So it's Goodbye from me; and it's Goodbye from him

Julie’s Final Blog 

Last thoughts from me about our epic adventure.  They’re more to do with feelings and emotions than who did what when. Hope that’s alright with you chaps

Thanks to you all for following us.  To those of you who managed to work out how to post a comment on the site...well done!  I seemed to have picked the most incredibly difficult site for you all to add your helpful hints or plain old banter, so sorry about that. Will remember not to use blogger.com on the return journey! Hah! Just kidding. Sure, you’re all fed up from hearing from us by now. We’ll give you a rest from the Lawson’s.

My brain is scrambled from all the outstanding things we done and seen. I get so excited at seeing dolphins swimming with us that the only thing to do is chuck the camera overboard. Why would I need to take a picture? I finally remember how to tie my bowline knots and I’m the one John calls to set up the lines to secure the boat...how amazing is that?  I do have a memory like a sieve occasionally but luckily, when needed, this was not one of those times. 

The camaraderie of the crew was awesome. John and I started out as the fantastic duo, with John clearly playing Batman and The Lone Ranger type of role and me as the useless but trusty sidekick,  then Gordy joined us on the pretty island of Syros and we became the Three Musketeers; all for one and one for all, and then Sandra and Craig arrived in Bodrum and we grew into the Famous Five.  All of us bonded together as a team and nary a cross word was exchanged. It’s hard to predict how people will get along in close quarters over a specific time period but we were a perfect crew. Even given the spaciousness of the saloon and aft and fly deck space, once the humidity, the heat of the sun, the mosquitos, the constant problems with the engine batteries and no working loos, you could be forgiven for becoming slightly tetchy, but no, everyone just mucked in and sucked it up.

We couldn’t have done it without Gordy, Sandra and Craig and there’s no way that John and I would have wanted to.   

So now back to reality and day to day living, but with the happiness of knowing that at the weekends, we can pop down to Jeddah and mess about in the boat.  Either fixing something else that has conked out or just chillin’ and sitting back and relaxing and thinking…We’ve done it! We really did!

Wishing you all calm seas and remember that we would love to have you come aboard and experience the joys (and don’t forget the lows) of Athina herself.

Julie xx

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

Blog contributed by Gordy

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

Great news Johnny has just txt me
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.

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.

Julie and I each got an hour or 2 of sleep while Gordy manned the helm. Perhaps because of the smooth sea, it was easy to spot large game fish jumping in the distance and on 4 occasions we had dolphins swimming alongside. On one particularly special occasion a single dolphin surfed under the bow for about 5 minutes.

Port Ghalib have been impeccable; we called up on the radio 20 minutes out and they were expecting us. They accepted our request to go straight to the fuel quay. Modern pumps and clean facilities, equal to Hurghada and better than anywhere between Marmaris (all those years ago, it seems) and Hurghada. Unfortunately our facilities didn't live up to their standards. The right tank spilt about 5 litres through an overflow into their previously perfectly clear water. Worse was to come when they filled the 4th barrel on the bow; there was a pin sized hole about 1/3 down that jetted out a constant stream of diesel. Gordy and I lashed up the siphon kit and hand pump only to discover how bad the hand pump is. Over the next 30 minutes we pumped 1/3 of the fuel out of the offending tank and into the others. All in all, very unpleasant, embarrassing and it leaves us 70 litres short of planned. Obviously the boat smells like a fuel refinery once again.

We've now finished the refuel, re-positioned to a spot in front of the shops/restaurants, topped off the water, washed down the foredeck and plugged in shore power (with another plug change) - all before 19:00 so I'm pretty happy. The only slight failing is that I couldn't crack the admin of the exit formalities. The fellas were happy to do it this evening but we would have to move to a controlled area and Gordy couldn't come with us. The alternative is to wait till they come in at an Egyptian 09:00 tomorrow and wait an estimated Egyptian 90 minutes to complete paperwork. It's not ideal because it will probably lead to an afternoon arrival in Jeddah but at least we'll get another good night's sleep. Net result will be insufficient time to complete Saudi immigration formalities before the start of their weekend, so the boat will likely be impounded in the commercial dock for the weekend.

