Port Ghalib, Egypt - 1063 Nm of motoring - This was our last long passage ever
Sans Peur
Grete & Fred Vithen
Tue 15 Mar 2022 06:07
1063 Nm, Djibouti - Port Ghalib, Egypt. Our last long passage ever.
Vi started "sailing" from Djibouti 26 Feb and arrived in Port Ghalib, Egypt, 7 March. It means we arrived on day 9.
194 hours of motoring using 705 liter of disel.
Originally our plan was to stop in Suakin, Sudan, but we had calm weather then so we decided to continue instead.
Wind in the nose, no wind and at the end, 2 days, very very rough tough weather. The waves and swell was sometimes scary.
We desperately needed to fill up our tank from our jerry cans on deck. But no way out on Red Sea to rough.
On Navionics we found an anchorage at Marsa Imbarak, Egypt. We tried to call port control and Egyptian Navy several times.
No answer. At anchor we where approached by the military from a naval baste 2,5 Nm away. First behaving friendly and
then suddenly very unfriendly even threatening to arrest us. We called UKMTO with our Iridium Sat Phone and somehow
they manage to help us so we got permission to leave. Thank you! Very very scary moment.
Leaving Marsa Imbarak. Our anchor was stuck in the corals. Took some time and manoeuvring to manage to finally get away.
Port Ghalib. This is the first port of call in Egypt.
In order to be able to get to Port Suez and the Suez Canal we needed disel.
The only way is to clear in into Egypt. So we had to pay an agent 350 USD plus marina fees (40-50 USD/day)
7 hours to clear in and then the agent tells us that it will take 4-5 days to clear out. What???!!!
Then you need your agent to get permission from customs to fill a certain amount of disel.
We asked for 650 liters but needed 710. No no no just 650.
It took us two days of refilling the tank and the jerry cans carrying them back and forth to the petrol station. 1,18 USD/liter.
Not to bad.
Booring surroundings. Sand, sand, sand ....
On our way to "town" to find sim card. Took us 2 days to manage to get 2 cards at a price of 50 USD each for 40 GB.
In the marina they wanted 300 USD for the same cards.
This is where we are moored. Port Chalib is not a marina. There are no facilities. On top of that everything is basically dead.
Almost no tourists and a lot of shops and restaurants are closed. And everything is run by men. No women in sight anywhere.
Disturbing. We really long to get back to The Med now.
Due to bad weather, means strong wind in the nose and the Suez Canal closed for us, we need to stay here until 16 March.
On the 17 March is the first weather window with less wind.
There will be 286 Nm of motoring to Port Suez. Then the Suez Canal passage will take 2 days. Cost 744 USD.
In Port Suez we will be able to get max 300 liter of disel.
This is one of the "markets" where you are supposed to by supplies. NO NO NO. Happy we filled freezer and fridge at Casino and Geant in Djibouti.
We hope to be able to only use our own food and cook until we reach Greece (Paphos, Cyprus).