tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6752564716991356852024-03-13T16:32:49.423-07:00Freedom at seaProvocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-74775925380012385142014-06-01T02:57:00.003-07:002014-06-01T02:57:33.929-07:00The Differences Between Motor-Boaters and Sailors<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">While we have been cruising in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> I have been struck
by the difference between people who drive motorboats and the visiting long
distance sailors, who live onboard their boats.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The first obvious difference is the size of their bellies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Most motorboaters have large waistlines, and there is a good reason for
this: Motorboats are very boring modes of transport. Even to a median
intelligence, the fun of driving a motorboat is limited to about half an hour.
During this time the driver will turn onto his own wake to bounce through it in
a vain attempt to make driving his motorboat interesting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It is rather like driving a sports car down a bad road littered with
puddles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The novelty wears off quickly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As a result motorboaters invent things to do, which sometimes involves
dragging somebody around behind them on skis, but more usually entails buying
expensive fishing equipment to catch and torture fish. If the anti-hunting
league ever discovered what deep-sea anglers do for sport, they would find lots
of reasons to interfere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What happens after the “sport” has taken place is that the motorboaters
assemble at a club or a bar where they discuss and compare the size of the fish
they have killed. They also compare the size of the engines they have to power
their boats. It is not unusual to see more than a thousand horsepower of
engines strapped to the transom of a twenty foot boat. The only other places
that I have seen this excess of power on boats has been Gibraltar Smuggling
Boats and Arab Oil Sheiks’ Boats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">All this comparative chatter is accompanied by drinking beer, which is
why most longstanding ardent motorboaters have big bellies. I believe that
there is a direct relationship between the number of excess inches of belly fat
to the number of cylinders of engines used to power each individual’s boat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Motorboaters are generous people and are ready to buy rounds of drinks
to keep their social standing in their group. Mean ones don’t last long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Long-distance sailors on the other hand are usually lean, and many of
them don’t drink alcohol at all. Part of the reason for this is that they don’t
have room on their boats for bottles and cans, but also that their lives depend
on being responsible for their boats twenty four hours a day. They also are
often cruising on a shoestring and they regard group drinking to be too
expensive for their small budgets. Sailors have to plan their lives with care
because they have to ensure their resources will last until they can find work
or restock their boats from shore-bound investments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">They have a bond to other sailors that is similar to the motorboaters’
social groups, but their conversations are very different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In-between these two groups are the Catamaran Sailors. They do not fit
into either faction as their boats are a sort of underpowered motorboat with a
sail. Their method of propulsion is to motor in a direction and, if the wind is
suitable, to unfurl a sail. Very few of them will actually sail their boats
because a catamaran is a pig to sail. It has a poor windward performance unless
fitted with leeboards of some kind, and they are almost impossible to tack. The
first thing a catamaran sailor does when sailing and something goes wrong is to
start the engines. They are also obsessed with speed, which is where the
catamaran scores over the monohull sailing boat but only when sailing off the
wind. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A catamaran is at its best when stationary, when it becomes a good platform from which to snorkel or dive, or when enjoying a sun-downer on deck.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Catamaran sailors seldom discover the real essence of sailing which is
the enjoyment of the sailing rather than the goal of “getting there”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Long distance sailing is a question of loving being at sea for as long
as possible, and the arrival at a destination is not the goal, but the
termination of a yearning experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ocean racing sailors of course are in a fringe class of their own, which
requires them to live in extremely uncomfortable conditions with lack of sleep,
poor food and an ability to sleep in other people’s beds, and to not change
clothes for weeks at a time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The so-called ‘Non Stop Round the World Sailors’ are, of course,
misnamed. They usually sail down the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Atlantic</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, around that large
iceberg that is situated at the South Pole and then back up the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Atlantic</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. A true ‘Round the
World Sailor’ would, I believe, have to go through both the </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Suez</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Panama</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Canals</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and visit at least
twenty countries. They sometimes call in to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and they are so
interesting and so modest about their achievements. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There is another difference between these two main groups, and this can
be observed at refuelling docks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Motorboaters tend to arrive at speed and then engage reverse thrust, and
the consequent froth, noise and reaction is music to their souls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sailors either get their fuel with a jerry can, or if compelled to use a
refuelling dock, they arrive with fenders in place, lines at the ready and do
not rely on large applications of power to get into position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">When leaving a dock sailors take pride in using the wind, drifting away
sometimes with the use of a long line to veer the boat, then raising a sail and
edging away into the current.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Motorboaters like to feel the power, so power thrust and digging in the
transom is their feeling of control. The fact that wake rocks everybody else
around is usually ignored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As for jet ski riders…. I would seriously consider immigrating to any
country that has a permanent ban on these contraptions!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-527721133759549972014-05-19T06:55:00.000-07:002014-05-19T06:55:04.915-07:00Seychelles pictures and commentsHere are a few photographs of the Seychelles taken during our cruise around the islands:<br />
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Seychelles Yacht Club, Victoria Harbour</div>
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Shopping with the locals in the market</div>
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Even the egrets come to check out the produce</div>
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Aspirations for the future</div>
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School wall with message in Creole</div>
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Freedom ready to depart for another cruise</div>
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Fishermen in the Harbour</div>
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Transport to and from the boat</div>
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American warship at anchor off Victoria</div>
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Marlene signalling to the warship that our intentions are friendly</div>
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Ave Maria Island</div>
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Eroded Rocks</div>
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Isolated beach with no shore access</div>
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One of our favourite snorkelling places</div>
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Young diver who helped us with his crowbar when our anchor was snagged</div>
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The laziness of sailing with an autopilot</div>
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Another arduous day in paradise</div>
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French warship on fire in Victoria Harbour.</div>
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Perhaps the Chef burnt the Crepe Suzette?</div>
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Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-31412640128538462632014-05-02T07:38:00.000-07:002014-05-02T07:38:11.497-07:00Seychelles
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">One of the
first things that you notice in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> is that everyone seems to walk
slowly.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It only takes three days for you to realise why!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Firstly,
nothing is very far from anything else, so speed is not necessary, but also
walking any faster than a stroll works up a sweat in this humid atmosphere. The
main island Mahé is thirty kilometres from nose to tail, and only six
kilometres wide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There are
exceptions to this speed rule: I saw one female jogger who seemed to be a Laura
Croft look-alike complete with pony-tail, armband heart monitor, dumbbells in
hands and thighs that could crack a coconut. But people like this are rare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
islanders are a cosmopolitan collection of people who seem to live with great
tolerance of each other. They smile easily, don’t raise their voices and we
have yet to hear an adult ticking off a child, or even to hear a child cry:
sounds that are all too common in European countries. Even the very few dogs we
saw wander the streets wagging their tails. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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seychelles contingent at the carnival</div>
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carnival, south african team</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It is thirty
five years since I was last in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and during that time many things
have changed, and some things thankfully have remained the same. There has been
a communist government followed by a government that has tried to realise the
potential of these islands with foreign investment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As a result
there are some hideous new buildings; islands created out of what were once
shallow coral fringed bays, hotels like the Savoy and Hilton which are not
known for their sympathetic attitude to indigenous needs and worst of all,
eight large windmills designed to capture energy from the wind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area is an equatorial climate zone which
is known as the doldrums, which has light balmy winds and the odd squall from a
passing thunderstorm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Windmills
such as these have been an eyesore around the world, and on average produce
less than 25% of the energy that the manufacturers claim of these ugly
machines, in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">windy</i> areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Here they
are an example of politicians bowing to the Global Warming debate without any knowledge
of the false claims made by the “bandwagon riders’ who perpetuate the myth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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Wind Generator doing nothing</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I digress
again, however it is interesting that these large International Hotels seem to
have no guests at all, whereas the small locally run establishments appear to
be well supported. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is even an
abandoned hotel on the western coast which is completely deserted and now looks
like a beached Cruise Liner waiting for Nature to reclaim it back, by covering
it with vegetation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I was
mentally congratulating the Seychelles Government for banning Cruise Ships when
one appeared. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I was
disappointed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">These
grotesque looking vessels slip into harbours all round the world, disgorge
their passengers who wander the streets of the host island donating nothing and
buying little. They leave port within 24 hours, thereby avoiding port fees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You have
heard the Internet joke about it being better to retire to a Cruise Ship rather
than a retirement home, because the service is better, the rooms are cleaner
and when you die they just slip you overboard at sea? Well judging from the
walking dead that came off this ship in </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Victoria</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Harbour</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, I would imagine that the Captain
knows the burial service off by heart. It was like looking at the scene from
Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, with the ghouls shuffling through town. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I imagine
that these ships are safe from pirates in these waters, because who would pay
to have any of these hostage passengers back?</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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Mahe, Port Victoria</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">On the plus
side, buildings that despoil the beauty of the mountains have been kept to a
minimum, so that many of the famous vistas of the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> remain unspoiled. On some islands
there are no buildings at all, and only bicycles are available as transport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The bays
that have made </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> famous as nearly deserted beaches
fringed with shady trees remain as they always were, and for that I salute the
powers that be, because once lost, these icons will never again be recaptured.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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Tropical forest down to sea level</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have
been able to drift past the headlands while the island passes by like an
enormous painting of tropical forest punctuated by inlets and bays of
unbelievable beauty. In many places the interference from man is zero so that
the rocks and palm trees must be as they were hundreds of years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have
anchored in bays in which we have been alone and it is easy to imagine that we
are anywhere in the world where forest meets beach meets surf meets sea.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGlnfd8lhnygNAc17He3mFG67pjchyS65B7X_TGA0VIixFsPSvK3CPhtwl0xtF63m6bqlzPvxrYX-fyD0g7XgQCXk7tnll5UqjttTmEFbqwdsFmkDFIVmIdpnmMXEUMdi8-RMC9NplzyY/s1600/Private+beach+on+a+private+island.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGlnfd8lhnygNAc17He3mFG67pjchyS65B7X_TGA0VIixFsPSvK3CPhtwl0xtF63m6bqlzPvxrYX-fyD0g7XgQCXk7tnll5UqjttTmEFbqwdsFmkDFIVmIdpnmMXEUMdi8-RMC9NplzyY/s1600/Private+beach+on+a+private+island.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And to
plunge overboard is to be transported into a world of colour beyond
imagination. Clouds of tropical fish allow us into their world and after a
cursory check, leave us to enjoy their antics as they guard their nests, pursue
their rivals and engage in displays that involve colour changes and posturing.
We have seen turtles being cleaned by wrasse, we have watched rays swim in
close formation and we have watched angelfish chase larger fish in a most
unangelic fashion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Each time
we swim among these fish in their coral gardens we find a new one that we
haven’t seen before and which isn’t in the “book” so we have the momentary
thought that maybe we have discovered a new species. But how to remember the
colours when you surface? They are too fantastical to explain or document in
normal earthly terms. And so the new discovery remains for someone else to
document and record.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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another sunrise</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As we sip a
sundowner on deck the sea around us erupts in activity as a school of baby tuna
rip the surface with their thousands of bodies evading a predator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A barracuda leaps through the air like a
javelin back into the sea in pursuit of supper, a ray slaps the surface with
his body and a turtle snorts air, gives us a scaly glance and then slips back
into the depths.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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another sunset</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In the
morning the sun refracts the colours of schools of fish into impossible emerald
green, which reminds me of the colour sometimes used by French car
manufacturers to detract from the shape of their vehicles. As the sun rises the
colour of the fish changes to cobalt blue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
glorious shades of the sunsets are captured by the rain showers which drizzle
the pinks and gold in rain into the variegated tropical greens of the trees and
the sea. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Every day
the spectacle is different and it is easy to become addicted to the exhibition
as it is to the sundower.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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Aptly named Silhouette Island</div>
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</div>
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Hard Sailing Condidtions</div>
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</div>
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Marlene feeding fish</div>
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</div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-58608918774002147432014-04-18T03:26:00.001-07:002014-04-18T03:26:24.772-07:00Arriving in Seychelles
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We left the
megalomaniac Chinaman and his crew of murderous Somalis behind us, grateful for
the North-West wind which was the reason that we had timed this voyage for this
time of the year: to get this long leg of the three part voyage with the best
wind possible.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As we
sailed further south it was as though the goldfish bowl in which we had been
living was being cleaned. In the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gulf of Aden</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> the sky is partially obscured by
dust so that you can only see the stars above, rather like a goldfish looking
through the top opening of his bowl.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As we
progressed it was evident that the sky was slowly getting clearer and the
celestial vista was improving each night as though some vast kind soul was
cleaning our little bowl and giving us a view of the heavens. When I sailed up
the Atlantic many years ago, my sole means of navigation was a sextant and an
almanac of the stars. Many of them became friends who I could recognise at a
glance and who guided us over thousands of miles of sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now I felt
ashamed that I had forgotten most of their names like going to a school reunion
and fumbling for memories and names of fellow students that have become vague
due to non-use.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The easy
ones were there of course and we were in the right part of the ocean at the
right time of year to have the plough and the North Star behind us, Orion
overhead and in front the Southern Cross acting like a huge celestial clock. It
was chance that the Southern Cross was vertical at local time </span><st1:time hour="0" minute="0"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">midnight</span></st1:time><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> so that each hour of the night was
represented by movement across the sky of this well known collection of stars.
