Red Sea Pilot Stephen Davies & Elaine Morgan 1st edition 1995 ISBN 0 85288 253 X Supplement No 10 NEW INFORMATION ONLY to December 2001   Page 4 Yemen Communications There is a GSM mobile phone network in Aden. It is subject to random closure by the government for security reasons. Money The best currency to carry here and through most of the Red Sea countries is US$ in new, unworn notes if possible. The most useful are $20 bills, then $10, then $5. Page 20 Approach and exit routes: ANS From Sri Lanka Uligan I This is the easiest port of call in the N Maldives. Approach Clear passes into Thiladhunmathee Atoll are: From N, the deep pass is at 7°07'·2N 72°54'·6E. From SW via 6°53'·0N 72°57'·4E, 6°55'·55N 72°59'·25E, 6°57'·0N 72°58'·3E. From SE, the pass close S of Mulhadhoo, 6°59'·44N 72°59'·35E. From E the pass S of Uligan, 7°04'·192N 72°56'·398E. Anchorage For the NE Monsoon (NNE thru ESE winds) anchor in the channel between an off-lying patch and the lagoon border at 07°04'·75N 72°55'·27E, 10–14m, sand. It's possible to tuck a bit further N for shallower water, but less swinging room. For the SW Monsoon, (generally W to NW winds), S of island at approx 07°04'·5N 72°55'·9E is deep (<25m) unless you tuck right in and find a clear patch closer to the beach. The area is easy to spot because there is a wide avenue from the beach to the village. Formalities There is a US$5 anchorage fee payable at the Island Office. First, the coastguard (who double as security and customs) will come out in their runabout to conduct a security check. You will be asked to complete clearance forms in duplicate, a vessel details form and a customs declaration. You'll need 3 crew lists. You will receive copies of the forms and a crew list stamped "entry cleared". They'll also tell you the rules. An anchor light is compulsory. No member of the local population is allowed aboard. No one to be ashore from 2200–0600. No (major) repair work to be done. Any gifts for people ashore must be shown to and approved by the customs officials. No alcohol to be taken ashore. Dress ashore to be modest (shorts OK for ladies if not super short and skin tight).The day before leaving inform the Coastguard. Produce your receipt for the US$5 anchorage fee and DON'T LEAVE until a security check has been completed. This all sounds complicated. It isn't. The officials are delightful and anxious to make things easy. Facilities Hassan of the Sailor's Choice store will probably meet you when you first go ashore and may call you on VHF beforehand. The store (owned by Ahmed Naseer, the local magistrate) has a small range of basics and souvenirs and can arrange limited quantities of diesel @ US$50c/litre by jerry jug. If you want it delivered customs clearance is necessary. There's a phone near the jetty and phonecards (US$3 and US$10) are on sale. Collect calls are expensive. Mail can be sent from Sailor's Choice, US$1 for a letter or card to Europe. They also offer showers and laundry. A supply boat brings replenishment of stores every 7–10 days. Fresh water in limited quantities is available by jerry-jug for a small fee. Hassan's wife will lay on a wonderful and very beautiful Maldivian vegetarian dinner for US$5–8 a head (the lower price for 10 people, the higher for 3). AMSCO, the main agent in Mali, also has an office here and you can arrange to buy diesel through them. There is one other small store, Hafolhu, which has much the same range of provisions. It is possible to take a boat to Hanimaadhoo (6°45'N 73°10'E) where there is an airfield with flights to Mali. Page 34 Forecasts The official forecasts on Navtex, weatherfax and Inmarsat SafetyNet continue to prove either unreliable or not much help, Red Sea weather being primarily a product of local topography and day and night heating and cooling.    In the Gulf of Suez try contacting rig service helicopters on VHF Ch72. The most reliable weather information is from Internet weather sites accessible by Inmarsat A, B and mini-M. Alternatively, ask someone who is wired back home to get the 4 or 5-day forecast for your part of the Red Sea from a good website (e.g. www.wetteronline.de) and e-mail it to you via the ham system, Inmarsat or a cyber-cafe. Page 44 Navigation WARNING Although the most recent editions of charts (see Charts page 50 below) from all the major hydrographic offices are reconciled to WGS84, this CANNOT compensate for shortcomings in the original 19th century surveys. Note also that only parts of the Omani coast have been surveyed to ANY WGS datum. Three points of navigational importance follow. First, always navigate, even with GPS, with circles of probable error (CEPs) of at least 2 miles, and at night at least 5 miles. Second, navigating by GPS alone in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is stupid. Do not do it. Make daylight landfalls and use hand-bearing compass and radar, if you have it, to establish WGS84-to-chart error factors. Third, treat ALL waypoints with appropriate caution, including ALL those given below, and NEVER assume that the waters between, close to or at waypoints are free of hazard. Page 48 Anchorages According to Law 102 of 1983, it is illegal on the Egyptian Red Sea coast to anchor on reefs (i.e. put anchor or chain on or over any living reef), spearfish whether snorkelling or scuba diving, collect corals or shells (whether the inhabitants are alive or dead), fish with net, line or rod and line, dump rubbish, feed the fish and walk on, disturb, break or damage reefs.    A positive result has been the laying of moorings to reduce damage to reefs from the out of control dive tourism industry. The project was carried out by the Hurghada Environmental Protection & Conservation Association (HEPCA) funded by the US Government Aid Agency (USAID) and backed by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA). There are137 from Gez Zabargad to Safaga, 72 in the Safaga area, a massive concentration of 277 around Hurghada and 50 in the waters N of Hurghada. There are equivalents in the Ras Mohammed National Park. The same is planned in the Elat/Aqaba area.    The moorings are either marked by an orange buoy about 0·5m in diameter or by floating pick-up ropes. Each is designed to take several large boats. They are not regularly serviced, so have a good look before trusting one. They have been laid tight up in the lee of reefs on the supposition that prevailing winds will hold boats clear.    The simple rule is, minimize all damage to coral. Page 50 Charts The new BA small scale passage charts BA157, BA158, BA159 are fully reconciled to WGS84 and, thanks to satellite imagery, give a much superior picture of the reefs than the old fathoms charts. However, that there has been no new survey so some gremlins and inaccuracies may still exist. Note also that to clear its yardarm, in depicting hazards the UKHO has erred on the side of caution and continuous reef is sometimes shown where there are outcrops in otherwise clear water. Page 50 Satellite Navigation Systems There are marked discrepencies between WGS84, the default datum for most GPS receivers, and older charts. Known areas of error are parts of the Eritrean coast and between the N of the Shubuk Channel and the Port Sudan Area where errors of up to 0·7M have been noted. There are also errors of a cable or more for some large scale plans in the Gulf of Aden, including Mukalla. Use GPS for navigating from A to B but not for pilotage when near A or B. Be cautious about using any GPS position as a destination. Allow a margin of error and always use other navigational aids, the Mk 1 eyeball, radar, echo sounder and hand-bearing compass as a check. Page 51/52 RDF This is now obsolete and most beacons are no longer listed although they may continue to transmit. Page 54 Ground tackle Coral reefs are badly damaged by anchors and chains. Always anchor in clear sand and be sure your chain does not drag over coral. The technique of using a reef anchor and dropping back advised in earlier supplements is a reef killer. Do not use it unless desperate (see also page 48 above). Page 57 GMDSS DO NOT RELY ON INMARSAT, EPIRB, VHF DSC, MF/HF DSC, STANDARD VHF OR SSB DISTRESS ALERTING particularly if you are victim of armed robbery at sea. Ships will ignore you even if they are only half a mile away. Whatever the sea's code of honour, the code of practice of the bean counters in head office rules. Ships don't stop.    