Egypt

Mr Cassandra

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5 Nov 2001
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Eastern Med ish
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On BBC radio 5 program yesterday,one of the subject covered was cost of living in various countrys.Egypt was one of the cheapest ,a lt of fuel about 5p.Are there any good marinas in egypt worth useing,Liveaboard and that are safe to leave a yacht for a month or so ? cheers bobt
 
Abu Tic Marina is excellent. Purpose built and by EU standards very cheap. Run by Brits it is part of a well guarded vast holiday project. Lots of people leave their boats there whilst visiting Pyramids etc..

The northern part of the Red Sea all the way down the Egyptian coast is going to become the 'important' cruising ground of the future - 5p a litre is the top price - available for 3p in some places! The cruising is wonderful, diving superb, security good.

Abu Tic have a licence to do all the paperwork for you at a fee of $40.. I should take the option... On my entry to Egypt I did it myself and believe me there is no other country in the world that is as big a 'paperwork' nightmare as Egypt.. I got out the other side OK despite forms in Egyptian and 'out of the way' offices which had to be visited in a certain order which nobody told you about. Guards on gates who would refuse you admittance ..... I saved $40 at the cost of nearly 4 complete days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michael
 
How do you get to Abu Tig from the north without already having cleared in, or do you have to spend $40 in every port!? Just visited the website, and the charges and regulations are incomprehensible, can't see Egypt becoming popular until this is all simplified and transparent.
 
An easy way to clear in from the Med and have others more experienced to deal with issues is to participate in the Med - Red Rally which heads out of Israel (think maybe Herzliya or maybe Askelon) via Suez and round into Red Sea. They have a planned stoppover in Abu Tig both out and back.

We stopped into Port Said for a week courtesy of the East Med Rally last year - and can affirm having the organisers sorting issues made it as easy as pulling into any EU marina.

Also met up after with several cruisers who spent a season at Abu Tig - they all equally raved about low cost / interesting people / superb diving. But all warned that prices were possibly on the increase and the managers were definately to target bigger luxury yachts as future clients.

Might be worth visiting before its too expensive to do so!!

JOHN
 
Re: 2nd that

[ QUOTE ]
6 meter to 30 meter boats cost the same?? Looks rally good though and at $360 a year even i can afford it!!

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Per meter............ /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Pretty straight forward to enter the Suez Canal and park up at the Suez canal yacht club - bit scruffy.... representatives of the 'Prince of the Red Sea' will find you for sure and do all the paperwork, arrange your Suez canal pilot etc.

The Pilot will get off at Port Gahlib Marina probably... Good place - good facilities and in town with connections to Cairo. You anchor stern to the quay on your own anchor and the holding is a bit average. OK in the prevailing winds but poor if there is a big wind shift blowing you on...

For sure the Red Sea will become the cruising ground of choice with beautiful clean water, coral, fish-life and Arab culture... After the dirty, overcrowded, expensive med it is a pleasure to be in the red sea... Just a matter of time and the Egyptians lightening up a bit over paperwork..
 
Re: 2nd that

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif I thought it was a bit odd priceing!!I was standing outside a clothing shop with an open wi-fi as the useual was off??!!It dose sometimes make reading less exact!

Indeed the images showed huge motor yachts no doubt paid by the eec and i wondered if they would even let in a normal fast compact crusing sail boat !!??

Its to hot in summer and Turkeys far more fun??(I hope it still is)
 
Hi,
We are wintering in Abu Tig this year and have only good things to say. You can get some info on our website www.kjellqvist.ch, and click on the link to our blog for a running commentary.

The cruising permit is complicated but I will try to explain:
Some Rallies only stay a few days and then return, and I think they get a special pass, i.e. they don't need the cruising permit.
If you want to spend the winter in Egypt/Red Sea and move around a bit you really need the proper cruising permit, and you can only get that from Port Galib (in the south) or Taba Heights (in the gulf of Aqaba). It costs around $60 for the season. Abu Tig cannot issue the cruising permit and instead used Fantasia in Hurghada who will issue an older type permit for several hundred dollars (seems to be different from time to time). The Fantasia permit is not even a real cruising permit, so it really only allows you to stay in Abu Tig, although they let you go out on cruises to the nearby island.
We went down to Port Galib (nice trip) and got the real permit.

If you want to know more, please don't hesitate to write to me via my website.
 
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