I found that I was able to time my cups of coffee during the night vigils very
accurately, each hour, by merely glancing at the position of this great formation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Of course
the Milky Way lit up a huge swathe across the sky and because we had no clouds
it was easy to move around the boat at night just by starlight. There was a New
Moon at this time, and I was grateful for that as it gave us twelve night hours
of each twenty four where we were almost invisible to any prying eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The motion
of the boat with the trade wind was serene so that at night it was as though we
were flying on a magic carpet above the waves. The sky was reflected in the sea
like an inverse universe and the little flashes of light from small squids and
jellyfish seemed to be like shooting stars scooting across this upside-down
firmament.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Marlene
said, in a moment of poetic inspiration, that “It seems as though you can step
off the boat and walk through the stars!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Rather like
some people would like to anticipate death: to be able to step into another
reality in a painless and peaceful transition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Behind us
the twin hulls left a trail of florescence in the sea that looked almost like
the condensation trails behind a jet aircraft at altitude. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was a
beautiful time to be cruising, marred only by the anxiety of keeping a watch
for strange and suspicious boats. It seems to be a rare privilege to have a
part of the planet all to oneself, with no vestige of the human race in sight
and to be able to contemplate the insignificance and temporary condition of man
in the order of Nature and the Universe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The First
of April passed without any pranks, although I had been tempted to attach a
plastic bottle to Tony’s fishing line that we had been trailing hopefully but
without catching anything all the way from </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Oman</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. We crossed the Equator on the
Third and we gave </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Neptune</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> a shot of Brandy which was well received because the wind now backed to
the North and we were able to raise the Spinnaker. It was so steady that we
sailed over two hundred miles with it flying and pulling us along.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
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I toast crossing the Equator while Marlene shares hers with Neptune</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony caught
a couple of fish but they were too big to land and they broke away. Now we were
approaching the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> group of islands and the character
of the sea changed as we had been cruising with a depth of over four thousand
metres and now it was reducing to fifty. The underwater view of this great
submerged mountain range would be spectacular and we would seem to be approaching
it like an aircraft just skimming over the shallow valleys near the peaks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We were
feeling more relaxed with every mile that we made away from the disputed waters
of the north </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Indian
Ocean</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. We
had not expected this following wind at this stage of the voyage as normally we
should have had variable doldrums type weather, but it seems that this year the
northern movement of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone has been delayed and
we only ran out of wind twenty miles from Mahe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Fine control tuning of the spinaker</div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We anchored
at four in the morning in deep water to await the dawn and the clearance with
customs and immigration, who at </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> come out to the boat at anchor to
do all the formalities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What a
pleasure it was to be greeted by friendly efficient people who got all the
paperwork done with smooth competence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Then we
were free to enter the port and see mountains with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">trees</i>. We hadn’t seen any trees for nearly two months of sand
dunes, rock and filth on land and of course trees at sea need to be treated
with utmost caution!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We got
reciprocal membership with the Seychelles Yacht Club because Tony had arranged
this with the Royal Cape Yacht Club and with Gordon’s Bay Yacht Club during a
previous visit to the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, so in short order we were tied up
to an island by the stern with the anchor laid to hold us in position. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our
neighbours are a collection of herons and egrets who have taken a few trees and
decorated them with nests all separated by squabble distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They dispute their territories with the same
vigour as neighbours do all over the world, the difference being that here they
are elegant and beautiful. While we sit with a cup of tea we watch a heron
coming in to land with a four foot branch that is going to be an extension to
his nest. He has to balance the branch in his long bill, position it so that he
does not hit it with his wings in flight and then land on a twig with his long
legs all the while keeping an eye on the wind flurries and the other birds in
flight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">My flying
skills of decades of sitting in aircraft and simulators seem paltry by
comparison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our other
neighbour is a Frenchman on his small steel yacht who behaves like a hermit
crab. He popped his head out when we arrived, ignored my “Bonjour” and has been
hidden ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is in
total contrast to the Seychelles Islanders who we find relaxed and
communicative, helpful and happy to share their island with us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We hope to
explore the anchorages and diving places while slowly working on the boat to
prepare her for the next part of the voyage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrc2CSFPnXCZG3674d4oMvz1q3xzDPZfihONdluwWVbsCtf11BoICPi1nSd1nX8Mjr6hvhe_tkTKSW2j15BqvN00OEi7jNvtBeiZcec3knsjD3ZNJRQKiDxj-aLThGhQq6L9AIEUOw_uC/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrc2CSFPnXCZG3674d4oMvz1q3xzDPZfihONdluwWVbsCtf11BoICPi1nSd1nX8Mjr6hvhe_tkTKSW2j15BqvN00OEi7jNvtBeiZcec3knsjD3ZNJRQKiDxj-aLThGhQq6L9AIEUOw_uC/s1600/IMG_0648.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I hope to
be able to share some of the sights of the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> with more pictures and less chatter
when I find a suitable internet café where I can upload them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy0q6zRY918nh-oIxLaOunUQTXmGPGznkTIbPH-5WjuJh2bjGMEjKds2oaLL9zaUIeALawy9sFKSyjquqVFD0GHAu9OVYrc1aejjPzUt1NdfCw6lLGFkWJFSLMdjW1eisCtqZKhFIFrr8/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy0q6zRY918nh-oIxLaOunUQTXmGPGznkTIbPH-5WjuJh2bjGMEjKds2oaLL9zaUIeALawy9sFKSyjquqVFD0GHAu9OVYrc1aejjPzUt1NdfCw6lLGFkWJFSLMdjW1eisCtqZKhFIFrr8/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-27387984492645803352014-04-07T01:47:00.003-07:002014-04-18T03:30:45.727-07:00From Salalah to the Chinese War Lord <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We left the
</span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Port</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Salalah</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> grateful to be away from the extorters that we
had found there, and steered off into the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was
Marlene’s ‘Watch’ and Tony gave her a refresher on the complications of lights
at night at sea. She already knew a lot from our voyage together many years ago
when we sailed up the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Atlantic</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, but even when you know all about relative bearings and different
signals, it can still get confusing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And so it
did!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Later that
evening Marlene was confronted with a complex set of lights with long green
lights, orange lights and all sorts of echoes from the radar. There seemed to
be a big ship ahead with a number of small craft around it which were all
moving about, and then some of the lights flew vertically up into the air!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">She called
Tony who came up to try and make sense of what was going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It
transpired that a large American Naval Ship was doing a practice night
manoeuvre involving small high speedboats and helicopters. It seemed that
Freedom was the focus of all the attention, and the helicopters were deployed
all around while on the radio a commanding voice told all ships and vessels to
stay away from this four mile exclusion zone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony and
Marlene were treated to a spectacular display of how a potential pirate would
be identified, intercepted and then hopefully subdued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">After an
hour the helicopters returned to the long green lights and ‘landed’, if that is
the correct word for alighting onto a ship, and I suppose they all went off for
a self congratulatory debrief while we sailed on into the night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I slept
through the whole spectacular display… exhaustion does that to you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The next
few days welded together as we sailed a close reach and we were just able to
‘lee-bow’ the effects of the strong southerly current. Then we had a day of
calm before the wind settled in from the North-West as we entered the Trade
Wind belt. Now was the time for some sailing to make up for all the frustrations
of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red
Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. At
last we sailing in wind conditions that catamarans like, and Freedom did
‘like’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We were
about four hundred miles from the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Somali</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Coast</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and further than that from the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Socotra</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> when I saw ahead a vessel that
looked like a Coast Guard Cutter. I turned away from it and it looked as though
it had not seen us in the poor visibility, but almost when it had passed out of
sight it spotted us and turned back towards us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I
immediately contacted the Pirate Co-Ordination Centre in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Bahrain</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> via the Satellite Phone <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">that we
were being intercepted by a suspicious vessel. Soon after the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">UK</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> branch of Piracy Surveillance
contacted us and I was able to give them a fairly decent description of the
vessel, but I had to curtail the call as the vessel was trying to contact us on
VHF.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There was a
lot of angry chatter in a language that I could not decipher, so I explained
that if they wanted to talk to us then it would have to be in English.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The vessel
had a large sign displayed down the side of it declaring that it was armed and
that all vessels should keep their distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I could not
decide at first if it was a coalition naval vessel from a poor nation, as it
was decorated with rust, or if it was indeed a pirate vessel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">An angry
Chinese voice shouted words that sounded like, “What are you doing here? This
is Prohibited Area!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“No it
isn’t!” I replied. “This is </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Open</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ocean</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He screamed
a tirade of which I only understood a part, along the lines of, “I have paid
the Somali Nation for this Ocean and this fishing and I can shoot anyone who
enter here. You must not be here. Where are you from?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I answered,
“You do not have the authority to ask that question.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He shouted,
“How many on board?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I said,
“You do not have the authority to ask that question!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He
screamed, “Where you going?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I answered,
“</span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He didn’t seem
to know where that was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“I put
warning shot across your bow!” He threatened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I replied,
“You do not have the right to fire warning shots. You do not have the right to
shoot at us. We are free to pass this part of the Ocean. This is </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Open</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ocean</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">All this
while there were three Somalis with heavy machine guns positioning themselves
into firing positions from the deck, as our relative positions changed. We were
still motor-sailing resolutely south. He had a large Somali Bodyguard next to
him, also armed with a heavy machine gun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now I could
hear the satellite phone ringing, which must have been the pirate watch people
from the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">UK</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> wondering what was happening to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I don’t
know what this little yellow megalomaniac was thinking but after a couple of
more heated radio exchanges he shouted something and then “Out”. So we took the
hint, shut up and headed away, while he continued his patrol of his curtain of
long line fishing buoys which seemed to be strung out more or less East to
West. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A curtain
of death for the deep sea fish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I can’t
tell if my aggressive attitude was the right thing at the time, but I had the
feeling that any sign of weakness would not be in our best interests. Why he
didn’t shoot us up I don’t know, he certainly could have. Maybe he thought we
were also armed. I am sure that he had other boats in his ‘fleet’ to pull up
the long line buoys and to process the fish.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzlpCYWQDvMOQN9Gp0IBoCav53B9sJtn52xpjLvUqJtxED0bYAKDdXg0PuP83TKBU01wSpLJ-2rbPL4O__SGqcW4zt2g665YlWR3cniS6N7bWy1NxDsFawtQu5sbwUWE24tELctqRbvmu/s1600/chinese+somali+gunship.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFzlpCYWQDvMOQN9Gp0IBoCav53B9sJtn52xpjLvUqJtxED0bYAKDdXg0PuP83TKBU01wSpLJ-2rbPL4O__SGqcW4zt2g665YlWR3cniS6N7bWy1NxDsFawtQu5sbwUWE24tELctqRbvmu/s1600/chinese+somali+gunship.JPG" height="168" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Chinese controlled Somali Gunship with possible large gun hidden below foredeck.</div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Later that
evening I saw a radar echo returning along the track that he disappeared on, so
we motored at high speed to avoid another encounter. He did have a radar
antenna rotating, but didn’t seem to be using it. Marlene suggested that there
was a monkey down by the keel whose job it was to turn the aerial array!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It seemed
that he really thought he owned the Ocean, but how could he? He isn’t the Royal
Navy of the Eighteen Hundreds!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I feel sure
that if we had been a fishing boat he would have opened fire without
hesitation. He seemed so aggressive that I should think that he will even
challenge a warship if one should cross his path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I hope that
happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And I hope
it is a Russian warship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">They know
how to properly convince people like him just exactly who does hold the trump
cards at sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-26873369920658377352014-04-07T01:46:00.001-07:002014-04-18T04:14:52.222-07:00Salalah, Port of Pirates and Extortionists<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Salalah
Port Control, this is Yacht Freedom requesting entry into Port Salalah?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Yacht
Freedom, this is Salalah Port Control, do you have an agent in Salalah?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This was
our first warning, but we thought that we had moved up a notch from the ‘</span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Third World</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">’ ports where we had been. How wrong
we were.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Salalah,
we are only entering port to uplift fuel and then departing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Wrong!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Yacht
Freedom, you have to have an agent to enter Port Salalah!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Second
warning, but we did not know it at the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">After
getting a list of agents from the port control we chose one at random and
phoned him. He wanted to know all sorts of details like the last ten ports we
had visited, our ship’s registration number (only required for ships over
100tons), if anyone had died on board and the Captain’s great aunt’s maiden
name. Not quite, but you get the drift!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I explained
that we were in transit and only needed to uplift fuel because of
contamination, but they were having none of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We were
given entry permission and we motored past enormous container ships that were
in the process of docking, with all their anti-piracy barbed wire entanglements
around the deck, and dummy guards which were supposed to give pirates the
impression that they were being surveilled, but were in fact looking a bit
weather worn, rather like abandoned scarecrows.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Ship with dummy guards and barbed wire protection</div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You have to
admire the bravery of these pirates that they are prepared to climb up homemade
rickety ladders to scale the towering sides of these ships, while balanced in a
slippery skiff pounding along the side of the ship at twenty knots. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Would US
Navy Seals do that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I wonder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We were
directed to wharf 28 which was a dirty place to tie up next to a fishing boat
manned by an Indian crew. They helped us into position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The ‘agent’
from Gulf Agencies was there to meet us with a bill for $3200.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Whaaat?</span></i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Oh yes,”
he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Fees for
this, fine for that and on top of which was a fee of $1200 for entering the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">port</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Salalah</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I protested
strongly and demanded to see the port authority and after much haggling got the
bill reduced to €1660, which was about a forty percent reduction, but still
ridiculous, but it did include a 500 litre fuel uplift. Eventually I decided
that we should consider the fuel to be €3 per litre and forget the chagrin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">When I
demanded a receipt I got a hand written note. I shall be taking this up with
the headquarters of Gulf Agency in due course, because I love a scrap. It seems
obvious to me that the port authority and the agency have a scam going for
individual private yachts that don’t go on the books, but which are fleeced for
cash which goes to line everyone’s pockets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But it gets
more sinister than that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">While we
were tied up another large boat arrived, made in Iran and which was the exact
duplicate of a ‘mother ship’ pirate vessel which was seized in the Seychelles
and pictured in the ‘Grail Guide for Antipiracy’ book, page 19. What finally
happened to that ship is not clear, but this one was either a sister ship, or
the same one renovated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The skipper
was an Iranian who spent a lot of his time staring at us, rather like a farmer
staring at his turkey flock and his fattest cock-bird just before Thanksgiving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was a
very uncomfortable feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ian spoke
to the crew and told them he was leaving us and going home, which was not the
best move as now they knew that we would be only three on board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">That night,
late, an unmarked box was delivered to the Iranian boat which was just the
right size to hold a couple of heavy machine guns. I know those boxes, having ferried
a few in my time, by air, around </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Later, at
about 0300 an Agency car arrived and was given a couple of decent sized tuna
from the boat, which he put in the boot and drove away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I knew
something had to done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ian was due
to be picked up in the morning and taken to the airport at Salalah and we were
supposed to be given our final clearance documents. We were sorry to be losing
Ian as he had been such a stalwart crew member, putting up with all the
adversities along the route and rising to every occasion with a sense of
humour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Only take
one hour.” They said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I saw the
Iranian Captain standing on the shore next to the boat, looking like a grumpy
grizzly bear that had missed the salmon run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Good
morning,” I said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“American?”
he said, gesturing towards the American flag at the stern of Freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“No,
British!” I answered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I realised
as I said it, that wasn’t much better, ever since Puppy Dog Blair had followed
the Americans into the Middle East War.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“We are
going to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Djibouti</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.” I volunteered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He grunted
and turned away. I hoped he believed that, because Ian had told them that we
had already come from </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Iranian built boat, sister ship of captured pirate vessel in Seychelles</div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Iranian
boat left half an hour later, while we were delayed for several hours. They
needed proof of insurance, because otherwise they were going to fine us another
$200. We gave them a sheaf of paperwork which confused them just long enough to
sign the clearance, and then we were off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">While in
the port we found a small shop that serviced the needs of the sailors of the
cargo vessels that stop at the port. This place was like the bar in first
episode of Star Wars, with such a wide variety of ‘types’ from all over the
world. There were two Somali ex-pirates who now had a job as ‘security guards’
on a commercial ship, and they made the pirates of the Black Pearl look
positively handsome by comparison. I wonder if they also had a mobile phone to
contact their ex-colleagues? There were Indian fishermen who were being
castigated by a Somali Fishing Boat Captain for being in these waters and
stealing fish. There were shady looking individuals who came under the general
heading of ‘Eastern’ and also the officers from a Chinese Naval Ship that was
patrolling the offshore waters. It is fascinating to think that the people
rubbing shoulders in this small shop could be shooting at each other next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Once we
were outside the port the authorities realised that we had given them a complex
quote for insurance, and not a real insurance contract. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The reality
is that no one can get insurance for running the Pirate Gauntlet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So they
were making yet another scam claim for money, on a certainty, but we were
already outside the port and on our way. Of course we promised them all sorts
of things, just until we got out of gunboat range. It didn’t seem likely that
they would get the Coast Guard to get us back, because then they would have to
include the Coast Guard in any future scams that they might run on foreign
yachts. The Coast Guard seemed to us to be conducted at a high level, as was
the local Police, and not stooping to petty scams on visiting yachts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We felt
sure that by now the Iranian boat had had time to fit his heavy machine guns,
and get a good start towards the Omani/Yemeni border at sea. His most likely
place for ambush would be, we thought, about fifty miles inside Yemeni waters
from ten to thirty miles offshore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If he has
outguessed us, he would position himself about ten miles offshore along the
Omani coast which is where most yachts go in order to pick up the following
wind and current along the shore, in a wide sweep around towards the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Indian Ocean</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and its destinations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We decided
instead to route out to sea, which would take us towards the recommended safety
route and towards possible coalition warships, and also into a contrary current
that we would have to battle against, but would be better than confronting a
pirate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The current
from the south past </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Socotra</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> at certain times of the year
reaches seven knots and is reported to be the strongest in the world. Also at
certain times of the year the frequency of gales here is higher than </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cape Horn</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, with its formidable reputation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Not the
sort of place that Pirates like to hang about waiting for the off chance of a
passing boat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If and when
we get to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> I will be starting an animated
series of emails with the headquarters of the Gulf Agencies and with the
Harbourmaster of Salalah, who happens to be a South African who was away on
leave during our brief visit. I will also be contacting the Office of Criminal
Investigations in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Muscat</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to find out the legality of the
port authority levying fines for the list of things they presented to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I have also
promised a report to the Pirate monitoring bureau in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">UK</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> regarding Salalah, with reference
as to why the port authority is so interested in insurance cover for passing
boats, if it is not to inform the pirates of the valuation of boats for ransom
purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There is
also the question of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if</i> that ‘box’
did contain heavy machine guns, who supplied them and where did they come from?