Satellite alerting is not much better. Whether on an EPIRB or via Inmarsat, it alerts Europe or wherever. They contact relatives and may alert the consul in the nearest consulate. Don't hope for much else.    The Red Sea is a GMDSS black hole. Even on paper services are thin in all sea areas (A1, A2 and A3). In practice they are non-existent. The same is true for SAR services. In principle Jeddah is a GMDSS MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and Port Sudan an MRSC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Sub-centre). Bar those in Israel, and possibly Jordan and Saudi Arabia, port authorities tasked with SAR duties for the Red Sea, have pathetic communications facilities and no SAR resources (boats, helicopters, etc.) to deploy. So, although an MRCC may know of your squawk for help, only in the N Red Sea is official SAR help possible, though not probable. In the S Red Sea and Gulf of Aden forget it. In principle the gap is filled by shipping but see above. In practice the false alarm rate with GMDSS is still so great that alerts are frequently disregarded and in some ships the audible alarm silenced.    GMDSS is a developed world, desk-bound bureaucrats' conceit that left out of consideration the 99% of mariners who go to sea in non-SOLAS small craft. Don't rely on it when in developing world waters. Page 68 Mina Salalah Approach The port has undergone extensive changes recently. Charts may be out of date and our sketch should be amended. The old N breakwater and western end have been replaced by a new conspicuous container terminal with 12 large container gantries. Two pairs of port and starboard-hand buoys lead to the port entrance as well as a set of directional lights (stay in the white sector). Where yachts used to anchor has now been dredged, along with most of the inner port and approaches, to 16m. There is a new fishermen's basin with sea walls to the N of Mina Salalah, but yachts use the main port. Head for the last but one basin on the S side of the port.    Other amendments to the sketch will show the port entrance W of the road T junction AND crossroads not E of both where it is shown.The police post is now W of the crossroads, with Customs in the next building W. The Port Administration is further W still, slightly N of where the road running W from the new position of the entrance meets the NW/SE road looping from the hill S of the port to Salalah. Port Health are inside the port on the S side of the road where Police is marked on the sketch. The road running N from just inside the port entrance towards the airport leads to a closed, Omani military base area. N of the airport the Y junction is a roundabout. There is an Omani Special Forces enclosure beside the area where the tap is marked. The 'kiosk' (a small shop) is between the two port buildings SW of four smaller, yellow cranes on the smaller craft wharf ENE of where you anchor. Anchorage Yachts now anchor in the last but one basin on the S side of the port in 4–7m, reasonable holding. The port authority may ask you to shift around. Note, the Royal Navy of Oman has its base at the SW end of the basin where you'll anchor. Their locally based patrol boat exits regularly stern first. It needs room to manoeuvre. A clear lane at least 30–40m wide needs to be left on the E side of the basin. Formalities On arrival (fly Q) the customs will come alongside and complete all necessary procedures. They will take your passports and issue a shore pass. If you intend to stay more than a week you should apply for a visa on arrival. See page 3. There are no clearance facilities on festival days or public holidays, e.g. Eid al Fitr which is a 4 day festival at the end of Ramadan. Facilities The wash block's showers and toilets are not very tempting but there is a good laundry area. Laundries are plentiful in the town. Small quantities of water are easily obtained at the tap. For larger amounts, go to the port administration office (outside the main gates on the left) and pay 1 Omani rial (approx US$2.5). You will be given a receipt and can then arrange with port control on VHF Ch16 where to go alongside at a mutually convenient time to water ship. Fuel is available in jerry cans from service stations in the town or by arrangement with Salalah Port Services for delivery by tanker if you want a large quantity. LPG is also available from the industrial area. Services are continuing to improve, haulout is now possible. The new International Project Services have chandlery and provisions and do repairs. There is a nearby bar and restaurant called the Oasis, though it is expensive. Cash is available from ATMs and this is a good place to get US$ for the trip up the Red Sea. There are several excellent supermarkets, good cybercafes and fresh produce is readily available in the market. Good provisioning at Cold Storage (aka Spinneys). If you buy enough, both you and your stores can be delivered. The PO is not very easy to find but is in an elaboarte low rise building next door to the Telecoms centre. The latter is conspic with a radio mast and telephone painted on a tower, N of the shopping area. Page 76 Aden Note Captain Ali, the Aden harbourmaster, is a good source of information about cruising along the coast of Yemen. Ask him about piracy, Bab el Mandeb and which of the Straits to use. Approach There is an isolated danger spar buoy in the Inner Harbour, N of the usual yacht anchorage at 12°47'·508N, 44°58'·300E. It is close N of a wreck over which there should be enough water for most yachts. Formalities The Immigration Office is at the E end of the pier. Multiple copies of crew lists, copies of the back pages of passports and one photo per crew member are required. Crews without visas will be issued shore passes when you check in with Immigration. Visas are also available here for approx $60 if you want to travel inland. Note the error in the direction of the Harbourmaster's office from the pier. It should read "westwards" as shown in the sketches, not "eastwards". Check in here after clearing Customs and Immigration. On departure, go first to Immigration, then to the Harbourmaster for outward clearance, then back to Immigration. Duty stamps are no longer required. Government offices and embassies are closed Thursday pm and Friday. Egyptian visas can usually be obtained in one day on application at the Egyptian embassy for about US$20. Payment must be be in Rials. Facilities The easiest way to obtain diesel is from the Aden Bunkering Company (ABC). No customs clearance is required. Go alongside ABC any morning except Thursday or Friday. It's filthy but has a minimum 3m. Walk to the administration block on the waterfront at the N of the compound. Tell them how much you want and they'll issue a bill to take to the cashier in the building near the entrance gate on the W side towards the S of the compound. Pay in US$ only (approx US25c per litre). Get a chit. Go back to the admin block, which issues an order for your fuel. When finished go back to the admin block for a receipt. If you've loaded less than you paid for, you'll get a chit to take to the cashier for a refund.    If you only need a relatively small amount of fuel, write an official request addressed to Police and Customs. Ask a taxi driver to take you to the relevant offices. They will stamp your request and with that authorization you can get diesel and petrol by jerrycan very cheaply at a nearby service station. Payment is usually in US$ only. Customs may stop you on your return and ask to see your authorization. For paraffin and LPG ask a taxi driver. Both Omar and Hussein have retired. Hiring taxis by the hour is reasonable but ask other boats about prices and be prepared to negotiate. Some of the touts can be a nuisance.    