Tomorrow sees us lose Gordy which will be another really sad moment. We could never have got this far without his help. He's got stuck into things every day and always remains positive no matter how tired he is or how nasty the job. We're really going to miss his company, his stories and his help.

The leg to Jeddah is by far and away our longest (370NM against a previous longest of 210 NM to Port Said) and we're down to just Julie and I. The forecast looks good and I'm hoping that we'll get a repeat of today's gentle chop. I'm a bit daunted at the thought of running the engines non-stop for 25-30 hours, though they've not missed a beat so far. I'm also concerned about staying awake for 2 days but we're stocked up on coffee and red bull. The refuel is my last worry but if the sea is calm it should be possible to safely siphon in each drum on the move. The plan will be to refuel as soon as there's space in the boat's tanks; three refuels of 2 barrels each time.

Time for some dinner and, hopefully, a good night's sleep.

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.

The fuel drums are aboard. They're pretty shabby and will benefit from a swill through with a couple of litres of diesel, if the fuel dock will allow tomorrow. When that's done we'll fashion some means of securing them so that they're not washed overboard with the first wave to crest the bows.

The laundry also arrived and I've cleared all bills. I'm beginning to believe that we'll get away on time after all. Really pleased. To top everything we found a plug in mossie killer in the local shop. Although it's only had a few minutes I'm really hopeful that we'll get a great nights sleep tonight.

Inshallah

Hi, Julie here

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

Maintenance day

I trotted off to my 09:00 appointment with the marina manager with a wad of paperwork, maps and questions. The fella rocked up just before 10:00 and we worked through the queries. All positive answers but most actions were going to fall on me. He explained that the electrician was booked for 11:00 and he showed me some dirty old fuel drums that I could have for EGP150 each. While I waited for the electrician I e-mailed Port Ghalib marina, near Marsa Alam and outlined our request for tomorrow night. At 12:00, still waiting for the electrician, I went downtown to try to source the makings of a fuel siphon. Come back at 13:30 was the result. At 13:20 the electrician finally arrived. He spoke little english but the conclusion seemed to be that the 6 domestic batteries are knackered. I agree, so he removed them and took them away with a promise to return in 2 hours. I hoped he'd return with new batteries but the detail was lost in the language barrier. It's now gone 4 hours and he still hasn't returned.

The 13:30 meeting downtown proved less that fruitful. The shop manager insisted on inspecting the boat but he spoke no english so everything was done by drawing. That didn't help because he then spent the next hour or two trying to sell me wholly inappropriate and expensive bits. I finally settled on 12 metres of pipe, a tap and a tired looking hand pump. The tap has been beautifully connected but the hand pump is a bit of an afterthought.

I chased the fuel drums with the marina manager at 14:30 and again at 16:00. I'm still waiting.... I'd really like to get them before it gets too dark so we can lash them to the deck. I had also arranged a refuel at 15:00 but that too hasn't happened and it's now been pushed to the morning. It's been a day of egyptian timing.

We need to get away early tomorrow to get to Port Ghalib in sufficient time to complete exit paperwork, refuel and get set up for an early start on Tuesday for the 30ish hour trip to Jeddah. In order to go I need batteries (old or new), oil drums, the laundry back and, ideally, a refuel. Having set this as today's target I'm feeling disappointed to be watching the sunset knowing that the only real result so far has been the siphon kit. Nevertheless, it's a great place to watch the sunset.

Two steps forward, no steps back

Not the best morning. Was still furious with the ineptitude of the agent last night, woke up with the trots, the bilge pumps are not working (I shifted 10 buckets of grot from the bottom of the boat yesterday and Gordy shifted another 7 this morning), the domestic battery bank was completely flat again (and everything was off overnight), and the generator has started to leak fuel when running, so the boat smelt like an oil refinery. Everything seems to be falling apart; the toilet flush hasn't worked on the forward toilet for days and the other toilet now seems to be recycling content rather than removing it. The pump to empty the holding tank (toilet contents and cause of the insane stink that recurs every few days) isn't working and, most importantly, neither the automatic nor the switched bilge pumps are working, so the boat is steadily sinking. All in, I'd had better mornings.

