Mix ID 32647

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Billabong Wrap Up [New Window]
As seen on the Myles Crew blogWe have said goodbye to Billabong. I never thought I'd be sentimental about a boat, but there is no doubt that I'll miss the 'ol girl. She is a great boat, but more importantly she allowed Chris and I to see parts of the world that would've otherwise gone unexplored. Aboard Billabong we learned more about ourselves and each other in 5-1/2 years then we probably could have in twice that time. But still I can't seem to shed a tear. Actually that is not entirely true, when we first received the offer on her (and I was still quite pregnant ... aka emotional) I woke up one morning and pretty much sobbed, yep uncontrollable sobs. It wasn't so much for Billabong (sorry Billabong), but rather for the end of an unbelievable journey, and end of a lifestyle that I had grown to love. I had thought that as we moved our belongings off Billabong I would be emotional, that it would be hard. It hasn't been though. Actually the whole things feels a bit unreal, like perhaps it hasn't hit yet. Chris seems just as unattached as I do. My guess is that three months from now it will hit us both, and for me it will be a very emotional moment.The new owners, Bill and Caroline, are terrific. They are the perfect match for Billabong, and I find myself surprised that I care so much about the match. I suppose it is because I've watched as Chris has poured his time and energy (and yes, even some of his heart) into Billabong, perfecting this and sprucing up that, such that I am thrilled to have Billabong transferred to a couple who appreciates all of this work and who acknowledges its value.Saturday, August 1, we had a little ceremony ... well ceremony might be a strong word, but we struck the colors (translation = took down our American Flag) while Bill & Caroline raised the Australian flag. We also strung together all of the flags from the 25 countries we had visited and hoisted them up the mast for a photo op. It seems amazing that we have visited so many countries, however when I look at a world map I realize that we have still seen so little! This ceremony of sorts seemed to make the transfer official. It feels a bit odd to step aboard Billabong and no longer be her Admiral (as Chris calls me). It didn't really hit me that she was no longer "my" boat until just the other day when, after finishing a little maneuvering practice with Bill & Caroline, they served us lunch ... food and entertaining visitors was always a big thing for me aboard Billabong, and this was the first time that it was I being served rather than scurrying around doing the serving. A very strange feeling!My dad, aka Grandpa Dave, mentions that perhaps Chris and I are not as emotional as we could be because of Jake ... Jake, as he says, is our new Billabong. He is probably pretty close to the mark. Here is his "five cents worth":Today we went to Billabong to take some pictures and to strike Old Glory so that Bill and Caroline could raise the flag of Australia. It was a sort of ceremonial Change of Command.First Chris ran up the courtesy flags from all the Nations they had visited in their trip. It was a very impressive string of flags. Then Chris struck the Stars and Stripes, handed it to me and I folded her and put her away for the Myles family. She will always bring great memories and I think good fortune.I expected the turning over of Billabong to be considerably more emotional and maybe even a little difficult for KT and Chris. I kept looking for signs of loss, but I have not seen any. Then during our brief ceremony something became very clear to me. Jake is the active ingredient to the change here. In an emotional sense Jake has replaced Billabong. Chris and KT now have a different boat to sail.Jake was here before Billabong had to leave. He needs the attention of the crew every bit as much, maybe more than Billabong. This has made leaving Billabong seem a natural step. Jake has brought a new challenge; family.So, while I am sure the kids will shed some tears and miss the lovely Billabong, Jake has brought some pretty strong winds of change for this crew and has given them no time to morn.I am reminded of the comic strip Peanuts and how Lucy would set up a Psychologist Stand (like a Lemon Aide stand). The sign said 5 cents. So, thats my 5 cents worth.Repeat of photos from above link, in case you missed them!BlurbBits for this Entry

