Australia to the Med via Suez

[Atraxia]

We are planing to leave Australia mid-end of March, across the Indian Ocean and up to the Red Sea-Med via the Suez Canal.
Any other boats going that way and/or recommendations for an agent in Egypt?
Thanks in advance.

[Atraxia]

Anyone?

[UFO]

Sounds like an awesome trip - One I was planning just before Covid struck. Now that is set back for around 2 years time. Hope you find someone to cruise with.

[El Pinguino]

i really don't believe i am suggesting this - long story - moving right along - etc

You could try getting in touch with these people

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sWzVC5jh30

tell 'em I sent you.

[Wilyum]

Noonsite has agent information, lots of blogs in the last couple years of cruisers heading this way, google “red sea 2022 sailing blog”, SV Sea Hike is a recent one, Sailing Aquarius on youtube is another. Jimmy Cornells book World Sailing Routes has a whole chapter on the Red Sea specifically timing the north easterlies for the Gulf of Aden. Also there is an invite only FB group called the Red Sea Passage group, here is a recent update by the administrator:

UPDATE JUNE 2022 FROM WADE ALARIE:

For those who follow the advice of UKMTO, and stay away from the territorial waters of Somalia and Yemen, the risk of piracy remains low. There are still 60-80 yachts per year that safely make this transit. The majority start their journey from SE Asia, but about 15% start the passage from the Med, moving South through the Red Sea, and there are also some that start from the Seychelles or East Africa. The majority of transits take place in the December-May timeframe, although with deliveries and schedules, they are going through practically anytime of the year. The December-May timeframe gives the best opportunities because of wind strength and direction. Although the risk of pirate attack is very low, this is still quite a long ocean passage, with all the usual weather, equipment malfunction and charting challenges that you would expect. Getting shoreside support for boat system failures can be very challenging. Also, charts are incredibly poor in this area of the world, and you need recent Google Earth images to complement whatever digital charts you plan to use. Unfortunately, there are one or more boats “lost” on a reef every year, the most recent being 15 January 2021. Single-handers are especially at risk, and are encouraged to take along crew. Also, cruisers are carrying more and more fuel on deck, due to the perceived high costs of agents, limited facilities and ban on anchoring near Egyptian military facilities. Port Ghalib, Egypt has gained favour with cruisers and baksheesh has apparently been elliminated in the Suez Canal transit. Lastly, it has been more than two years since anyone reported visiting Eritrea, not visited since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Travelling North and South through the Red Sea

Experienced cruiser and Red Sea passagemaker Wade Alarie, admin for the Red Sea Passage Facebook Group, outlines the latest situation for those planning a Red Sea passage. See further updates from Wade in the comments section at the bottom of the report.

Last Update - February 08,

Join the Red Sea Passage Facebook Group:

I am an Administrator for the “closed” and “private” Facebook Group called “Red Sea Passage”. Membership is restricted to over 600 members who have either made the passage, or will soon. In addition, we have now permitted relevent shore side agents to join, representing ports in India, Maldives, Djibouti, Sudan and Egypt. Sadly, many people continue to sail through this area without belonging to our group, for unknown reasons. I implore sailors to join the group, so that you can acquire the best information and coordinate with others to make a safe passage. If you are not a member, and are contemplating a passage through this area, please email me at wade@joana.ca to join.

Numbers:

Having had a conversation with Capt Heebie of Prince of the Red Sea (the most prolific of the Suez Canal agents), this is our best guess at Red Sea / Suez Canal passages in recent years:
2019: 75 total
2020: 55 total (Northbound 40, Southbound 15)
2021: 24 total (Northbound 14, Southbound 10)
2022: 50-60 are expected to complete the voyage
2021 is the lowest number in 30 years, entirely due to COVID-19 restrictions.
There are over 600 members in our FB group, but that includes people who have already made the passage, people who are thinking about it, as well as crew and shoreside agents. The actual number that have indicated their intent to cross in 2022 is much more than last year as shown above.