I am sceptical of the aims of Private Armies, or mercenaries, because their
objectives are often to ensure their contracts are renewed, rather than meet
the objectives of their employers. In this case there is a thriving business in
supplying ex military people to act as security guards on ships, armed and
ready to fire on any boat suspected of being a pirate boat. They have not had a
good hijacking for a year, so I believe that it would be in their interest to
have bloody incident involving, not a ship, but a private boat which would hit
the headlines and ensure their future employment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Would they
find it worth while to arm an Iranian with a chip on his shoulder, for personal
gain?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I know this
is a very sceptical view of the situation, but after two months in these waters
I have become slightly paranoid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I hope not
with good reason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I shall be
warning the other yachtsmen that I know of the dangers enroute and the dangers
of the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Port</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Salalah</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I have come
to the conclusion that when people of most religions lose their faith they
still seem to retain a certain sense of morality and a sense of right and
wrong, but in this part of the world that does not seem to be the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Once you
have let slip the chains of a severely restrictive religion, anything is
permissible and possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And likely!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-10458127134301899562014-03-25T00:40:00.000-07:002014-03-25T00:40:04.831-07:00Transiting Pirate Alley <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“You are
now in High Risk Pirate Activity Area ! This Is Japanese Navy Foxtrot Two
Six Zero. If you see any suspicious activity, report to this Warship
immediately!”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This was
the gist of the messages that we received each hour during the transit, from
different Naval Ships, from different countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least this pirate situation has caused a
form of International Cooperation between countries that may have never seen a
reason to collaborate before. They herd the diverse ships into loose formations
and then trundle through the night down the so called ‘</span><st1:street><st1:address><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Recommended Safety Route</span></st1:address></st1:street><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It seems
the Warships are lit up like Christmas Trees, while the others opt whether to
show running lights or not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">All rather
serene until yacht Freedom came along!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony was on
“Watch” and was getting a “lift” from the wind, and did not want to tack and
sail backwards away from the ‘</span><st1:street><st1:address><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Recommended Safety Route</span></st1:address></st1:street><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">’, so he continued towards the
convoy lanes…. With our lights off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Well, of
course a gaggle of ships saw him coming on radar, so they changed course, but
could not see us in the dark. There was much concerned chatter on the radio,
but Tony was enjoying himself with the helming. Perhaps they thought that this
clandestine radar echo was a ‘mother ship’ and that the invisible pirate skiffs
were about to launch an attack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Search
Lights came on and scanned the sea, paying particular attention to the area
near the stern of each ship. Of course they did not see us, blinded as they
were with their own lights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony passed
them and then tacked back into the anonymity of the dark seas of the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sea</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. Radio chatter continued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But this
was our contribution to the safety effort. One of the problems is that crews
become complacent on the ships, and they stop keeping a good lookout. This
particular evening they had something to chatter about…. How they thwarted an
attack, and how brave they were.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So we
supplied a small service to the general need for alertness in Pirate Alley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The next
day a helicopter came thwacking over us, no doubt taking close up photographs
of the crew for later identification. We tried to get Marlene to ‘flash’ at
them, but she declined. Just as well, as she would have perhaps found herself
featured on the Gulf News front page, if they allow that sort of thing here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Anything to
relieve the boredom, because this has to be one of the ‘deadest’ seas in the
world. It is devoid of birds and fish activity. Except for one fleeting moment
when a large pod of dolphins passed us, with bill-fish, all chasing a school of
smaller fish with urgent dedication. And that was it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And to
think that we nearly bought an arsenal of weapons to ward off attacks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But
seriously, the efforts towards achieving a safer sea for the commercial ships
have proven effective. I am sure their crews are happier with the situation,
particularly as they are all being paid a double salary for the transit! Pity
there is no one out there to pay pensioners like us double as well!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The plus
side of this tranquil period is that we have time to slip into the ‘Ocean
Passage Mood’, which is a state of mind that one usually achieves after a
couple of weeks at sea, away from the hassles and stresses of the shore. Up to
now we have been so busy with the problems of thefts, missing equipment, adverse
weather, delays by officials, engine difficulties etc that we have not had time
to ‘Charge our Chi’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Slowly that
is changing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If it
doesn’t bore you, I will try to describe that mood swing later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Right now
we are two or three days from our next destination, and we are getting to be a
little complacent as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Maybe we
need a wake up call, like a Tony swinging in on a halyard from the night, with
a bandana on his head, knife in teeth and a cutlass in hand and gold earrings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Perhaps
not…… We are supposed to be retired!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">BUT<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>THEN IT ALL CHANGED!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Marlene was
the first to see it: a small white object in the sea far ahead. We searched
with the binoculars and eventually out of the gloomy haze we saw a fishing dhow
with three skiffs on tow behind. This is the classical pirate ship, as depicted
in all the information about this part of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gulf of Aden</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I turned
90° and we watched for a reaction. After a few minutes the dhow turned towards
us and started motoring. We had been seen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We turned
to motor away down our reciprocal track with the dhow slowly gaining on us. I
called the Japanese warship and succeeded in getting in contact via another
ship acting as a relay station. We gave them the information about our
predicament and what we were doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">An American
voice came on the radio from an American warship saying they understood and
good luck, but we were on our own. We did not expect any assistance from the
Americans, because, after all, if they were not prepared to send forces to
rescue their ambassador in Libya when he was in the process of being murdered
by rebels, then it was hardly likely that they were going to expend any effort
to save a couple of lowly American taxpayers like Tony and me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">However the
Japanese Navy was a different matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">They had
been asking ships to report suspicious activity, and here it was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">While we
exchanged information with the Japanese warship, the dhow turned away. We
thought it was because they were monitoring the same general frequency that we
were using to talk to the warship. They must have realised that there was no
element of surprise for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We motored
off into the night and soon after a helicopter from the Japanese warship came
overhead, talking to us and getting more information about the appearance of
the dhow and its collection of skiffs. It then did a search of the area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We took a
circuitous route closer to the shipping lane and returned to our original
track.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We told
Tony that probably the following morning we would find the Japanese Frigate
alongside demanding if we would like to pay with VISA, MASTERCARD or AMEWICAN
EXPWESS. Plus perhaps a contribution for the Japanese Navy Benevolent Fund.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But of
course not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Any other
country maybe, but not </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Japan</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I am very
impressed by their dedication to their duty here. They are on patrol and they
are letting everyone know about it, and when something happens they take
action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I believe
that we were in danger because this fishing dhow had all its buoys that long
line fishermen use on the deck, not deployed in the sea. They were waiting for
prey, not fishing: that was just a ‘cover’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
Japanese Navy were there in what very easily could have been our ‘hour of need’
and for that we are truly grateful.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-80178618683640100542014-03-20T00:43:00.003-07:002014-03-20T00:43:55.381-07:00Aden<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our arrival
into </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was almost similar to the sorts of accounts that one reads about in
classic Naval Tales or War Histories.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We left
behind the convoys on the horizon which follow the recommended “safety route”
so that the coalition naval forces can keep an “eye” on them in this pirate
risk area. I was amused to think that it took skilled U-Boat packs in the
Second World War to force the North Atlantic convoys to be created and yet here
just a few lightly armed men in skiffs have caused a fundamental shift in the
economies of several countries, changes of sea routings and the assembly of
naval forces that would have been the envy of the British Admiralty back in the
bleak days of the 1940’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> is impressive from the sea in the same way that </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gibraltar</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> is. It has massive rock formations
emerging out of the sea that give protection to a large expanse of water, but
there the illusion ends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The reality
of the place is that the signs of “yesteryear” are evident as buildings and
infrastructure, but all of which have fallen into decay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It is easy
to imagine men in starched white naval uniforms scuttling from Office to Office
with important sheafs of paper while other important men behind closed doors
made significant decisions about the future of the British Empire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now cats
and women dressed in black from head to toe fight for scraps in the rubbish
heaps that line the sides of the roads. Faded signs here and there allude to
past institutions, like the Seamen’s Club or the Offices of Import/Export.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And yet the
people are surprisingly tranquil about their situation, on the surface. It
seems that they would like the British to return. They have not fallen into the
silly trap that so many Africans have adopted, that the British are responsible
for all ills and ailments, past and present. One old man (like me) trundled
past in his beat-up truck, carefully navigating past the potholes and asked,
“Where do you come from?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“</span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Zimbabwe</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">” I answered, to be a bit
provocative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Ha Ha, “he
called back, “Mugabe! It is safer here!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I looked at
the broken cars and the bullet holes in the apartment block across the road,
and called back, “I think you are right!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He was
delighted to think that there was somewhere worse than </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. We parted with smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We anchored
off what was once called “The Prince of Wales Pier” but now is called, rather
misleadingly “Tourist Pier”. Now the sole inhabitants seem to be semi naked
fishermen perched on the crumbling stones with hand held lines in the water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Once on
shore we were besieged by “Taxi Drivers” touting for business, and I erringly
chose one that spoke Eengleesh. Mazen took us on a series of trips to closed
shops in back alleys of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in search of “plugs” for engine
blocks and spare fuel filters. The up-side was that we saw places that most
people would have the good sense not to visit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There are
three statements that are well used in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">: “What do you need?” “I can help
you.” “It is not far.”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">They are
all false.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The “I can
help you” means I will mislead you in a series of ways to prolong my
association with you, so that I can ask for more money. Rather like Lawyers! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The “It is
not far” means that it is the other side of bay, when in reality you could find
the item you want within a few minutes walk from the port. Again, this is for
the same reason as above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The “What
do you need” is also false, because after being messed about all day, you find
that you don’t really need the item after all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We even
inspected some firearms in the dark, up a “back alley”, that were owned by
out-of work </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">South
Yemen</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">
soldiers, while street kids made lewd facial gestures that would seem to
indicate their usefulness as boy prostitutes. Desperation starts from an early
age here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The reason
that the soldiers are out-of work is that the “North” has invaded the “South”
and sent all the soldiers and policemen and government workers home, without
pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This
strikes me as a very dangerous development, as Mazen and his friends protest
this invasion by painting “Freedom for the South” on buildings and painting the
“South Arab” flag on any exposed wall. Most days someone is shot by the
soldiers from the North, and subsequently his picture is displayed on banners
in the streets. The Freedom Seekers claim that they do not want violence,
because they are “better people than the ones from the North”, but the
detonator point seems to be close to mass bloodshed to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">To reflect
this, the price of firearms is increasing daily, as locals believe that they
will need them, themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Oh to be at
sea again with the pirates!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have to
endure two days of “holidays” before being able to get fuel and final supplies
before departure. The supplies we obtained from Lulu, a supermarket which is
styled on western mall design, which has modern shops and banks. This is in
stark contrast to the seedy cellars with strong metal doors that are found in
the ghettos where Mazen took us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">One of the
signs of British involvement here is the large </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">British</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cemetery</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. It seems to have been looted for
all useful bits of building materials. It is interesting to note the lack of
care British cemeteries have around the world, except perhaps for the ones of
the downed British airmen in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> which are being systematically
renovated by the British War Graves Commission. Elsewhere the lack of care
seems to reflect the lack of care of past soldiers who served the British
Causes in various theatres, and then have been studiously ignored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There is
also a </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">German</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cemetery</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> that has suffered the same
degradation from the locals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We managed
to get fuel before we left, from the fuel bunkering wharf which is usually
surrounded by floating pontoons from the Second World War. They were new back
then and they have done well, because they have survived to the present day
without a lick of paint to detract from their authenticity. We filtered this
fuel assiduously, but it still succeeded in blocking our filters later on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our
departure from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was stunning. We sailed out with a following breeze. (We knew the wind
had changed because we were now downwind from the sewerage works.) The
impressive rock cliffs slowly descended into the sea as we curved our way over
the horizon. What wonderful opportunities there are here for so many possible
projects, but all never to be realised with the present political realities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I shall add
a few pictures to this blog later, as this edition will be sent while we are
enroute on the Satellite Phone, which is now in service. Pictures tend to take
a long time to transmit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-31800093782391933132014-03-14T08:39:00.000-07:002014-03-14T08:39:06.705-07:00Statistics: their falsehoods, assumptions and dangers.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have
been trapped for four days by the gales and storm force winds at the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Jabal Zuqar</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The two
anchors laid in tandem have been doing a wonderful job and have held us firm,
via the special harness which is attached to the bow of the two hulls and onto
the anchor chain. The winds have been a persistent forty knots and at times
exceeding fifty knots for an hour at a time. The winds howl over the island and
scrape the water from the sea and hurl it at the boat. The force of the wind is
stronger than standing on the back of a motorcycle doing the speed limit on a </span><st1:street><st1:address><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">National Road</span></st1:address></st1:street><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Europe</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. So there is no question of being
able to walk on the deck of the boat!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Salt spray
has dried all over the rigging along with trapped sand, so the boat is filthy.
