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).