Saudi Boat Trip
Our adventure in trying to get our new boat, Athina, from the Greek Islands to Jeddah.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
So it's Goodbye from me; and it's Goodbye from him
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The final push
After 3 weeks together it was hard to say goodbye to Gordy on Tuesday morning. It was all the worse because Julie and I were both apprehensive about the leg ahead and knew we could use his help. Having said goodbye we transferred the boat to a holding and customs area were we waited and waited and waited... Gordy loyally delayed his taxi and posted over Costa coffee via the customs guy. Finally, at 12:25 we were allowed to leave. The sea breeze had kicked in but the sea state was slight so I gambled that there would be sufficient fuel and pushed the speed up. Rather than hug the coast I took a direct track in the hope of losing the sea breeze and, about 10 miles out that paid off.
At 17:00, just before sunset, I set about the first refuel. I figured that I should be able to empty about 2 barrels but, since they were all spitting fuel from the poorly fitted caps in the chop, I decided to take about 20cm off the top of each barrel. The hand pump that had been an afterthought immediately proved it's worth. However, the siphon rate (with or without the hand pump connected) proved to be woefully slow. I had thought that the first refuel would be completed before the end of the dusk period; in fact it was 2 hours and 30 minutes later that I finished topping up the integral fuel tanks.
In the dark the speed feels really fast. The small judders as the bow hits the next wave that go almost unnoticed by day suddenly feel really substantial and the spray that catches in the moonlight really appears to zip by. Up on the foredeck, messing about with pipes, pumps and bits of rope you feel quite vulnerable. There seemed little likelihood that Julie would find me if I fell over the side, by the time she'd slowed the boat and turned round. The task was made all the more interesting by the spilt diesel fuel that had turned the foredeck and sides of the boat into an ice-rink. Although there are handrails, these too quickly became covered in diesel from my hands.
There was a full moon from the start last night. We were able to watch it rise from the easterly horizon and set in the west at dawn. Behind the moon there was a planet that followed its track, perhaps Jupiter, then Orion. By the middle of the night, when the moon was at it's apex, the foredeck was well lit. The light was welcome because I started the second refuel at midnight and didn't finish till 04:00! It was impossible to see how much fuel had drained from each barrel so I ended up letting each siphon dry then repeating the start-up faff with the hand pump. I lost the handle overboard at about 01:00 but it was possible to pump by jamming my finger in the drive. The fuel seems to manage to get into little cuts and scrapes that you didn't know you had and sting furiously. I had to set up a bucket up with some washing up liquid on the stern and wash my hands and feet after each iteration.
By about 02:30 the sea state had picked up and we were slamming into waves with showers of spray covering the spilt diesel. There was also an incredible amount of condensation that had soaked everything outside. Happily the sea state subsided again before the dawn. The sky started to lighten at about 04:40 and, at 05:25 we had another, very welcome, burning sunrise. All of the Red Bull had been drunk but our eyelids had turned to lead.
The dawn is what I'd been waiting for to do a scavenge round the barrels. I wasn't able to get any more fuel out but in the light I could see how much gunk was being sucked out of those dirty barrels into the boats tanks. After the scavenge we were able to wash the decks down and generally tidy up prior to our arrival. I've had some moments when I've found myself not loving this boat but last night certainly wasn't one of them; the engines just kept on pushing and the boat felt really solid all night.
The dawn was hazy and, for some reason, my hand-held GPS back-up wasn't agreeing with the boat's GPS plotter. With the reefs around Jeddah rushing up, this led to an anxious half hour with the binoculars glued to my face. In the still, hazy conditions there was no prospect of seeing the reefs but there is a large marker buoy on the south-west tip. Finally it appeared out of the gloom and I could rest easy, then the GPS plotter gave up completely..... The immediate surroundings of Jeddah harbour are peppered with reefs so this wasn't a crowd pleaser. Coupled with running down to the salon to use the radio, it felt like a very busy arrival as I juggled the paper chart and tried to remember how to programme a few key points into the hand-held GPS. When I finally got through on our rubbish radio at the customary 3 miles (vice the 20 that I'm supposed to call at), I got the telling off that we've become used to. However, Jeddah were expecting us and in we went; alongside at 11:15.
Omar, from BAE Support Services, had worked some magic. I'm still in fear as to what the agents are going to cost, but we completed customs and immigration by 17:00 and were able to relocate to the Hyatt marina as the sun set. Certainly, that was a far better outcome that I had ever dared to expect. I owe Omar a huge debt of thanks; he's sorted all of the admin at this end and spend most of today, until well into the first evening of his weekend, on the phone sorting out my problems.
