Hello and Shalom from Israel ~ it feels so good to finally be in the Med after such a struggle up the Red Sea. Actually, it has been a bit of a tough go since we left Thailand. We motor sailed most of the way here, which is something sailors don’t like doing so much.

We are staying at the Herzliya Marina just north of Tel Aviv, treating ourselves to the amenities of electricity, water, internet and showers. It is so Cosmopolitan here with such a variety of people and can they eat. All meals at restaurants are served with fresh bread, and about 6 to 10 condiments, such as salads and vegetables and spreads for the bread. Wow! From Top Ramen, canned ham and sardines to fine dining, what a treat.

We plan to sail to Cyprus sometime next week which will be a 2 day trip.

(The night before we left to transit the canal a US soldier, who was on a frieghter carrying US military supplies to Iraq, allegedly killed a local man who had approached the ship to sell stuff to the crew.)

The Suez Canal Yacht and Rowing Club where

we moored while waiting to go up the canal.

This lady greeted us from her balcony. There

was a crow perced next to her but it flew away

while I was getting the camera out. She was very

thrilled about having her picture taken.

Downtown Suez

These young ladies helped us find an internet cafe

The pyramids as seen from the freeway in Cairo

Our means of convience

Gisa and Cairo in the background

Paula and Ben riding to the Pyramids

The Sphinx, you have to pay to get close


Ken in Herzliya, Israel

Hello all. We are safe at port after a long journey north…

We left Yemen on Valentine’s Day to head up the Red Sea. The southern Sea was mostly variable winds from the south and we motor-sailed for 5 days to Suakin, Sudan where we spent several days waiting out a strong north wind. Suakin was a land of ruins, waste and poverty but the villagers were extremely friendly.

It was here that we discovered the officials in Yemen gave Ken the wrong passport, which is a critical document to have while traveling. We missed the good weather window to head north as we waited for Ken’s passport to arrive via DHL. 10 days later, we finally left Suakin. The Yemen officials were very cooperative and paid for the exchange of the 2 passports.

Getting up the Red Sea seemed like an endless journey. Every time we started up we were hit by fierce north winds and seas and had to find shelter every few nights. One of our stops included staying at the Coral Beach Resort in Port Galib, Egypt, where we were forced to lounge by the pool. We finally arrived on a mooring buoy in Port Suez on March 21 at 12:04 am. Ironically, the last leg of the passage was in perfectly calm seas and a brilliant full moon.

We are now waiting for clearance to go through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea. It is pretty amazing watching the huge freighters entering and exiting the Canal. There were American Warships, including a submarine, using the Canal to go south to Iraq yesterday. They don’t allow other boats in the Canal when the warships are in.

While we are waiting we plan to hire a car and go to Cairo to see the pyramids and other ancient Egyptian ruins. It is only an hour and a half from Port Suez.

We will spend the spring and summer exploring the Mediterranean from Tel Aviv, Israel to Portugal. Fortunately, we won’t have any long passages or dangerous countries to worry about during this part of the trip.

Port Galib, Egypt

Suakin, Sudan

Anchorage in Egypt

You can't see it but this is the site of an ancient

water storage system.