No charge is made for water taken by jerry from the quay but a nominal charge of US$3 is made if you lie alongside to water ship. Block ice is available at the fish-market. Arrange delivery with a taxi driver.    Duty-free deliveries have not been available recently. Credit cards were not taken by any banks in early 2001 but you can arrange for fund transfers by fax or phone via the Arab Bank in Maala or via Western Union in Crater. International phone and fax services are ubiquitous. There is a good Internet cafe on the main Street in Maala opposite the new Maala Plaza, a modern conspicuous building decorated with flags. There is excellent provisioning (avoid the overpriced Khormaksar supermarkets and shop in good small supermarkets in Maala instead). Alcohol is expensive. There is a new post office in Tawahi between the pier and the harbourmaster's office but mail can be very slow in arriving. Fedex and DHL have offices in Aden, but importing equipment is a bureaucratic nightmare which even the locals advise against. Page 79 Suqutra The Aden harbourmaster advises yachts wishing to visit the E part of Suqutra – where a welcome is assured – to leave from Mukalla and to inform the harbourmaster there first. They will contact Suqutra to let them know you are coming. Page 79 Somalia The situation in Somalia remains unsettled. Should any yacht be in need of help while off the Somalian coast, the French navy at Djibouti will respond to distress calls received on SSB 2182kHz. Armed escorts for boats passing through the area can be arranged, but these are very high cost operations. A group of 5 yachts paid US$250,000 for a ten day escort from Aden to Jeddah in spring 2001! We don't think the risks warrant the outlay but include the details nonetheless. The company concerned is the Hart Group Ltd, Boosaaso. Contact Hart Nimrod (Bermuda), tel +252 5 726121/826005, phonefax +252 523 6104, e-mail nimrod@brtel.net or george.simm@talk21.com. Page 82–84 Djibouti Approach All navaids and lights were in place recently. Formalities Call the Harbourmaster on approach, VHF Ch16. Make sure you've got your courtesy flag hoisted. They care. The recommended check in procedure is now to take you dinghy to the harbour and leave it at the steps in the NNW corner of the basin and walk to to the Port Captain, Immigration and Harbourmaster's offices about 150m away. It is not advisable to land at the Club Nautique until you have checked in. Visas cost approx US$20 in 2000 and were valid for 10 days. Passports may be held for an hour or two for processing. Payment in US$ or Djibouti francs. French citizens need no visa unless they stay over 3 months. Port dues vary according to tonnage, time in harbour, etc. For an average 12m boat they work out at about US$5 per day and are payable when you clear out with the port captain. Offices are generally open 0800–1400, closed Thursday pm and Friday. Facilities Fuel from the filling station next to the Club Nautique is expensive, like everything else in Djibouti. The alternative is to arrange for fuel to be delivered. This involves paperwork. Calculate how much you need, tell the port captain and ask him which berth you should use. He will give you instructions on how to proceed. Payment must be made in advance, either in US$ or Djibouti F. With paperwork complete you can arrange with the Total depot, outside the port gates, a time for bunkering in the port. If several yachts needing fuel join forces for this exercise you wll probably save time. Whatever you might think of the fuel depot's environmental sensitivity, be careful not to spill fuel as you may be charged for the clean up. Check water carefully. It can be brackish. Taxis into town are expensive @ approx US$3. Exchange is available at money changers as well as banks and duty free shops. Cash advances can be usually be obtained on credit cards. The tourist office is in the Place du 27 juin. A dive company offers services to yachts in transit. Contact Bruno Pardigon of Dolphin Excursions, PO Box 4476. Dankali Expeditions, a branch of the same company has a website, www.dankali.com e-mail dankali@hotmail.com, Tel +253 35 03 13, Fax +253 35 03 80. Egyptian visas are available at the embassy here for about US$20 with an overnight delay. Eritrean visas may also be available for about US$30 when diplomatic relations are restored. Note: Southern Eritrean waters You may be checked by military patrols if you anchor in S Eritrean coastal waters which are still a sensitive area. Boats anchoring at Ras Terma and in the Rubetino Channel have been moved on but officials are helpful and will usually suggest alternative anchorages in adverse weather. Page 90 Assab (Aseb was the old Ethiopian spelling) Note Proceed with caution when sailing in Eritrean waters S of Massawa and to be sure of an easy passage if you want to stop, get a visa either before you reach Eritrean waters or as soon as possible thereafter. Assab is open to cruising and the authorities issue permit for sailing N. Characteristics of lights are the reverse of those shown. Light on North Jetty, Q.G; light on S end of breakwater, F.G. Call Port Control on VHF Ch 16 or Ch 12 on approach to enquire about berthing. You can get up into the corner W of South Jetty for better protection from the N but in a SE'ly the anchorage is uncomfortable and it may be worth enquiring about berthing inside South Jetty. Listen out for Immigration on Ch 16 or call them. Immigration fees and port dues have ranged from US$17–US$35 per boat in recent years depending on nationality. Visas can be obtained in advance in Djibouti or in Massawa. Without a visa you will be restricted to the port area where the only facility is a duty-free shop. No Customs check-in. Facilities are poor but you can usually find the basics.    To find the nearest bank, PO and telecommunications office, turn right at the end of the approach road to the port. The bank here is more convenient than in Massawa. Diesel is available by jerrycan from a Shell station. Keep left at the end of the approach road then take the road that forks right to the top of the hill. The garage is on the right, about ½ M from the port entrance. Good water is available from the fishing boat jetty near the root of South Jetty, again by jerry. There are small groceries and a market within 10 minutes walk of the port. The Eritrean weekend is Saturday/Sunday.    The recent war, whatever the public statements, was as much about Ethiopia's desire for a blue water port as anything else. The town was knocked about badly during the conflict and the port is dilapidated. Harena boatyard on Lahaleb Deset is run by Kibrom. VHF Ch 69. Urgent repairs can be done but this is a naval base so you may need to explain. Page 145 Shubuk Channel Unlike in many places on the Sudanese coast, the reefs at the E end of the Shubuk Channel, perhaps because of the naturally high average ambient seawater temperatures, are not suffering from global warming and are in excellent condition with abundant fish life. Snorkelling comes highly recommended Approach Least depth is 9·4m in the SE channel. This is an isolated and very visible shoal patch bang in the middle of the entrance. 14m is the least depth in the N channel. The SE channel entrance at 18°45'·39N, 37°39'·44E is marked by a black cylinder shape with a pole on top to port and to starboard there's a roughly cone-shaped, faded red and white painted pile of cemented-together rocks. All topmarks had been renewed in December 2000, save at the E end of the channel on Sumar I and off Melita Pt. The water in this area is occasionally cloudy and muddy.    