The World Traveler [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: SW Turkey CoastBack in May I wrote a BLOG about the downside of some countries, in particular Egypt. I gave the Egyptians a pretty hard time, and now I feel it's only fair to take a look at the other side of the coin; the tourists. Just as Chris and I were disappointed in the attitudes and tactics of most of the Egyptian vendors, we both found ourselves continuously shaking our heads at the actions of tourists. This has occurred since we began cruising and is not limited to Egypt tourists, but Egypt is a good place to start. It doesn't take much to research a country you are going to; between guidebooks, such as the Lonely Planet, and the Internet, it only takes minutes to gather a few basic facts about a country. Egypt is 90% Muslim; that fact alone should give tourists a clue, but if it doesn't there is more. Lonely Planet states ...revealing tops or bottoms are unacceptable almost everywhere except on tourist-only beaches. And goes on to specifically warn women travelers that they should dress conservatively, and that European women are seen to have tantalizingly loose morals when compared with Egyptian women. For this BLOG I went a step further and ran a few Google searches on dress and attire in Egypt. Not surprisingly, most discussions told women to cover their thighs, neckline, and shoulders. So why then were 90% of the women tourist that we saw in Egypt wearing short-short skirts or shorts and skimpy tank tops? There is no doubt that it is very hot in Egypt, and I'll be the first to admit that as we walked through the Egyptian towns I longed for my shorts. But it was not unbearable, and as a tourist it is probably one of the easiest ways to show a little respect, and to gain some back in return.I recently read a travel discussion thread where a woman was asking what she should wear in her upcoming visit to Egypt. I was disappointed to read one of the responses: I posted a similar thread a month ago and the general consensus given was similar to the above ie outside the confines of the hotel cover shoulders, arms and legs and even to go as far as a scarf for the head. Having just returned all I can say is bull. Wearing short skirts, shorts, tee shirts etc you will get no more attention or hassle from the locals than if you're totally covered from head to foot. 99 percent of the females we saw were dressed as such and never received any derogatory remarks at all. You get the hassle not for what you're wearing but because you're a tourist, full stop. Don't go over the top but wear what YOU feel comfortable with and enjoy your trip. Luckily most of the other replies gave this guy a hard time, telling him that he was wrong, and that it was disrespectful to the local customs. To which he replied: "I'm not trying to show lack of respect or a disdain for the local culture but just reporting it as it was. We took advice from locals and not once were we shown any hostilities or were offending anyone on the contrary we were shown nothing but friendliness from everyone we met. Wake up even most Egyptians realize we are now in the 21st century." Now, having just spent more than 3 months in Egypt let me tell you what I saw. True, a headscarf is overkill; most Egyptians who see a westerner in a headscarf wonder why and sometimes have even been known to think that they are being mocked. It is also true that the men will harass a western woman whether she is covered from neck to toe or showing endless amounts of skin. In addition, if you are traveling with a large tour group, with lots of inappropriately dressed women, then you just kind of blend in and no one will harass you individually. But what this guy did not see (but would've if he'd taken the time to watch things behind the scenes) were the faces and reactions that occurred behind the backs of such dressed women. I saw Egyptian men look at each other and make kissing motions and point as a skimpily dressed women passed. I saw local women laugh at & mock western women. There were looks of disgust and even some photograph taking, as if to later show their families, "can you believe these women". It wasn't even that these visiting women were wearing something slightly inappropriate (like long shorts instead of pants), we saw a number of women wearing skirts so short that, as Chris likes to say, "if they farted wed see their panties". I have heard other comments similar to "we are now in the 21st century". Such as "well, Im [insert nationality] and this is how we dress, so why change?" I have even heard the extremely naive statements of; "its good for them to see other cultures" and "what about womens rights?" I always wonder what drives people to travel. I assume there is some interest in the culture and customs of other countries, and if that is true than why wouldn't a traveler heed to some of the more basic customs out of respect? And if it is not true, if there is no interest what so ever, then why leave one's own country? Why not stay home, in the comforts of their own cultural bubble where they can continue to live exactly how they want without consideration for others? Good friends of ours once made a similar comment and after debating the matter for a good hour, Chris and I left it with a wedding analogy. If you were invited to someone's wedding, and hated wearing suits, would you still arrive in shorts and a t-shirt even though the invitation said "formal attire"? Probably not, out of respect for the couple you would "suffer" through the event with your neck choked uncomfortably in a tie. Shouldn't we offer the same respect to the people of whose countries we visit? As for women's rights, I think if we want to assist in these matters we should focus on respect and education and not clothing as a matter of fact, speaking to many of these local women we learned that they dont mind covering up, many truly believe it is the right way to live and dress, they just want more "say" in things. As I mentioned at the start, Egypt is just one country in many where we have seen such behavior. Kiribati was one of our favorite stops to date. The people were full of joy and laughter and the atolls were beautiful. Due to its isolation and location not many tourists make it to Kiribati, especially to the outer islands. So it saddened us deeply when we heard that the government was closing down the outer atolls to yachts. Why? Two separate occurrences. The first was when a woman went ashore in her bikini. She was respectfully asked to cover up by the locals, but refused, with the same idiotic thinking of this is what I wear, why should I change for you. The second occurrence was two young men who invited a couple of the local girls out to their yacht and served them alcohol. How could they be so stupid to think the village would not be offended and, rightly so, a bit irate? It bothered us even more that these were fellow cruisers. Chris has often referred to us as World Travelers rather than tourists. I laugh whenever he says it, it sounds so snobbish, but I do understand his meaning. You don't have to be a cruiser to be a world traveler, you don't even have to travel a lot - rather it is a state of mind when you do travel. A world traveler is looking to understand and embrace a world that is different than the one they have come from. When we travel to places we are not just looking to do a bit of site seeing, but hoping to also get an inside picture of how people live and why they do what they do. We want to be invited into their lives and we want to invite them into ours. The only way to accomplish this is with some respect in their beliefs. There is no question that locals are more open, more sharing, and more responsive when they see you trying to be respectful. What we have sadly found is that most (not all) short-term vacationing tourist care little about their surroundings (outside of the attractions), or if they do they show it poorly. They aren't out to bond with a culture, but rather are merely looking for some relaxation and entertainment. The end result is a lack of awareness of what's occurring around them. In general we've found that most cruisers and long-term travelers however do care. So when another cruiser, someone we feel a common bond with, goes off and does such an inane thing, we are instantly ashamed and embarrassed because it reflects badly on the whole lot of us. (And, by the way, I'm not saying that short-term vacationers and long-term travelers alike shouldn't want relaxation and entertainment; I'm just saying that I believe we can have both these things yet still be aware and respectful of the culture around us). I'm harping on attire because it is the most obvious and blatant transgression of tourists. But in the last month there has been another behavior that really chaps me. Photography. And it is in this that even cruisers, even dear friends of mine, seem to blatantly ignore all sense. In the Arabic world (Yemen, Oman, Sudan, Egypt, etc), photography is a touchy subject. There are some who don't mind at all, but many more who absolutely do not like having their photo taken. Every cruising and land guidebook we own states something to the effect of, many find it offensive, so ask permission first. The number of times I've seen someone shoot a photograph of a local, who in turn is frowning or raising their hand to cover their face is unbelievable. How can these photo-takers not realize the defensive, non-appreciative, reactions? Chris and I are both avid photographers and we both LOVE capturing the people. We have "missed" many fine photo opportunities because we have politely asked to take a photo and been politely denied. Ill admit I get jealous when I see others just blindly snapping away, and later talking about "this photo I got" I too want that photo, but NOT at the cost of offending the very people I am trying to bond with. I still remember a time when one Indonesian lady muttered something like, Im not in a zoo to a bunch of cruisers who had gathered around and were feverishly snapping photographs. I wanted to apologize on the behalf of all of us, but the words failed me. The tables were also a bit turned at one of our stops in Indonesia. A local asked if they could take MY photo. I said yes. It took her a while to get things working, and before I knew it a number of locals were standing around asking if they too could take my photo I felt more than a bit self-conscious and extremely odd. This was a good experience though, as it confirmed for me what some of these locals must feel like when swarmed upon. Chris and I are now even more conscious of getting out our camera when around other travelers who are also taking photographs. Many times if we are traveling with other tourists and cruisers, and if it seems like the fight for the photo is getting a bit insane, well simply put our camera away and do not join the masses. Or if we are traveling in a smaller group, well make an agreement early on to swap photos later; we figure even if asked and accepted, a local is not expecting five cameras in his face when he agrees to a single photograph. It seems that tourists and cruisers both are at their worst when they travel in large groups. These groups take over a site or town like a bunch of locusts bearing down on a crop. The larger the group the louder and more vulgar they seem to be, and the less aware they are of anything outside the secure world of that group. Many tourists, especially those in groups, arent just ignorant of the culture that surrounds them, but they seem to be clueless of everything around them including other tourists. How many times have Chris or I lined up a shot of some monument only to have someone move to stand right in front of us? And God-forbid I stand in line without breathing down the neck of the person in front of me, else some other tourist just steps right in, essentially cutting in line. Oh, and then there are the tourists who walk down a street or sidewalk in a row of four or more causing everyone around them to have to move out of their way, all so that they can continue to carry on a loud conversation. Finally, I must say something about the family tourist those traveling with children. Let me start by saying that I adore children, I, in fact would like to someday have many of my own. Also, as someone who does not yet have children, I am clueless to the trials that come with raising a child. I understand it is difficult, tiring, time consuming, and far from easy, but obviously I am not in the situation to judge anyones parenting habits. However I do believe that if one chooses to travel with their children (and I do think people should) that then there are a few basic common decencies that should be practiced. For example I dont think it is appropriate that parents ignore their children while they run around like banshees at a group tourist dinner, screaming and yelling while a well-respected local gives a welcome speech. And Im appalled when I see parents idly standing by while their children climb over 4,000 year old statues of sphinxes, right next to a sign that says do not touch. Then again I mustve seen at least a dozen tourists touch statues and relics inside the museum, all with signs stating please do not touch. So if the adults cant behave then why should the children? And I wonder what habits the children are learning when their mothers walk around half naked in a country where shoulders and thighs are considered risqu? Obviously the next generation of tourists will be just as bad, if not worse then the current bunch. In this BLOG I have made quite a few blanket statements about tourists, travelers, and cruisers. Obviously not everyone is an unaware traveler. There are a number of fine folks who do attempt to adhere to a countrys customs and who are aware of their surroundings - and obviously Chris and I are not perfect, Im sure weve made a number faux pas along the way - all Im saying is that I believe we should all try, and when I see tourists walking around with such blatant disrespect, especially when it might be as simple and easy as wearing pants over shorts, it disturbs me to the core. And so the Egyptian vendors may not be ideal, but nor are the people buying their wares! Maybe, in the end, it all evens out but how about the next time you are about to step out of your hotel in whatever makes YOU comfortable, think about how uncomfortable you would be if a man from Vanuatu showed up at your wedding in his formal dress; a penis sheath ... and nothing else!

Zac: Only a sailor could understand [New Window]
Our Current Location: Our Antalya Flat (heading home soon)We've been following Zac Sunderland since he began his quest last June to become the Youngest Solo Circumnavigator (at 17). He's been slogging his way up the West Coast of Mexico, dogging ships, potential hurricanes and fixing major damage caused by the "Baja Bash".BlurbBit Map for this EntryClick to zoom in..Locations and Blog Link (bottom) are automatically updated from Zac's latest Blog posts.Last week with approximately 500+ miles to go, a return date and location was announced: Fisherman's Village, Marina del Rey on Tuesday July 14th at 10:00am. Seems like plenty of time..yes?While we were cruising we had a golden rule.."You can pick a time OR a place, but you can't pick both".The weather introduces too many variables into the equation, it's just not as simple as pushing the pedal to the metal. So.. I wasn't too surprised when they announced they may have to push back his arrival date a couple of days.Wait a minute.. how far does he have to go? Based on my calculations the distance is 270 miles (point to point) and he has a little over 5 DAYS. Yes days.. 132 hours to cover 270 miles.. yikes!!There is no fast lane at sea, especially on the Baja Bash. Look at all the jagged lines on our track up the Red Sea.. that's short tacking all day 45-50 miles back and forth to only cover 30 miles (in 9 hours). That is a hard days work.. we had TWO people and we got to rest at night, Zac doesn't!Zac I salute you.. you have accomplished an amazing feat. I would be very interested to catch up with you, sometime way down the road.. and see how this adventure changed your life.If you haven't checked out our Interactive TrackZac map Please do..I'd love some feedback if you get a chance.. BlurbBits is the product I've been working on for the past year, preparing for my return to the real world (and a job).

and You think sailing is slow.. [New Window]
Current Location: Billabong's Location During our development/testing of BlurbBits, we scoured the internet for interesting blogs that contain lat/long locations (or full georss support).We found the Virgin Global Row site. This guy is trying to row around Antarctica and it is expected to take 18-22 months (with One Stop). After 17 days he's only covered 305 miles. We would typically cover this distance in less than 3 days, you driving on the freeway: 5 hours. I would NEVER take Billabong down there, waves travel around the world unimpeded by land, 40 foot seas are not uncommon. We added him to our BlurbBit examples. We can map his blog posts on an interactive map and/or create gadgets of map summaries or blog albums that can be shared or embedded on sites/blogs.See Official Google Blog: The rowboat and the cloud to learn more about Google's role. Hmm.. wish we could have that level of support.Go Olly go..

