15th October, 2010
You could write a book about today alone. Our trip to Cairo to see the pyramids started at 7am and we returned at midnight. We have been riding camels and horses around the 9 pyramids at Giza, peering at the mummies in the dim light of the museum, haggling for papyrus, perfume and ‘souveneirs from China’ in the markets and handing out baksheesh (tips) to pretty much everyone. We even took in the local Pizza Hut – we decided this was the safest place to eat.
Cairo is a dirty, smelly, smoggy city with serious traffic problems. In comparison, ’2041′ is an oasis of peace and quiet.
-Fiona
14th October, 2010
Land ahoy! Port Said is not an attractive town but the yacht club has showers.
The local agent has been hugely efficient and by tea-time we had got visas, filled up with fuel and water and got some new bearings for the foresail!
Unfortunately we will not be able to transit the Suez canal until Saturday but, looking on the bright side, this will enable us to do some sightseeing tomorrow.
13th October, 2010
Plain sailing today has enabled some running repairs to be carried out.
Derek nimbly shimmied up the forestay to retrieve a halyard that had become detached. It will need some new metal bearings before the sail can be used again but at least it is one step closer.
Jake then climbed up the mast to change the bulb in the steaming light so now we are all ready for our last night sailing.
-Fiona
12th October, 2010
We could smell Egypt today! The wind which had been coming straight at us was, today, coming off the land, bringing with it a smell of warm, dry earth.
The other effect of this change in the weather was that 2041 spent the night speeding through the waves heeled over to port. It became an uphill struggle to haul myself into my cabin on the starboard side and even more of a challenge to remain in my bunk once there.
-Fiona
11th October, 2010
Today it feels great to be aboard! To be able to look out and see nothing but sky and sea all around for hours on end. That might sound dull but in fact is far from it. Last night our 6-9pm watch saw the sun and moon setting, our 12-3am watch saw a multitude of twinkling stars, some so bright they seemed to be reflected in the water, whilst our 6-9am watch sailed into the rising sun with water so glassy that it mirrored the pinks and blues.
With calmer waters, blue skies and a breeze to speed us on our way this has been a perfect days sail in the Med.
-Fiona
10th October, 2010
Today we were fishing. The first catch was an 18″ Dorado which made a tasty lunch. The second was a rather chewy-looking fishing float that became entangled on one of the zinc plates on the hull of 2041 and had to be cut free.
-Fiona