The sketch is not to scale nor can accurate bearings be plotted on it. It is for orientation only. Passage through the Shubuk Channel requires a sharp lookout, though we recently traversed it S'bound under sail, surveying as we went. Note, however, the most recent, metricated versions of BA675 can be seriously misleading, for example around Dabulat I. The algorithm used to metricate older survey data is obviously too crude for the job. Route The passage cannot safely be done on autopilot or from GPS waypoint to GPS waypoint. Conventional handbearing compass navigation for position checks is strongly recommended. For planning purposes the following co-ordinates indicate the general line of the deep-water track. The trickier bits are both well beaconed and, in good light, obvious to the naked eye. The distance from the starting point off Melita Pt to the Inner Channel NNE of Marsa Esh Sheikh is approximately 17M. It helps to number and tick off the beacons as you go. Here is the S to N running order. The numbering follows the odd to stbd, even to port convention. For approximate coordinates see route notes below. Starboard Port 1. Sumar I: stone cairn 2. Islet NNe of Melita Pt: pole with no topmark 3. Dabulat I: stone cairn 4. Shab Simbel: red square 5. Shab Maras W: blk cone 6. Reef S of Shab Maras: wht ball 7. Shab Maras E: blk cone 8. Reef off Marsa Ghadassa: no topmark   10. Reef NE of Ras Lakham: red square   12. Shab Lakham: red square   14. Shab Daala: red square 9. E reefs SE of El Makglas: blk cone 16. E reefs SE of El Makglas: red square 11. Mid reefs SE of El Makglas: blk cone 18. Mid reefs SE of El Makglas: red square 13. El Makglas: blk cone 20. El Makglas: red square Leading line: front: black triangle point up; back: white triangle point down From 18°45'·3N, 37°41'E with Melita Pt bearing 204°, 1·16M steer approx 285°T, 3·5M to 18°46'·3N, 37°37'·55E whence steer for about 0·5M in a 'U' S of Dabulat I (the channel is obvious) to 18°46'·6N, 37°37'E whence steer approx 279°, 1·3M with the Shab Simbel Bn (port) roughly due S to 18°46'·8N, 37°35'·7E whence steer approx 243°, 1M to 18°46'·37N, 37°34'·8E whence steer approx 266°, 4·2M, past Shab Kurne Bn (stbd, black cone, approx 18 46'·6N 37°31'·3E) approx 0·5M to stbd to 18°46'·2N, 37°30'·4E. Near this point you may cross a shoal with 6m over it. Ahead will be to port a bn (white ball, 18°46'·1N, 37°30'·3E) and to stbd on Shab Maras two stbd bns (black cones, 18°46'·3N, 37°30'·3E and 18°46'·3N, 37°29'·8E). DO NOT TURN NORTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SECOND STBD BN ON SHAB MARAS. Steer roughly due W, 0·8M towards a bn on the shore with no topmark (18°46'·2N, 37°29'·1E) to approx 18°46'·3N, 37°29'·4E, 0·3M short of the bn with no topmark, whence turn slightly E of N for 1·1M towards a port bn (red square, 18°47'·5N, 37°29'·4E) on the reef NNE of Ras Lakham at approx 18°47'·7N, 37°29'·5E there alter to approx 325°, 1·5M past port bns on Shab Lakham (red square, 18°48'·0N 37°29'·1E) and Shab Daala (red square, 18°47'·5N 37°28'·7E) to pass between port (red square, 18°48'·7N 37°28'·2E) and stbd (black cone, 18°48'·7N 37°28'·6E) bns at approx 18°48'·6N 37°28'·6E whence alter to approx 285° for 0·32M to pass between port (red square, 18°48'·6N 37°28'·2E) and stbd (black cone, 18°48'·7N 37°28'·3E) bns at approx 18°48'·7N 37°28'·3E whence alter to approx 318° for 1·1M, passing between port (red square, 18°48'·8N 37°27'·9E) and stbd (black cone, 18°48'·9N 37°28'·0E) bns and across a shoal with least depth approx 5·8m (approx 18°49'·5N 37°27'·4E) to approx: 18°49'·6N 37°27'·25E, 15m, where you'll find the leading line (front: black triangle point up, 18°49'·56N 37°27'·24E; back: white triangle point down, 18°49'·34N 37°27'·22E) on a back bearing 186° on your port quarter. Steer 006° for approx 1·6M to pass the entrance to Marsa Esh Sheikh (Marsa Sheikh Sad) to approx: 18°51'·1N, 37°27'·2E whence alter to approx 344° across a very uneven bottom (depths >6m depending on track) to follow the inner channel N'wards. If you are coming S reverse the above. Page 195 Egyptian coast Moorings There are many new hotels and dive resorts. A joint Egyptian/US project has laid some 500 moorings to reduce damage to reefs (see p.48 above). They can take high loads and some are marked by an orange buoy. Others are merely floating ropes. If you see one, please use it, though we would advise a reconnaissance dive to check the condition of ropes, swivels, etc. Customs fee The 10-day period of free sailing in Egyptian waters has disappeared with recent changes. The ridiculously high US$300 Customs Fee everyone tried to avoid has been reduced and a new scale introduced. This starts with a one month, US$25 (£E100) minimum or US$62.50 (£E250) for a 4-month stay. A further 4 months is another US$125 (£E500), and you pay another US$250 (£E1000) for the final four months. A one-year stay (in total US$437.50 (£E750)) is the maximum without paying import duties. Note, if you pay 1 month and stay longer, the first 4-month extension is BACKDATED to your date of first arrival, i.e. you'll pay US$87.50 (£E350) for your first 4 months, instead of US$62.50. Pay in your first port only (in theory this does not apply in the duty-free ports of Port Said and Port Suez, so it may be that avoiding any port, marina or hotel on your way to Suez would evade liability, but see also p.265 below). Ask for a receipt. Page 213 Marsa Mubarak The Marsa entry is CLOSED. Port Ghalib (Marsa Mubarak) 25°32'N 34°38'·5E A large marina is being built here along the lines of France's Port Grimaud. The old shallow lagoon has been dredged to form the marina's outer basin. Further work on the 2500 hectare site with its 20km of beachfront will create a 1000 berth marina village with hotels, golf course, etc. It will be a new port of entry. The international airport 4km to the S, which serves Marsa Alam, offers ready access. As of December 2001 the outer basin is ready and, because moorings are not yet in, berthing is alongside. There's room for 100 boats up to 50m LOA in the outer basin where dredged depth is 5m. There is fuel, water and electricity, but for supplies you'll have to go to Marsa Alam. The development is directly E of Luxor and, if you can afford it, will make a useful place to leave your boat to visit the major sites there. Contact portghalib@red-sea.com.    A HEPCA/USAID mooring is just S of the new development at 25°31'·95N 34°38'·56E. Page 214 El Quseir The jetty is very crowded with dive boats and you may not find anywhere to get alongside or even stern-to. This is not a port of entry and even with visas you may not be able to check in here. Fuel is usually available nonetheless. The area can be affected by a large swell in certain conditions. There is a conspicuous radome 1M S of Quseir bay and a new hotel complex to the N. There are now only two mooring buoys in the bay. No recent reports of good agents. Page 217 Mina Safaga Approach New beacons include a large red beacon on Safaga Ulbur, a cape approx 5M S of the S tip of Gez Safaga; a lit W cardinal mark on the W end of the main reef in the Hyndman group; a new light tower on the E side of Gez Safaga; a large lit green beacon, on the end of the sand spit which extends from the S tip of the island and a large, lit red beacon marking the end of Spit Reef. Details have also been received of two new lights with Racons reported in Safaga. They are a black and white beacon, Fl(4)16M, Racon (C) in 26°51'·22N, 34°00'·08E and a white beacon Fl.WRG.10–12M, Racon (Z) in 26°42'·9N, 33°59'·82E. There is a beacon on South Fairway reef as well. Conspicuous A white building on the SW side of Geziret Safaga makes a good landmark for the approach into the harbour from the S. There are now several new aerials ashore and many more buildings than the sketch on page 217 implies. The hotels are further N than indicated and should appear on the sketch on page 218, along the SE facing strip of shore NW of the 29m sounding, between the mainland and the reef NW of Safaga I. A minaret stands inland of the S end of the hotel strip. Note that hotel and resort development is extending all the way round to the NE side of Ras Abu Soma and, in patches, all the way N