After setting off, it seemed pretty calm, so we had a chat and decided to push for Hurghada straight away. It was the right decision because we were most of the way across before the swell and wind cut in. The last hour required a bit of work but it was still short of yesterday's conditions.

As we got close to Hurghada the holding tank pump finally kicked into life, removing the stench and improving morale. My current working theory is that the pumps (bilge, holding tank, toilet, etc.) all work off the domestic supply, so if that's completely flat, even with the engine alternator running, there's insufficient current available to run the pumps. With Craig gone, none of us have the skills to sort it. I asked the agent for an electrician yesterday morning but the chap he came up with was a halfwit who knew less than me. Then we had some help from an Israeli fella on a nearby boat but he never really had sufficient time because we were keen to get away. I'm hoping the marina will come up with a competent electrician tomorrow morning, but I'm prepared to leave without a fix. We're on shore power now so the batteries are finally getting some sustained help.

Hurghada Marina is ace. Professional, clean, supportive and great surroundings, so morale took an instant boost. We were in and sorted with the marina before the agent knew we had arrived, so he was immediately on the back foot. I knew the price of the mooring and the price of fuel. I'd also got the marina manager onto sourcing fuel barrels. The agent wasn't best pleased and arrived for a meeting on the boat. It was the sweetest part of the day for me. A Harrier Weapons Instructor debrief on the performance of Felix agency to date, followed by the dismissal of their services. It's possible that I'm taking on more risk but I feel that a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. They don't seem to have any expertise and every time I talk to them they're after more money.

We were able to wash all of the salt off the boat in the afternoon and get things generally cleaned up. Followed by a shower, shopping for a replacement boat hook and dinner, all is well with the world once again. Tomorrow I hope to find a competent electrician and sort out a plan for the final 2, exceptionally long, legs.

The Oasis in the Red Sea

Hello from Jules

It's 13:55 and we're in the heaven that is Hurghada Marina. Bliss. Check out the pics and compare them to Port Sharm. It's like another world. One where they actually like tourists and welcome you by knocking officialdom into a cocked hat, completing formal paperwork in minutes and handing you a key to the private shower and toilets and a laundry list! My god, I could kiss their feet, if only for the shower and the laundry list. When you've dodgy plumbing and leaking water pumps, then having your laundry cleaned properly is like manna from heaven. Ask Sandra & Craig. They know we are not joking!

We left Sharm in rather a hurry this morning at 07:30. We checked the engine bilges and they were flooded again so Gordy volunteered to scoop out the mess and we got rid of the pollution by less than decent means and hit the waters quick smart, before anyone noticed. Feel very bad about that, but what can you do?
After yesterday's heaving to and fro, we were praying that the seas were kind to us today as we couldn't bear to contemplate going back. Initially, we were doing 15kts and only a few white horses to be seen, and before we knew it we were over halfway at 09:30. John was manually steering again after this because the swells picked up and we had to slow to 12kts and just keep our fingers crossed the wind wouldn't get any worse. Our luck held and soon we were gently motoring into the marina. We did try to contact them on the radio and on the mobile, but in the end we simply turned up and they soon came to help us berth along the jetty. We tied up stern to but with no other boat beside us so it was easy peasy. Out came the electric cable and we were back to the safety of someone else's electricity supply instead of relying on our generator which this morning seemed to be leaking fuel.
John has booked us in for 2 nights here as we could do with a break from doom and gloom. Everything is new and bright and clean here. The shops and restaurants are painted in bright Mediterranean colours and having modern facilities an inch away from your gang plank is so refreshing.
Both Gordy and John are feeling a bit jaded, and I think, suffering slightly from my delhi belly. Sorry about that guys. Gordy has reached his final port of call and in a couple of days is headed for the luxury of the Hurghada Hilton and then home to Alex. Meanwhile, hopefully they'll feel better soon and we can enjoy the last couple of days together stress free and get some more snorkelling done.  Hope you like the pics of yesterday's swim.