It looks as though frost has formed, rather like the rime ice that collects on
the leading edges of aircraft in icy cloud conditions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Only here
it is not icy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It is hot,
sometimes with spurts of extra heat from the air that has bashed its way
through the black crevasses of this volcanic island. All around the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> the shores are flat and the
mountains are in the far distance, almost out of sight in the dust haze. But
Jabal Zuqar is different. It is a high black block of basalt spewed from
multiple vents and craters, as though God had decided to, for once and for all,
block the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red
Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to
navigation, but had changed His mind half way through the Creation of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> sits in the middle of the Sea like
a large black </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Neptune</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> intent on denying passage to
mortals. The ships squeeze past on either side with not a lot of room to spare,
while we dangle on the anchor at the mercy of the elements. Perhaps our anchors
have embedded themselves into a particularly sensitive area of his torso?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">All of
which brings me to the subject of statistics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We all know
the old joke that 97.6% of all Statistics are made up “on the spot”, or at the
“drop of a hat”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What is not
a joke is that Statistics are used to misinform, hide and distort the truth.
Politicians and Police, Law makers and Gamblers all use Statistics to
manipulate people with so called logic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And so does
that august tome “The Admiralty Sailing Directions”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Who would
dare argue with the opinions expressed in a book with such an important title?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Well I
would!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The BSD
emphatically shows that winds from the South East in the southern part of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> blow about 50% of the time, and
they blow from the </span><st1:state><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">North West</span></st1:place></st1:state><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> about 25 % of the time and from various
other parts of the compass for the remainder, at this time of the year. What is
more, SE winds in excess of thirty knots blow less than 3% of the time, which
is about one day each month.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So how can
we believe them when we have been subjected to SE winds in excess of forty
knots and up to fifty five knots, for nearly five days?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have had
six months of gales in less than a week!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">No wonder
our senses of humour are stretched to the limit!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Not even
watching American TV “soaps” can alleviate our feelings….. Yes, I did say that
this boat has many “mod cons”! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The only
interesting thing that happened is that happened is that a small, seaworthy
fishing skiff came into sight and approached us from around the side of the
island. It came close to us and we saw a crew of three fishermen and five
Yemeni Army men, three Officers and two armed soldiers. They asked who we were
and we explained about the weather, which they understood. I gave them a crew
list which has an explanation written in very polite Arabic that we “hope we
are welcome to stay here for a few days for weather reasons. We are pleased to
make their acquaintance and we thank them for their understanding”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It seems
that they were the “strandlopers” that we saw when we first arrived. They did
not have a boat at their disposal, so they had had to go to the other side of
the island and commandeer a fishing boat to come and interview us. The
fishermen handled their seaworthy craft in a very expert fashion. After the
meeting they were “landed” on the shore and the fishing boat motored off back
from whence it came.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But a
respite came on the night of the fifth day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The wind
dropped to 20 to 25 knots, so we hauled up the anchors and set off into the
night. The Yemen Army on the shore tried to see if we were still there, with
searchlights, but to no avail. We were “gone”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We had a
very trying night with a return of strong winds from the south, but we punched
our way through it and eventually got to the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Bab el Mandeb</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> which is the anal passage that
serves as the southern straits of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. Tony steered us past prohibited areas which
squeezed us against the shipping lanes which were crowded with ships from the
convoy system that is used to minimise piracy risks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">At last we
are in the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gulf
of Aden</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> on
the way to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to refuel and reequip for the next leg of our voyage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We are all
happy to be out of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> at last…. An experience, but not one that I would look forward to doing
again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The sadness
that exists in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> is something that I shall write about next time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-84084259721151450652014-03-14T08:35:00.000-07:002014-03-14T08:35:26.984-07:00Rainbows in the Sea Spray
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">At last we
are ready to leave </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Kamaran</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Abdul was
as good as his word. He went to the mainland for us, then travelled 60 miles
south on the bus to get to a fishing port where he thought he could get the
various engine filters for us. It took him all day, and when he arrived back at
the boat he had also managed to get some of the supplies that Marlene had asked
for, which included fresh bread and vegetables.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The next
morning we fitted the new filters and gave the engines a trial run, and then
restored the normal boat fuel supply system to service as it was now purged of
foreign matter and dirt. We had emptied the main tank, filtered all the fuel
from drum to drum, and then put the fuel back into the tank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The engines
sounded “sweet” and not laboured. Ian fitted a new cooking gas tank which was a
</span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Yemen</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> specification, and did not fit the boat
attachments. This meant using a Yemeni gas regulator, which looked a bit
suspect, but we had no choice. Ian sprayed the whole arrangement with soapy
water to check for leaks and all seemed to be secure. We felt ready to go, so
as soon as we had our passports back from the local Policeman we raised the
anchor, called the mainland port control, and we were on our way with both
engines working and with a light breeze from the south.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As we
cleared the port entrance the Yemeni Coast Guard roared up with their
impressive interceptor launch and waved us goodbye. They were very friendly to
us when we spoke to them in the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Kamaran</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Harbour</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. Perhaps being the first boat to
visit in years has its compensations?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP-RA5-YOg1RNzg-tYl2N5kshHDTPtqOyL-y3PYjsM8aqYh6euypyf_HhA4ZwkJGq2-HwzaFAb2nweKoVQogIDaK69OaNt2bRki4Q4ZqswOy_VBJcAR69asD6Na9N-i2xWIvuYMp5dpuD/s1600/Yemen+Coast+Guard+check+us+out+on+departure+from+Kamaran.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiP-RA5-YOg1RNzg-tYl2N5kshHDTPtqOyL-y3PYjsM8aqYh6euypyf_HhA4ZwkJGq2-HwzaFAb2nweKoVQogIDaK69OaNt2bRki4Q4ZqswOy_VBJcAR69asD6Na9N-i2xWIvuYMp5dpuD/s1600/Yemen+Coast+Guard+check+us+out+on+departure+from+Kamaran.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony was on
watch and steered us into the night, past a fuel tanker that was unloading fuel
into an offshore pipeline. It turned on a bright searchlight to see who we
were. People around here are suspicious about small boats, particularly at
night. This is one of the advantages of the “pirate situation”: ships treat
small boats with caution and keep a sharp lookout for them. Perhaps a few
Somali pirates in the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">English Channel</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> would cause the same effect, to make ships there to keep a more
vigilant lookout for small boats?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As the
night progressed the wind became stronger and stronger from the south. The boat
was beginning to pitch about like a stallion being attacked by wasps. Our
groundspeed was deteriorating due to the steep contrary swells, so we tried
various sail and engine combinations to try and make to windward without
pounding ourselves to death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">By this
time we had passed our first diversion anchorage at Jazirat al Mujamilan </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, so I set course for </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Jabal</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Zuquar</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. We had to steer to avoid a couple
of ships that were in the restricted shipping channels that pass close to the
island on the eastward side. What a relief to get into the lee of the island
and into smoother water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was early
afternoon, so we had good light to select an anchor point between the coral
reefs, using the depth finder to give us another reference. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We lay back
on the anchor in about 25 knots of wind. The holding seemed secure. Three
people on a sand spit to windward whistled and beckoned to us. It seems as
though they are like “strandlopers” who are existing at a primitive level on
this volcanic island on fish, wind and imagination.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We
discovered that the bucking and bouncing of the boat during the night had
loosened the clamps that held the outboard motor to the transom of the
inflatable dinghy, and the boat motion had thrown the motor into the sea. We
also found that the Yemeni gas regulator had not withstood the rough seaborne
treatment and had leaked the entire contents of the gas tank overboard. Cooking
is now reduced to the microwave using the inverter and the BBQ on the transom
of the boat, which is a bit tricky in this high wind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
following morning we saw that the anchor was beginning to drag, as the wind had
increased to 30 knots, occasionally gusting to 35 and that the wave action was
more pronounced. We raised the anchor and secured a Danforth anchor in tandem
with the CQR and deployed them in the same place as before. This worked well,
with the anchors at five metres depth and the chain lying back to the boat at
ten metres depth on its bridle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was as
well we did this because the wind continued to increase during the night to 40
knots, gusting to 45. The direction of the wind was stable which helped a lot.
It the morning as we were having breakfast, Marlene said that it was the first
time that she had seen rainbows in the sea spray. The wind was so strong that
it was whipping the tops of the waves into spray and the low angle of the sun
refracted the colours over the water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">At the
moment we are prisoners in this anchorage, and we have time to contemplate the
strength of the sea and its weather. I am intrigued that this force of wind can
exist and be so persistent this close to the equator, with no influence from
tropical revolving storms. As we all know, this strength of wind is usually
associated with frontal activity in higher latitudes, or with pressure patterns
combined with mountain ranges also at higher latitudes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So we rest
here at the moment, secure, and hoping for a lull in the weather so that we can
pass through the straits at the south end of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. It is only 90 nautical miles to go
and so far we have covered over 1500 miles, with our tacking back and forth
against the winds. But this 90 miles to go may well be more difficult than all
the distance that we have already covered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our wind
generator is speeding through more than a thousand air miles a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our ground
speed remains at zero!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-50685943996758459462014-03-14T08:30:00.002-07:002014-03-14T08:30:46.886-07:00Departure from Suakin.<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We raised
anchor at 0730 and waved ‘farewell’ to Captain Jack who wished us a Bon Voyage.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I was able
to get a couple of pictures of the Ospreys nesting on the remaining structures
of the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ruined</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. This is a very good site for them
as it is protected from the public by the military and it has good access to
the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We followed
the route that was pioneered by the Royal Navy that leads South through the
complex maze of reefs and shoals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sea was very rough and confused and we spent a noisy and uncomfortable day and night.
Each wave slammed the bridge between the two hulls with a sound like a canon
firing and the whole hull shuddered as though it had been dropped on to
concrete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I spent
part of the night contemplating the strength of fibreglass and if the constant
jarring would damage the hull. It was rather like being in a plastic box being
dragged over rocky ground and being attacked by hooligans with baseball bats.
There are some sailing angles where the catamaran excels itself, but this was
not one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The one
compensation was that Tony caught a Kingfish, which is very good eating. We
decided to route further out to sea where we could get a better sea motion
rather than the mixed up mess that existed over the shoals. Near the edge of
the reef I saw, in the early hours of the morning, a ship next to a fishing
trawler. They seemed to be exchanging cargo. I switched off all lights and
chugged towards them. They must have noticed us on radar as they disengaged and
the ship took off to the north at high speed. I imagine that they thought we
were a Sudanese patrol boat in the dark, and that we were about to trap them
illegally fishing and taking fish. Probably it was an Israeli ship, as they are
known to pirate these waters. It is sad that we now suffer piracy in this part
of the world from the very people who were only trying to protect their fishing
rights in the first place, and who were ignored by the “world”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The port
engine stopped due to a fuel filter blockage, so we cleaned it out and it went
back to operating normally. Now we had a strong Easterly wind which gave us an
acceptable angle to make towards the south, with about 400 miles to go to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. We caught a King Mackerel, which
is a beautiful fish with smooth firm flesh. I was very impressed, having only
seen the small Mackerel of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">English Channel</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The wind
changed to the South. We had been told that the wind changes with the New Moon,
and it had, but not to our advantage. Now the wind was very strong and we
needed engine assistance to “make” against the wind. People claim that
catamarans sail close to the wind, but the reality is that they can “point”
high, but the leeward drift is alarmingly high as well, so the windward vector
is poor, particularly when there is a sea running.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The swells
were now at about seven metres with breakers coaming off the tops of the waves,
and the steepness of the swells was so extreme it seemed impossible that the
boat could ride over each one, but it did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The sea
reminded me of the sea state that I had witnessed when passing the southern tip
of </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> at “Danger Point Lighthouse”, in my
old wooden boat Zanj. I shall write more about Zanj later. There in the
Southern Ocean the gales conflict with the sea currents and the result is a steep
violent formation of swells, usually with breakers cascading down the slopes.
These waves sometimes combine together to create monster waves and you need a
good bit of luck to avoid those!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We now had
a double engine failure, with dirty fuel clogging the filters. We knew that we
had several filters of different sorts on board, but when we searched for them
we realised that the Thief of El Tig Marina had stolen them all as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This put us
into a very dangerous situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony spent
hours cleaning our dirty filters in difficult seas, first with petrol and then
diesel, trying to get them clear without damaging the integrity of the filters.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">My problem
was to find somewhere to go where we would not be dashed onto a reef, or get in
the way of the shipping in the central part of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. We had no sleep with all the noise
of the thumping and shuddering of the boat, and only intermittent use of one
engine or the other before it would fail again due to the dirty fuel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This dirty fuel
was the uplift that we did at Hurghada before our departure there. It seemed
that the Egyptian influence over slaves and ‘others’ had not yet finally let us
go, after all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I have the
feeling that God knew what he was doing when he sealed the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> off at the north end. It was Man
who created the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Suez Canal</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and the idea that the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was both “navigable” as well as “crossable”,
as it appears it was back in Moses’s day. These are all concepts that are
difficult to put into practice. Ian said that his son, who had sailed up the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> some years ago in a luxury
superyacht, had warned him that the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was not to be trifled with, and now we
believed him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now with
both engines out of commission we were sailing towards the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Eritrean</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Coast</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> where we knew that the military were
not friendly to yachtsmen and that the fishermen had announced a desire to
increase pirate activity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It seemed
like a good idea to tack back across the sea!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I had a
problem to choose a place where we could anchor in a strong wind from the south
and at the same time get to without the use of engines, and also to have an
escape plan in the event that the wind changed, or some other problem arose.
There was only one choice that was possible, and that was a small island called
“Al Badi” which is in the Yemeni group of islands near their northern border
with </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Saudi Arabia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Red Sea
Pilot book warned of poor reception by </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Yemen</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of yachts, but there was nowhere
else to go, including back up the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, where we would again meet adverse winds from
the north and still have no safe place to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We sailed
through the day through huge swells and gusting winds. The wind direction held
and we arrived at the anchorage as the sun set, which was what I hoped for, as
it would give us a chance to “rest” before we were “discovered”. The north side
of the island had many small fishing boats anchored there, and we saw that they
were all engaged in night fishing with lights. During the day they go close to
the shore where the sea movement is less, and they sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We found out
later that they go off in these small skiffs for a week of work and then they
have a few days off before returning for another tour of duty. There is no
social security for these fellows. They work or die.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I wonder
how popular this work and life style would be for Europeans who are accustomed
to the state being responsible for giving them a reasonable standard of living,
even<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if they don’t work?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We managed
to get one last sputter out of one engine before dropping the anchor in an
ideal place. The next day, after a good night’s sleep, we worked on cleaning
fuel lines and filters and trying to get the engines reliable enough to get us
to the island of Kamaran in Yemen, which was our only chance of getting fuel
and spare parts to replace the parts that were stolen in Egypt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We were
approached by one fishing boat whose crew asked for alcohol. We told them that
we had no alcohol and no cigarettes but we gave them some Bulgar Wheat and a
tin of sweetcorn. They offered us a dogfish, which is a small shark. Tony was
insulted that they thought we would accept this, and Ian told us that the fast
food restaurants in the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">US</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Canada</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> use dogfish in all their so called
“fish fingers”!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Another
boat approached us with one fisherman suffering from conjunctivitis, so Ian
administered first aid with eye drops. They were friendly and curious, and very
poor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_6mDd4Rf4rAFHizedHI8M28nsNkhq8P7omLcoH-aO51xXtOgINKjxwHxUkXD6WBotg_F0Vbhfou68IsMbw3qxh5wvlco0WuWuzammD5d3rymtY2LIK08OCNrpCawsfSEF0w5BjIq2mdE/s1600/Ian+treating+eye+disorder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_6mDd4Rf4rAFHizedHI8M28nsNkhq8P7omLcoH-aO51xXtOgINKjxwHxUkXD6WBotg_F0Vbhfou68IsMbw3qxh5wvlco0WuWuzammD5d3rymtY2LIK08OCNrpCawsfSEF0w5BjIq2mdE/s1600/Ian+treating+eye+disorder.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The next
day we had to move the boat because of a change of wind direction and we
managed to move a mile with only a few engine failures. We still had work to
do!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
following day the wind had dropped, and we thought that we had achieved better
engine reliability, so we “went” for the twelve mile trip upwind to the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">island</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Kamaran</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. I steered while Ian and Tony
monitored each engine with bleed spanners at the ready, to bleed the final
remnants of air out of the systems. Slowly the engines settled to an even
throbbing sound although I steered along the ten metre depth contour, ready to
drop the anchor at a moment’s notice, because a total engine failure here would
have meant drifting downwind onto a reef, with little chance of escape by sail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It worked.