Suez Yacht Club [New Window]
View Map of LocationAt 3:01:37 (but who's counting) we left the Red Sea and entered the Suez Canal. We watch in awe as the Huge ship traffic passes behind us and reflect on our Red Sea Adventure. All in all it was a great experience..

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of LocationUnderway to Hurghada Marina53nM Down 57nM to Go!! Keeping fingers and toes crossed for good weather

Uligan, Maldives [New Window]
View Map of LocationUligan Atoll, Maldives: 40 Feet in SandMaldives Mantas, 12 feeding just outside the anchorage - Very Playful!!Maldive Manta

Egyptian Museum [New Window]
View Map of LocationAn awesome collection of Egyptian AntiquitiesThe Treasures of King Tutankhamun was the obvious highlight, amazing how much stuff they pulled out of a little space.See Egyptian Museum for more details.

El Tur [New Window]
View Map of LocationWe crossed to El Tur .. Even though we are only 1/3 of the way there, I think 1/2 of the hard stuff is behind us!! We'll keep you posted, it sure doesn't feel like it with 20-25 blowing right from were we need to go. 120 nM to go!!

Lightning and Frozen Cows [New Window]
Current Location: Telaga Harbor, Langkawi MalaysiaCurrent Position: 06 21.72 N 99 40.77 ENext Destination: ThailandWe learned rather quickly that the area surrounding the equator from Indonesia through Malaysia has some of the highest concentration of lightning strikes in the World. They started as we approached Borneo, right after our buoy weather forecast reported SEVERE for its prediction of potential lightning. It's the only time we've seen that in four years. The lightning usually starts in the late afternoon, after the land has heated the air through the day and caused it to rise into huge thunderheads. We arrived in Borneo just as the first rains of their monsoon season started.We actually enjoyed the cooling effects, and walked out in the open while the locals ran for cover. As the rains continued, so did the debris that came floating down the river. As we left the Kumai River we passed by several mini islands that had broken free from the river's edge, some even included full-grown palm trees. The biggest downpour occurred while we were at Serutu tucked into a small cove. The rain came down in buckets and this time the island was much taller than Billabong so we felt protected as the Lightning flashed all around. The rain stopped just as the sun was rising; yet we heard this continual rushing sound. It took all day for the water to rush down out of the hill, which didn't have a large surface area. I even heard a couple of landslides as we walked along the beach. It was littered with HUGE hardwood logs that must have been driven onto the beach during the NE monsoon season. Some were easily six-seven feet in diameter and would have easily sunk Billabong if we hit them at full speed.Lightning and boats just don't mix, you've got the built-in tall metal object and plenty of low-lying ground surrounding you.. uggh. We had a couple of nasty storms during our two-night passage to Kentar. Part of the problem is you never really know where the storm is. I keep trying to dodge them with radar, and trying to find the center by figuring out where the down burst is coming from but sometimes there is nothing you can do. You just put your electronics in the oven and hope you don't get hit. Supposedly the oven has the effect of a Faraday cage, but I'm not really sure if it will do much.. why? .. Here's some fun facts about lightning that I read in our Discovery Channel Weather Book, AFTER a particularly bad night.1. At 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit it is the hottest thing on earth; sometimes a channel of lightning can reach temperatures that are six times that of the surface of the Sun.2. It can easily burn holes in most metals and can explode a large tree into hundreds of toothpick size bits (hmm wonder what that'll do with fiberglass?).3. The average thunderstorm unleashes more energy than several Hiroshima size atomic blasts.4. The thunderhead can expand upwards at over a hundred miles per hour and can reach altitudes of over 22,000 feet in the tropics.5. Florida gets the most lightning in the states while Indonesia gets more than twice as much; more than two hundred storms a year.6. Downdrafts can accelerate and hit the ground like a bomb sometimes reaching speeds of over a hundred miles an hour.7. Useless tips for sailors: Stay indoors with windows closed and avoid plumbing fixtures (yeah right!!) Avoid tall metal objects and crouch close to the ground. (Last time I checked our mast is usually the tallest thing around and it's not like I can take it down). As a last resort pick the shortest tree of a group to stand under (uh huh!!) They're all about as helpful as the first aid class we took which suggested we stabilize the patient and dial 911, no chance of that out here.The one thing I've never heard land people discuss is the intensity of the light and the thunder. More than once I have been temporarily blinded after getting caught off guard by a close lightning strike. It usually turns the darkest night into the brightest of days in a millisecond, while you are squinting through the darkness to make sure you don't get run over by a freighter. We've seen strikes land between us and a neighboring boat that was only a half a mile away.This season we know of at least five boats that were struck by lightning in this area. One boat had the VHF antenna land sizzling on deck after a strike, while others lost all electronics, computers, etc costing over $30,000 worth of damage. Other boats suffered damage and they weren't even hit directly, the EM pulse from the lightning caused most of the damage. I've heard horror stories of thru-hull fittings melting the fiberglass around them and falling out causing the boat to sink out from under the people on it.We had over 20 storms pass through Singapore in the month we were there. A couple strikes landed in the marina, you could tell just from the difference in the sound. It's kind of scary when you get to know lightning so well. The Malacca Strait is notorious for Sumatra's that come blasting across the straits, full of squalls and lightning. A couple of boats that left before us got hit everyday. We only ran into one bad storm just south of One Fathom Bank. Luckily it came from behind, we had our sails down, and we had just passed the main shipping lane into Kelang. It was just as the sun was setting and this huge black cloud came against the wind to envelop us. We had over forty knots, and the sky turned the eeriest green I have even seen. Four boats behind us got stuck in the middle of about 20 freighters at anchor along the coast. One heard two fishing boats discussing how they would pass port to port, when the sky cleared he was stuck between the two of them with less than 100 feet to spare. Yikes!!Our worst storm was between Gelam and Serutu and lasted about four to five hours. We were traveling with Island Sonata and maintained minimum contact during the heart of the storm. As it approached the thunder would shake the boat from miles away, you could feel it through your feet. At one point I was down below when the world turned the brightest white I have ever seen. Sort of like those movies when the aliens come to take you away and they light up the world. The blast that followed a split second later was nuclear; I have never heard anything like it in my life. It felt like the boat moved sideways or that we hit something in the water. I ran up on deck thinking that for sure we had been hit. After realizing we were spared I called our buddy boat, thinking that it must have been them that got hit. Nope all was fine there too. John, an old farm hand, described it perfectly (if you're from Kansas), "It sounded like someone dropped a frozen cow on the foredeck".