Take care y'all

Jules x

One step forward, two steps back

At 09:00 we paid Dick Turpin what was by far and away our most expensive fee (for probably the poorest facilities and service). Unsurprisingly, the dive tanks were not ready as promised by 10:00 and the shop owner was most put out when I wasn't prepared to wait another Egyptian 10 minutes. That enabled us to get away just after 11:00. I never thought I'd be pleased to be leaving Sharm el Sheikh, but I was really happy to watch Ras Mohammed and the chaotic crowd of dive boats slip by.

As we cleared the point the waves were big, but manageable. The wind was blowing a steady stream of white horses off the crests. The mixing of waters from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez was likely to make the waters choppy here but we were still protected to an extent by the reefs further north. The question was what would happen further out. Unfortunately the answer was bigger and bigger swells, all perpendicular to our desired track. No matter how I attacked the waves I couldn't find a safe way through. The boat was rolling wildly, the forward cabin was soaked and everything in the salon was strewn all over the floor. The liferaft was sliding across the flybridge floor. The only option was to turn back.

When we re-entered the protection of Ras Mohammed we came across a pod of dolphins swimming in the bow. In her excitement Julie immediately threw the new camera overboard (so no more pictures). We then headed for a mooring buoy in one of the bays with the idea of reviewing the weather and having a snorkel to restore morale. Trying to pick up the buoy, the boat hook extension wasn't locked, so that too slipped overboard. The team then grabbed the brush to try to get the buoy; the head came off and that too disappeared overboard!

The buoy was finally captured in a very 'not by the book' exercise in which Gordy dived over the side, swam to it and tied our line to the buoy. He then set off after the brush head, that was floating 100m away, and recovered it. Unfortunately the boat hook had sunk and it was far too deep to free dive down to.

We returned to the dock at last light and entered into a very untidy argument with the agent who was relaying a demand for US$400 for another night. Although we ended up paying EGP300 (about £30), it was a very unpleasant debate and we're obliged to leave by 07:00am. Really has turned an already unpleasant experience into a miserable one. The weather forecast predicts a slight abatement of the wind this afternoon and I'm really determined not to spend another night here. We have a plan to move to the bay where we lost the boat hook and wait for the forecast wind easing. While we're there, if I can see the boat hook, I'll try fishing for it. Then we'll set off and try to make some headway up the eastern coast of the Gulf of Suez, against the wind. If we can get 10 miles up the coast before we turn for Hurghada, we should have the waves behind us to a degree, so the boat should roll less (as long as I can stop it swinging as we plane down the swells).

Bon Voyage Athina

Well it was with a heavy heart and after a quick dip in the Red Sea and a final  shower off on the swim platform that Sandra and myself  had to leave Athina this afternoon in the rather poorly equipped dockside of Sharm El Sheikh and I sadly find myself sat in row something or other being bumped every time the orange clad girls pass down the aisle after a truly magical adventure with Julie, John and Gordy.

Our last night was spent enjoying well earned relaxing Birthday drinks and eats in the Camel rooftop Bar watching Johnny unwind with mucho mojito's and  Sakarah Golds and Woo Woo cocktails and tropical Daquiri's for the ladies before blagging ourselves beautifully into Little Buddha Bar.......easy!! "where's Mr Ben??"

My birthday morning was spent slowly waking up after the night before (and I hope) getting to the bottom of another power distribution problem that saw the Domestic bank of 6 batteries voltages decay and a few minutes trying to diagnose the Fwd Heads! ( ADF Log for that one mate) but I'll draw out the circuit in my head and update you, and make you use that multiple-meter!

Let's be under no illusion that it hasn't been plain sailing and understanding Athina's features and her complex personality whilst being under way, has been challenging but despite the hurdles and ever lacking Egyptian brokers, Johnnys detailed strategy planning together with Gordy's pin point Nav skills has put Athina exactly where she needed to be to make our rather limited time scales and preposition them for a short transit over to Hurghada to some better facilities before pushing South.

I feel privileged to have contributed to this voyage and epic story so far and only sorry I couldn't carry on with you guys to your final destination but the experience and your friendship has left me feeling inspired much like any truly great holiday, dive, climbing a mountain or reading a good book does and I'm grateful for that and will always be so. As I said last night in the Camel Bar that's the end of the all inclusive, package holidays for us honey........bring on the adventure Lawson style!  