We arrived in the Harbour of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Kamaran</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Island</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and we were the only boat there. Before we
dropped the anchor, a small skiff came out with three eager people on board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">One was
called Abdul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukhLTl7xLwBoZGtfQAP7Q6T_uzQ6L77_RMjGsmb1Hg4XWJMETbzCpLVSDoZ3WqiJ8mwvBuB9Ow8ppQyxWrbA8iE8BIPSAMouuSp4MR1-7ex1_klQ5jRdca_PaX66Pqj0Xij7C-Cl3MPUF/s1600/Abdul+Kamaran+and+two+companions+wave+goodbye.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukhLTl7xLwBoZGtfQAP7Q6T_uzQ6L77_RMjGsmb1Hg4XWJMETbzCpLVSDoZ3WqiJ8mwvBuB9Ow8ppQyxWrbA8iE8BIPSAMouuSp4MR1-7ex1_klQ5jRdca_PaX66Pqj0Xij7C-Cl3MPUF/s1600/Abdul+Kamaran+and+two+companions+wave+goodbye.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It turned
out that he had worked on an Italian Cruise Ship for several years and was
multilingual. He was a Godsend for us. He organised the Police, the Military
and the Coast Guard. I chatted to the Port Control which is situated across the
bay at the Salt Terminal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Everyone
was welcoming and charming as I repeatedly told them how happy we were to be
there and what a beautiful place it was, with the sunshine and the wonderful
fishing fleet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“No
Problem” they repeated to us, over and over, as we explained our dire
circumstances. Abdul volunteered to go fifty miles to another port town where
he thought he could find the right filters for us. We were not allowed to leave
the boat, without going through painful formalities and red tape, so Abdul’s
offer of assistance was more valuable than we could imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Of course I
will have to make it “worthwhile” for Abdul and his friends when we leave, but
what a much better experience for us it was than having all sorts of pseudo
charges levied for nothing but aggravation, as we experienced in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I hope we
will get the filters and other spare parts this afternoon, and that we will be
ready to leave tomorrow, if the wind has moderated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Each day
the wind is against us, the chances are better statistically that it will change
direction and strength for us. We are supposed to get 25 percent favourable
winds here, and fifty percent contrary winds. So far we have had 100 percent
contrary winds in this part of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But as you
know, the “Weather” has never read the book of our statistics, and even if it
had, it wouldn’t respect our man made laws.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2Zl2IXRgl9Ql7v_qmym5uD1iWd391gr4UNM4PDdlJDGRcByM1o69qfyjm1DTWLDGkhKXSc-3tIeRs3dyDUXnCuQm74oKwpWpXI9Zq7-U1ynU5Jf42TfM7EwZZU0dMv0-NZ3eUcyAbNqE/s1600/Marlene+on+guard+with+crossbow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2Zl2IXRgl9Ql7v_qmym5uD1iWd391gr4UNM4PDdlJDGRcByM1o69qfyjm1DTWLDGkhKXSc-3tIeRs3dyDUXnCuQm74oKwpWpXI9Zq7-U1ynU5Jf42TfM7EwZZU0dMv0-NZ3eUcyAbNqE/s1600/Marlene+on+guard+with+crossbow.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-28280956109548328622014-03-14T08:21:00.000-07:002014-03-14T08:21:52.111-07:00Ali Baba and his forty thieves have competition.
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ali Baba
was from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Baghdad</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, we all know that, but he has competition.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">His
competition is the Thief of El Gouna, or specifically the Thief of El Tig
Marina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We thought
that his theft from the boat was only a Leatherman multi tool, the keys for the
fuel and water tanks and the navigation chip from the Raytheon Navigation
system containing all the charts for our route. We thought that he had stolen
some bedding and maybe some food supplies, but none of the stored stores of
alcohol, nor any clothing. It wouldn’t do perhaps, for him to steal clothing
that had been used by pig eaters like us? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What he did
steal as well as the above items was to have a profound impact on our voyage
and was to endanger our lives to a serious degree, but more of that later. We
did an inventory of what we thought he might have stolen, but he out-foxed us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now that we
are safely away from </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> I am able to record what really happened
when I reported this theft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony wanted
me to ‘leave it’, but I wanted to report the theft because the safety
implications of stealing charts from a system that might only be discovered when
it was too late. This was particularly important in such a dangerous
navigational area, and could be of danger to others who might be less vigilant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony had
decided to leave the key of the boat with the Harbourmaster before our
departure last August, which is a normal procedure for an unoccupied boat in a
secure trustworthy place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Of course
we had checked the navigation instruments and equipment as part of
recommissioning the boat after a layoff period, but it was only when we were
planning our departure that we saw all the fine detail charts had been stolen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I organised
a meeting with the marina manager, and he called the Harbourmaster, who is also
the Head of Security, to attend. This Head of Security had found that we had
organised a driver to buy some fuel for the boat. This is a normal procedure at
all the other ports on </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and one that we had used in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Port Said</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and in Port Suez. The only other
way to get fuel at El Tig marina is to order a bowser from thirty kilometres
away to deliver it, and that they are not eager to do, for an amount of 100
litres.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So the
Security Chief had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">confiscated</i> our
fuel and drums, and had closed the marina because of “wind” for three days.
This was an undisguised attempt to stop us from leaving, as we were the only
boat in the marina that was a cruising yacht. All the others boats there are
owned as Tax Havens or as money laundering organisations posing as charter
operators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Meeting the
Harbourmaster for the first time Face to Face, I realised that HE held all the
cards and that I had to be very careful. He seemed to me to be a thug, and he
made me think that he had probably been fired from the Egyptian military for
killing too many civilians. I was very conciliatory with the marina manager and
I said that I was only recording the theft of the navigation chip because of
the safety considerations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We were
allowed to leave the next day, and I recorded some of the difficulties we
encountered in the previous blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We did
manage to get the Crossbows from the Customs on our departure from Hurghada as
reported before, and we set course down the southern departure route, through
the coral reefs and then out to sea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What a
relief to get away from land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our
destination was the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">port</span></st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> of </span><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Suakin</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> which is a little bay about thirty
nautical miles south of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Port Sudan</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> on the Western coast of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The reason
for choosing Suakin was that were told that we would be able to buy ‘arms’
there, for defence against pirate attack threats in the Gulf of Aden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Once out at
sea we had a beautiful following wind and cruised with the genoa while we
sorted out and raised the spinnaker. This was a period of tranquillity for us
to settle in and get used to the boat and its motion. Marlene felt a little bit
queasy with the motion and from working in the galley with stooping into
cupboards to retrieve things, but this soon passed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We sailed
through the night with the spinnaker up, which is not a normal procedure for me
because if you have to ‘drop it’ during the night it means being on the
foredeck in the dark, and the risk of falling overboard is greater, and the
chance of finding someone who has fallen overboard at night is slim. But the conditions
were so stable that I decided to risk it, and it turned out okay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The next
day Tony was delighted to catch two small Yellow Fin Tuna, which he filleted
with skill and divided into ‘meals for four’ containers and then BBQ’ed the
remainder, including the Heads, which he says has the best meat of all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tony BBQing the fish</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The next
day we had to drop the spinnaker and start beating to windward as the wind had
changed to come from the South. Eventually the wind dropped altogether, so we motored
on with one engine. We were visited by a few fine-looking dolphins that were
coloured with three shades of grey. They looked so colour co-ordinated that I
feel tempted to respray my sports car when I get home, as it is sprayed in a
metallic sliver grey colour which looks dull in comparison to these beautiful
creatures.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We were
also visited by a Hoepoe, which is a pretty russet coloured bird with black and
white markings and an impressive crest. What it was doing out at sea and out of
sight of land is a mystery. We also had a little insect eating bird that flew
into the saloon and ate the last of the Egyptian flies, which was a service
that we appreciated very much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The wind
returned from the north, but was light, so we raised the spinnaker again. The
spinnaker did a curious thing in the light wind; it got caught in an eddy
behind the mainsail and wrapped itself around the forestay several times, very
neatly. We had to start the engines and turn the boat around five times to
un-twist the spinnaker, so I have resolved not to fly the spinnaker again with
the mainsail raised in light winds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We arrived
at Suakin and Ian steered the boat into the port, past the ferry quay and to
the anchorage for yachts which is south of a small island that is the site of the
‘</span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ruined</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">City</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">’. This is where the British based
some naval ships long ago, before relocating and creating a base at what is now
</span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Port
Sudan</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, to the north. The reason for this was because of the complications of
the coral reefs off shore and the dangers to shipping that these reefs pose for
navigation. Today, with GPS navigation, everything is so much easier, although
the accuracy of the charts is sometimes suspect as some of the chart survey
areas are over a hundred years old. The coast of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> is one of the most unexplored in
the world. The big ships have no interest in it as they steam up and down the
centre of the Sea, and the recreational use by cruising yachts is minimal. A
great deal of the survey done by Captain Carless at the beginning of the 1900’s
was lost due to the negligence of the bureaus in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> where the information was stored.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There was
only one other boat in the anchorage at Suakin, and the owner, Captain Jack,
was shocked to see us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“You are
the first boat I have seen here in four years!” he told us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Captain
Jack is what I would call the “Ultimate Cruising Sailor”. He has been visiting
this port for a dozen years during the northern winter months, and then he
sails back to the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Mediterranean</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to be with his family in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> during the northern summer months.
He seems totally content with his own company, and yet engages with everyone
around and is a mine of information regarding weather patterns and local safety
issues. His family from </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> fly out to visit him from time to
time, so that they can go diving on the local reefs and to stay with “Grand
Papa Bateau”. His boat, which he has owned for thirty years, is an example of a
cared for and personally modified cruising boat. He laments that in the past,
when cruising in the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was more popular, the people who cruised up the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> were “so urgent” on their schedules
that they did not appreciate the Life that they were living.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We are also
“urgent” to get to the south, and I know that he is right. We are missing the
inner peace that comes from “taking time to travel”. My excuse is that we have
to catch the winds in the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Northern Indian Ocean</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> before they fade and reverse, if we are to get
to the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> before mid April.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our agent
at Suakin was Mohamed Abubaker. He is a tall elegant Sudanese who Tony said
must have a Royal Blood connection. He was organised and efficient and we had
clearances from the port control and fuel delivered to the boat in double quick
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We invited
Captain Jack over for an evening meal, which was an opportunity for us to learn
about cruising in the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and the history of the yachtsmen who had passed through. He told us
about one who got shot while diving on a reef in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Eritrea</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> near Massawa, but why he was shot
was not clear. Perhaps the military there was merely protecting the country
resources?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The port at
Suakin, also sometimes called Sawakin, is an important embarkation point for
Muslims who are going to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Mecca</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> for the Hajj. The problem, it was
revealed, is that they are not allowed to take their sacrificial animals with
them on the ferry. Apparently several million animals are sacrificed each year,
mainly goats, but some camels too, and they have to be transported by the
faithful. So another port is being constructed south of Suakin to transport the
animals. How they all recognise each other on the “other side” at Jeddah is a
mystery, rather like how the Emperor Penguins recognise each other in the
Antarctic after months of separation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It must be
tough to be a faithful goat when your master is driven by a desire to sacrifice
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-37832633676086211022014-02-19T00:52:00.001-08:002014-02-19T00:52:17.594-08:00Well we tried to leave Egypt, but it was closed.<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In spite of
organising everything the day before for our departure from El Tig Marina, they
still managed to lose the clearance certificate for the Coast Guard.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">By the time
that was found we did not have time to make our rendezvous with the Customs at
Hurghada, thirty miles away by sea, because that is where the only local “port
of entry/exit is”. We arrived ten minutes after their open hours, which it
seems is between 1000 and 1200.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Pity nobody
told us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony is convinced
it is because they are trying to get more Baksheesh from him. He should know
because he has travelled all the way from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cape Town</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cairo</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and back with Marjo, overland in a
camper van. He has had plenty of experience with delays in </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I think it
is more sinister.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I think
Pharaoh Ramses III is still in the driving seat somewhere here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And he
won’t let us go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And we have
no Moses to plead our case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I am
anxious that we don’t pray for any help, as the last thing we need right now is
a plague of frogs coming out of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Nile</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and stones falling from the sky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">As for
parting the waters, that won’t do us any good at all, because it is well known
that trying to sail a catamaran over dry land is extremely difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And we have
enough “difficult” right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Marlene has
stated categorically that cleaning plagues of locusts out of the Galley is not
in her job description, as Galley Slave.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So we have
had to spend the night at the marina in Hurghada in the small hope that we will
be able to catch the various officials during their small “open” window, and
between their prayers, which started this morning at 0500.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I must say
that the Imams here are much more melodious than further north in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. In </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Port Said</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and Port Suez their prayers sounded
much more aggressive. There the prayers sounded much more like a “Call to
Arms”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
resulting bloodbath back then in August may have been the new rulers’ reaction
to that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Anyway,
today we are supposed to clear customs and immigration, then top up the fuel
and then meet customs again outside the port where we will take possession of
the Crossbows that Tony brought from </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">South Africa</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> as “Sporting Equipment”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Of course
that involved even more Baksheesh at the airport on his arrival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Whether we
will be able to get them back still remains to be seen, because in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> right now it is illegal to even
have distress flares on a boat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is all
still due to the potential civil unrest which is putting the kibosh on tourism
at the moment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is
distressing for all the small Egyptian entrepreneurs who are anxious that the