Passage Making [New Window]
Current Location: Indian Ocean (underway from Thailand to Maldives)Current Position: 05 59.4 N 079 39.3 ENext Destination: MaldivesAhhhh. The joys of passage making. The fresh sea air, crystal blue oceans, all the open space, and endless amounts of time. NOT! Try, motion sickness, headaches, never ending noise (either from the waves, winds, rigging, or sails), sleep deprived days, and endless amounts of boredom. I am not a sailor, and after four years of cruising can honestly and accurately state that I will never be one. I endure because it is a means to an end, but that doesn't mean there is an inkling of joy. Because of this it always entertains me to meet true, hearty, love-to-sail, sailors. I don't believe there are many of them, while most of us don't love passages, few hate them as I do, but few also relish in them. On this passage we are traveling with a couple who I believe actually enjoy the passage, even look forward to it. For a few days we were in VHF range with Uhuru, and Rudy (the husband of said couple), would call us occasionally to say hi. He sounded as though he was ready to spout rows of poetry at any minute. Ahhhh, he would say in his thick accent, this is beautiful, so beautiful, we have wind and are sailing, and ahh it is just wonderful. And he would say this as I watched their little 27 foot (yes, two-seven FEET) boat roll from side to side, just watching made me feel like hurling. They have no refrigeration and attempt to keep their boat light, so Chris and I spent much of our time pondering what they eat on passage since we know they hadn't done a major provision like us. When they caught a fish Rudy would call and tell us about the succulent meal they had. And when they caught extra fish, they salted them and set them out to dry. Rudy called as the sun was setting one evening to report, "this was a most magnificent day, I just took a perfect photograph, with freshly salted fish still dripping from the lifelines, dolphins playing beneath, and the white caps of the waves in the background." Then he sighed with what sounded to me like full contentment. While I didn't share his enthusiasm he did make me smile, and I could almost imagine that maybe I too was enjoying myself.The one thing I can agree with Rudy on is the fishing. Finally, after the fishing drought of Indonesia, we are enjoying catching something other than plastic bags! On our third day out we caught a 1-1.5 meter Mahi Mahi. Fresh fish tacos at last. Then on the evening of the next day, just as the sun was setting, all three lines went - bam, Bam, BAM! We've got three fish, Chris yelled, as I started clearing cushions away. He unhooked the first (a yellowfin tuna) and threw it into our fish bag. He was dropping the line back in the water (to get it out of the way while we pulled in the other two), when BAM another tuna hooked on! The hook was only a few feet from the stern, he hadn't even finished letting the line back out. This was a true feeding frenzy! After that he left the lines piled in the cockpit rather than throwing them back in. We kept two of the four tuna, and I was a happy camper eating sashimi the next day at lunch. We didn't fish for the next couple of days, waiting for room in the freezer to open up, but with three to four days left till we reach the Maldives we are at it again, and I have no doubt Chris will reel in something tasty.The tuna came in handy for Chris' birthday as well. On the 23rd we had a birthday celebration with heaps of sashimi followed by some warped brownies (brownies don't set too evenly when baked in a moving boat, they come out looking a bit like a topography map of the ocean floor).And then came probably the most tiring night of the passage. As we came by Sri Lanka (where we didn't stop because of civil unrest), the shipping traffic was amazing. Huge freighters everywhere. We would've preferred to pass the area in the day, but as it was we were in the thick of things around 10pm and through to the morning. I took first watch, with Chris telling me to wake him for anything at all. I should explain that I'm not very good with freighters, especially at night. There is something about their lighting scheme that causes me trouble with figuring out how far away they are, and more importantly whether I'm in their way! Chris had only been down for about 30 minutes when he heard me turn the radar on. He asked if I was okay and I said there was a light that looked close but I couldn't see it on the radar and would he mind looking. One look and he said, That ship? It's miles away! He turned on the computer and the AIS (a very-nice-to-have ship tracking unit) and sure enough it was 12 nautical miles away. But it was sooo bright! As Chris went back to bed he commented, this is going to be a looong night!!! After that I managed okay on my first watch, now having a sense for the distance of all the lights on the horizon. A few hours later, about one hour into Chris' watch I woke up and could hear him yelling. I had one ear plug in so I couldn't make out what he was saying, but I also noticed a bright light shining into our boat. I jumped up and rushed out, realizing at the same time that his voice didn't sound stressed, and he was saying, "No, no smokey, sorry". I put on a shirt and asked if everything was alright, yes he said, just a couple of fisherman. They stayed another few minutes asking again, "Smokey-smokey? Beer?", to which we replied no. By now my heart was back to a normal beating pattern and Chris and I had a good laugh over the visit. Probably the only three English words the fisherman know are; Smokey, Beer, and Fish. Throughout Indonesia and on into the area we will be traveling into, fisherman like to scope-out vessels going by. Curiosity, the chance for freebies, and probably boredom, send them buzzing like mosquitoes to a light towards yachts. If you aren't expecting it (and even sometimes when you are) it can be disconcerting; a fast approaching, unlit boat racing at you in the middle of the night. But in the end they tend to be very friendly and full of smiles (even if it is midnight). I think that a lot of the bad press some waters get is from such events. Even a boat ahead of us reported back a couple of weeks ago that they had been approached and had to turn on the engine to, as they put it, get away. Our guess is that it was just a curious fisherman taking a look and that the cruisers didn't 'get away' from anything. But it is hard not to be paranoid when you are out here alone, and perhaps the fisherman would be more successful at getting some freebies if they approached at more appropriate hours!At about 4am I was back on watch. About an hour into my watch more lights appeared in front of us. I watched them for a bit; I could figure out the general direction they were traveling, but was having trouble (as usual) with the distance. I'm sure it's a good 10 miles out, I thought. But I figured I'd give the radar a look anyway (the lights did look a little bright). Chris, of course, heard the radar go on and asked if I wanted him to look. I told him no, that I thought it was pretty far away and was only double checking. About that time the radar had finished its warm up and I said, "OH, it's closer than I thought, only 2 miles away!" Chris got out of bed, looked out the cockpit and said, "Um, go starboard, now!" We went as far starboard as we could (we were already tight on the wind), and Chris looked at the AIS. About the same time the huge shape of the ship took form in a dark, massive way. Yep, I was just a wee bit too close for comfort. It was no dramas, we missed him, and neither of us panicked, but it puzzles Chris (and myself) how I can't tell the difference between a boat 12 miles away and one only 2 miles away! At that point we decided just to leave the AIS running, and boy did it make my life easier. I told Chris it's a good thing we didn't encounter this much shipping traffic in our first year of cruising, otherwise I might not still be out here! In our first three years of cruising (up until Australia) we hardly ever saw a thing out here, and now, on an hourly basis we see more ships than in all those years of cruising. Anyway, I'm so glad we have the AIS system, I'm guessing it will save us both a few grey hairs! As I write this it is just after lunch on Friday. We are now close enough (about 410 miles) that I've started working out the math, on how much longer it will take pending various speeds. We've had good wind almost the entire trip, up, of course, until now. Now it is on the nose and quite light. On top of that we have a current against us. Boats last week reported terrific positive currents and so we've been looking forward to them since leaving, but have yet to find this magical current. I was quite excited this morning because all we had to average was 5.4 knots and we could arrive by the end of Sunday. That should be so easy, especially if we have current with us. But, alas, things don't look good, we are now barely making 4 knots, and since we aren't on course (thanks to the crappy wind direction), we are really only making 3.5 knots towards our destination, and are over 12 miles off course (by the way upon waking Saturday morning we were more tha 22 miles off course). At this rate we'll be lucky to arrive by Tuesday afternoon! Ah, yes, the joys of sailing!