Safe journey, fair winds and Godspeed Athina, Julie and Captain Johnny. Chief of the boat will be watching, that's assuming I had my Chiefs rank reinstated???

I know both Julie & Johnny put a great deal of honesty,heart and soul into the blog so please support them and "Get Blogging" and thanks to all who have commented thus far.

Suez Dawn

The 0520 morning departure from Port Suez was text book, cast off and Athina turned gracefully, with little adjustment from a tired looking Johnny, to point south out into the Red Sea as the first glimpses of morning sun probed through. As we passed what must have been up to 30 ships of various sizes either starting their own journey North through the Suez or laid up waiting for the go command, we were free again and once set on a heading, the twin turbo Penta's were pushed up to 2200  rpm and once again roaring.

Once into the main shipping channel we felt the full swell and the 30kt southern wind and Johnny deselected the autopilot and spent the next 5-6 hours keeping the bows riding the waves with consummate grace albeit it with a few bum-clenching moments as we flew over the crests of the larger waves at max speed plunging the bows deep into the preceding wave only to feel her wash off the breaker and raise her head. Arguably Mr Lawsons finest hour as that took some real skill but let's not blow too much sunshine up his aft quarters !!

The change of track onto an easterly heading through the Gas well heads and platforms was inspired as the shelter from the heavy swell aided our progress and allowed Johnny a well deserved break from wrestling the wheel. I took the con for the easy last hour past the dive site of the HMS Thistlegorm which was busy with 5 or 6 dive live-aboards ( next time baby! ) around beacon point and past the beautiful reefs and rocky outcrops of Ra's Mohammad and beneath the peaks of the Mount Sinai range Which were starting to glow in the amber evening sun. Sandra drove the final leg into Sharm harbour as all the day trip dive and cruise boats were returning  before Captain Johnny slipped us effortlessly alongside. Beer O'clock after a long 185 mile day but Athina didn't miss a beat.

Julie's thoughts

Hi me hearties

Feeling pretty poorly today as evidenced by John's gorgeous pic of me in the throes of delhi belly or something similar. If you're following our adventure, you have to take the vileness of a tummy bug as well as the glamour. Hopefully, will be better tomorrow. John's purchased some dive tanks so at long last we might actually get to swim and dive in the water! Hurrah!

We hit a landmark on the 5th Oct sailing into Sharm. We've actually sailed 1000 nautical miles since our journey began (1150 road miles to all you landlubbers!) So of course, that called for a celebration in Naama Bay as well as celebrating John's birthday on the 5th and Craig's on the 6th. Hence, we're all feeling pretty shabby today except for Gordy, who sensibly watched what he was doing and called it an early night. Wished I had gone with him, the Buddha Bar is not my cup of tea! But it was John's birthday and his choice of venue.

Sorry to have had to say goodbye to Craigh & Sandra. They will be sorely missed for their company as well as their sailing skills. All the best to both of them for their wedding in November.

Cheers, m'dears, catch up again soon

Jules x

Sharm el Sheikh

We really wanted to get out of here today - not because the timeline requires it, rather because we're in the commercial port and it's not particularly nice. We've been positioned on a quay that is clearly designed for large ships. The quayside is a large parking area for freight; there are no facilities for yachts (such as electricity points or water) and even the bollards are too far apart. The toilet is not usable so we're using the onboard toilets more than normal and they're playing up. Coupled with the consequences of last nights birthday party, motivation is a bit low.

Julie's eaten something that has disagreed with her, so she's spent much of the day dozing by a bucket. Craig and Sandra left at 14:30 to head for the airport and their flight back to Manchester. All very sad. I'm really going to miss their company and I know that the loss of their contribution adds a lot of pressure to the 3 of us.

We finally completed port formalities and the refuel at about 17:00, so we were cleared to go. However, there has been a language mix up with the payment. I told the agent that I only had EGP5000, so that's how much fuel I wanted. He pushed for a fuel figure in litres, so I explained that we could only fill up if I could pay by visa. "That's OK, there is a visa machine outside". With that understanding I filled to full then he took me outside. When he stopped at an ATM cash point it became clear that his idea of a visa machine was an ATM. With a bank daily withdrawal limit of EGP4000, we're way short of his EGP13500 bill (including USD700 for agency fees, cruising permit, customs, marine inspection .... ). The ATM would not accept my credit cards so we're going to be juggling Julie's cards tonight then try again tomorrow morning!