Gulf of Aden and Pirates:

I can name hundreds of yachts that have safely passed through the Gulf of Aden in recent years (probably only half the boats that actually transit take part in the FB group). My wife and I sailed (SV JOANA) from India to Turkey, in January-June 2020. In my opinion, there has not been a pirate attack against a yacht since 2011. The coalition forces don’t really “encourage” cruisers in the area, yet, but they tolerate us – particularly if we follow their guidance. All of which is explained in our FB Group, or alternatively – can be found and understood by reading the wealth of information provided on the internet (by googling MSCHOA and UKMTO).

Convoys are thought to be a bad idea. They are unwieldy to manage and pose a more visible and attractive target. The military presence in the area (three different missions are active, one managed by NATO, one by the EU and another one by the French) discourage anything more than a couple or three boats travelling “together”. Its highly unlikely you will get a military escort, but the ships and planes are there – constantly patrolling, and you will most likely see one or more.

There is also the fact that Yemen is in civil war. You must avoid the coast of Yemen, and be aware of both government and “terrorist” naval elements that are sometimes seen in the area. You could easily be mistaken by either government or opposition forces. Stay away.

Limited or No Shoreside Support:

Although the risk of pirate attack is very low, this is still quite a long ocean passage, with all the usual weather, equipment malfunction and charting challenges that you would expect. Getting shoreside support for boat system failures can be very challenging. Also, charts are incredibly poor in this area of the world, and you need Google Earth images to complement whatever digital charts you plan to use. Unfortunately, there are several yachts that have been “lost” on a reef (particularly risky in Sudan and Egypt), and prudent sailors will know that this is completely avoidable. This is all discussed in our Group.

When to Transit:

Cruisers are transiting this area, in both directions – in all months of the year. Refer to Jimmy Cornell’s “World Cruising Routes” for more detail. However, most traffic, Northbound and Southbound, tends to be in the December to April timeframe. The route East of Djibouti is governed by the monsoon season. The leg from Djibouti to Suez has predominately Northerly winds, but from week to week there are always a few days of no wind, or contrary light wind. Be aware that it gets uncomfortablely hot in the June to September timeframe.

Summary:

Yachts continue to flow through the Red Sea area, despite the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic. Cruisers (in both directions) are stopping in for reprovisioning at Port Suez, Port Hurgata, Port Ghalib, Port Sudan, Suakin, Djibouti, Maledives and others. Where permitted due to COVID-19 restrictions (which are changing by the month), they are able to get supplies and often go ashore. No cruisers have reported stopping at Socatra and Eritrea.

The year 2022 numbers are up from 2021, with 50-60 expected to complete the voyage. Uligan, Maldives has emerged as a popular stopover and for the first time, a cruiser has checked in to Saudi Arabia (which at this time is expensive and limited in resources).

UKMTO is still the organization that voyagers should report to, and they in turn communicate with anti-piracy and drug interdiction coalition forces in the region.

Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has the possibility of distorting people’s plans. Countries entry requirements continue to fluctuate, as they do all over the world. You are encouraged to verify your plans with the best available information prior to departure with Noonsite.

Wade Alarie
SV Joana
https://joana.ca

[Atraxia]

Thank you all for your helpful replies!
For now Felix the agent replied to me and I remembered them from a previous canal transit.
Wilyam, I tried looking up the group on FB but doesn’t show up. Can it be under a different name?
As I might be sailing solo, I would appreciate a few other boats around to group up.
Thanks again. Appreciate your replies!

[Wilyum]

Originally Posted by Atraxia

Thank you all for your helpful replies!
For now Felix the agent replied to me and I remembered them from a previous canal transit.
Wilyam, I tried looking up the group on FB but doesn’t show up. Can it be under a different name?
As I might be sailing solo, I would appreciate a few other boats around to group up.
Thanks again. Appreciate your replies!

Its closed and private, you need to email the administrator Wade Allarie @ wade@joana.ca in order to be invited. Good Luck.