tourists return, and they are trying very hard to please all the visitors that
do come here, because they know how important good reports of holiday makers
are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The one
plus of our short voyage from El Tig to Hurghada was that we saw the Ospreys
have made a nest on the outer buoy marking the entrance to El Gouna. The female
was sitting and glaring at us as we sailed past ten feet away. We do wish them
luck with their very exposed situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We will
miss the friendliness of the Egyptians as we progress further south, as well as
their infrastructure.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our next
port of call is a ruined ancient city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But more of
that later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Pictures will be loaded later when we have a faster internet connection.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-56772169035033916502014-02-16T21:13:00.001-08:002014-02-16T21:13:13.156-08:00Departure delayed from El Gouna
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Well, we
have been delayed form our departure from El Gouna.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The “wind”
got up…… Well it is true, it did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And it blew
red dust all over the boat which upset Marlene as she had spent a long time
getting it all pristine and clean!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It blew at
about 35 knots, gusting more, which Tony says it just what the boat needs ‘to really fly”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So the Port Authority closed the port and prevented us from leaving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But we had
another delay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our
navionics chip in the Raymarine navigation device has been stolen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We
discovered this during last minute checks on the boat systems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This most
likely happened while we were away and the key of the boat was with the
Harbourmaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We had a
meeting with the Port Authority, which is the Harbourmaster, and offered a
reward! We are also trying to locate another one, which has its own problems,
because to get anything sent to us it has to go through customs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony claims
that this is all for “Backsheesh”, and so far his experiences with customs seem
to bear this out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The other
problem was that a local “driver” was caught trying to deliver some diesel to
us from a fuel station, and this is illegal in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. It turns out that even in this
modern marina we have to get fuel sent in a fuel bowser from 30 kilometres
away, and they are disinclined to do that for a 100 litres or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It was much
easier for us to get fuel at our other “stops” in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> with the boat where the local taxi
drivers did the service for us and the process is acceptable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This delay
gave me some time to communicate with the naval forces that are on patrol in
the pirate High Risk Areas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I will give
some of the emails back and forth below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Please skip
if you find it boring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I received
this message via a friend from the commander of United States Naval Forces in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Bahrain</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, who apparently co-ordinates and
resists pirate activity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Unfortunately the resources that provide support for safe transit to commercial
vessels do not afford the convoy/escort protection to recreational
vessels. This is due to the generally slower speeds they travel at which
would slow the entire convoy.<br />
In fact there is a notice we developed
in 2013 as a coop between EUNAVFOR, CMF, UKMTO, MARLO, and NATO Shipping Center
that clearly states the activity from Pirate Action Groups (PAGs) and warns
that all recreational vessels are sailing under their own risk: "Its
conclusions are clear and incontrovertible - all sailing yachts under their own
passage should remain out of the High Risk Area or face the risk of being
attacked and pirated for ransom.." To the best of my knowledge
issues with regards to recreational vessels have not changed. If you look
at the latest PATS msg, it contains the contact info for the convoys in the
area. They may be able to provide updated information.<br />
</b><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Please note
all the acronyms. They prove that this is an American Communication.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">My response
to this was to my friend was:</span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">I have been
thinking about this reaction from the USN and I am not impressed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">What they
are saying is that they are there to protect the commercial vessels and not the
private individuals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">I am
troubled by this because it is the individuals that pay their taxes to provide
these naval people with their careers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The
commercial ships they are protecting are registered in places like </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Panama</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Liberia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and pay no taxes.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">This is
rather the same as the Police saying that they will only protect the passage of
large trucks on the Highways of the world and that the private citizens can be
swept aside and killed with out compunction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">I think
this is a dangerous and ill conceived attitude.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">As I said
before, the naval forces should be delighted to have an opportunity to live up
to their responsibilities and protect the people who keep them where they are.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">On the
other issue, I really admire the Somalis for protecting their fishing grounds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">They are
the only people in </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> who have combated the rape and destruction wrought by the Israeli,
Spanish, Japanese and Russian trawlers and seiners.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: magenta;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: magenta;">This is
what I have written to the MSCHOA:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: lime;">
</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Good afternoon Antonio</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Thank you for your response and
concern regarding the piracy problems.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have registered with MSCHOA and
we will be complying with the times and routings as far as is possible with a
sailing yacht under power.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We feel that it is important for
people like us to exercise our right to navigate the oceans, and we do not wish
to be intimidated by either terrorists or pirates. We all have experience of
wars in </span></strong><st1:place><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></strong></st1:place><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and we know what we are
confronting. I hope that the "powers that be" will see us as an
interesting "bait" to entice some activity, for which action can be
taken.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We are an American registered yacht
with a mix on board of British, Canadian, South African and French connections.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If something happens to us I am sure
that one of these countries will see it as an opportunity to give their naval
forces a reason to rise to their responsibilities.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Thank you to you and your team for
working to keep the seas safe for navigators of the high seas.</span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Best</span></strong></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Chris<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Perhaps the outcome will be that we are
attacked by a drone from the USN Bahrain!<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Let’s see if we can shoot it down with a crossbow.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">After all, it wasn’t far from here that David
slew Goliath.</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-42620409154733542612014-02-14T22:20:00.001-08:002014-02-14T22:20:54.968-08:00So many South Africans at Sea.
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our
transport plans have come together perfectly.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Ian arrived
in Hurghada looking well and fit in spite of his long multi-leg journey from </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Western Canada</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our flight
on Transavia </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was smooth and on time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tony
arrived from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cape Town</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in good spirits with large black bags filled
with “toys” for the boat. It was like Christmas, with underwater cameras,
crossbows, spear guns and night vision optics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Since then
Marlene has been shopping in the local stores and supermarkets with long lists
of essential items ranging from potatoes to dehydrated beans to beers ‘under
the counter’ as supermarkets do not sell alcohol here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have all
been impressed with the changes at El Gouna with new extensions to the marina
such as the island pictured below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PbcBHcVnd0PqIjL5B24YC_Rj6axBHMb7o4g7rGSJlRSxneNrn14663_KbdL9Hu542vfcesEsfp5FaHm0BvFIJjjlw8-C9SCQyLH05E_-ueycopOE_RlSVdSmk2W0JAL37Oc2xYI8hiV7/s1600/abu+tig+island.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PbcBHcVnd0PqIjL5B24YC_Rj6axBHMb7o4g7rGSJlRSxneNrn14663_KbdL9Hu542vfcesEsfp5FaHm0BvFIJjjlw8-C9SCQyLH05E_-ueycopOE_RlSVdSmk2W0JAL37Oc2xYI8hiV7/s1600/abu+tig+island.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">During our
preparations we have met some South Africans who are the only active sailors
here at the almost deserted marina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Steve, who
has sailed his racing catamaran from </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, then the length of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Mediterranean</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and through the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Suez Canal</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, is moored next to us. He has
operated this eight man racing cat all by himself, which is a courageous thing
to do. Now he is preparing to follow us down the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and then continue on to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Muscat</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Oman</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, where he works.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have
offered to tow him, on the clear understanding that he will be “bait” for the
pirates, and that we reserve the option to “cut him loose” if we are attacked.
He has seen through our “offer” with typical South African good humour. He will
need all of that to complete his voyage and we respect his daring and wish him
luck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQO-dVo3c4z7YXEWkXLlSOwqy8b0RDcgYvNv6MlomfLiwhjGECzyJ-kRyi2ZojY8byhznsRoLMwijRUNAvB7Xt6XkNyuGuuaX6gsiynUiVU8qtkvms7o_YY7ptEXgZTOnV8FjWKYYMv4qj/s1600/steven's+racing+cat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQO-dVo3c4z7YXEWkXLlSOwqy8b0RDcgYvNv6MlomfLiwhjGECzyJ-kRyi2ZojY8byhznsRoLMwijRUNAvB7Xt6XkNyuGuuaX6gsiynUiVU8qtkvms7o_YY7ptEXgZTOnV8FjWKYYMv4qj/s1600/steven's+racing+cat.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">On the
other end of the scale we have been happy to meet Peter and Debbie who are
operating a luxury super yacht. This is a masterpiece of Egyptian Engineering
and is accepted as the best yacht available for charter in the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. It is a huge responsibility for
both of them, but it seems that South Africans will rise to whatever challenge
they meet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ampSQ9VSAASD7lgFjw6z6jN59TDmGkfvw4Vh39ovojjL7auRNQp6GsoOtAR3qm4CZ5Mk6JKmTcMS85EfahQgceOq9dNNTvas_W5rh455-u-48S7AIyntE9JzJ7GdafgLG5Bb41yOuS8a/s1600/seven+spices.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ampSQ9VSAASD7lgFjw6z6jN59TDmGkfvw4Vh39ovojjL7auRNQp6GsoOtAR3qm4CZ5Mk6JKmTcMS85EfahQgceOq9dNNTvas_W5rh455-u-48S7AIyntE9JzJ7GdafgLG5Bb41yOuS8a/s1600/seven+spices.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Once again
we are struck with the beauty of the units around the marina basin. They are a
harmonious combination of architectural design and colours, which reflect the
shades of the desert. Tony has rated the design and layout as ten out of ten,
and he knows what he is talking about having created a similar development at
Gordon’s Bay in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">South Africa</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQAWRhRccy_PtQSmI1DjV95lyitQ91ffyR_DrIvMLTl9z3uNuUWMDQPxJ2cLCdpP1AQon3BrwRO_rVu64OzFjpl6us56gG_gvNdioSK7-I-xMhyphenhyphenYnT4EGoojkasJk_75XVmlHyMgDSmks/s1600/abu+tig+units.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQAWRhRccy_PtQSmI1DjV95lyitQ91ffyR_DrIvMLTl9z3uNuUWMDQPxJ2cLCdpP1AQon3BrwRO_rVu64OzFjpl6us56gG_gvNdioSK7-I-xMhyphenhyphenYnT4EGoojkasJk_75XVmlHyMgDSmks/s1600/abu+tig+units.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sadly the
marina is filled with parked boats, all awaiting better political times. There
are very few tourists, but we are sure they will come flooding back soon, when
the situation improves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tUas0y1Eqag-sC608jhSDm0vQKcym9MBlrOF8FqMhtJAb6Vz3w8hoVQyly9S4aEcqn0OpMR91y_X2upMcTq6k0leA3lhGna3md0gZP0HglNIQHqPHOG4OeSXTEobnzjXU-lakr_Q_aIq/s1600/abu+tig+with+palm+trees.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tUas0y1Eqag-sC608jhSDm0vQKcym9MBlrOF8FqMhtJAb6Vz3w8hoVQyly9S4aEcqn0OpMR91y_X2upMcTq6k0leA3lhGna3md0gZP0HglNIQHqPHOG4OeSXTEobnzjXU-lakr_Q_aIq/s1600/abu+tig+with+palm+trees.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tomorrow we
set off on our voyage down the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, so I will not be able to update this blog for
a while, unless the Satellite phone works, and at the moment that is not
happening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">With all
the Africans on board Freedom we have tried communicating with Jungle Drums,
but so far we haven’t achieved a decent range.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcV0Dg9Eel40OLYCA4InVfFKOExDWnU19BvX288hWkB2VtIjAH9JScyDo_3zZZEdnl5FRvPG9YHEvFAurxunTysGrIsPWTKyE5WXoAhv4YcAJE9oWHcugLvngmRpvrvtG-vQvTzfkZy-PN/s1600/tony+mf+ian+at+abu+tig.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcV0Dg9Eel40OLYCA4InVfFKOExDWnU19BvX288hWkB2VtIjAH9JScyDo_3zZZEdnl5FRvPG9YHEvFAurxunTysGrIsPWTKyE5WXoAhv4YcAJE9oWHcugLvngmRpvrvtG-vQvTzfkZy-PN/s1600/tony+mf+ian+at+abu+tig.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:453pt;height:339.75pt'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Chris\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image007.jpg"
o:title="tony mf ian at abu tig"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
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</div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-71160498680719413352014-02-07T00:50:00.000-08:002014-02-07T00:50:10.161-08:00Final preparations before flying to Egypt<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">One of the
things that people who travel up and down </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> have learned is that the US dollar is the true
currency of </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">If one day
the Americans give up the dollar in favour of an Amero, or the World Bank successfully
introduces the Yuan or Yen as an International Trading currency, in </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> it will remain the dollar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Africans
have had lots of experience with their own currencies devaluing, sometimes to
joke levels, that they now trust and accept the US dollar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">You can
bribe your way through borders, buy guns and pay off falsified criminal
accusations with dollars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Even
Pirates like dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So dollars
we need and so dollars is what I went looking for in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I am only
mentioning all of this because I found a wide range of exchange rates in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and the best one was at “Yes
Exchange” in Rue Rouget de l’Isle which is adjacent to the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Tuileries</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gardens</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> near the Louvre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I also
found a wide range of prices for things like T-shirts, which ranged from five
euros on street markets to more than my monthly household budget…. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For a T-shirt!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">On my way
to do this, Marlene took the advantage of the situation to try and improve my
appreciation of the Arts, so she routed us to the Musée Rodin. What a
worthwhile visit is was in spite of the clouds and rain, all of which made the
“Gates of Hell” more dramatic than a Spring day would.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We had to
photograph the “Thinker”, which I felt was misnamed and could be better known
as the “Regular Ruminator”, or perhaps the “Calculating Colon Cleanser”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">His pose is
correct for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGSX2u3arZFy4GxuTNDdEZtHFLinegfDwhOhNjcW_kxUShjuUXxljSOZnzHP_pUvW-62jb50QIHlppvaFIvHIi-y4bokg5U1lh6iepXGQwdfYhd0Lww7gR6VTM_VrBtR5Hnnb-o6mHpA2/s1600/rodin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGSX2u3arZFy4GxuTNDdEZtHFLinegfDwhOhNjcW_kxUShjuUXxljSOZnzHP_pUvW-62jb50QIHlppvaFIvHIi-y4bokg5U1lh6iepXGQwdfYhd0Lww7gR6VTM_VrBtR5Hnnb-o6mHpA2/s1600/rodin.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I have to
apologise for the ‘starboard list’ of this picture, but it seems that Rodin has
constructed most of his works with a ‘leaning’, perhaps to give them a sense of
urgency. Perhaps this fellow’s urgency was evident before he sat down?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">On a more
serious note our preparations have included buying night vision optics, which
give us the possibility to “see” in low light conditions and also to illuminate
objects with infrared light, which makes them easy to see on the darkest night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This is only
a part of our anti-piracy procedures. We have set up communications with the
International Piracy Centres who monitor and co-ordinate movements of war ships
who react to threats and incidents in High Risk areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The reality
is that in a small boat we are vulnerable to all sorts of problems. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Not only do
we have to contend with the weather, coral reefs and collisions with
whales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes I have had that experience.