When I was downtown I found a dive shop, so I've got 2 tanks and weights on order for tomorrow 10:00am. We'll see what happens but there's potential for a bit of diving en-route to Hurghada.

Suez dawn to Sharm el Sheikh dusk

A long long day. We had 190 Nautical miles to do to get to the birthday party so it was another 4-hour night and off before the dawn. The weather got progressively rougher but it was a tailwind, so that allowed us to push on beyond sensible limits. The swell solved the poorly thought through fuel plan because the boat was surfing down the waves at about 20kt. Eventually common sense got the better and we fought our way over to the eastern shore in the hope of finding a smaller swell. Several hours later that paid off.

Not much to say. The usual calculations and re-calculations about whether the fuel would reach. Calculations and re-calculations about whether we would get in before dark. Some dolphins at about halfway and again at 3/4 distance and again on arrival. Generally just a really long day made more difficult by the need to drive the boat manually through the rolling swell.

Arrival was perfect, about 20 minutes after sunset. The last line went on just as the light faded completely.

Tomorrow we lose Craig and Sandra. That will be a really sad moment.

Suez Canal part 2

Funny how things pan out. The sequence of delays this morning really took the shine off the excitement of driving through the canal. Although the sights were every bit as special as yesterday, I couldn't help but focus on how far behind our planned timings we were, and how that was going to equate to a really long slog tomorrow. The pilot let us push the speed up but we still ended up in Suez, needing a refuel, with little time before sunset.

The debate of 'shall we push on to get 90 minutes under our belt' or 'should we stay in a safe anchorage' was solved when the right engine starting problem recurred. At this point the day was looking pretty grim. The pilot was hard work and argued persistently for a wholly undeserved increase in tip. The refuel was shambolic and I felt we were being fleeced by the agent, we had a long day ahead, and now the engine wouldn't start.

I proposed a take-away, work on the engine and get things in good shape for an early get away. Craig and Gordy got on with the work. Back in Paphos we had proven the starter on the quayside so the electrics were the suspected villain. Every battery was individually disconnected and checked in the sauna that is the engine room after a day's motoring. The girls got more provisions and the marina manager, Karkar, mucked in. After the batteries all proved to be good, we were back to the starter motor. Although it works on the quayside, maybe it struggles under load. Craig and Gordy removed both and did a side by side comparison in the salon. The contacts were dirty and one was a bit loose - maybe that was the snag. The good starter was fitted to the non-starting engine and disappointment was huge when it still wouldn't start.

By now Karkar had proven his worth and morale was on the up, despite the engine frustration. It was nice to meet someone who was genuinely keen to help. He organised a take-away of bbq chicken and kebab, bought battery connectors and other missing spares and generally ran around solving problems.

By 2200 we were still working the problem when the port police, who are paid off by the agents, called the agents to let them know that Karkar was helping us. Recognising, that they were missing out on commission, they rocked up with an engineer. The fella was not welcomed with open arms, but Craig walked him through the 5 hours of non-stop work that he had done. It became apparent that this fella knew his stuff. He was a whirlwind of action, picking up the analysis quickly and moving on. About 3 minutes after arriving the fault was known - the positive in the ignition circuit was dropping to earth. Another 5 minutes and he'd checked the switches and found the faulty wire on the engine harness.

Obviously, this has been great banter for me. Craig spends days working the problem without success; along comes a local and the boat's completely sorted in 8 minutes. I'm not admitting that his work allowed the local to discount a whole series of potential faults, saving hours. Clearly Craig has been put on review and warned that the local may get his bunk!

4 Oct Lake Timsah to Port Suez

Blog update from Julie

We continued on our journey along the Canal at 11.30am, a good 2 hours later than promised the night before. Inshallah! There was a slight hitch with the right engine struggling to kick over but Craig & Gordy triumphed eventually and off we went.