Sand Storms and the Land of the Silver Sun [New Window]
Current Location: Suakin , Sudan (Northern Africa, Red Sea)Current Position: 19 06.55 N 37 20.35 ENext Destination: Going North up the Red Sea, towards EgyptFrom Thailand to Sudan we've traveled over 4100 nautical miles. In two months we've crossed another ocean, been hammered by rough seas, been completely covered in dirt by "brown out" sand storms, and have passed through "Pirate Alley". We've avoided more large ships, taken on more green water, and have had more damage to Billabong and gear than in all of our previous four years of cruising. We've been astonished and intrigued beyond our imaginations by exotic locations. The people are some of the friendliest (and poorest) we've met on our trip, and once again we are amazed by the wonders of the world!!Since leaving Thailand, including our time at anchorage, we have sustained an average speed of 3.0 knots -- in essence we have not stopped moving!!! We've covered so much in such a little amount of time that we've been struggling to keep up (as you may have noticed by the lack of BLOGs). To help us catch up, we bring you six journal pieces and three photo albums (instead of a BLOG):JOURNALSJanuary 17 - 29 2008: Northern Indian Ocean Crapola BeginsThailand to Uligan, Maldives was not the pleasant trip we were hoping for, but at least there were fish! (repeat of BLOG posted 01/25/08, with added photographs)January 29 - Feb 5, 2008: Another Idyllic Atoll, with a Culture twistUligan, Maldives was a fantastic break from the Indian Ocean passages. The atoll anchorage was like many others, but the culture, people, and living arrangements were unique to those we'd seen in the South Pacific.February 5 - 15, 2008: Bashing through the Indian OceanSo much for the advertised excellent passages of the Northern Indian Ocean. With exception of the fish catching, this was one of Billabong's worst passages to date.February 15 - 20, 2008: Repairs, repairs, and more repairsWe didn't have much time for fun in Salalah, Oman as we were too busy trying to clean-up the mess created from the passage getting there.February 21 - 26, 2008: At it again - another 617 miles under our beltThe passage from Oman to Aden (Yemen) included sandstorms and some rough seas, but at least it was pirate free!February 26 - 29, 2008: Fun in Arab TownAden, Yemen was an unexpected delight. We enjoyed the culture, the scenery, and the rest.PHOTO ALBUMSUligan, MaldivesSalalah, OmanAden, YemenNow that we are farther north in the Red Sea we suspect we will have more time in anchorages waiting for weather, and during this time we hope to write more BLOGs and to keep you better posted on our travels! By the way, we've also added some new photos under My Favorite Photos left.

Sharm Luli,Egypt [New Window]
View Map of Location32 Feet Beautiful hills with small army outpost (two people)Wind started picking up and lasted the night, glad we pulled in. Is this BF Egypt?

Night 10 [New Window]
View Map of Location 1226 nM down - 45 to go Very Calm and slow - Nice for a change

6/20/2008 [New Window]
View Map of LocationPart 2 .. Took advantage of a Rea Sea Calm (20 knots) to move around the point. It will be slow going but I think We'll make it.

Night 2 [New Window]
View Map of Locationlight winds but better than rolly seas.. caught a Mediterranean Tuna but threw it back because I was sleeping (bad fisherman)!!

Nai Harn [New Window]
View Map of Location33 Feet Good HoldingNew dinghy dock to help get ashoreNice Beach + Resort

Karnak [New Window]
View Map of LocationA HUGE place with amazing columns that blow you away. Amazing to imagine that it was started in the 18th dynasty of Egypt (1550-1292 BC)Detailed Columns at KarnakSee Karnak for more details.

Night 12 [New Window]
View Map of Location1495 nM down - 40 nM to go Slow Calm Day - Slow Sailing to Arrive Tomorrow AM See Blog: Passage MakingKT kicking it

Jazarit Margarsam [New Window]
View Map of LocationReef N of Jazarit Margarsam, Sudan30 Feet In patch between CoralGood Snorkling and water clarityMid mast view of the Reef

Abu Simbel [New Window]
View Map of LocationAn amazing temple, worth getting up at 3am to get there! Even more amazing is the fact that the entire temple was relocated!Main TempleSee The Temple of Abu Simbel for more details.

Night 2 [New Window]
View Map of LocationNight 2 192 nM down - 420 nM to go 30-35 knots breaking Seas, a very Wet day. Still have reduced visibility due to desert windsWith the rising sun came a horrendous sand & wind storm. I can honestly say that these were the worst seas poor Billabong (and crew) have ever been through. They were big, steep, and extremely close together. A lot of them literally broke across Billabong. There was so much sand in the area that within minutes everything was turning dingy brown, and visibility was so low we couldn't make out any of the other boats...See Journal on Passage Oman Yemen for more details.