Perhaps I will write about it later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But also we
have to treat all ships as a danger, not only because they can collide with us,
but also because the mercenaries they have on board could easily fire upon us
in the mistaken idea that we are pirates. These mercenaries have to justify
their employment, so I suspect that they are trigger-happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The war
ships in the area are also sensitive to small boats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">After the
suicidal bombing of USS Cole in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Aden</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in 2000 I am sure that the gunners
on board would rather risk a court marshal than risk their shipmates’ lives to
another attack. And how would they know that our small yacht had not been
hi-jacked by terrorists and was being used to mount another attack?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">No…. I
expect they would fire first and ask questions afterwards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I would in their
position.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">So we have
to keep clear of warships as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In addition
to all the above, the procedures for transiting the most dangerous area is to
assemble the ships at point ‘A’ or point ‘B’ depending on the direction of
transit and then release them with the slowest first and the fastest chasing
after them. The result of this is likely to be a flotilla of ships at different
speeds all converging on a point in the ocean with us in the middle!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Yes, we are
going to have to be vigilant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Is there
anyone out there who would like to be an extra watch keeper?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-29587885682447174902014-02-04T23:22:00.000-08:002014-02-05T17:21:42.255-08:00And now it is time for us to leave home<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have had
a busy time preparing for our departure, the most pleasant part of which was
making a special point of saying goodbye to our friends. We have had the chance
to spend quality time with many, but sadly not all, which is rather what life
is all about… When one shuffles off from this mortal coil there are always
goodbyes that have never been said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">It has been
a mild winter in </span><st1:state><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Burgundy</span></st1:place></st1:state><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> compared to the average, so much
so, that before we left I re-planted my dahlia tubers on the basis that if they
survive being planted early, maybe they will make a display for summer, even if
we are not there. Most probably the result will be that the slugs get fatter on
dahlia shoots and breed more and put the cherry trees at risk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There is a
significant difference in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">France</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> between “Au Revoir” and “A Dieu”.
The first indicates an intention to return and meet up again, and the second is
final and means only a hope to meet again on the other side of the River Styx.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The Headmaster
at the school where Marlene works, Sainte Ursule in Dole, is convinced that
Marlene will not return to the school to take up again the teaching of 240
pupils every week. But not because she will be in a watery grave, but rather
because she will find how wonderful life is, outside the academic maelstrom,
that she will not want to return. But the truth is Marlene loves teaching
English to these children and has adopted them like a large family of
Grandchildren. She knows them all and it has been a big wrench to tear herself
away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Here she is
with some of her colleagues on the last day at school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrq5K-w19WpiAAbg_nYbElED-WHlw5Nn5sxgYcgIxAkT6hUZoR3yCnWtfP9Mifoph-pHPKS5t60J_xBms_8UtCgpOyFIb6R6VNtWvpT3-MeqmelHWOfHXnucIncjk2M4rfG4HUd5BED7W/s1600/schoolcolleagues.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrq5K-w19WpiAAbg_nYbElED-WHlw5Nn5sxgYcgIxAkT6hUZoR3yCnWtfP9Mifoph-pHPKS5t60J_xBms_8UtCgpOyFIb6R6VNtWvpT3-MeqmelHWOfHXnucIncjk2M4rfG4HUd5BED7W/s1600/schoolcolleagues.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our friend
Christian took us to the station at Seurre where the train for </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Dijon</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> left exactly on time. I spent many
years travelling on the French train system, and I have always been impressed
with their punctuality. The TGV (Train Grand Vitesse) whisked us off to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in double quick time, where will
spend a few days taking in the culture of this magnificent city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzzuF1P8kSF-lith0IDRvjes3N_O42KPtYNg-VT1iJT_YQ3PCDxw4fQxmXWXzfCIYG0Qtv2BKMi2KKI5-HrU50rL6nSAqp5JQGrUgxfMrdfEVZ-fOud0GylHuWUCYIcSP2GvoOEVaqIcq/s1600/tgv+dijon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzzuF1P8kSF-lith0IDRvjes3N_O42KPtYNg-VT1iJT_YQ3PCDxw4fQxmXWXzfCIYG0Qtv2BKMi2KKI5-HrU50rL6nSAqp5JQGrUgxfMrdfEVZ-fOud0GylHuWUCYIcSP2GvoOEVaqIcq/s1600/tgv+dijon.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Having said
that, I am always somewhat uneasy in a large agglomeration, having been brought
up alone on a Rhodesian farm. I find this concentration of people so strange,
when the animals that I know from </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> all demand their own space and territory, and
will not tolerate overcrowding. I have been fortunate, or unfortunate, to have
visited cities as far apart as </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Lima</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Peru</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Sydney</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in Oz, from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Cape Town</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Leningrad</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and I still wonder at how people
coexist in such conditions. It makes us even more grateful to have our home in
a small village with a view of a river and forest with no passing traffic. A
village of only 600 people, where some of them have never even walked down to
the river to see what it looks like!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">No wonder
they are afraid for us, and concerned about our mental health, for wanting to
wander the trackless ocean in search of another horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">But back to
</span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We wandered through a small part of
it near the Gare de Lyon, and of course strolled along the wharf of the “Port
de Plaisance” where there is a selection of pristine barges and boats that seem
to be permanently moored there. Some of them have crew on board whose sole job
is to polish the brass and chrome fittings, and I must say they do gleam. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Of course I
need to include a picture, for the record, of Notre Dame under a cloudy
Parisian sky. Not bad weather for February, compared to what it can be at this
time of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Then we saw
the “Garde Républicaine” whose motto includes the words “Honour, Service,
Protocol, Security and Prestige”. They are responsible for the large horse and
motorcycle escorts for the President of France and visiting Heads of State. The
entrance gate is inlaid with the names of past guards who have lost their lives
in different theatres of war over the last two hundred years. Inside the main
court there are handsome horses, parked like motorcycles awaiting their next
duty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I can’t
help thinking about my little horse Blackie and the freedom we had, growing up and
exploring the African bush together. The sort of life that these horses will
never know, but perhaps they have a dream of it somewhere in their psyche. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Just like
the people here, they are prisoners of cities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">No wonder
the call of the open ocean appeals to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Today we
are meeting up with our friend Jean-Marie who is a doctor from rural France. He is
lending us his apartment for a couple of nights, in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. He has just returned from a stint
in </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Africa</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, this time in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Burkina Faso</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. He goes out to different places in Africa at regular
intervals to help, aid and operate on young women who have been traumatised and
abused, and to teach the local doctors how to take care of these unfortunate
victims of circumstance and religious intolerance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I so admire
him, because he could just spend his life in retirement, playing golf and
comparing late model cars with other colleagues, but instead he puts his life
at risk for the benefit of others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He is a
true generous soul.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">We have
just received a message from our agent in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> who says he will be at the Hurghada
airport to meet us on arrival.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Here is
what he wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 24pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">deer capten tony <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 24pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">how are you ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 24pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">no proplem i orgnizo every thing <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 24pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">and i wait them at air port <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 24pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">see you soon <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I wish that
I could write as well, in Arabic, as he does in English.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I am
frightened to say “May Allah go with you”, in case I make a mistake and insult
someone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span> </div>
</div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-61969678964419274282014-01-28T03:28:00.001-08:002014-01-28T03:28:18.360-08:00Cats have left home, we are next.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Well, part
of our preparations for the voyage has been completed and one of the most
difficult problems was to find homes for the cats. We have (had) two cats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">One is a
Siamese, who we found as a kitten with his dead mother, who we raised from
infancy and who has been a large part of our domestic life. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">He has now been
adopted by a family from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now he is
in a home being cuddled by two lovely young French girls, which is a very good
outcome for a de-testicled tom cat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">That anyone
should be so lucky!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBQOPdkQlNxds0EmUgRwrYQJX2DzOiAHWMTaQ3IvIgeh7eZGJwRa_-cpWU3-hDTLWWmnnKjMTW2f9D84NKZPA6vp4-dMGJGfue2fvi_8LludDna_vqWZ4gTPKxvemgG4_DS3OPPzpxqDE/s1600/cats+3jan05.frank2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizBQOPdkQlNxds0EmUgRwrYQJX2DzOiAHWMTaQ3IvIgeh7eZGJwRa_-cpWU3-hDTLWWmnnKjMTW2f9D84NKZPA6vp4-dMGJGfue2fvi_8LludDna_vqWZ4gTPKxvemgG4_DS3OPPzpxqDE/s1600/cats+3jan05.frank2.jpg" height="320" width="315" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Our other
cat Tequila has been adopted by our good friends Roberto and Chantelle from the
</span><st1:state><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Alsace</span></st1:place></st1:state><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> who have known her for many years.
She is similar to what the French call a Chartreux which is a grey cat reputed
to be much favoured by Monks, due to their affectionate nature and excellent
mouse catching abilities. She lived up to this reputation with us as she
operated three “mouse ranches” in front of the house along the river, where she
controlled the breeding of the mice for her kittens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">She is an
expert at selecting mice of different sizes for her kittens so that they learn
the skills required to be a “mouser”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">What we did
not know was that Chartreux cats have names starting with a particular letter
of the alphabet to distinguish the year of their birth. So Tequilla is officially
either eleven or thirty three years old, or somewhere in-between. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">A real
French cat would never reveal true her age.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And nor would we.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">She also
has the uncanny habit of staring deep into your eyes as though she can understand
what you are thinking. I think she knew she was leaving us, but that it was
alright, whereas Frank had no idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The house
is strangely empty without them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-58822336937457639432014-01-24T21:57:00.000-08:002014-01-30T02:19:14.050-08:00Freedom's CrewUsually when a crew comes together on a cruising yacht, they are friends from a yacht club, they know each other from working together or they live in the same town.<br />
For this reason it is difficult to understand why the four crew members, Tony, Ian, Chris and Marlene for this part of the voyage on Yacht Freedom come from Africa, North America and Europe.<br />
<br />
I will reveal the connections that brought this crew together as the voyage progresses.<br />
<br />
Tony is flying to Egypt from Gordon's Bay in South Africa. <br />
He has lived in the very southern part of Africa all his life, and from there has engaged in many activities involving the sea as diverse as diving for lobsters, to catching live crocodiles in Australia, to sailing the Atlantic to Brazil and Caribbean, as well as sailing the Southern Indian Ocean, the coasts of Africa and Madagascar, and the islands in between.<br />
In this photo Tony is cooling down in the warm waters of the Red Sea, which at 25 degrees Celsius is still cooler than the 40 degrees plus air temperature of the Egyptian Summer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WKe5P8SS2SEJs7aTRMEJPWvU9F62GeiWY2tMvN0zbBSrMuVEmCDQ8PTZ0gaoaeAE9yKAorMGp1SuJgohxXcJPRTt6OeH6QIRmVgLsyvJRE2KNXN61HXH52eoI_jqJscBJchNZmo56HMd/s1600/Tony+with+rudder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WKe5P8SS2SEJs7aTRMEJPWvU9F62GeiWY2tMvN0zbBSrMuVEmCDQ8PTZ0gaoaeAE9yKAorMGp1SuJgohxXcJPRTt6OeH6QIRmVgLsyvJRE2KNXN61HXH52eoI_jqJscBJchNZmo56HMd/s1600/Tony+with+rudder.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ian is flying in from Vancouver, Canada where he has lived for the last thirty five years and where he sails his cruising yacht along the Pacific Coast. Ian has been involved with competitive sailing for many decades including winning the National Championships in Contender Class dinghies in Canada.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-agh3cEImHmreTikXfrnfh9JlSnbstLRmNFNo6a-ND2NZ1w8OKActR5AwZUYdyPlCNrD2Cd5_LWSn5DuY-VFZS5fmlxT9cPDgOxG3kuhSR_qUDRHR5xqSqOTlw7IaHFvmV4jRijdP9fh/s1600/Ian+casual+pose.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-agh3cEImHmreTikXfrnfh9JlSnbstLRmNFNo6a-ND2NZ1w8OKActR5AwZUYdyPlCNrD2Cd5_LWSn5DuY-VFZS5fmlxT9cPDgOxG3kuhSR_qUDRHR5xqSqOTlw7IaHFvmV4jRijdP9fh/s1600/Ian+casual+pose.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Chris and Marlene have an easier trip from near Dijon in France to Egypt. <br />
They have a direct flight from Orly to Hurghada which is the International Airport about thirty kilometres from the marina complex at El Gouna. They have sailed together before with their children in their old wooden boat across the South and North Atlantic Oceans.<br />
They are looking forward to meeting the Chef at El Gouna Yacht Club again, who they met last August. Here he is pictured with Marlene after giving her instruction on how to create a decorative swan out of a section of cucumber.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cOIpqYknRyn62Jt6VxRDstnc1PpYsO64dBhi8vpo8ZSpkbf-Wyh6xibSBWL9jxnNa-bOmKzW0H2DiumHDPkPQV-zgXNjYo58gWzGUYGHNUqPJMX03USZiwgNMDqo2TzXY7UeqE2c6Let/s1600/Marlene+with+El+Gouna+Yacht+Club+Chef..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cOIpqYknRyn62Jt6VxRDstnc1PpYsO64dBhi8vpo8ZSpkbf-Wyh6xibSBWL9jxnNa-bOmKzW0H2DiumHDPkPQV-zgXNjYo58gWzGUYGHNUqPJMX03USZiwgNMDqo2TzXY7UeqE2c6Let/s1600/Marlene+with+El+Gouna+Yacht+Club+Chef..JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />
However, the latest news is that the French Air Traffic Controllers have decided to go on strike. <br />
Hopefully the controllers will settle their differences and will secure an agreement with the European Union who are trying to create a more efficient pan European ATC system, before Chris and Marlene are due to depart from Paris.<br />
<br />
Tony and Ian both have multiple flights with all the possible problems of missing connections, delays and the fun of losing luggage. <br />
Tony will fly from Cape Town via Johannesburg to Cairo and then connect to Hurghada with Egyptair.<br />
Ian will be crossing nine hours of time zones by flying from Vancouver to Frankfurt with Air Canada and then with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and then on to Hurghada.<br />
<br />
Why do people fly thousands of miles in jet aircraft to then go on a slow, floating undulating form of transport, at the mercy of the elements, spend sleepless nights navigating through coral reefs and pirate zones in a boat that takes more energy per mile than a bicycle in sand?<br />
<br />
I hope to answer that question in later blogs.<br />
<br />
But if the adversities of travel and anxiety put you off wanting to sail long distances, then it is best to stay at home, as cruising has many frustrations and difficulties to overcome, which is part of the challenge and part of the feeling of accomplishment that we all enjoy, particularly when it is all over and we are discussing it while sipping a G+T, under a palm tree!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">A nos amis Francais</span></strong><br />
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<span title="Usually when a crew comes together on a cruising yacht, they are friends from a boat club, they know each other from work or they live in the same town.
">Habituellement, quand une équipe se rassemble sur un yacht de croisière , ils sont des amis d'un club de bateau , ils se connaissent de travail ou qu'ils vivent dans la même ville .</span><span title="For this reason it is difficult to understand why the four crew members for this part of the voyage on Yacht Freedom come from three different continents.
">Pour cette raison, il est difficile de comprendre pourquoi les quatre membres de l'équipage pour cette partie du voyage sur le Yacht Freedom viennent de trois continents différents .</span><br />
<span title="For this reason it is difficult to understand why the four crew members for this part of the voyage on Yacht Freedom come from three different continents.
"><br /></span><span title="I will reveal the reasons that brought this crew together as the voyage progresses.
">Je vais vous révéler les raisons qui ont amené l'équipage ainsi que le voyage progresse.</span><br />
<span title="I will reveal the reasons that brought this crew together as the voyage progresses.
"><br /></span><span title="Tony will fly to Egypt from Gordon's Bay in South Africa.
