When Napoleon set out to conquer Egypt in 1797, a sudden burst of interest in ancient Egypt spread across Europe. During the 19th century, archaeology developed and much of our knowledge of Egypt is based on the findings during the last 150 years. Henry Carter’s sensational discovery of the untouched burial tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 was one such find, which sparked a worldwide Egyptomania.

However, much of our picture of Egypt is based on the stories of the Torah and the Bible as they have been told for thousands of years all over the world.Most readers will recall the story of the plagues that God sent to Egypt to force the Pharaoh into letting the Israeli people go; their flight from Egypt; Moses parting the sea with his staff and the subsequent dry crossing. Then, in the grand finale, the Red Sea closed in on the pursuing Egyptians and drowned the Pharaoh and his warriors, complete with horses and chariots.

This story of the Jewish people is so deeply rooted in our collective (western) memory that it has been retold not just in religious circles, it has become part of our pop culture.

Bustling modernity

On entering the Suez Canal southbound at Port Said, the significance of this location is striking – it is the meeting of two great continents; the cradle of three major world religions. The very roots of our modern society lie here. The fertile Nile oasis with the pyramids, the Karnak temple and the Valley of Kings lies to our right side in Africa. Israel, the Holy Land and Mount Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments lies to our left on the Asian side.

One aspect worth pointing out is that the timing of your canal transit is critical. For many years I have heard stories of pilots taking vessels aground on purpose and finally found the explanation on my last transit.

Where the northbound convoy does not stop the southbound one does, in order to let the northbound convoy pass. There are two stops. One in the Great Bitter Lake and the other in the Al Ballah Bypass.

The Al Ballah Bypass is relatively narrow and they tie the ships to shore, which poses no problem for a cargo ship. They just touch the sides of the canal and rudders, props and stabilisers (which they usually don’t have), are not an issue for them as both ends of the vessel protrude into the deep water off the canal bank.

We ended up with all three hull appendages in the mud. It is soft, but it should be avoided for obvious reasons. Our port sea chest also sank into the mud and we required tug assistance to get off the bank. This tug service is provided free of charge.

If you transit on the second convoy that departs Port Said at 0700, be prepared to go aground in Al Ballah. The better option is to go on the first convoy – you get to anchor in the Great Bitter Lake, which is no problem at all.

The biggest frustration during this incident was that the pilot insisted that the vessel would not touch the canal bank. How do you explain to a pilot that the vessel does not end at the waterline and that not only the shiny topsides are a critical part of the boat? The only other option they gave me rather than going aground was to turn around and pay another time and go south on the first convoy.

When we put a snorkeller in the water to assess how deep we were in the mud and if we could get off under own power, the poor pilot just about haemorrhaged.

While the locals happily swim in the canal, it is strictly forbidden for anyone off a ship to be touching the water – maybe there is a deep-rooted fear that the waters will part the moment some foreigner touches it. It happened before, so why not again? The disastrous effect this has had on the locals has been well documented.

I have stayed several nights in the canal but do not rate it. Once you pop out the southern end, a night sail through the Gulf of Suez takes you to the Red Sea proper.

You now have a choice of stopping at several full-service marinas on the Egyptian mainland or turning to the east toward Sharm el-Sheikh and its superb commercial port and its resorts. A trip to St Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai is possible from here, but it is a three- to four-hour drive.

Sailing further northeast through the Straits of Tiran, the Gulf of Aqaba, takes you toward Jordan and Israel. Halfway up the gulf lies Nuweiba, offering an excellent anchorage. From Nuweiba it is only a 1.5-hour drive to St Catherine’s and a 3 am start will give you time to climb Mount Sinai to see the sunrise. From the gulf lies Israel to the west and Jordan to the east.

Handy tips

The following information is geared toward the large yacht; smaller family type yachts will meet with different clearance procedures.

• • You need an agent.
  • Essentially, you need to give a minimum of 24 hours advance arrival notification, including a crew and passenger list, and certificate of registration. Anything less than 24 hours can lead to delays and dramas unless they know you from before and procedures have been established. The agent needs to be present in person. You cannot do it yourself – at least not in Sharm El-Sheikh.
  • Clearing in when first arriving can take anywhere from two to six hours. Give them time. You will have to buy entry visas for all your crew. Make sure that you get visas for crew and passengers that need them.
  • The first time you check in, or when they do not know you, expect a customs official to search the yacht. It is more of a sightseeing tour rather than an inspection. It is a pain but they insist; refuse them and they get really weird.
  • Make sure all your paperwork is in order. Get a quarantine certificate in Europe otherwise you have to buy one locally.
  • In Taba Heights, all the crew had to leave the boat and report to the immigration office. The boat was left unattended at the dock. There was no arguing the point. The second time round they were better about it.
  • You need to clear into each port you arrive at. Immigration will check all passports, certificates might get checked and copied, certificates of competence of the crew might get checked. So arriving from say El Gouna and stopping in the Sharm area, they will call you into port for the procedure and clear you out of the area again. It’s not a cheap process. In Sharm it costs around US$1,500 each time. In Port Ghalib and Taba about US$300 each time.
  • Clearing into Egypt appears to be different each time you arrive, even at the same port. However, they usually require up to 10 crew and passenger lists, three copies of the captain’s passport and three copies of the registration papers. Best to have three of each ready by the time you arrive.

Diving

Diving is, of course, a must in the Red Sea. There is some quite decent diving along the shore, but the real deal are the offshore reefs and islands such as the Brother Islands, Daedalus Reef and Zabargad in the south close the Sudanese border.

Of the numerous shoals lying closer to the mainland, we did dive the Fury Shoal. The charts are vague, and one needs good light moving around the numerous detached reefs of the shoal, but the diving is very rewarding and well worth the effort to go out of your way a few miles and find the reefs.

There is some confusion regarding the permits needed to visit the offshore islands and reefs.

Permits are being sold by the relevant authorities in Hurghada port. The confusion arises as there are strict laws regulating the local dive industry. We were told that we needed the same permits, which can take several months to obtain. But what is needed is a permit issued by the navy, more of a security clearance than a dive permit.

Not all dive shops and agents are aware of this arrangement. If you do not manage to obtain one, a small tip to the lighthouse keepers at Daedalus Reef and on Brother Islands will usually fix the problem. Do keep in mind that they will try to maximise their tip. We were asked for US$3,500 but gave a more realistic US$120 for six divers and three non-divers.

The navy themselves, who also came to inspect us, were highly professional and polite and did finally offer the first decent explanation of the permit issue. We did not have a permit and they did not give us any trouble whatsoever, just the opposite. They made us feel genuinely welcome to this spectacular water world and would not accept any gift, bar a cup of coffee on the bridge, which they did greatly appreciate.

With a population of nearly 100 million, just a few privileged at the top earn enough money to make a decent living. This is the reality of everyday life in Egypt. Corruption is something one has to live within this wonderful country.

At heart, the Egyptians are truly friendly, polite and welcoming people. In all your dealings with officials, always keep this in mind.