To join the Red Sea Passage Facebook Group:

I am an Administrator for the “closed” and “private” Facebook Group called “Red Sea Passage”. Membership is restricted to over 600 members who have either made the passage, or will soon. In addition, we have now permitted relevent shore side agents to join, representing ports in India, Maldives, Djibouti, Sudan and Egypt. Sadly, many people continue to sail through this area without belonging to our group, for unknown reasons. I implore sailors to join the group, so that you can acquire the best information and coordinate with others to make a safe passage. If you are not a member, and are contemplating a passage through this area, please email me at wade@joana.ca to join.

[CaptainGenie]

Hey there, did you find all the info you were after? Just transited the canal and while we didn't use Felix I wish we had. Safe transit and perhaps will meet somewhere in the Med!

[Atraxia]

Thanks CaptainGennie,
Though I haven’t found other boats to group with yet, I have all the other information I need.
All the best and hope to meet up in the Med!

[Fore and Aft]

Captain Genie what did it cost to transit the canal? I see the report below mention bribes have been eliminated, is that true?
Cheers

[CaptainGenie]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Captain Genie what did it cost to transit the canal? I see the report below mention bribes have been eliminated, is that true?
Cheers

Below is the breakdown from the agent "Prince of the Red Sea". This is for a Northbound transit. I believe Southbound is more expensive. This is a direct copy and paste. This was to transit only, we didn't clear into Egypt so could not go ashore beyond the marine in either Suez or Ismaelia.

Our tonnage was HUGELY inflated (over x3), the official tonnage on the boat registration was ignored. I have no idea how they arrived at this "volume" figure but it's certainly wasn't the net tonnage nor the gross tonnage on any my vessel documents or specs.

Re. bribes, we were specifically told no baksheesh by the agent but the pilot still asked for money at the end.

-------

Suez canal transit Dues is. 7 USD PER TON .

Port clearnce is. 128 USD

immgration arrival and Deperture. 70 USD

Port state sequrity. 70 USD

Port police. 19 USD

Health clearnce. 10 USD

Agent fees. 50 USD

[ChrisJHC]

From Wikipedia:

Tonnage is a measure of the cargo-carrying capacity of a ship, and is commonly used to assess fees on commercial shipping. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine. In modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume or cargo volume of a ship. Although tonnage (volume) should not be confused with displacement (the actual weight of the vessel), the long ton (or imperial ton) of 2,240 lb is derived from the fact that a "tun" of wine typically weighed that much.

[CaptainGenie]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

From Wikipedia:

Tonnage is a measure of the cargo-carrying capacity of a ship, and is commonly used to assess fees on commercial shipping. The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine. In modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of the volume or cargo volume of a ship. Although tonnage (volume) should not be confused with displacement (the actual weight of the vessel), the long ton (or imperial ton) of 2,240 lb is derived from the fact that a "tun" of wine typically weighed that much.

Thank you. My vessel has an official certificate from VERITAS calculating the tonnage / cargo volume. It doesn't get more official than this. This was ignored.

I paid for 88t. My VERITAS tonnage is 25t. My displacement is 42t.

The official calculator is here: https://www.suezcanal.gov.eg/English...alculator.aspx

Go figure!

[Kim Witt]

Originally Posted by Atraxia

We are planing to leave Australia mid-end of March, across the Indian Ocean and up to the Red Sea-Med via the Suez Canal.
Any other boats going that way and/or recommendations for an agent in Egypt?
Thanks in advance.

Could someone please let me know who the best agent is for a trip north up the Red Sea and through the cannal looking at being the approx may next year.
Thanks kim

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Kim.

According to the “World Cruising and Sailing Wiki”:
➥ https://www.cruiserswiki.org/wiki/Suez_Canal
A recommended [Suez] agent is: Nagib Latif of the Felix Maritime Agency
Ph: + 20 66 333132
Fax: + 20 66 333510,
Mobile: +20 12 211 9365
Email: flx@intouch.com <flx@intouch.com>