position 18:18.0N 38:27.0E
Ocean Rival Journey Log
Adam Power Diana Power
Thu 23 Feb 2023 05:10
The wind continued to ease yesterday and hoisting the mainsail in the afternoon didn't help speed noticeably. The engine went on at 6pm as speed dropped below 3kn.
The engine has just gone off after a night of more careful watching out as we were expecting to be crossing traffic. Yesterday several batches of ships passed to our west and our route to Suakin was taking us across their path. In fact we saw no ships at all in the night. I changed the route plan to find an anchorage before dusk today as the entrance to Suakin is narrow between reefs and I don't fancy it in the dark. The Guide has several anchorage options in the Shubuk channel. The Shubuk channel is intriguing as it is shown buoyed on the chart but also green suggesting it dries. But the guide suggests that it is a good option for approaching Suakin away from traffic. We shall see.
The wind has picked up to 5-6kn from NE giving us 3-4kn speed with engine now off again-probably not for long.