A new pilot boarded who did take the controls and determine the speed of our vessel, sometimes slowly behind the supertankers and sometimes hitting 21 knots to overtake them and make up some lost time. We were feeling euphoric that the end of beaurocracy was in sight and our goal to hit Sharm sooner rather than much later was on target. Oh dear..Allah gives and Allah takes away.

We arrived in Port Suez at 14.45 to re-fuel and drop off the surly (bit creepy) pilot and had to go through the faff of refueling by jerry cans again which took a couple of hours. When we were ready to depart, the right engine coughed and spluttered and would not start. At least, not within the necessary time limit to carry us to the next pit stop before sun down. A decision was made to stay in Port Suez where we would be close to being able to purchase new batteries and have electricity and water available and advice and help from the yacht club manager to get the bits we need. Craig is once again stripped to the waist and spending his evening in the heat of the engine bay. Much as he loves tinkering, this is supposed to be a holiday as well! Methinks Sandra will be glad to get back home to the UK and finally have Craig to herself!

Craig's Thoughts pt 2

I forgot to mention lunch ala Pilkington was Freshly made burger patties with caramelized onions with cheese and pickle.

Nice work baby. Beauty.

Craig's Thoughts

Well once the shady dealings of the Port Said brokers was complete and after a minor faff with
No2 ECU and the Anchor Mohammad the pilot embarked and we were heading southbound in one of the busiest shipping channels in the world.

Truly magical experience passing centuries of history at 11 Kts and being confronted by some marine leviathans of the container-ship and oil tanker varieties without a soul visible. Sandra and Julie waving at the whistling Soldiers on sentry posts seeking attention. The refuge of previous conflicts littering areas with tanks and vehicles.

We passed an Mechanised Egyptian Army unit looking as if they were just about to practice a river fording exercise who duly waved to the girls.

The juxtaposition between our wee vessel at 14 tonnes passing a monster 400,000-odd tonne vessel and sandwiched between were a rowing boat with non-plussed fishermen swaying precariously in the wakes of both was extraordinary.

A truly special day finished off with a few beers and some dinner at a random French hotel. The Mercure! Hoping to make some better progress tomo and break free from the Dick Turpin-esque muggings of the Felix agency brokers and into the Red Sea.

Beauty.

Julie's Thoughts

Hello landlubbers

John has pretty much said it all and described our feelings perfectly. We are all amazed at the sight of an engineering phenomena. Words and our photos can only hint at the excitement of travelling the Suez Canal. We've waved to all the ships passing and the people on the banks, and nearly all waved back, even the army. A few wolf whistles for both Sandra and Craig..he has made a couple of conquests on our way here! Say no more..
The team are suffering from mosquito bites aplenty. In Sandra's case they are more like mountains than lumps. Sandra is a star and has mucked in from day one and  now her rolling hitches to tie the boat's fenders on securely are a legend. (to my shame, I am struggling with them, although I have cracked the bowline knot) She is also an ace in the kitchen as witnessed today by her outstanding homemade burgers. They will be terribly missed when they depart us at Sharm.
From the ladies point of view travelling in male dominated regions means we have had to put up with awful toilets and shower facilities. In Port Faoud the chaps had a green marble wash area, with fancy showers and loos. Sandra and I had manky loos, no showers at all and an infestation of ants!  In our desperation to freshen up, we hijacked the men's showers and had Gordy on sentry duty to prevent any intrusion into our much needed hose down.
I was almost tempted to bring a stow away aboard. A determined little dog took a shine to us and followed us whenever we left the boat. She had a badly mangled ear and fleas, to judge by the endless scratching but she was the sweetest creature and simply wanted a bit of affection. Aah.
Well, it's 18.30 and we're in Lake Timsah. We girls have commandeered the music and are listening to the Carpenters (the lads are rolling their eyes and wishing it was David Guetta) and Gordy, Craig and John are once again trying to fix the outboard on the tender. We're down on our provisions and could do with a top up of beer and the odd bit of food! I guess at some point we'll hire a taxi and hit the hot spots of Crocodile city. Timsah is arabic for crocodile..so no swimming in the lake for us then!

Catch you all later