Suez, Red Sea and Yemen

[boatman61]

Anyone considering this route either Easterly or Westbound.... change plans... this is gonna spread across the Arabian Peninsula for sure... the commoners have had enough... and not before time... Yemens getting there and Saudi's gonna cop it for sure... the Saud's are a hated family...
Egypt: One Dead, Dozens Injured In Clashes | World News | Sky News

[meburma]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Anyone considering this route either Easterly or Westbound.... change plans... this is gonna spread across the Arabian Peninsula for sure... the commoners have had enough... and not before time... Yemens getting there and Saudi's gonna cop it for sure... the Saud's are a hated family...
Egypt: One Dead, Dozens Injured In Clashes | World News | Sky News

It is an absolutely fascinating and fluid situation right now in that already complicated region of the world. I'm so eager to see how it all shakes out.

[deepstar]

Just remember things can get worse instead of better !!

[meburma]

Or, they could get worse before they get better!

The news is definitely playing out in the region. Protests are everywhere. Right now it's a battle between the power of the information age against the regimes. It's also a test of how strong the will of the common man is in that region. Do they have the strength to stand up to the heightened hostility of the "pro-governement" thugs?

Time will tell, and time is moving along right before our eyes.

No idea how it will all turn out, but it's a historic period of time no matter.

[hummingway]

The Iranians are using it as an opportunity to run a couple of their warships up the Suez today:
Egypt's Foreign Ministry says Iran has asked to send naval vessels through Suez Canal | StarTribune.com

[Pete7]

....and through the middle of this someone is trying to run a convoy of 30 yachts.

Pete

[svBeBe]

Originally Posted by Pete7

....and through the middle of this someone is trying to run a convoy of 30 yachts.

Pete

If it is the convoy I am familiar with, that convoy is now down to either 5 or 6 yachts.

Judy
S/V BeBe
Currently Cochin, India

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

If it is the convoy I am familiar with, that convoy is now down to either 5 or 6 yachts.

Judy
S/V BeBe
Currently Cochin, India

Why are they down that far? People doing south? or doing other convoys?
Whats the feeling like for the situation up there amongst the cruisers in Cochin?

Mark

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Why are they down that far? People doing south? or doing other convoys? ...

Perhaps, taken by pirates?

[svBeBe]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Why are they down that far? People doing south? or doing other convoys?
Whats the feeling like for the situation up there amongst the cruisers in Cochin?

Mark

Many people have turned around. A few are cruising the Maldives, then on to Chagos and then around Cape of Good Hope during the appropriate weather seasons. Some are returning to Thailand and Malaysia to spend another year touring SE Asia, in hopes that piracy conditions will be better next year and they can still make it up the Red Sea next year. If not, then most of them will go the South African route next year during the appropriate weather season. And some are opting for transport. At this time ten boats have committed for transport.

Most of the TTT (Thailand to Turkey) convoy boats gathered in Uligama. Then the entire convoy just fell apart due to the increased piracy farther out in the Indian Ocean. Originally the convoy was to be only from Salalah to Aden.

Note: S/V BeBe was never part of that convoy; we had inquired just to gather information and Rene put our boat name on the list on the TTT website, but we never signed on to join any convoy. We long ago decided that it made no sense to us to sail as slow as the slowest boat and spend 40% longer time in a dangerous area. To us, it makes far more sense to get through the known pirate areas as quickly as possible. We had planned to sail with a couple of similar speed boats. They have proceeded together. We opted to transport.

Judy
S/V BeBe

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

Then the entire convoy just fell apart due to the increased piracy farther out in the Indian Ocean.
Judy
S/V BeBe

It must be a bizzare feeling amongst the cruisers in the last few months.

Nic and I are glad we wern't doing it this year, but more terrified to look back on last year when people on the convoy were telling us when approached by a skiff to give them cigarettes!

One by-product of shipping the boat - you wont have to go through the Suez Graftcanal! If you need to read about that conniving mob http://ourlifeatsea.com/sct.html We transited paying less bribes that anyone else! Yippee! And we were only rammed 3 times!

All the best


Mark

[Alondra]

NOTE from TTT Convoy

First, we never published a name of any vessel on TTT website, also not bebe. We got their inquiry, we replied and that was it. Their name was on no list whatsoever. (where does this BS come from???)

Second, TTT is still sailing and very much so. 6 yachts follow the route as decided together in Maldives. 4 make their way in a similar way. 3 new entrees have signed up, and a number of 4 or 5 will be and wait in a harbor as planned to sail together into the Red Sea. 19 yachts in total minimum.

Yes, 2 yachts returned, 5 are going on transport, a 6th is still deciding,, 3 are on their own, have yet not retired, 2 more took a different route, also not retired, 1 left behind in Thailand for medical reasons and 2 left behind for technical reasons. As far as we know, NOBODY went around south africa.

Maybe bebe should check facts a litlle more carefull, after all, we are just 50 meters away from them in Cochin.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Alondra

Second, TTT is still sailing and very much so. 6 yachts follow the route as decided together in Maldives. 4 make their way in a similar way. 3 new entrees have signed up, and a number of 4 or 5 will be and wait in a harbor as planned to sail together into the Red Sea. 19 yachts in total minimum.

.

Then you are utter fools.


Do you need a second read of my opinion?

You are utter fools!



Mark

[RickD]

We changed our plans a few weeks ago. No circumnavigation in that region at all... We're gonna stick to the western hemisphere for awhile now. Not worth the effort, time and safety to go around Africa now.

[GordMay]

Thailand to Turkey Convoy (TTT) Website
➥ Welcome

Cruising sailors wanting to pass between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean have always had a fail-safe option, that of having your yacht shipped through the dangerous pirate zone. However, with the hijacking of the German freighter the Beluga Nomination, which was carrying a shipment of yachts, that option now seems less than secure also.
More ➥ Sail-World.com : Yacht shipment hijacked by pirates, crew killed