How It Began [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: Turkey Coast (between Finike & Marmaris)With Billabong now on the market, and our cruising days coming to a potential end, I can't help but think back to how it all began. It seems to me that I spend a large part of my life being swept along and carried down some path, often wondering just how I managed to get there. Events transpire quickly and move of their own accord. I'd like to take credit because I believe I've had a pretty great life, but in reality it's just a giant snowball that gains momentum and carries me along and usually it all begins with me opening my big mouth! It goes without saying that Chris and I would not be out here together had we never met. But while some things in my life happen at record paces, there are others that move so slow it's a wonder they ever happen at all. I have known Chris since I was 16 (and Chris was 23). We met at work in 1990 (I was answering phones after high-school and Chris was working as a software developer). A seven-year age difference may not matter now, but when one is an under-aged teenager and the other is a college graduate it is certainly not something to be ignored. I was always more like a little sister then a possible romantic interest. Over the years we became good friends, but our lives were always running in different directions, such as a few wild years in college for me and marriage for Chris. It was 11 years later when we finally managed our first date. The year 2001 brought about a lot of changes for both of us. By the end of the year I had ended a seriously relationship, Chris had separated from his wife, our company had gone through yet another merger, which resulted in a number of layoffs & work-environment changes, a really good sailing friend of Chris died unexpectedly in a helicopter crash, and of course there was 911. It goes without saying that September 11th is a date that impacted the majority of Americans (and maybe even many non-Americans). For many, like myself, it was a wake-up call that life could be unexpectedly short, and every moment did indeed count. At that point in time my entire life had been centered around work-work-work, and I now wondered if that was the right way to live. Surely there was more to life than 10 hours in a fluorescently lit office everyday? And so began the snowball two people who have been friends for 11 years, now single, and realizing they wanted more in life; that and a Harry Potter movie. Who wouldve thought that two friends checking out the latest flick would end up sailing through the world together? Harry Potter turned into a date, a pretty unromantic one, but one none-the-less. And that date turned into a relationship. It may have taken us more than a decade to get together, but after that things moved along pretty quick; after all wed known each for so long there wasnt much else to learn well er, maybe some things but Im not talking about THAT! When I first met Chris he was living aboard a small yacht. Throughout the years he continued his interests in yachts & sailing, and more than once I had heard him say, wouldnt it be neat to go cruising to travel the world with your house? As an Arizona girl I didnt really see what was so exciting about that okay, not working and lots of traveling; I could get into that ... but on a boat??? And those yachts seemed pretty dang small. Then one day, Chris says it again, Id love to just leave and go cruising in my own yacht. Without thinking I opened by big mouth and responded, You should just stop talking about it and go already and take me with you! Ha ha ha ha. I got a good chuckle out of that one. Chris kind of gave me this look and said, Yeah, thats a good idea. I didnt pay him any mind, because it just seemed too far-fetched, too unrealistic. But then, about two months later came my birthday. Chris is big on themes, and the theme this year definitely made its point: polarized sunglasses, How to Sail for Dummies, a big floppy hat, sunscreen, tropical scented candles, and so on. I probably stayed in denial, thinking we would never be able to pull it off, until we purchased Billabong about six months later. At that point it was pretty clear that this was not a just some crazy pipe dream. Getting ready for a world cruise is, in itself, a huge task. I had the added challenge that I knew nothing about boating, yachts, or sailing. For me a sheet belonged on a bed and I could never grasp why the various lines and such werent just called ropes. It seemed even the simply things became complicated provisioning, health vaccinations, visas, passports it was an endless lists of things to research and I had thousands of things to learn. To top it all off we were still working (building up that cruising kitty), and I was carrying twins. WHOA hold the phone, I had better back up a bit. There was a parallel set of events, another one of those snowballs sweeping me away, which were occurring during the time I was joking with Chris about sailing around the world. It began with a simple statement to my sister You know I would consider being a surrogate for you. Long story short they were having a difficult time and things were not looking up. The first time I offered it was pretty much passed over; my sister didnt feel she could ever ask something like that of me. A few months later my sister asked me if I was serious. I told her I was and we spent the weekend discussing what it would be like. At that point my sister still felt it was too much to ask, as she said, Its like borrowing a new shirt in other words I hadnt even had my own kids yet, so how could I have hers? When it became clear to me that Chris & I were really going to take off for years unknown I told my sister, You know if Im not pregnant by the end of this year [2002] I wont be able to do this for you. My sister gave it another go with her fertility doctor, which ended sadly when the doctor told her its time you considered other options. After that things traveled at warp speed one minute I was sitting in a business meeting in Sweden, the next minute I was reading an email from my sister saying we could start after the end of my next period and before I knew it I was shot up with hormones, had what felt like endless doctor appointments, and BAM, October 2002 I was pregnant with twins! I could write a book about the surrogacy process, my pregnancy, and so on, but rather then get into all that right now Ill just say it was a fantastic time, and everything went unbelievably smooth. So I was knocked-up in October and in November we moved aboard Billabong. There is a lot of fun to be had when you have two such crazy and unique events going on in your life simultaneously. Imagine peoples surprise as my belly grew, yet our plans for a November departure remained. When it became undoubtedly obvious that I was pregnant the conversions would go something like this: Unaware person: Soooo, youre going cruising? [glance down at my belly] Me: Yep, [long pause for dramatic effect] were leaving this November Unaware person: [glance at my belly, glance at me, glance at my belly] November huh? Me: Yep Unaware person: So are you, uh, ummm, like, uh [long pause as they decide if they really want to ask this] pregnant? Me: Yep [pause] with twins [internal laugh as I see their eyes bug out] Me: [because I cant resist seeing their reaction] They are due in June At this point the conversation usually stalls out as the person does the math. June, July, August, September, October five months. FIVE MONTHS are these guys crazy; theyre going to have twins and leave to go cruising only FIVE MONTHS LATER???? Chris and I kind of liked seeing what theyd say next, usually it was just a bunch of muttering, but we werent too mean, wed always fill them on the surrogacy sooner or later, and usually when the story was done they say something like, Thank God, Id thought youd lost your mind! Probably our most fun was had with an unsuspecting garage-sale shopper. Chris and I decided to have a huge garage sale when I moved out of my apartment as we figured most the stuff we owned wasnt worth the storage payment. When I posted the ad for the sale I wanted to make sure people knew this wasnt a get rid of junk sale, but rather there was some good stuff to be had, so my ad stated that we were moving onto a small yacht and leaving, and therefore everything had to go. By the time we had the sale it was impossible to miss that I was quite pregnant. One buyer arrived and first thing started asking about what we were doing on a yacht and where we were going to go sailing and where we were going to live, etc etc. When he realized that we were going to cruise offshore and head across the South Pacific to islands unknown he got the look. By now we were quite used to it, and found it hugely entertaining. I think most people would give any two soon-to-be cruisers the look regardless (as most land-lubbers think were all crazy), but throw in a huge belly and you really get them going! I guess this garage-sale-shopper didnt want to be too rude or nosey, at least not all at once, so he would come around and ask the price of something and then a few questions about our plans. Then he would skitter off and continue to browse, before returning a few minutes later with more questions. The entire time he could barely take his eyes off me (or my belly rather). Finally he felt comfortable enough to ask if I was pregnant, to which I replied yes. As usual I didnt elaborate (I know Chris and I are evil, but it was just too fun). Next he told Chris, Congratulations! Chris, who is more evil than me, responded with, they arent mine! and walked away to help another shopper. I almost lost it [with laughter] when I saw this guys jaw drop, but I also felt a little pity for him, as he was surely about to blow a brain fuse from trying to figure it all out not to mention the poor guy had been hanging around for over an hour. So after letting a few minutes pass I went over and gave him the entire scoop. Unsurprising, he was much relieved at finally being able to put all the pieces together! Yachts, at least Billabong, are not known for having copious amounts of space. So it didnt take long before I seemed to fill our entire salon. Towards the end I even had to cook sideways, as both my belly and me couldnt fit into the u-shape where the galley stove is! More than once Chris commented, I hope I wont have to unglue the dodger for the crane lift, yeah, hes real funny like that! But it also got me out of a lot of boat work its not like I was very limber or could squeeze into small spaces. I wasnt the least bit upset when I couldnt help Chris take apart and clean the head hoses. As I did my pregnancy Yoga I said to him, Gee honey Id love to help but I just dont think I can get in there! Chris never forgets how he could hear the DVD saying, now take a deep breath and relax, over and over, while hes drenched in old piss and slime, sweating away in the head! Chris and I have a lot of fun (somewhat jokester) memories from the surrogacy, especially with how it effected our preparations and living aboard. But one thing is for sure; it also strengthened our relationship. Chris was there for me, every step of the way. The procedure started with hormone treatments that basically put me into menopause (yes, hot flashes and all), and ended with full-blown post-pregnancy hormones. Chris always said it was like seeing 70 years of his life with me! We both thought the other was amazing, and we found that even when hormones were askew we could work through just about anything. So it was all great really; Chris was making grand progress in getting Billabong ready, and I was organizing our lives into spreadsheets (seems one of my pregnancy hormones LOVED Excel). Everything was passing by in a flurry of events and we were indeed looking ready to go. Except for one minor detail I still didnt know how to sail. We had grand plans in the beginning for taking Billabong out, but work and boat projects kept us too busy, and then eventually I was just too big. No problem we thought, well go out during my maternity leave, but after the birth I was too anemic and not even allowed to vacuum (as stated by my doctor). We did finally get Billabong out for some sea trials; two weekends in the Channel Islands. In both trips unpredicted weather came up and we ended up beating in 25-30 kts. I must say I was beginning to wonder about this whole sailing thing, but Chris always looked like he was having such a grand time! While it certainly did serve for some good practice, I was very relieved when more than one person told me that cruising was NOT about beating to weather in 20+ kts (not until you come down from the Marshall Islands or go up the Red Sea anyway)!!! I didnt feel like the two weekends out was quite enough time under my belt, so I also signed up for three ASA courses. These were great and at least got me saying halyards and sheets rather than that rope over there. I think the last instructor may have gotten a bit annoyed with me when I kept asking how would I do that alone, especially with regards to the man overboard drills (where they always have two or three of the students working the boat to pick up the float). I also had to warn Chris that it would be best if he wore a helmet of some sort when sailing since more than once I ran over the poor floating man-overboard doll (in my defense this is because I was the ONLY student trying to do the drill alone and practicing how to come around a second time in case I missed the first time I NEVER ran her over on a first attempt try, or when I had another student helping!). It seems I annoyed a lot of instructors that year; I thought the First Aid guy was going to kick me out when I kept saying but what if I CANT call 911? Anyway, I think Chris may have preferred the untrained me; especially when I started in with the but in class we did it this way! Imagine his surprise when we are coming into the dock and he says okay youll jump off with the spring line and then , I cut him off saying but in class we didnt use a spring line, we did it this way , to which Chris replies Yes, but that was with a side-tie and a much lighter boat, you need the spring line, to which I say, but I dont understand what a spring line is, and so it goes. This goes back and forth for a few minutes; meanwhile we are getting closer and closer to our slip. Finally, as we are turning INTO the slip, Chris says Look just do it this way and well talk about it later. I respond with a big ol Umph, but manage to jump off and secure the boat without any further dramatics. It turned out to be a good lesson for both of us, and we came to the conclusion that as a whole we would both be making decisions, but any in-the-moment decisions would be made by Chris and we would talk it over afterwards (making any changes to our methods at that time instead of in the midst of the action). Are a few trips to the Channel Islands as a guest, two sea trial weekends, and three ASA courses enough to hop aboard and sail away? I guess so, because thats what we did. We both wouldve liked if I had more experience but we took things slow and Chris stayed patient. We opted for day sails instead of overnighters whenever possible and overtime I became more and more tuned into the boat. We mustve done something right because here we are still cruising, five years later! When I think about that year of preparation and pregnancy I dont think that I was in control of anything I just tried to keep up. It was a great year though; there is a certain satisfaction in working towards such a grand goal and seeing progress, and no greater joy then seeing my sister and her husband holding newborns. Our year of preparation was nothing like wed planned, but I wouldnt change a day of it. I still smile when I think about the day we pulled away from the dock leaving Ventura, with me thinking, it was just a joke

