and could only hope for a better future. It appears from the news the unrest continues in Yemen so I think we were lucky to have an uneventful stay.

"little Ben" in Aden

another view of Aden- a fine natural harbour

This was the start of serious convoy sailing in two groups trying to keep within about 200m of each other in strict positions. It is extremely tiring and very irritating as other boats and almost certainly ourselves do not always behave as predicted .Judging distance at night is very difficult and the radar was invaluable . The slowest boat was in the front so we had to motor at their pace usually around 5knots so not really very good for our engine running at low revs .But this is the only way to manage the current situation so we had to comply.
Luckily there was little wind most of the time as it is impossible to keep a convoy when sailing so when we did get wind we had free sailing and it was amazing how quickly the other boats disappeared leaving us alone on the coast at night .As we had all dimmed our lights ,turned off AIS etc things that might make a boat easier to find it was really quite tricky to find the others .It was not a very pleasant night although it could have been under better circumstances as the wind was good and it should have been a pleasure to sail rather than motor but the angst was too high. We all managed to regroup in the morning but it took some time.
We continued close to the coast which was very beautiful, bare barren rock with high mountains steep to the sea so quite dramatic and almost uninhabited. There was little shipping thankfully but of course we were all on skiff alert and whenever one appeared and we had to close even closer together until their nature was clear .Luckily none threatened us but some came to have a look and one will never know their intentions .It was always a relief to see them go away with a friendly wave
After 2 exhausting nights ( and days ) we stopped in Mukalla a small fishing village like an Arabic version of Mousehole .After the usual compulsory second anchoring request we settled in the inner harbour to the noise of a demonstration in the town so no shore party that night .The following morning a failed attempt to get into the town was made and we only got as far as the port gates despite the girls being dressed up like locals to avoid any offence .We were treated to an extraordinary scene of hundreds of goats being off loaded from a boat in the harbour they had come from Somalia and were milling around the port in large numbers .We were luckier in the evening and were allowed to go with an armed escort to the local Arabian version of KFC .Luckily there was some local cuisine available which was very good ,goats cheese ,hummus and salad .We were returned to the port by the armed guard one crew member nearly losing his i-phone for taking a video from the van window The town looked better from a distance as closer inspection that evening revealed it to be rather scruffy and dirty .
Refreshed by two nights sleep we headed nervously to Aden keeping a good lookout for trouble. The main problem keeping so close to the coast was fishing nets and inevitably a few boats including us got caught. Luckily we came off easily but John took a dip just to check the propeller as it had made a frightening screeching noise in the net . It was daylight and the water warm so it could have been worse .We decided it was better to take several dips than risk a trip to Somalia by being too far off shore .The weather was fine for the whole trip and the coast continued to amaze and delight us taking our mind off other things ! We continued in close convoy encouraged by our leader who has been a great help as he has done the route before and is a very experienced sailor.
At dawn on the 28th March we see the hills around the port of Aden through the mist with a great sense of relief .It is an amazing natural harbour so one can see why the British grabbed it for themselves but it is much less busy now and rather unkempt on first acquaintance. Lets hope closer inspection improves its image.

Mukallah town- looks quite nice from here

Mukallah port- the view from our stern.

upturned hull on entry to Aden

First view of Aden harbour

After a difficult start in the harbour things remained trouble free and we did not have to move again. The port makes a less than desirable anchorage, it is very dirty and dusty so despite cleaning the boat it looked just the same 24 hours late . The scenic backdrop was cranes and cranes and more cranes but it made getting out al the more pleasant!
Car hire is essential as it is a 20 minute drive to town which is a rather random collection of buildings either brand new or in varying states of decay. There is a beautiful beach which is completely unspoiled apart from the rather ugly disintegrating buildings along the shore making rather a strange contrast . There are two luxury hotels the Hilton and the Crowne Plaza which are everything on would expect so we enjoyed an afternoon beside the pool at the Hilton and two excellent meals.
We visited the Mugsail blow holes along the coast where the waves blow up through holes in the rocks and there are also some amazing rock formations all very beautiful in the evening light .We also drove into the hills behind the town and came across some camel farms and lots of camels wandering across the countryside ..such extraordinary creatures.
The cocktail lounge at the Hilton gave 30 minutes internet access for each glass of wine …no more need be said and I will not disclose how many hours we used!
On the final day another big shop at the local supermarket Lulu’s where everything is available, so driven by panic of starvation at sea we ended up with yet another trolley full of food only to discover that the taxi we had taken after returning the car could not enter the port! The prospect of walking nearly half a mile with many heavy shopping bags in the middle of the day did not appeal but luckily the Omani people are very helpful and kind so organized a lift for us in a passing car.
We departed from the port before dark but as usual nothing was straightforward and just as we had all disconnected ourselves from the shore and were waiting for our port clearance numbers on the VHF radio we were all told to re-anchor while we waited! So 8 boats rafted alongside our lead boat “Alondra” could this be a record 9 boats on one anchor?
We finally left in the dark as we had arrived now on the way to Aden via Mukalla keeping close to the coast and to each other. We were now 9 boats two French additions and a Brazilian so becoming quite in international group and we have a canine crew on one of the French boats!

