Thailand - Europe - is the Red Sea route opening up again?

[temptress]

We are in the middle of some research just now and looking at the last year of data it looks like there have been no reported attacks on yachts. SWMBO did that passage in 2010 and they were 'told off' by the Royal Navy when they were in Oman. We considered it too dangerous just last year but things change. Mind you our fiends just last month shipped their boat from Thailand to the Med as they were not prepared to sail back.

So is the Red Sea route opening up again or is it still to risky?

 

[OrionAmelOwner]

Hi Kevin
Been doing some research also ....have not been able to identify how many yachts actually transited last year ....not many ....the closest data we could find was 17 others ....but how many of those were yachts? Certainly the the South Africa, St.Helena route was very popular and we met at least 17 yachts last year on the Nereids Rally who were coming up to the Caribbean that way!
Hope all is well
Orion1....currently in Curaçao
orion1.blogspot.com

 

[Monique]

Hey Matey, welcome here. Is Orion the name of your boat? If so we may know each other already. We have an Amel SM and as member of CA, we get fairly useful updates. Noon site is also a good resource.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Hey Matey, welcome here. Is Orion the name of your boat? If so we may know each other already. We have an Amel SM and as member of CA, we get fairly useful updates. Noon site is also a good resource.

Yes you may get useful update , but unless you share them with the op his not going to be any wiser . Isn't YBWL all about sharing info

 

[Koeketiene]

We are in the middle of some research just now and looking at the last year of data it looks like there have been no reported attacks on yachts. SWMBO did that passage in 2010 and they were 'told off' by the Royal Navy when they were in Oman. We considered it too dangerous just last year but things change. Mind you our fiends just last month shipped their boat from Thailand to the Med as they were not prepared to sail back.

So is the Red Sea route opening up again or is it still to risky?

The piracy situation in Somalia itself has cleared. It's all over bar the shouting.
No piracy related activity has been observed either at sea or ashore for over a year now.
The Indian Ocean/Somali Basin are for all intents and purposes 'safe'.

The Gulf of Aden remains a bit hairy. Not so much because of piracy but there's a lot of gun and people smuggling going on between Yemen and Somalia.
If you were going to give it a go, I would stick to the IRTC as much and possible and 'check in' with any warship you see patrolling the corridor.
I would also notify MSCHOA once I've started my transit of the Gulf of Aden.

 

[temptress]

Hi Kevin
Been doing some research also ....have not been able to identify how many yachts actually transited last year ....not many ....the closest data we could find was 17 others ....but how many of those were yachts? Certainly the the South Africa, St.Helena route was very popular and we met at least 17 yachts last year on the Nereids Rally who were coming up to the Caribbean that way!
Hope all is well
Orion1....currently in Curaçao
orion1.blogspot.com

John

Will email you. We are heading to Panama February/March ish....

 

[temptress]

Was discussing this with some of the Thailand based guys we know. Still no sure but have a couple of years to decide. Have to get through the Pacific first.

 

[Koeketiene]

Was discussing this with some of the Thailand based guys we know. Still no sure but have a couple of years to decide. Have to get through the Pacific first.

So, bit of a pointless question then.

 

[miyagimoon]

We spent the winter in the Red Sea (Egypt) and came back through the Suez Canal at the end of April. By then at least 4 yachts had come up north from India etc and 2 had headed south. We spoke to most of them, they all said they had no trouble but obviously stayed away from Yemen and in most cases went via Djibouti. Apparently lots of navy presence around Yemen area making it feel safer.

 

[temptress]

We spent the winter in the Red Sea (Egypt) and came back through the Suez Canal at the end of April. By then at least 4 yachts had come up north from India etc and 2 had headed south. We spoke to most of them, they all said they had no trouble but obviously stayed away from Yemen and in most cases went via Djibouti. Apparently lots of navy presence around Yemen area making it feel safer.

Yes it is what I have been hearing. Just looking for information. Seems to me that it is becoming possible again.

 

[Boo2]

The piracy situation in Somalia itself has cleared. It's all over bar the shouting.

So what actually happened to bring that about ?

Boo2

 

[Cheery]

Lots of big grey ships with huge guns?

 

[Koeketiene]

So what actually happened to bring that about ?

Boo2

Counter piracy (and Somalia in particular) has been my 'bread and butter' for the last few years.
The end of piracy in Somalia is due to a combination of factors, however there are IMO two key turning points:

1. The destruction of piracy related material and infrastructure ashore.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...anti-piracy-force-strikes-Somali-targets.html

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/may/15/eu-anti-piracy-raid-somalia

and

2. The arrest of the 'pirate king' in Belgium. Once you decapitate the snake...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...going-to-appear-in-a-documentary-8880645.html

http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/11/04/the-rise-and-fall-of-somalias-pirate-king/

 

[Artic Warrior]

Bless

Lots of big grey ships with huge guns?

 

[tcm]

Was discussing this with some of the Thailand based guys we know. Still no sure but have a couple of years to decide. Have to get through the Pacific first.

Ah right, you're starting early with this issue! EVERYONE in a boat that you meet in Pacific is worrying about "red sea or Cape" options. Eye's wider and wider, oh heck! Excellent conversation starter with any boa ties in the pacific, even way back in galapagos.

A reasonable guide is to watch the World ARC. 40 or so boats - and it would be rather bad if half of of them got shot or kidnapped eh? If you're near where they are, this fleet may get in your way, but at least they give a guide as to what the safest route might be. Currently AFAIK they go round the Cape. I did the same, watch the weather, take a sat phone, no problem.

You should be confident about going either of two optional routes. The red sea can be seen as "iffy" for westerners cos the whole place is slightly "bent" - baksheesh and so on throughout the area up and including the Suez canal gets irritating to say the least. No such issues around South Africa but the weather needs watching carefully - altho the same applies in red sea of course.

If I went again I would go round the Cape, as things stand. There's enough to worry about on a boat without also worrying about getting shot, i think. in other words - I'd like to hear lots of people ridiculing people like me saying "safest round the cape" and I haven't heard many yet.

 

[temptress]

Yes trying to get a discussion going. Looking at timings, routes options seems things are changing, would like to revisit the Med so Suez would be nice but is that safe or not?

Am in Singapore just now and was in Thailand with some long term cruisers a few months ago. Seems everyone is searching for signs that the Red Sea route is open again.....

THE SAFEST THING TO DO IS STAY AT HOME

 

[AndrewB]

Errr ... you go first, and let me know.

 

[The_man_from_ABBA]

Yes trying to get a discussion going. Looking at timings, routes options seems things are changing, would like to revisit the Med so Suez would be nice but is that safe or not?

A discussion amongst yotties only?

It seems to me that early on in this thread you got some pratical advice from someone who apparently deals with the Somalia/Gulf of Aden situation on a professional basis and you appear uninterested.

 

[temptress]

Abba man I am very interested in all opinions andand the articles in the link are also interesting. Aswe are we looking to sail that route we.
Are interested in any hard data we can get

 

[Richard10002]

So what actually happened to bring that about ?

Boo2

Captain Philips in HD?