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Ismailia, Egypt, 10/12-2011
N30°35.107´
E032°16.364´
Sailing distance made: 6380 nautical miles
Now we are at the African side and in the middle of the Suez Canal. Our sailing over here, from Rhodos to Port Said in Egypt, has been very nice...
When all the paper work at the port police is done we leave Greece and Europe, and start heading south to warmer latitudes...
Partly, we have good wind in our sails, but the entire ocean remain totaly calm most of the time.
The long nights are filled with stars and also dolphins, which playfuly are swimming, as well as jumping, in the great phosphorescence all around the boat. Those dolphins are the moste social ones we have had in the Mediterranean so far and are truly a good company during the dark night hours.
When morning comes it is time for a new colorful scenario... and the ocean keeps calm and peaceful...
"A real sailor does not have to wait for wind"...
... well we have to... ... ...
... hmm.., in that case I think we better start learn sailing soon... ;)
We spend four days out at sea and finally we have our last pelagic sunset before entering Port Said...
Next morning the city of Port Said shows up at the horizon.
For passing through the Suez Canal there is a lot of paper work and formalities to be done. The boat is measured, the military is checking the boat, canal papers and visas are made, and so on...
Two nights in Port Said and we are finally ready to start our first leg, of two, through the almost 100 nautical miles long canal.
Early morning, at 5am, we leave Port Said and start heading south through the canal. When the day light is lightening up the surroundings, we already have made a good distance into the dry desert.
In the Suez Canal, all boats are required to have a pilot onboard, and for me this is a great opportunity to continue learn some more arabic... New countries, new languages... :)
The Suez Canal is well used by the cargo ships and we meet lots of them in huge convoys in both directions.
But as sailors we are quite alone. One small Ucraine sailing boat, with lots of adventurous stories from all around the world, is the only sailing vessel we have met during our time in the Suez Canal, so far...
Now we are in Ismailia, in the middle of the Suez Canal, and have one day trip left to come to Suez and then we are, finally, in the Red sea! :)
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