area of blow holes near Salalah-missed the blow!

camels on the hills behind Salalah

This was our first experience of convoy sailing and we were a group of 4 yachts leaving the Marina.
For us it was rather slow, because for a change we were one of the faster boats! I know many will not believe this but we had to learn a new skill of trying to slow the boat down under sail rather than the usual struggle of getting the boat to go faster.
On 11th march we met with our lead boat “Alondra “off the Omani coast. They had sailed up from Cochin where they had been delayed for gear box repairs. This was a very happy reunion for them and us. All was well until later that night when 2 boats were caught on fishing lines, how we were not I will never know. We did cross one but were going quite fast so we seemed to slip over it. The two skippers had to descend into the inky black water and free their boats which they did successfully. Both agreed it was a very unpleasant experience and one best not repeated and certainly one we were delighted to have avoided at least on this occasion.
The following morning Alondra took over the lead of the convoy which made things run more smoothly; convoy sailing is a lot more difficult than one might imagine. The next evening we narrowly avoided more fishing lines. There was no wind so motoring was the order of the day and night which is actually easier in convoy but rather wearing on us to say nothing of the motor.
The next two days there was some wind so it was a pleasure to be sailing but not always relaxing trying to avoid the other yachts and keep up or drop back depending on conditions and relative positions. Our route took is off shore around Mazeera island as the inland passage was deemed to be too shallow. We then crossed another large bay and went inland of Hallanyia island where we had really good wind and we were allowed free sailing as we were close inshore and it was fairly safe. Of course we still had to wait for the slowest boat and avoid any collisions and as distance is very hard to judge at night one often arrived very close to the stern of another boat a lot more quickly than expected.
At dawn on 15.3.2011 we rounded the last headland before Salalah and in the daylight could see all the yachts clearly and were able to regroup very easily. The dawn was magnificent and the coast dramatic in the dawn light ,so many different colours in the rock and exotically shaped mountains and cliffs. It is very barren not a green leaf to be seen but breathtakingly beautiful.
We arrived in Salalah port at dusk and were led in like duckliings behind our leader to anchor behind the breakwater opposite all the cranes unloading cargo vessels still working late into the night. Our problems then started with our anchor windlass not working again! There was no power going to the motor so there was an unpleasant silence whenever I pressed the down button. It was a nice calm night and we anchored far away from the other boats as John managed to get the anchor down manually. But more trouble was in store because around 4.00 am a very strong wind blew with accompanying sandstorm and we started to drag ever closer to the breakwater-a first for us but we had omitted to use the anchor buddy as we were in a port and it had been so calm when we arrived. We obviously could not raise the anchor against such a very strong wind so we let out a little more chain as much as the snubbers and the breakwater astern would allow and started a vigilant anchor watch. As day dawned other boats started to move around and it transpired that several had dragged as well as us one large oyster hitting one of our group giving him a rude awakening with a loud bang. We were glad we were not in the general melee close to the other yachts after all. John put his electricians hat on, the magic worked and we had a functioning windlass once more just in the nick of time to weigh anchor and move into the inner harbour where a place had been arranged for us by our leader. The whole morning was spent getting moored stern to a wall in rather a tight space between several other boats, but amazingly much needed help appeared from the other boats as the long warps from the stern are very heavy and need to be taken ashore by dinghy.
After laying the anchor for a second time we were finally organized and feeling rather exhausted so had to retire for a long siesta pondering how all these seemingly impossible situations arise despite our best efforts to avoid them.
We are now doing the usual round of jobs and trying to see something of Salalah .We have hired a car a bargain here and fuel is very cheap as well .We have explored the unspoiled coast and sampled the luxury of the Crowne Plaza and Hiltons hotels!
Our onward plan seems to be sailing in a convoy of 9 yachts along the coast to Aden with a possible rest stop in Mukalla which I think will be needed .Departure could be Sunday 20th march.
So watch this blog!

Oman coast line

more of the empty Oman coast