30:20N 032:22E

Barryyelland
Wed 7 Sep 2011 11:04
TO:barryyelland+diary-026603 {CHANGE TO AT} mailasail {DOT} com
SU:30:20N 032:22E
Greetings from Great Bitter Lake in Suez Canal.
We started transit last night around midnight so saw little of life
around the canal and to top it off it was foggy at daybreak until we
arrived here. Mind you its really just a hole in the sand. We have to
wait for the northbound convoy to clear before we can continue down
to Suez and Red Sea.

we made really good time and got to Port Said anchorage at 1330
yesterday. We rigged a gangway and a pilot ladder ready for the
transit and later a strange face appeared at the wheelhouse window!
They had scaled the pilot ladder from a small boat and of course
were, what's the polite word, ah yeas, "traders".
Later some stores that I'd ordered arrived and the shipchandler
scrambled onboard but his boat then drifted away as the engine
failed! Eventually that was fixed and they came back and we loaded
our fresh veg. Paid the chandler and again the broke broke down
before he could get back on. Of course now its close to us picking up
the anchor and eventually the chandler left but not before the boat
would only go astern and took our small mooring line.

It was absolute chaos when we actually arrived inside Port Said
harbour as so many people boarded and needed bits of paper stamping
and the usual carton(s) of Marlboro. Everyone was busy loading
mooring boats and tending the gangway etc that there was no chance
with our small crew to control anything. So much for security levels,
safe manning etc!!

To be continued ...