22 May 2008

Endeavour Harbor

Team Sandpiper Update 22 May 2008

Anchored Endeavour Harbor
Tawila Island
Strait of Gubal
Egypt
Africa
27'30.0N/33'56.5E

153 Miles to the Suez Canal!!!
0 fish caught...

Team Sandpiper got a late start this morning as we were not sure what the winds were going to be doing. But at 9am the northerly winds had dropped down below 20 knots and we took off hoping to eat up some miles to the north. No such luck. We got 7 miles out just outside the anchorage we were trying to get to yesterday when the winds picked up to over 30 knots. They buried Sandpiper's bow under the waves and slowed us down to one knot. We decided that the 'smart' thing to do was to pull into where we are presently anchored, in Edeavour Harbor on Tawila Island.

The anchorage here is very protected with a nice sand bottom. Good thing because as soon as we got the hook dropped, along with S/V Shiraz (who caught up with us) and S/V My Chance the winds were up to the high 30's all afternoon.

Late afternoon a powerboat full of kite surfers pulled in along the shoreling and have been entertaining us. Since the winds are so strong they can go quite fast. They like to do tricks right by the 'Piper, jumping about 30 feet up into the air while waving at us. Actually, they seem to do more tricks when it is only Amy in the cockpit. Hmmmm....

It is 153 miles to the Suez, normally an easy overnight sail with following winds. But we made a total of 7 miles today. At this rate to make the it will take us weeks. This last stretch of the Red Sea is going to be our hardest. There are limited safe anchorages and the winds are not predicted to let up.

More later from somewhere hopefully more than 7 miles north of here,

Tom and Amy

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