Marsa Esh Sheikh, Sudan

Anchored at Marsa Esh Sheikh
Shubuk Channel
Sudan
Africa

18'50.0/37'26.6E

712 Miles to the Suez Canal!

The sun is just about to set over the African savanna with some people living in small tents along the shore line. A road is off in the distance where an occasional truck passes by. And there is a thick haze from all the sand in the air.

We left Long Island this morning after deciding that we would move up through the Shubuk Channel so when we leave tomorrow morning for the Port of Suakin we will be 10 miles closer. This was a transit was through many, many reefs. This is another anchorage the should show up on the Google Earth program and you should be able to get a really good view of the reefs that we passed and are those that we are presently anchored amongst.

We all jumped in the water after anchoring in hopes of spearing some delicious grouper. But visibility was low, so it is chicken tonight.

The winds seem to die down overnight. Then around 10am they start to pick up, and by noon its blowing 25 knots. So tomorrow we are going to leave at 6am for our 15 mile trip, hopefully arriving before noon when the winds start to kick up from the north.

We are still traveling with S/V Shiraz and S/V My Chance. We will all probably all be together until we get through the Suez Canal. We met Kian and Alim (from S/V My Chance) while we were in Aden, and they asked if they could sail along with us, and we have all been together since. The funny part is that the other night Alim was telling us how great their trip in to inland Yemen was from Aden, and how much they had enjoyed themselves. We asked him why he did not recommend this trip to us. He said that they were ready to leave Aden and did not want to sail up the Red Sea by themselves. And if we had gone inland, then they would have to wait until we got back. Thats funny!

Alim and Kian are from Turkey and are one of the very few Turkish boats sailing around the world. There trip is completed when they get back. There will be a big reception for them when they arrive because they have been writing for a sailing magazine in Turkey and have a big following.

More when it happens,
Tom and Amy