28.13N 33.36E

JENNY
Alan Franklin/ Lynne Gane
Sat 4 Apr 2009 10:17
Hello everybody
 
We are still weather bound in EL TUR with two other yachts Evelyn (Australian ) and Pelle (Swedish) we all came in here within 5hrs of one another us being the last.
The majority of the fleet are still back in Hurgarda waiting for a weather window which looks as though it might be possible  to leave  tonight we are just waiting for the wind to reduce from the current 22knts and the sea state to calm down.Various boats are spread out all the way up the Red Sea just waiting as soon as there is a break we all move up to the next bolt hole or even farther if the conditions allow.
You would not believe just how rough it is,the largest and strongest boat in the fleet was stopped dead by a wave day before yesterday in fact he thought he had hit something and we are talking about a 25 tonne boat of 63ft,in these conditions the boats certainly take a hammering.
 
Being grouped together we make the most of it,last night it was sundowners (17.30 to 20,00 ) on our boat and the night before it was sundowners on Pelle if we are here tonight it will be Evelyn's turn if we leave there is always another port for the return visitmind you its pretty dangerous moving between the boats in our rib with the wind and waves we are the taxi.
 
On the way here we had a serious water leak from the windlass (this is a winch located near the bow for pulling the anchor up),Alan and myself stripped it down yesterday which took 4/5hrs all told but we need spares as one of the bearings has gone,but we have managed to keep it working for the moment and will have to tape it up before we leave in an effort to seal it.
 
The weather forecasts in the Red Sea are unreliable and quite often they show wind speeds of 9/10 knts and when you get out the wind is blowing 25knts + but we will see later.We have about 115nm to our destination which we could do in 20/24hrs given a flat sea motoring as the wind will be on our nose as it has been most of the time on the other hand we may only manage to get 60nm to the next bolt hole we never know.
 
We hope you are all keeping well at home despite the financial situation I will be back in the midst of it all on the 14th April and Jenny on the 25th Alan has yet to book his flight I think he needs a holiday in Crete.