Once you get into the Red Sea it's easy. A good jump off is Djibouti where you can get pretty much everything you need. Sauakin is an interesting next stop in Sudan. You cannot stop on the Saudi side unless you are in dire trouble. Port Sudan is (just about) ok for a stop if you have to, there's nothing there of major interest - ships unloading aid supplies. There are plenty of marsas (lagoons) all the way up on the African side where you can
anchor for the night. Your
charts are not reliable - your charted
GPS position may show you as being inland in places...) watch out for
reefs and wrecks and sawn-off remains of rigs (unlit). Buoyage and navigational lights are not to be seen. Sailing at night is NOT to be recommended. Port Ghalib 25deg 32'N 34deg 38.5'E is a good port of entry into
Egypt, they are friendly and keen to 'take business' from Hurghada which is further up the coast. Go to Hurghada anyway for it has everything you could possibly want, including an excellent hospital. From there it's northwards to Suez - the yacht club is on your left as you
head into the entrance to the
canal, and it's a dump and facilities sparse,
anchor off and either row ashore or take the boatman (he's an old guy who'll row you and not rip you off) to appoint and negotiate with an agent to take care of your
canal transit (you must have a pilot) with its overnight mandatory stop in Ismailia where you get a new pilot (they will both ask you for 'presents' and drink all your coke/pepsi/seven-up) for the leg to Port Said where the yacht club on west side is also a dump and facilities sparse - tie up ashore stern-to carefully with a bow line out to a huge buoy. You can walk round to get the
ferry across to town where there are
cheap eateries. Push off from there straight out into the
Med. I stopped in Paphos before going to
Turkey. It's a pretty straightforward
passage up the Red Sea. The winds are either up your back or on the nose and can be ferocious; if you do sail at night be prepared for sudden squalls that can come out of nowhere. Best to day sail and anchor overnight in one of the numerous marsas on the African side well before sunset so you can eyeball your way in avoiding the
coral, you may see flamingoes, camels and enjoy a peaceful night. There are plenty of
dolphins in the Red Sea - always a joy. It gets cooler as you progress north, especially once you get to the
Med; I was wearing pullovers and a windcheater in
Cyprus among tourists in Tee shirts and shorts - OK they'd come from northern
Europe so for them it was hot; I'd sailed from Phuket via Galle, Uligan and Djibouti so 21degrees C in Paphos seemed a little chilly to me. Enjoy your passage!