The Red Sea

I cursed them to hell as our bow fought the swell

Our ship danced like a moth in the firelight

White horses rode high as the devil passed by

Taking souls to the Hades by the twilight [Christy Moore]

Well not quite taking souls but breaking hearts, yes, the Red Sea. 1200 nautical miles in searing heat and furnace hot winds the end seemed so tantalizingly close, we were almost there. You could touch, almost feel the freedom but the Red Sea has us in her grasp and was not letting us go too easily. The wind we had long been seeking had at last arrived but a cruel twist of fate saw it blow hard on the nose.

If we were going to have an escape we were going to have to fight for it. Through the Straits of Babel Mandeb we tacked endlessly back and forth gaining mile by precious mile. With the change in the weather for the worst we have also a change to our next destination. We are running for cover to Djibouti. The winds and currents seemed to have us in a stale mate and every time we checked the charts it was 60nm to go. Back on watch a couple of hours later and guess what? 60nm to go.

At 2030hrs we are free and running, and running well, with less than 40nm to go and a well earned rest and hopefully a shower. After a very saline environment for a week or so, everything including the crew are well and truly encrusted in salt. Just shake the head over the dinner plate in the evening and the most natural sea salt you can get.

We didn’t get to see most of the coast lines running down the from Suez but as the sea narrows into and through the straits, what spectacular sights beheld us. The Abu Ali Islands, the Hanish Islands, the Haycocks and many more volcanic islands jut out of one of the top five seas in the world to scuba dive in. The whole sea is teeming with life, world renowned for it’s coral reefs, like reefs world wide they are the nursery grounds for the worlds oceans. A degree or two change in temperature of the waters around the reefs and we as a whole loose one of the most beautiful and fascinating eco-systems that support us.

With this fact, the terms energy reduction and climate temperature balance have real meaning. Reminding ourselves to Reduce Re-use Recycle, will see each and everyone of us do our part, however small to play a role in saving these vital environments.

Derek