Moving On [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: Turkey Coast (between Finike & Marmaris)Our big news this month is that BILLABONG IS FOR SALE! Now before you go thinking that we're quitting or that this seems sudden, let us explain. For the last year we have talked of putting Billabong on the market when we reached the Mediterranean. It's not that we want to stop cruising, trust us we don't, but Chris is no spring chicken and KT's biological alarm clock has been screaming for the last two years. It is time we started thinking about a family and with that comes the J-word (JOB)! It's always good to look ahead a bit, so we are putting Billabong on the market now to give us plenty of time to find the right buyer. And until she is sold we will keep on cruising, posting BLOGS, and enjoying life. It's a mixed bag of emotions for us. On one hand we miss our friends and families and are ready for the next adventure of our own lives (mainly starting a family), but on the other hand, we LOVE cruising and can't imagine a different life. Moving home will be a HUGE adjustment ... I suppose we are secretly hoping she doesn't sell too fast, as we'd love a bit of time cruising the Mediterranean. It seems that time has gone by too fast, and there is still so much we have yet to see ... ahh, but I suppose we have to leave something for our retirement years!If you are interested in knowing the details of Billabong's sale (or have a friend who is interested) check out www.sailbillabong.com/for-sale.htm. In the meantime, keeping checking out our BLOG because now that we are living in a more connected part of the world we will be posting more BLOGs.

New Years Patong Thailand [New Window]
Current Location: Nai Harn Bay, ThailandCurrent Position: 07 46.57' N 98 18.00' E There are some things that you must do at least once. That was our thought when we headed for Ao Patong for New Years. We had been warned about the crowds of tourist and the lack of any control whats-so-ever, but according to some friends it is the place to be in Thailand for New Year's, as it really goes off. On first sight, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico was the first thought that crossed my mind. A huge cruise ship was anchored in the bay, with a few smaller cruise-charter ships nearby. The anchorage had at least 60 yachts anchored (with more yachts coming in behind us). Jet Skies, ferries, local long-tail boats, and seaplanes zoomed around coming and going in every direction. A few high-rise hotels loomed over the umbrella-clad beaches. Ashore hordes of tourist swarmed, ate, sun bathed, and meandered. Skin, skin, and more skin glistened in the hot sun. It was as though there was a competition to see who could wear the least amount of clothing without being fully naked. The streets were lined with trinket shops, restaurants, bars, and more bars. You could get a knock-off for anything here, DVD's, clothing, sunglasses, handbags, and jewelry. As you walked locals thrust pamphlets at you, "good food, two for one drinks, need a suit?, you need tuk-tuk?, taxi-taxi, you want Rolex?, we give you good price, and so on. You couldn't walk more than two steps without someone trying to sell you something. Of course the first place we hit wasn't a restaurant, shop, or bar. Oh no there was a much, much more exciting place for us cruisers. The Carrefour. A huge French supermarket. I was soooo excited when I heard there was a Carrefour within walking distance. As promised it was huge (and air-conditioned). But I wasn't ready for how crowded it was. Most our time was spent maneuvering around people and carts rather than shopping. One thing we have observed, especially in Singapore and Thailand, and I realize that this is a HUGE stereotype because of course the entire culture is not truly like this, is that in this region, locals seem to only be aware of their own space. They could care less if they park their cart in the middle of the isle blocking everyone and causing a huge pile up. They will cut you off, run into you, and cut in line, as though no one else exists. "Excuse me" doesn't seem to work, they either ignore you, or give you a small glance, then move an inch (not enough to actually allow you through), and then when you slightly bump them (as there is no other way to get by) they give you the evil eye, no matter how much you apologize. It is an experience, and one that really tries your patience. But what is truly ironic is that they are only like this in crowds (walking crowded streets, shopping, buses, trains, etc). When talking with them or alone they are the friendliest, most polite people I've ever met. I just don't get it. Anyway, we managed to survive the grocery run and returned to Billabong for lunch. The anchorage was crazy. The pleasure boats used the yachts like a slalom course, weaving in and out. The boat rolled and rocked with each boat that passed, and you had to yell to be heard over the noise. After lunch we decided to head back in for some knock-off shopping and people gawking. Neither of us really enjoys the haggling and bargaining that must be done when shopping. It's a nuisance, and you know that no matter how low you get the price you are probably still getting screwed. I'd much prefer old fashioned, non-negotiable, price tags. That said, I do enjoy be able to afford Billabong clothing (even if they are knock-offs). After a couple of hours we decided we'd had enough haggling and needed to return to the boat for a rest if we were going to make it till midnight. In order to save fuel and make our dinghy less desirable for theft, we tend to use our small 2-horse outboard engine when we don't have far to go or have to carry the dinghy up the beach a long ways. The downside is that we just putt-putt along and can't really get out of the way of anything very quickly. As we were making our way back to Billabong two jet skis came zooming around a yacht, weaving and laughing, and not paying attention. One of the guys was looking at his friend saying something and not looking at where he was going, which was right for us. Chris tried to turn away, but of course they were coming fast and we were barely moving. Luckily the guy's friend saw us and said something and at the last minute the jet skier turned right. He came within inches of hitting us, and sent a flood of water into the dinghy soaking us. As you can imagine neither of us were very pleased and a wee-bit of yelling took place. The jet skier did slow down and look at us before speeding away, continuing to weave and going entirely too fast for a crowded anchorage. He didn't even yell sorry, let alone come over to apologize. Chris would've gone after him, to what purpose who knows, but our little engine catching a jet ski would've been a joke. I understand the joy of a jet ski, heck I'll even go as far to say that I enjoy playing on one, but what I don't get is what about them turns reasonable people into thoughtless pricks. The bay we were in is HUGE; joy riders could easily go beyond the boats and then zoom around trying to kill each other to their hearts content. But within the anchorage there our local boats, people swimming, dinghies, and such chaos; why play there, endangering yourself and others??? Friends have actually seen a jet skier fly, out of control, into the side of a steel yacht, splitting his chest open in the process! I could go on and on about this, but what's the point, the important thing is that we weren't hit and thankfully all our bones remain whole and intact. Around 8pm we headed ashore for dinner and the evening festivities. At night the main drag is closed off to cars. Already the streets were crowded. We found an out-of-the-way restaurant where we enjoyed (yet another) outstanding Thai meal. During dinner we people watched. The first thing you notice about the people in this area of Thailand is the number of white male - Thai woman couples. Especially younger women with older men. We had noticed it a bit in the islands, but in the Phuket province these mixed couples are everyone. There are a number of theories as to why the Thai women go for the older white male, everything from status to money to a preference in physique. The mixed couples aren't so surprising but the difference in age in some of the couples is shocking. Locals walked the streets selling trinkets and some funky colorful hats. I thought it would be fun to have one (kind of like a souvenir for later) and Chris was sport enough to actually wear it; even after I couldn't stop laughing! We tried to ask if they had any special meaning, but we know no Thai and the locals only spoke a word or two of English, so all we learned is that they come from northern Thailand, and are funny-looking hats!!! We call it the Thai Happy Hat. After dinner we hooked up with friends at an Irish bar, and then made our way to the Tiger Bar. The Tiger Bar is a huge long room with multiple bars. In the back girls dance on the bars and around poles. It is considered a 'girlie bar', but not like what you would find in the States for two reasons. First, it's against the law to strip or go naked, so all the girls are covered (although just barely). Secondly, there is a very, very large chance that the girl you might be checking out is actually a male (or girl-boy as they are called here). And no, you probably can't tell!!! It is hugely entertaining trying to decide who is female and who is male, and even more entertaining watching the male patrons goggle over the dancers; especially the ones that you know are girl-boys. There was one dancer at our bar that we just couldn't decide, the vote amongst our group was split 50-50 between female and girl-boy. Larger hands and feet leaned towards girl-boy. But the narrow waist with perfectly curved hips made us think pure girl. The face was hard because some features seemed pure female while others made you think girl-boy. Chris was convinced girl-boy but I was convinced girl-girl; at least until right as we were getting ready to leave. A group of young men came in and ordered drinks. The main goal of the dancers is to get you to buy more drinks (including drinks for them) and to stay longer. So, when fresh meat enters, the dancers swarm over to flirt, talk, and show some skin. Our dancer-in-question went over and sat on one of the guy's lap. They talked and flirted and at some point they kissed, full on major make-out. When the man was looking away the dancer looked at me and put her finger to her lips in an 'shhhh' motion, and then winked. My guess at the meaning was "hee hee you know, but he doesn't don't give away my secret another clueless tourist hooked!!!" The really funny thing about all this is that anyone who visits Thailand, and especially Patong, has to know that girl-boys are a HUGE thing and that they are everywhere. Even Lonely Planet mentions it. So when you enter a girlie bar you know that at least 50%, if not more, of the women are really girl-boys. That being said, you'd think you'd be a bit more careful about whom you went around making out with! As midnight approached we made our way through the crowded streets to the beach. It was crazy .. thousands of people everywhere. And thousands of traditional lanterns floated in the sky, mesmerizing us. It was as though a new galaxy had been created. The lanterns are about waist or chest high - thin paper shaped with wire over a ring that is lit on fire. The air beneath the paper canopy heats, and the lantern soars into the sky. Once in the sky they are a sight to be seen, but it's not as easy, or safe as it sounds. Thousands upon thousands of people line the beaches, and at least a hundred of these are trying to send up a lantern, a flaming torch. And it is not always successful. First you have to have a bit of patience, waiting for the air to become sufficiently hot. Second, you need to wait for a lull in the wind so that the lantern has a chance to rise a bit before the wind takes it sideways. More than one lantern came blowing over the tops of people's heads, sometimes catching the paper on fire - creating a flaming ball that bumped from person to person! Usually some drunkard, chasing it down, trying to catch it before it caught something or someone on fire, followed it! Chris and I tried to launch two, but both of ours ended up falling into the surf (at least we didn't catch anyone of fire)! The lanterns are supposed to be good luck (you make a wish as you send it off), so it's hard to not be discouraged when your good luck lantern goes plummeting into the sea, but Chris and I took it well and aren't reading too much into our lack of success. On top of watching your back for wayward lanterns you also have to keep a keen eye out for rogue fireworks. There are no laws about fireworks here, anyone and everyone can buy them and set them off. Not only that but most of the drunkards were going for maximum startle effect, meaning setting them off near the crowds so they could watch everyone jump! In addition to random, private fireworks, at midnight a firework show went off. There was no coordination, no theme, no real rhyme or reason to anything, but it was amazing nonetheless, especially with the thousands of lit lanterns floating in the background. There was something about the unorganized feel, the chaotic energy, and the lack of rules that made the firework show amazing. More than once, Chris and I have said to each other, "Can you imagine this being allowed in the States?" New Year's in Patong was another such event. We ended our evening with Nutella Crepes from a street vendor, and called it a relatively early night (compared to the masses that continued to party). Throughout the night we'd hear an occasional firework go off. Even the next morning, when Chris went in to get us McDonald's for breakfast, a few stragglers were still setting off fireworks! And the most amazing thing, by 9 am the streets had already been swept clean - you'd never know the madness that had gone on the night before. Hectic. Crazy. Crowded. Pure Madness; and one of our best New Year's aboard Billabong!