">Tony s'envolera pour l'Egypte de Gordon's Bay en Afrique du Sud.</span><span title="He has lived in this part of South Africa for all of his life, and he has engaged in many activities involving the sea as diverse as diving for lobsters, to catching live crocodiles in Australia, and to racing his super yacht in the Cape to Rio">Il a vécu dans cette partie de l'Afrique du Sud pour tout de sa vie , et il a participé à de nombreuses activités impliquant la mer aussi diverses que pêche à la langouste , à la capture des crocodiles vivants en Australie, <span class="hps">et de la voile</span> <span class="hps">de l'Atlantique</span> <span class="hps">au Brésil</span> <span class="hps">et des Caraïbes</span>, <span class="hps">ainsi que</span> <span class="hps">la voile</span> <span class="hps">de l'océan Indien</span>, <span class="hps">les côtes d'Afrique</span> <span class="hps">et de Madagascar</span>, <span class="hps">et</span> <span class="hps">les</span> <span class="hps">îles</span> <span class="hps">entre elles</span>.</span><br />
<span title="Here Tony retrieves one of the rudders in order to do repairs, after the rudder struck a submerged obstacle.
"><span class="hps">Dans</span> <span class="hps">cette photo</span> <span class="hps">Tony</span> <span class="hps">se refroidit</span> <span class="hps">dans les eaux chaudes</span> <span class="hps">de la mer Rouge</span>, <span class="hps">qui</span> <span class="hps">à 25 degrés</span> <span class="hps">Celsius</span> <span class="hps">est</span> <span class="hps">encore</span> <span class="hps">plus frais que les</span> <span class="hps">40</span> <span class="hps">degrés plus</span> <span class="hps">la température</span> <span class="hps">de l'air</span> <span class="hps">de l'été</span> <span class="hps">égyptien.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKPjm3ky3FRz2t_n1Ha2NkCJ0A6MbKSufqhA0tmFqGuWrsqY9Yn-14-jCead-U3WccYwJFTD_aUn0l9CCIVOxTgVzkJBPuqOCdKH_rWZdalppOVGwXVH21ELx6JLXUvJq7oVK-81KDtoX/s1600/Tony+with+rudder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKPjm3ky3FRz2t_n1Ha2NkCJ0A6MbKSufqhA0tmFqGuWrsqY9Yn-14-jCead-U3WccYwJFTD_aUn0l9CCIVOxTgVzkJBPuqOCdKH_rWZdalppOVGwXVH21ELx6JLXUvJq7oVK-81KDtoX/s1600/Tony+with+rudder.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span title="Here Tony retrieves one of the rudders in order to do repairs, after the rudder struck a submerged obstacle.
"><span title="Ian will fly from from Vancouver, Canada where he has lived for thirty five years and where he sails his cruising yacht along the Pacific Coast.
">Ian volera de Vancouver, au Canada , où il a vécu pendant trente cinq ans, et où il navigue son bateau de voile le long de la côte du Pacifique. <span class="hps">Ian</span> <span class="hps">navigue depuis</span> <span class="hps">de nombreuses décennies</span>, y compris <span class="hps">gagner</span> <span class="hps">les championnats nationaux</span> <span class="hps">dans les yachts</span> <span class="hps">Contender</span> <span class="hps">classe</span> <span class="hps">au Canada</span>.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzEqMqyX-1LkTxJkyRJeEL-J08JHqLRTGRLiJ6wM9d5S5ibYBRCBPFQ8rqpryzkwVp6Kh0cRRz696HjkudNgBQ8K3gldp49hiCcDCMf3HyZxDscYDfoJjaf-F9PNehWLzp2F6DGF-DTKa/s1600/Ian+casual+pose.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzEqMqyX-1LkTxJkyRJeEL-J08JHqLRTGRLiJ6wM9d5S5ibYBRCBPFQ8rqpryzkwVp6Kh0cRRz696HjkudNgBQ8K3gldp49hiCcDCMf3HyZxDscYDfoJjaf-F9PNehWLzp2F6DGF-DTKa/s1600/Ian+casual+pose.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span title="Here Tony retrieves one of the rudders in order to do repairs, after the rudder struck a submerged obstacle.
"><span title="Chris and Marlene have an easier trip from near Dijon in France to Egypt.
"></span></span><br />
<span title="Here Tony retrieves one of the rudders in order to do repairs, after the rudder struck a submerged obstacle.
"><span title="Chris and Marlene have an easier trip from near Dijon in France to Egypt.
">Chris et Marlene ont un voyage plus facile de près de Dijon en Egypte .</span><span title="They have a direct flight from Orly to Hurghada which is the International Airport about thirty kilometres from the marina complex at El Gouna.">Ils ont un vol direct de Orly à Hurghada, qui est l'aéroport international trentaine de kilomètres de la marina complexe à El Gouna . </span><span title="They are looking forward to meeting the Chef at El Gouna Yacht Club again, who they met last August.">Ils sont impatients de rencontrer le chef à El Gouna Yacht Club , qui ont rencontré Août dernier . </span><span title="Here he is pictured with Marlene after giving her instruction on how to create a decorative swan out of a section of cucumber.
">On le voit ici avec Marlene après lui donner des instructions sur la façon de créer un cygne décoratif sur une section de concombre .</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cOIpqYknRyn62Jt6VxRDstnc1PpYsO64dBhi8vpo8ZSpkbf-Wyh6xibSBWL9jxnNa-bOmKzW0H2DiumHDPkPQV-zgXNjYo58gWzGUYGHNUqPJMX03USZiwgNMDqo2TzXY7UeqE2c6Let/s1600/Marlene+with+El+Gouna+Yacht+Club+Chef..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cOIpqYknRyn62Jt6VxRDstnc1PpYsO64dBhi8vpo8ZSpkbf-Wyh6xibSBWL9jxnNa-bOmKzW0H2DiumHDPkPQV-zgXNjYo58gWzGUYGHNUqPJMX03USZiwgNMDqo2TzXY7UeqE2c6Let/s1600/Marlene+with+El+Gouna+Yacht+Club+Chef..JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span title="Here he is pictured with Marlene after giving her instruction on how to create a decorative swan out of a section of cucumber.
"><br /></span><span title="However, Joy of Joys, the French Air Traffic Controllers have decided to go on strike.
">Cependant, les contrôleurs du trafic aérien français ont décidé d'aller en grève .</span><span title="Hopefully the controllers will settle this action and will secure an agreement with the European Union who are trying to create a more efficient pan European ATC system, before Chris and Marlene are to depart from Paris.
">Espérons que les contrôleurs vont s'installer cette action et seront parvenir à un accord avec l'Union Européenne qui tentent de créer un système 'ATC' paneuropéen plus efficace , avant que Chris et Marlene sont à partir de Paris .</span><br />
<span title="Hopefully the controllers will settle this action and will secure an agreement with the European Union who are trying to create a more efficient pan European ATC system, before Chris and Marlene are to depart from Paris.
"><br /></span><span title="Tony and Ian have multiple flights with all the possible problems of missing connections, delays and the fun of losing luggage.
">Tony et Ian ont plusieurs vols avec tous les problèmes possibles de connexions manquantes , les retards et le plaisir de perdre les bagages. </span><span title="Tony will fly from Cape Town via Johannesburg to Cairo and then connect to Hurghada with Egyptair.
">Tony volera de Cape Town via Johannesburg au Caire puis se connecter à Hurghada avec Egyptair. </span><span title="Ian will be crossing nine hours of time zones by flying from Vancouver to Frankfurt with Air Canada and then with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and then on to Hurghada.
">Ian traversera neuf heures de décalage horaire par vol de Vancouver à Francfort avec Air Canada et avec Turkish Airlines à Istanbul, puis à Hurghada.</span><br />
<span title="Ian will be crossing nine hours of time zones by flying from Vancouver to Frankfurt with Air Canada and then with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and then on to Hurghada.
"><br /><span class="hps">Pourquoi avons-nous</span> <span class="hps">des milliers de kilomètres</span> <span class="hps">en</span> <span class="hps">avion</span>, puis <span class="hps">passent par</span> <span class="hps">les récifs coralliens</span> <span class="hps">et les zones</span> <span class="hps">de pirates</span> <span class="hps">dans un bateau</span> <span class="hps">qui prend</span> <span class="hps">plus d'énergie par</span> <span class="hps">kilomètre</span> <span class="hps">d'un</span> <span class="hps">vélo</span> <span class="hps">dans le sable</span>? <br /><br /><span class="hps">J'espère</span> <span class="hps">répondre à cette question</span> <span class="hps">dans les blogs</span> <span class="hps">plus tard</span>.</span>Provocative Versehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00688759300067464303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-675256471699135685.post-85253827350330395402014-01-17T22:33:00.000-08:002014-01-24T08:02:54.501-08:00Welcome to the adventures of Yacht Freedom, a Knysna 44 Catamaran, and her crew.<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Freedom</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> was built in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">South Africa</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> by the Knysna Yacht Company and
since her birth she has sailed from the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">South Atlantic</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">North Atlantic</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, through the Straits of Gibraltar,
along the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Mediterranean</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Turkey</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">There she languished until
Tony, her new owner, took pity on her and rescued her for a life of adventure
cruising.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In the Northern Summer of
2013 Tony refitted Freedom with all sorts of modern conveniences to make life
on board comfortable and convenient. Then he tested her on short voyages around
the coast of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Turkey</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and the </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Greek</span></st1:placename><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><st1:placetype><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Islands</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> before heading South to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Port Said</span></st1:place></st1:city><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">There Freedom travelled
along the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Suez
Canal</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> and
the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gulf of
Suez</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to El
Gouna which is an upmarket marina complex at the northern end of the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This part of the voyage is
well documented by Tony's wife Marjo, with hundreds of beautiful photographs,
on her blog which you can find by clicking on<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<a href="http://pikkieandfriends.blogspot.fr/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=22">http://pikkieandfriends.blogspot.fr/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=22</a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">This new series of blogs
will record Freedom's voyage down the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, through the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Gulf of Aden</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> to the Islands of Seychelles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">I am afraid that the blogs
will not be regularly updated because of the difficulties of finding Internet
connections in the </span><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Red Sea</span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, but when they are available we will add news as it happens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Marjo will join Freedom in
the </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seychelles</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">, so we will not have her expert photographic
skills to add photographs to this blog, but we will do the best we can until
then.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">I hope you will enjoy
this adventure with Freedom and with us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Here is a picture of
Freedom:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXm4WD2sEH5aT4h9g82495EKgvlE852OYpXGMNqVAUGKNiGFUFAibdiiIWqsnBmBpJU4PRFpypET-fAVliFJzbgXMKUsdHPfT-y_Jz5Z6ipTU8tCcd6Ge6P5W8vZVeGDzzeVNsY7WRD3hA/s1600/Freedom+4+(1).JPG" height="212" width="320" /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
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<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: large;">
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<div class="separator" style="margin: 1em 0cm;">
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Next week I
shall introduce you to the crew!</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border: 1pt solid whitesmoke; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: solid whitesmoke .5pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span></span><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span title="Freedom was built in South Africa by the Knysna Yacht Company and since her birth she has sailed from the South Atlantic to the North Atlantic, through the Straits of Gibraltar, along the Mediterranean to Turkey.
"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span title="Freedom was built in South Africa by the Knysna Yacht Company and since her birth she has sailed from the South Atlantic to the North Atlantic, through the Straits of Gibraltar, along the Mediterranean to Turkey.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span title="Freedom was built in South Africa by the Knysna Yacht Company and since her birth she has sailed from the South Atlantic to the North Atlantic, through the Straits of Gibraltar, along the Mediterranean to Turkey.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Freedom
a été construite en Afrique du Sud par le Knysna Yacht Company et depuis sa
naissance, elle a navigué de l'Atlantique Sud vers l'Atlantique Nord , à
travers le détroit de Gibraltar, le long de la Méditerranée en Turquie.<br />
</span></span><span title="There she languished until Tony, her new owner, took pity on her and rescued her for a life of adventure cruising.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Là,
le bateau languit jusqu'à Tony, son nouveau propriétaire, a eu pitié de lui et
l'a sauvée d'une vie d'aventure croisière.<br />
</span></span><span title="In the Northern Summer of 2013 Tony refitted Freedom with all sorts of modern conveniences to make life on board comfortable and convenient."><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Dans
l'été du Nord de 2013 Tony réaménagé Freedom avec toutes sortes de commodités
modernes pour rendre la vie à bord confortable et pratique. Puis il lui a testé
des voyages courts autour de la côte de la Turquie et les îles grecques avant
de se diriger Sud à Port-Saïd en Egypte.<br />
</span></span><span title="There Freedom travelled along the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Suez to El Gouna which is an upmarket marina complex at the northern end of the Red Sea.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Il
a voyagé le long de du Canal de Suez et le golfe de Suez à El Gouna qui est un
complexe de la marina haut de gamme à l'extrémité nord de la Mer Rouge.<br />
</span></span><span title="This part of the voyage is well documented by Tony's wife Marjo, with hundreds of beautiful photographs, on her blog which you can find by clicking on
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cette
partie du voyage est bien documenté par Marjo, l'épouse de Tony, avec des
centaines de belles photographies, sur son blog que vous pouvez trouver en
cliquant sur<br />
<br />
</span></span><span title="http://pikkieandfriends.blogspot.fr/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=22
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://pikkieandfriends.blogspot.fr/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=22">http://pikkieandfriends.blogspot.fr/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=22</a><br />
<br />
</span></span><span title="This new series of blogs will record Freedom's voyage down the Red Sea, through the Gulf of Aden to the Islands of Seychelles.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Cette
nouvelle série de blogs enregistrera le voyage du Freedom vers le sud de la
Mer Rouge, dans le golfe d’Aden vers les îles des Seychelles.<br />
</span></span><span title="I am afraid that the blogs will not be regularly updated because of the difficulties of finding Internet connections in the Red Sea, but when they are available we will add news as it happens.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Je
crains que les blogs ne seront pas mis à jour régulièrement en raison de la
difficulté de trouver des connexions Internet dans la Mer Rouge, mais quand ils
sont disponibles, nous allons ajouter nouvelles, comme il arrive.<br />
</span></span><span title="Marjo will join Freedom in the Seychelles, so we will not have her expert photographic skills to add photographs to this blog, but we will do the best we can until then.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Marjo
se joindra à Freedom dans les Seychelles, alors nous n'aurons pas ses
compétences photographiques d'experts pour ajouter des photographies de ce blog,
mais nous ferons de notre mieux jusque-là.<br />
<br />
</span></span><span title="I hope you will enjoy this adventure with Freedom and with us.
"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">J'espère
que vous apprécierez cette aventure avec Freedom et avec nous.<br />
<br />
</span></span><span title="Here is a picture of Freedom:
"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Voici
une photo de Freedom :<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifN64Pp-hA2Rzh1JOs0LIyov7NTxV7nPWXlDTd_6rJt6W1NQb5_3wvWYUK-F9KTlTWCnrhgdLQoE8C1QuuE4XkvScRpXByK-TqwM8OcE7iTSfPGWWcVuJx8S5hl2pGoI7ysRE_7K0kDAlw/s1600/Freedom+4+%25281%2529.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span></span><span title="Next week I shall introduce you to the crew!"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">La semaine
prochaine, je vais vous présenter à l'équipage!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
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