to Hurghada. If you go inside Gez Safaga keep 20–30m off the sand spit near the naval base and follow the coastal fringing reef N. One report recommends steering approx 315°M along the inshore reef until near a large dive boat jetty E of a radio aerial. Least depth approx 3m at LW. Anchorage The only approved anchorage near the town is at 26°47'·5N 33°56'·5E off the hotel strip, good holding in 7–8m, sand patches in coral, can be rolly. Beware of floating lines attached to mooring buoys near the dive boat jetties. An overnight anchorage off Gez Safaga at 26°43'·58N 33°58'·40E, NW of Morewood Beacon, has been used, in 8m, coral and sand. Formalities The 'beach police' or coastguard will come out and ask you to go to their base at the Orca Village Dive Resort in the NW corner of the bay. Then catch a minibus or taxi to the Port Offices and Immigration near the big crossroads after Bank of Egypt. The Immigration Office is inside the second, and less elaborate gates into the port in the small yellow, two storied building about 100m on the right. Charges approx US$40 to check in. To this you may need now to add US$25 for the one month Customs Fee (or more if you intend to stay longer, see page 195 above), though we do not know if the Safaga authorities are up to speed on recent changes. If you do pay, get a receipt because the fee is valid for all Egyptian waters for one month. If headed S the authorities prefer you to get an exit stamp in your passport even if you intend to stop at anchorages before the border with Sudan. The coastguard will want a photocopy of the exit stamps in your passports before you leave. Checking out of Egypt was free in 2000. Facilities Agents are useful but not obligatory. Nageeb Mostafa and Abu Nageeb have been recommended. Work out what you want to do and agree on a price in advance. In 2000 we paid E£30 (US$9) for a taxi service which included being taken to Immigration to check out, the bank, the fuel station, the PO, the market, internet café, etc. Diesel and petrol are available by jerry and LPG refills are possible but slow. Agents will deal with laundry or there are laundries in the town. The unsightly garbage tip is on the dirt road near the beach. Cash advances on Visa and Mastercard at the Bank of Egypt. It is open in the morning every day though for shorter hours on Friday and Saturday. Take your passport with you. Groceries from supermarkets about half way to the port area and from the souk in the old town. There was only one expensive cybercafe in 2001. Fork right up the hill at the first major intersection, about half way to the market. There are cardphones but you can also call from shops. Negotiate the rate in advance. There is a mobile phone GSM network but rates are relatively expensive. The Post Office is unreliable. Page 219 Ras Abu Soma There is a new marina and resort complex with golf course conspic! A lit water tower further N is also conspicuous and there is a long walkway to the SE edge of the reef around the ras. Dive boats on the reefs serve as good marks but there are unmarked shallows in the approach. Enter only in good visibility. The anchorage outside the marina, 26°50'N 33°58'·8E, 8–10m sand, good holding, is quieter than the one off the Safaga hotel strip, and although the winds are often strong, a lot more comfortable. The entrance to the marina is at 26°50'·9N 33°59'·1E, depths inside around 4m shoaling abruptly to 1·25m close to the walls. It has 70 stern-to berths for boats up to 45m. There are a few visitors' berths. Call on VHF Ch 12 on approach. Water and fuel are available and berthing possible, if at US$3 per metre per day LOA, very expensive. The fuelling pier is in place with showers and toilets ashore. Provisions are available. You can get laundry done and there is a range of shops including a bakery, but everything is more expensive than in Safaga. e-mail efc@internetegypt.com    There is good diving on the nearby reefs with HEPCA/USAID moorings off Gez Tubya, S of the anchorage and off the Fairway Reefs, N of Gez Safaga but currents can be very strong. Page 221-3 Hurghada The beacons on Umm Agawish-el-Kebir and at the S end of the fairway W of the island are missing. There is a yellow buoy off the NE end of reef E of the hotel strip S of Abu Minqar I. There is now no beacon on the S tip of Umm-Agawish. There is a conspicuous new water tower NW of the town in 27°17'·7N, 33°44'·6E. The leading marks for approach from the N are very clear. There is a new ferry pier. From seaward a jetty appears to be under construction between where we mark Police and Port Authority launches and the wreck. The Sharm el Sheikh jetcat berths N of this new jetty. Extensive reclamation is also underway filling in what seems to be the entire fringing reef between Merlin Pt and the port. There is now a large number of piers along the whole shoreline N and NW of the port for hotel dive boats, the numbers of which in Hurghada are now well over the 1200 mark!    If you call here you will have to pay port fees (see below) of US$120. In addition there will be the Customs Fee which you will have to pay for the first time if this is your first port after the Canal. You will also have to pay it here if you are northbound and you have not already paid in Safaga. Some yachts try to avoid the procedures and the associated fees, but this is illegal. Clearing can be done with or without an agent. Agents cost approx US$80. If you use an agent you can usually leave passports and ships' papers with him and go to El Gouna marina directly if you don't want to anchor in Hurghada. The GSM mobile phone network works well here and there are cyber-cafés for e-mail. Page 228 El Gouna Approach Suez to El Gouna WPT 1 27°48'·85N 33°43'·10E in open water north of the N entrance to the Tawila Channel 1·4M NW of Ashrafi I Lt WPT 2 27°40'·70N 33°45'·70E between Gubhal Saqhira and South Qeisum WPT 3 27°35'·90N 33°42'·85E N entrance to narrows between Tawila I and Bahriya Tawila WPT 4 27°35'·20N 33°42'·40E S entrance to narrows between Tawila I and Bahriya Tawila WPT 5 27°30'·00N 33°41'·87E off NE tip of reef WSW of Shab Tawila WPT 6 27°26'·20N 33°43'·20E ESE of SE tip of Shab Esh & 1.3M W by NW of buoy (fl.w) on reef WPT 7 27°24'·60N 33°41'·40E At this point you are off Abu Tig Marina. The entrance to the buoyed channel, least depth 3·6m, is marked by lit beacons on the reef each side of the entrance, starboard, Fl.G(1)5s4M (in good weather), at approx 27°24'·36N 33°40'·54E. There are 2 more pairs of buoys R/G (FR and FG) in the dredged channel and beacons (Fl.R.5s1·5M, Fl.G.5s1·5M) at the marina entrance. To proceed to Abydos noting the eccentric buoyage: WPT 8 27°23'·256N 33°41'·693E buoy (Fl.GR) - LEAVE TO PORT thence about 0·75M S to approx 27°22'·8N, 33°41'·71E, marina (buoy (Fl.R)) LEAVE TO STBD then turn W and the two piers of Abydos are 4 cables ahead. Hurghada to El Gouna WPT 11 27°16'·90N 33°52'·00E in open water 3M NNW of Hurghada hbr jetty WPT 10 27°21'·20N 33°48'·20E 0·9M W of W edge of Shab Abu Nigara WPT 9 27°26'·00N 33°43'·85E 0·6M SW of a beacon on an isolated reef WPT 7 27°24'·60N 33°41'·693E as above for Abu Tig Marina and for Abydos Abu Tig Marina The arrivals pier is at the fuel dock on the port side inside the entrance. Call on VHF Ch 16 or 73 on approach. Formalities Officially, visiting vessels in Egypt should check in with the regional port authority for each port or sub-port they visit. El Gouna is in Hurghada's bailiwick. Abu Tig Marina hopes to have ProTours, their company's tourist agency, recognized as a shipping agent. However, there is a turf war between them and Fantasea, the existing and sole agent in Hurghada. To visit El Gouna without going to Hurghada first: From S. Check in at Safaga. Pay your Customs Fee and get a receipt. Get a sailing permit stamped 'Destination Suez'· Go to El Gouna direct and let them handle checking you in with the Hurghada authorities From Suez. The Suez Canal is a duty free area and Egyptian customs fees are not applicable (though see also page 265 below). Unless you have already called at Alexandria or El Arish, Hurghada will be your port of entry to Egypt proper and you must pay your US$25 Customs Fee in addition to other fees. Official fees These will vary depending on your stay. Using Fantasea, the only agent at present either in Hurghada or from El Gouna, agents fee US$80 (when ProTours becomes a shipping agent the fee will drop to US$50), port dues and health clearance US$120 (this is a rip off). If you haven't checked-in in Safaga, there will also be a Customs Fee (see page 195 above). Facilities There are 126 berths for boats up to 40m and 12 visitors' berths dredged to approx 2·6–3·6m. Mooring is Mediterranean style with service posts for water, electricity, phone and cable TV. There are dedicated showers, toilets and a laundry for visiting boats. Fuel is available and there will be a chandlery, and mechanical, electrical and electronics workshops. The marina manager and harbour master is Philip Jones. Rates If you are <18m loa, and stay over 10 days but less than 30 days berthing is free, water US$4.50 per cubic metre, electricity US13.5c per kWh. Otherwise El Gouna's current rate for visiting yachts <18m loa is US$15 a day including power and water with limits of 1·5 cubic metres of water and 15kWh per week. The monthly rate thereon is US$15 per metre LOA. These rates are intended to offset the punitive costs of formalities in Egypt generally and to encourage longer term berthing. There are shuttle buses to downtown El Gouna. Contact tel +20 65 580 073 mobile +20 12 223 0090 fax +20 65 580 040 www.elgouna.com/www.abutig-marina.com, e-mail info@abutig-marina.com Abydos Marina Approach Note the eccentricity of the approach buoyage given in the access route above. Formalities Until El Gouna's port status is established, a coastguard will probably come and ask for your papers. It is best to have photocopies of your sailing permit to give away. What happens next is in the lap of the gods or possibly your billfold. For a short stay you may be able to avoid clearing in Hurghada. For a long stay, you must go to Hurghada, for details see Abu Tig above. Facilities There are 2 floating piers. Visiting yachts usually lie on the N side of the S'most. Anchor Mediterranean style. It is near impossible not to foul the ground tackle of boats in berths opposite and there is only space for three or four visitors. Daily rates are E£50, regardless of LOA, electricity included. Water is E£10 per cubic metre. Monthly rates are E$450 for up to 7m, E£800 for 8–14m and E£1000 for 14–20m. Services are basic and ablutions facilities not inviting. The staff are very friendly and will do their best to help. Alternatively anchor off and come to an arrangement about using the facilities. The anchorage is sheltered, good holding in 3 to 4m, mud. Abydos was the first marina operational in El Gouna. The El Gouna shuttle from the LTI Paradiso Hotel is about 1km away. There is a floating dock for vessels up to 60 tons and fuel is available at reasonable prices. It must be jerry-jugged because depths off the fuel pier are limited. General Modern El Gouna is an amazing mega development by the Egyptian company Orascom and much patronized by Egyptian glitterati. Its 17 million sq m. boast luxury villas, an 18-hole golf course, an international hospital to US and German standards with recompression facilities, an international airport, a water-making plant, an industrial zone, a winery, a brewery, a power station, an international school and almost a cordon sanitaire from scruffy Egypt proper with which you'll have a love-hate relationship by now. You can rubber duck rubberneck the place from the canals interlacing it. Downtown at Tamr Henna and Kafr el Gouna there are shops, a PO (unreliable), film processing, restaurants and a cybercafé. There are six international standard hotels including a Sheraton-Miramar, a Mövenpick, and the LTI Paradisio. After hard commons you can gross out. Page 233 Bluff Pt Possible to enter even at night but need to tuck in close to find shallow enough water. A GPS waypoint for the anchorage is 27°40'·63N, 33°48'·23E. Page 252 Mersa Bareika There is a military camp at the anchorage shown on the sketch. Yachts are not welcome. Page 252 Sharm el-Sheikh & Ras Muhammad If this is your first port of call in Egypt, you must pay the Customs Fee (see page 195). If you have already paid in another port, BE SURE YOU HAVE EVIDENCE OF YOUR PAYMENT. Agents are compulsory. Contact port control on Ch 16 prior to mooring at the main wharf for clearance. In an emergency tie up to one of the many mooring buoys that have been laid near the dive sites. Up to three boats may use the buoys at once. A charge is made for mooring at the dock and for anchoring. Page 258–59 Mersa el Muqabila Taba Heights is a new large development here at 29°21'·8N 34°47'·5E with a marina built by Orascom, the same company that built El Gouna. At present the basin, dredged to 3–4m, has stern-to berths for only 20 boats from 8–30m. Pontoons with 50 berths and a fuelling berth will be installed. The resort complex has a Hyatt already on stream and some shops for basics. Several other international hotels are under construction. Existing marina services include water and power. Fuel can be jerry-jugged from a service station on the main road about 1km from the marina. For further information e-mail marina@orascom.net. Page 259 Aqaba There is a clear and easy approach. You will be called on Ch 16 by the Israeli navy as you approach the coast. Tell them that you are headed for Jordan and call the port authority when 10M out on Ch 16. The entrance to the Royal Jordanian Yacht Club marina is at 29°31'·72N 34°59'·89E is lit. The marina can accommodate vessels up to 25m LOA and 2·9m draught. Call on Ch 67. Mediterranean-style mooring or alongside depending on how crowded the marina is. Very secure. Aqaba is a clearance port for Jordan. Customs will visit you in the marina and the Yacht Club will arrange visas and immigration clearance. Visas are issued for two weeks, extendable to three months at any police station with no additional charge. The marina has full services and is well protected. Fuel, workshop, showers, swimming pool and restaurant. Marina dues are not cheap at approx US$20 per day. There is also normally a flat fee of US$55 which covers services and use of facilities, including the swimming pool but this is an annual charge. Try negotiating. Cybercafés in town. LPG available. The Club will hold mail, address is The Royal Jordanian Yacht Club, PO Box 500, Aqaba, Jordan.    Aqaba is a duty-free port and is actively expanding its tourist industry. It's a good place to have spares shipped in. Travel between Jordan and neighbouring Israel is now straightforward either by road or sea. The Jordanians are friendly, helpful and welcoming. There is a GSM mobile phone network. Page 260 The Eilat (Elat) area code has changed. That means inserting an 8 instead of a 7 after the Israel country code, e.g Elat Marina Tel +972 8 6376761. Page 262 Suez Canal The scale for the sketch of the canal is wrong. It should be 0–15 nautical miles. The Suez Canal Authority's earnings are also wrong – by an order of magnitude. Canal dues net US$1.9 billion or so a year Port of Suez Approach If you have chosen the Prince of the Red Sea agency and call on VHF Ch 16 on approach, you will be met in position 29°51'N, 32°34'E. There are several new marks in the S approaches, be sure to consult a recent chart and Notices to Mariners.    You are ostensibly required to contact the port authorities on VHF Ch 16 on approach, before reaching 29°55'N, though this does not seem to be enforced. Convoys are assembling or on the move N'bound 0530–1030, and if traffic demands it 0300–0430. S'bound convoys pass between 1400–1700 and 2000–midnight. If you are N'bound and arrive between 0530 and 0600 be careful to stay clear of the assembling convoy. The main assembly area is to the E of the approach channel from approx. 