cmedsailor
Well-Known Member
You took pictures of Geita Grotto!! What a fantastic place.
Israel and Lebanon. Anybody done the trip?
- Thread starter Bertramdriver
- Start date
You took pictures of Geita Grotto!! What a fantastic place.
Cheery
Well-Known Member
Is it still a problem when visiting Kyrenia harbour and trying to enter one of the Southern ports?
miyagimoon
Well-Known Member
We did it last winter, not as part of The Vasco Da Gamma (renamed by some people who went as The Fiasco Da Damage). We had a great time, the people are friendly and helpful, the weather is great (sunny and never rains), the sailing superb, the diving and snorkelling out of this world, if you are into Kit Surfing it's the place to be, the fishing is incredible, the sightseeing is something else and best of all it's cheap.
Do not let the political situation put you off. It was protests and riots in Cairo and Alexandria whilst we were there but never seen or heard anything down in the Red Sea (Hurghada etc). Other than what we picked up of the BBC web page.
Anyone who wishes more info can PM me and I will gladly send some info which includes:
How to transit the Canal.
Red Sea Pilot Info.
Details of our experiences.
Full cost breakdown of our trip.
We may well be going back next winter 2014/15. I am considering organising a rally of sorts but need to have feed back to find out if there are people interested.
miyagimoon
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, Kyrenia Harbour is full and not that safe in a blow. There is a new (well 2 year old) marina 40 mile east of Kyrenia (Girne) called Karpas Gate Marina.
If you intend to go anywhere other than Turkey having visited Northern Cyprus (TRNC - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) be warned that TRNC is not recognised by any country other than Turkey. Israel, Egypt and I believe Lebanon will not allow you to enter their country if your last port of call was in TRNC. To get to any of those countries you will need to either go direct or via Southern Cyprus.
Bertramdriver
Well-Known Member
When taking to the harbour master at Paphos he made the point in a very serious manner that if my boat turned up in his harbour after visiting northern Cyprus first he would impound it. When I asked how would he know he pointed into the mountains and said that " they" would tell him, making the point that the military monitor shipping by radar. Not worth the risk.
multihullsailor6
Well-Known Member
Next season I am hoping to sail to Israel from Malta with stops in Crete and Cyprus. Winter in the Red Sea is high on my list depending on the political situation.
Bertramdriver - might see you around then!
miyagimoon - I'd be very interested to hear more of your rally. I can possibly contribute at least 2 catamarans.
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Tintin
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't get a "replacement" as the old passport number will be cancelled, and then using the cancelled passport will certainly cause a few issues if it is checked, which is very easy to do in this digital age.
20 years ago I did a lot of travel internationally and would often be away when a visa application had to go in. The passport office issued me with a fully working 2nd passport. The only problem came at the combined US / Canada border control when I checked out on one passport then pulled out my second which had my US work permit - it took a lot of explaining and faxes to sort out.
miyagimoon
Well-Known Member
Hi Roger,
As you still seem keen to go to the Red Sea I assume you found the info I sent useful. Based on our experiences the political situation would have to be really bad to prevent us from going back to the Red Sea.
Albert
BurnitBlue
Well-Known Member
Good idea. Speaking for myself, the hurdle of the Suez Canal bureaucracy and baksheese is a game changer. If a rally made this easier it would be very successful and grow year on year.
You should start a new thread where the subject title would attract folk like me who are just thinking about it. I am definitely interested in an organised transit of the Suez Canal.
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Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
Fatty Goodlander (Cruising World's blue water correspondent) described his recent Suez Canal transit as his worst cruising experience ever. And vowed never to return. Bribery and extortion still seem rife.
miyagimoon
Well-Known Member
It's amazing how one person can influence so many.
Our experience and that of many other people who have been there is totally opposite to his. We had an wonderful time and would not be going back if we hadn't. We met people who have been there on and off for up to 7 winter trips.
Baksheese, is not a bribe or any form of extortion. It's a form of gift given for good service, and is only prevalent in the major cities (Cairo, Alexandria). Once out of the actual canal and in to the Red Sea it virtually doesn't exist. In the Egyptian / Arabic culture Baksheese is normal.
One of the reasons we like to visit different countries is to experience first hand different cultures.
The people are warm, friendly and inviting. Once we were in an anchorage miles from anywhere. The only thing around was a hotel and a dive school on the shore. The dive team came out with the hotel owners, to see if we required anything (water, food etc) and then invited us ashore to the hotel complex to use their facilities (pool, showers, laundry, restaurant etc) free of charge. That's not "Bribery and Extortion".
miyagimoon
Well-Known Member
Will start a new thread after finished posting this reply.
See last post (#31) reference Baksheese.
As far as Suez Canal bureaucracy is concerned, there's no real hassle. The local agent deals with everything. Okay you have to pay for that service, but that's the same the world over. In Turkey we all (well most of us) use agents for our Transit Logs etc. No different here, only overall they are cheaper in Egypt and there is a Agents rep available for you no matter where you are in Egypt and is available 24 hours a day.
1bobt
N/A
Vasco De Gama
http://www.vascodagamarally.nl/portal/index.html
I heard that the last rally all went a little Pete Tong with all sorts of accusations of some rally yachts being abandoning the rally half way down the Red sea.
All hearsay but do do your due dilligence !
We were also hoping to do the EMYR next year and maybee on into the Red Sea but like others now feel that the Levant is just too hot at present.
UK Foreign office currently advise against travel to parts of the Red sea except established resorts so all in all we decided it just aint worth it.
Then this bloomin Greek tax thing came along
When I last spoke to Lo ,I think he hinted at the fact that a few of the yacht did not have enough experience to take on the passage.
At least that what I thought he said when talking to an owner of a 50 ft yacht who had never sailed before but wanted to get to Australia with it.
miyagimoon
Well-Known Member
I would believe what you are saying is perfectly correct.
We were there last year at the same time as the Vasco Da Gamma. A few yachts on that rally were IMHO lacking enough experience to take on the passage all the way to Eritrea via Sudan as was the proposed itinerary. Fortunately, Lo changed it. Of the 15 (I think that's the correct number) yachts only 6 went beyond Hurghada and then only as far as Sudan.