Diary entry number fourteen - Suez canal Postition 29.56:85N, 32.34:39E
California of London
Allan and Ruth Dooley
Mon 27 Jul 2009 07:56
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The Pitcher family left the boat on Sunday 19
July and Allan rejoined me together with Lawrence Guthrie.
We left for Egypt on Monday evening after buying
up the local supermarket's supply of wine, beer and lots of food.
The 378 nautical mile voyage to Port Said took
exactly two and half days, mostly motoring but some downwind sailing on
jib. The wind was from the northwest and no more than 15 knots but
the sea state was rolly.
A convoy of ships was assembling at dawn as we
arrived at the canal entrance and we were met by a fleet of trawlers in the
channel as we made our way to Port Fouad. Whilst paperwork and
bureaucracy was sorted we took a car (air conditioned!) to Cairo to see the Giza
Pyramids and the Sphinx. The highlight though was a whistlestop whizz
around the Antiquities museum which included the Tutankhamum
exhibits.
With the help of "backsheesh" our agents
found us a pilot to commence the canal trip on Friday 24 July. We passed a
convoy of 14 ships heading north - a strange experience to be so close to such
huge container vessels. Friday night was spent half way along the canal at
Ismailia where we ate out and saw the house of Ferdinand de Lessep (the canal's
engineer).
Saturday and a new pilot took us to the south
end of the canal at Suez where Lawrence departed the boat. We are here
with one other yacht; the first we have seen since leaving
Rhodes!
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