29°47'·5N northwards (see BA2373). The best approach to keep out of the way of big ships manoeuvring is to hold to the shorelines. Either the W shore across the shoal (least depth 7m) off Ras Adabiya or close around Ras Misalla in the E. If you are S'bound you will either have to time your departure to be clear of the canal approaches before 0600, which means leaving the yacht club before 0500. Otherwise you will have to wait until about 1030 when the N'bound convoy has passed through, but be clear before the first S'bound convoy arrives around 1400. There is another brief window between about 1700 and 2000 before the second S'bound convoy arrives. Some yachts have left regardless of convoy movements. This is not courteous, sensible or particularly good seamanship. Anchorage If you are in any doubt about your engine or have other mechanical problems anchor first in Port Ibrahim if possible and contact your agent. If you go to the Yacht Club with any mechanical trouble, you may find you create difficulties for your transit. Page 265 Suez Canal and DIY The Suez Canal Authority has confirmed to us that yachts can organize their own transit. However, though DIY may be cheaper it will certainly be very time-consuming. We are assured that it could take 'four days to a week' because of the slow speed with which invoices will be issued for individual applicants. You may also find that you will be actively obstructed by vested interests. If so, a letter to Captain Farid Roushdy (see Ismailia below) may get redress and will certainly help those in your wake, but at the time you'll have to grin and bear it. But don't forget, if you do DIY and anything subsequently goes wrong on your transit, you're on your own.    There is no doubt, Egypt being Egypt, that using an agent saves much hassle. Not only because you will avoid an obscurantist, obstructive, bureaucratic nightmare which even Kafka couldn't have invented. But also because the agents are in general charming, helpful and, in a way we shall leave you to discover, a splendid introduction to Egypt. They will smooth your passage and your ravelled nerves, no matter your justified fears for your cruising kitty. More, should anything go wrong in the canal or even on your way through Egyptian waters, your agent will rally round to help. It is quite reasonable you should pay for this. But be careful not to get stung (see below). Note, however, if you ask an agent to arrange any extra services such as a quick transit of the canal - for example with you arriving late p.m. and wanting to leave on a one day fast track run the next morning - the extra hassle and costs created for him may quite reasonably be reflected in your bill. Page 266–67 Suez Canal transit General Despite the fact that ALL the agents know this information appears on the Web and is regularly updated, they are always up to their old tricks. We understand from the SCA that new and simpler regulations governing yacht transit of the canal are being drawn up and that the SCA itself will also offer a service to yachts wishing to arrange transit. This will be in addition to and in competition with the services already offered by agents. The only innovation at present is the new tonnage charge. SCA Tonnage and measurement The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) fee based on tonnage means the bigger the boat, the bigger the dues. The SCA tonnage formula also means for boats of the same length, a beamier and deeper draft boat pays more. The SCA's rules require physical measurement by an SCA measurer. Most do a consistent job but there's room for a scam and it is occasionally exploited. A Suez Canal Special Certificate of Tonnage (SCSCT) issued by a classification society (e.g. Lloyds, ABS, Bureau Veritas, etc), is the safest route, but weigh the cost against your likely savings.    The Suez Canal Gross Tonnage (SCGT) formula, established by the 1883 Constantinople International Tonnage Convention, is the same for yachts as for ships. It measures internal volume as does Registered Tonnage. IT IS NOTHING TO DO WITH DISPLACEMENT. It should be close to your GRT. However, because yachts have fin keels which the drafters of the Constantinople Convention knew nothing about, SCGT is often much higher than seems fair. Deductions up to 10% of SCGT are made for crew spaces, engine room, etc. The result is Suez Canal Net Tonnage (SCNT). SCNT is the basis for fees calculated at US$6–US$7 per ton. We don't know how the exact rate applied is decided.    The relevant SCA rule reads inter alia: "Measure the greatest breadth of the ship to the outside of the outer planking or wales. Then, having first marked on the outside of the ship, on both sides thereof, the height of the upper deck at the ship's sides, girt the ship at the greatest breadth in a direction perpendicular to the keel from the height so marked on the outside of the ship, on the one side, to the height so marked on the other side by passing a chain under the keel." (Suez Canal Authority, Rules of Navigation, Pt IV, p172) That measurement is entered in the formula: (L x (0·5G+0·5B)squared) x 0·17 or 0·18          100 (if in ft) or 2·83 (if in m) L = LOA (strictly length between the inside faces of stem post and stern planking) G = girth measured as above B = maximum beam 0·17/0·18 = factors depending on whether construction is in 'wood' (0·17) or 'iron' (0·18) 100/2·83 = factor depending on whether measurements are in feet (100) or metres (2·83) Most SCA measurers measure girth as the rule requires. Only an SCSCT would let you by-pass this, and possibly not even that. If your measurer doesn't set to, insist. You can work out your tonnage using the formula and measuring your girth as the rule requires. If you don't want the hassle and the wet rope, here's a short-cut. Enter a figure for Girth calculated as follows: G = 2(square root ((D+F)squared + 0·5B squared)) where D = draft and F = freeboard at point of maximum beam To be best prepared: a) Ask the classification society that measured you for registration, or any classification society, how much a SCSCT would cost for your boat. If this is a reasonable figure get one. b) Work out rough costs BEFORE you get anywhere near agents. If your boat is GRP, assume the worst and calculate the figures for 'iron'· c) Have the relevant facts and figures to ensure fair measurement. d) Have a line long enough to measure your boat's girth under the keel stood by for when the measurer arrives. Indicate that you know the rule and can quote chapter and verse (see above). If he doesn't start measuring insist. e) If you have an SCSCT and the measurer's tonnage is wildly discrepant, insist your agent appeals to the SCA. The SCA is obliged to accept SCSCTs. If any problem occurs with your transit and you feel it unjustified, complain to your agent and, if you have no satisfaction, write to the SCA via Senior SCA Pilot Captain Farid Roushdy, c/o Ismailia Yacht Club, Ismailia, Egypt, tel (0)64 393341 or 394341. Inspection The Engineer's Inspection does not take place for yachts making a southbound transit from Port Said. Pilots The SCA has confirmed that you are not required to have a yacht type 'pilot' either to enter Ports Suez and Said or to leave. The 'pilots' used by yachts, ranking as SCA boatswain or coxswain, are not authorised for pilotage outside the canal and inner ports. The canal proper starts at km 3.7 at the Port Said end and a similar distance inland at Port Suez. Outside in the approaches only full canal pilots operate and they only work on pleasure vessels the size of superyachts. Timing Departure times have changed. Northbound from Suez you leave between 1000 and 1100 after the last of the northbound ship convoy has cleared. From Ismailia on N'wards you leave between 0800 and 0830 to stay ahead of the northbound convoy.    