When I came up with this hair brained plan to buy a boat and drive it back from the Mediterranean, I had no idea how hard it would be. I had planned to scuba dive most lunchtimes and eat out every evening. The reality has been so so different. I feel very lucky to have managed to arrive on the day we planned. There were many things that could have stopped us in our tracks. I'm also immensely grateful to Craig, Sandra and Gordy for their friendship, support and graft. When I dreamt up the idea, I thought that I could probably crack it with just Julie if required – how wrong I was! I've come away with a great suntan, a loathing of the smell of diesel, a completely empty wallet, 985 unique pictures and, most importantly, some great memories.
Farewell from Port Ghalib
It was to be our final evening together on the boat and my eighteenth and final night’s rest in my berth aboard the Athina. As always, I slept well in my top bunk with my ear to the open porthole-but this morning was different; as I awoke around 6.30 am - it was the quietest I had heard it so far. No harbour noise-no late disco-no call to prayers; but more importantly no wind or water ripples on the boat. Perfect for a Red Sea crossing. A leisurely muster was in order as the Port Authority informed us previously that customs and immigration could not be started till after 9.00 am-but as I was not leaving by sea, Johnny requisitioned my passport early. We then set about our usual daily inspections-paying particular attention to detail as this was to be the longest leg by far-360 NM. I had a final look at the navigation log I had been keeping, and to date, the Athina had cruised for 1200 sea miles and over 95 hours under power-and after adding on other supplementary tasks etc carried out ashore, it was little wonder that the crew were always ready for bed at night! After packing my kitbag it was soon time for a final photo call and goodbyes on the quayside. There were a few moist eyes-but Johnny soon fired up the mighty Pentas and started the first part of the journey to the customs quay-100 meters east! A taxi had arrived to take me back up the coast to Hurghada-but I had decided to wait at the Costa Coffee shop (yes-really-there is one) to see them leave. One hour became two and even after sending out reviving Costa tea and coffee it was obvious that things were taking much longer! After some shouting across the fuel quay to Johnny and Julie, I decided I had to get going up the road and leave. As I turned the corner I looked back at the Athina still tied up alongside and I silently wished all three well.
The trip has been a fantastic experience-with some truly incredible sights, comradeship, endeavour and gritty make do-but worth every moment! Hopefully it will not be too long before we both see Johnny and Julie and-maybe-someday-Athina.
As I write this from Hurghada there is a full moon directly overhead the Red Sea-the same moon that will be guiding John and Julie home. Every five minutes the Athina will take them over a mile closer to Jeddah and I wish them all Bon Voyage.
The Eagle has landed
And he and Julie are safe and well
Having successfully crossed the
Red Sea and are now alongside in
Jeddah awaiting a broker.
Update to follow unless they are
Imprisoned (joke...maybe!)
Nice work dude.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Hurghada to Port Ghalib
Today has been the way I'd hoped every day might be, well almost. The refuel was prompt by Hurghada standards. The marina office was locked 20 minutes after they said it would open but I found a fella asleep in the refuel office, woke him, explained that I wasn't willing to wait, had him phone the marina manager and by 07:45 we were motoring across to the refuel quay. By 08:45 we were away, only 45 minutes late on my aspirations. The sea was a millpond. With full tanks and a relatively short 115 NM we were able to push the speed up and the GPS plotter estimated an arrival at 15:30.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
A plan coming together
Delivery complete at 2100! The new batteries are a lower spec (80 rather than 115) but it was either that or wait several days. Nevertheless, 6 good smaller batteries is a whole world better than 5 (one wasn't connected) knackered larger batteries. They should charge overnight with the shore power still connected, but already the improvement is remarkable.
Inshallah
Well, it's 17.32 and a couple of the marina team have just rocked up in their rib to ask what time are we leaving in the morning and can we pay their fees for electricity and water. Not a good sign. It's sunset now and we're still minus the batteries which now we know are dead, but the electrician didn't think to let us know this some hours ago, so we're in a situation where we have to wait for this chap to rock up and go with him into town to buy new ones. That's a job for Gordy & me if John is not back from paying our marina dues and waiting for the oil drums which have now securely padlocked away and not within quick release...maybe 4 hours.
So, we have no batteries of our own, useless as they were, no new ones and goodness knows what on earth I'll end up buying with our non english speaking electrician. No fuel until tomorrow as the customs paperwork is not completed and no clean laundry! We were hoping for decent outcome here in Hurghada as regards fixing our maintenance problems but it seems to be as God wills...Help!
Having the marina insist we pay their bill is very funny given that without batteries of any sort, where do they think we're going? We will hardly be able to sneak off in the night, will we?
Hurrah! Our laundrey has just arrived and squeaky clean and white. Thank goodness! No doubt John will update you in more detail later.
Bye for now x