Our World Trip: Sharm to Port Said via Suez

Last time we were in Travco there was a superyacht anchored there and Mrs Boss got chatting with the crew, so we were surprised to find ourselves not at anchor in her place (as advertised due to lack of water alongside) but tidily moored at the quayside with the ship trimmed such that the bulbous bow was almost out of the water (she needs some new anti-fouling!!) The Commodore must have had some stick from the Grill passengers who didn’t fancy a tender ashore and so he got special clearance to come to the quay.

We had planned a day at the Naama Bay beach, so watched the few dive boats go out and then set off. There was no-one there! Egyptian tourism has taken a heavy blow and we almost had the place to ourselves. A quick trip on a glass-bottomed boat almost to the Near Garden dive site, a lot of rays and a buffet lunch and then it was back to the ship for an evening sailaway.

Although it’s not far to Suez, Cunard wanted us at the front of the Northbound convoy, so we left early and dropped anchor at the entrance to the Canal at 03:00 – although I wasn’t up to see it! We did, however, set the alarm for 06:00 to see us into the Canal and the sun was up as we led the 17 ships up towards Port Said at a stately 10 knots. Desert to the East and fertility to the West almost all the way. Armed guards and sentry posts every few hundred metres and a very visible military presence from one end to the other.

The Southbound convoy waited in the Great Bitter lake for us to pass and it was fun to try and work out the purpose of all the pontoon sections lined up on the Western bank – they must be there as an instant bridge for armoured vehicles and there was one all set up. Further waiting ships amongst the sand as we approached Port Said and the short bypass there – the knitting makes really excellent progress on these sea days!

There was a steady wind on the port beam, so we crabbed our way up the cut, the ship taking up most of the width of the canal at times. Under the fine Japanese-sponsored ‘Bridge of Peace’ with 6m to spare and further on to the Mediterranean accompanied by a small warship and several little local boats until we exited the Canal by 15:00 to set a NW course for the Straits of Messina – hopefully well clear of the Libyan business. Lots of black smoke as another Wartsilla is lit up to give us cruising speed and off to sea again. A quick sighting of HMS Monmouth on patrol and into the cooler sunset headed for Italy and home a week on Tuesday. Starting to think packing – oh dear!