Southbound from Port Said you leave between 0900 and 1100 after the last of the second southbound convoy. From Ismailia departure is at 0900 after the first southbound convoy is past. Delays Northbound: These are rare and likely only to be occasioned by the passage of a laden VLCC north or south which can cause major, hazardous and sudden changes in water level in its vicinity. Southbound: Delays depend on the northbound convoy movements. You may be delayed in the El Ballah west channel on Day 1 and in the Great Bitter Lake on Day 2 when you may have to anchor. One day transit It is possible to arrange this but only if your yacht can sustain 8kts minimum SPEED OVER THE GROUND. You will also be required to leave at 0200–0300 to keep ahead of the northbound convoy. You are not required to have a searchlight if you are under 200 Suez Canal Gross tonnes. Charges Remember, you are in Egypt and Egyptian business rules prevail however they may play in Peoria. Yachts are told regularly that fees are about to go up. This is a deliberate attempt to hustle you. Your best weapon is to ask for quotations well in advance, preferably at the same time as several other boats. Give your club affiliations and ask for a discount. Be ruthless. Insist on written itemised receipts. Shameless dishonesty, a sublime ignorance of or indifference to factual truth, a winning charm of manner and a willingness to bluster, bully and delay infinitely are endemic in Egyptian business life. Here are the basic facts. There are two parts to your fee (but see also note 5, Agent's and other fees below and page 195 above): a) the SCA Tonnage Fee calculated as above, b) agents' fees and the usual range of customs, immigration and port dues. Agent's and other fees ADD THE TONNAGE FEE dues in US$ as follows: Category Port Suez (N-bound) Port Said (S-bound)   US$ US$ Port Authority fees1 30 128 Bank charges2 (5) (10) Port clearance none 10 Quarantine3 7 2.50 Immigration 5 10 Customs4,5 (10) 10 Explosives and drugs check none 12 Insurance 3 3 Duty stamps 6.50 6.50 Agent's fee 50/70 <80 Total in US$ 100–130 262–272 Notes 1 Port Authority fees are 128 units. In Port Suez these are Egyptian pounds (therefore about US$30), in Port Said US$. The Port Said fee was under discussion in autumn 2000 but as far as we can gather has not changed. 2 Since some charges are calculated in Egyptian pounds and some in dollars, bank charges may or may not arise, be prepared. 3 If Port Tewfik/Suez is your first Egyptian port of call, the quarantine fee is payable. You will only avoid it in Port Said if you have previously cleared in at Alexandria or El Arish. 4 An extra customs fee of US$10 per head is payable in Port Tewfik/Suez ONLY if there are crew changes, ie if one crew leaves and one joins the customs bill is US$20. The Port Said charge is a flat rate and always applicable. 5 The new Customs Fee (see page 195 above) is NOT applicable for transit of the Suez Canal or the obligatory stops in Ports Suez and Said. N'bound you are in theory NOT liable if you have come straight to Port Suez without calling at any Egyptian port on the way. If the fee appears in your agent's charges, question it. S'bound, you are not liable if you leave Port Said cleared for international waters, so question the fee if you are billed. However, if you intend to cruise Egyptian waters and haven't paid in Alexandria or El Arish, you will be liable. Don't pay here unless your agent can prove the paperwork will be accepted by authorities outside the Suez Canal area. Pay instead at whichever of Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh or El Gouna you first visit. The breakdown of categories and amounts may not be 'officially' correct. The table is based on information given by the Suez Canal Authority office in Port Said, from the Port Said Port Authority, from Mr Nagib Latif of Felix Agency and Captain Heebi of the Prince of the Red Sea Agency. Finally add the cost of visas if you haven't already got them (the minimum is US$15 per person plus duty stamps and any tips can reach US$25 each) and to get a global total your mooring fees in Port Suez, Ismailia and Port Fouad Yacht Clubs. Baksheesh This is a fact of life in Egypt. The good news is that there has been no change in the size of the standard baksheesh which pilots expect. US$5–10 is plenty, plus the odd pack of 20 cigarettes, as seems fit. Experiences with pilots continue to vary. You should only need two pilots, one for each day of the transit. Alexandria (El Iskandariyah) 31°13'·N 29°53'·5E Admiralty Charts 243 & 3119 Approach The approach to the E harbour where the Yacht Club of Egypt (YCE) is to be found is straightforward. Use the W entrance (300m wide) which has a least depth of >3m. The E entrance is shoal. The entrance is difficult in onshore weather. Conspicuous A TV/radio tower about 1M SSW of the W entrance, Fort Qait Bey and the Marine Life Aquarium and Museum on the W breakwater (close to the YCE) are conspicuous. There are two, large mooring buoys in the middle of the harbour. Around the harbour shore itself there are several conspicuous minarets and a monument. The Abu-el-Abbas Mosque is floodlit at night. Depths and holding In the best anchorage on the W side there is 2–5m over sand and mud, but the harbour is very shoal towards the edges. The E harbour can be markedly unpleasant in northerlies when it would not be prudent to leave your yacht untended. Formalities The Coastguard is likely to call as soon as you drop anchor. Subsequently you may be visited by the YCE boatman with the visitors' book. If the boatman shows up, enter the names of the crew in the visitors' book and then go with him to the club, taking with you all passports. The YCE Secretary will help you sort out customs, immigration and quarantine. There is also a coastguard representative at the club to help. Finally, the law apparently requires that the YCE issues a 'letter of guarantee'. There are fees attached to all these procedures. Make sure you establish beforehand what they all are. If you use the YCE's services and facilities you will quite reasonably be asked to pay a visiting member's subscription. You can, of course, go it alone and sort out all formalities yourself. This would probably be considered rather discourteous by the YCE and will certainly involve you in a lot of toing and froing, finding and paying for an agent and wasting a very great deal of time. Facilities The YCE has showers and a restaurant. It is open 0900–2100 (winter) and 0900–2359 (from spring to autumn). You can berth (stern-to) on the YCE jetty for watering ship but, be warned, it is fairly shallow-to. There is a standard charge. Neither water nor fuel are available in unlimited quantities. The YCE slips are for small craft only. Private slips handling larger craft are nearby – fees are standard market rates, i.e. negotiable. All manner of provisions can be obtained, as can any goods or service you might be likely to require. General Alexandria itself is one of the world's great cities – if very Egyptian. It is Egypt's unofficial summer capital, cleaner and easier to get along in than Cairo. It is the scene of the British author Lawrence Durrell's splendid Second World War series of novels The Alexandria Quartet. Alexandria also features in the lesser known but fascinating Levant Trilogy by the British author Olivia Manning, sequel to her Balkan Trilogy and with it forming The Fortunes of War. The six novels and Durrell's Quartet offer an unforgettable portrait of life in the E Mediterranean in the war years. Alexandria is also the home of the great Egyptian-Greek poet C P Cavafy. Any good guide book will list the numerous attractions – gastronomic or cultural – that Alexandria has to offer. Alexandria makes a good base for exploring the Nile delta region or, for those who are so inclined, for visiting the battlefield and cemetery of El Alamein, one of the major turning points of the Second World War. CYPRUS Page 273 The Sheraton Limassol Marina is now called the Limassol St Raphael Marina. The orientation of the sketch is wrong, the marina should be shown with the causeway N/S and the entrance at the S tip.