Uligan, Maldives [New Window]
View Map of LocationUligan Atoll, Maldives: 58 Feet in SandTrip Summary - 1581 nM, 290 hours, Ave 5.4 KnotsNautical Miles to Date - 23,611Outer Anchorage

Port Berenice [New Window]
View Map of LocationOutside Port Berenice, Egypt28 Feet good holding sand/coral. Got it on the 3rd try after an hour of searching in 25-30 knots. Motorsailed 25 miles into the bay through 30-40 knots, uncharted on either side. 6 hours through ridiculously steep seas caused by only 7 miles of fetch. The Yellow note is the off lying reef we just missed and the Red line is uncharted waters to the southOur Track

Night 3 [New Window]
View Map of LocationGood night, nice winds looks like we'll make it tomorrow!! It's so nice to sail again.

Greece Day Trip [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: Hanging here for the winterIt kind of cracks us up because everybody keeps asking us what we're doing. Why aren't we moving? Unless you've "been there, done that" it is hard to explain to people that we are worn out. Yeah, I know you're thinking "worn out from an endless vacation?" But really, imagine nearly 12,000 miles in 14 months. Imagine traveling a fourth of those miles with 100+ other boats (think crowded, think loud, think endless activities - although fun, kind of hectic). Imagine about half of those miles to weather yep, right on the nose; pound-pound-pound. Imagine lightning storms, torrential downpours, the boat flooding, and whiteout sand storms. Tired yet? Because I could go on? Don't get me wrong, we loved our last year - it was exotic, it was different, and it was heaps of fun; we will always be happy with our decision to join the Indonesian Rally and continue on through the Red Sea. However, when we arrived in Finike we were relieved. It feels so good to be staying in one place, to no longer worry about the weather, no longer worry about how many more miles we need to make and in what time period. For now we are just happy to "be". And Finike is the perfect town for some time off. It is small and cute, friendly, and not overrun by tourists. The perfect mix of just about everything; its the size of town I can imagine living in when we move back home. Also, since Finike is where we plan on keeping the boat over the winter it was more economical to take out a year contract with the marina. And so we have a home; a non-moving, relaxing, quiet home, where we know the butcher and the baker, have a cherry guy, a tomato guy and a peach guy, where the boys that serve the ultra-cold beers know that I like a bowl of ice with my Sprite, and the lady at one of the market stalls knows how I like my avocados. Sure, they don't speak English, and I don't speak Turkish, but it feels good to be recognized.For those who think we really ought to be doing something in addition to "being", you'll be happy to know we did, finally, get out of Finike. Our Turkey visas are only good for 90 days, so at some point we were required to leave the country. The good news is Billabong can stay, and there is no time requirement for how long you have to be out of the country. With all the Greek islands nearby getting out of the country is quite simple.We hooked up with friends from S/Y Swanya for a day trip to Kastelorizo, Greece. It was one of those perfect days. Not because any one thing was spectacular, but rather that every detail of the day was terrific. Furthermore, we barely had to lift a finger all day everything was done for us.BlurbBits for this EntryFirst we caught the local bus from Finike to Kas. It's about a two-hour bus ride. Very scenic and the bus is air-conditioned, even better it's cheap. With someone else doing the driving we could all sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. Next we hooked up with the ferry from Kas to Kastelorizo. This is where we were really pampered. We handed over our passports and some Euros and they took care of the rest. No walking miles in search of the right offices or waiting hours for a stamp. We had an hour before the ferry departed so we walked around the town of Kas. It's another small town, and very pleasant to poke around (although it is slightly more touristic than Finike). The ferry ride was another bout of pampering. We laid back under the awning while other people handled the dock lines, steered the boat, and anchored at the other end. We didn't have to look out for other boats, didn't have to think about the weather, didn't have to worry about anchoring oh man it was so fantastic to be on somebody else's boat and not have a worry or care in the world!Kasteloriz is the smallest island of the Dodecanese (group of 162 Greek islands in the Aegean Sea). It is roughly 5 square miles and has a whopping population of roughly 300! The harbor we entered was lined with slender buildings with wooden balconies and colorful trim. As cruisers are always one to get their money's worth we asked the ferry operator if we could stay a couple of extra hours (after all we'd come this far, might as well do a bit of exploring). We started with a walk along the waterfront, taking in the shops and restaurants and hunting for Gyros. Over the last week I'd been dreaming about Gyros. I'd even taken the time to make sure I knew the correct Greek pronunciation (versus the butchered American version). I was ready, and couldn't stop talking about them. I should have remembered though that (a) Greeks and Europeans tend to eater later in the day and (b) Gyros, like the Arabic Shwarmas, aren't served until late in the afternoon or evening. Gyros are a kind of meat roasted on a vertical rotisserie you can get lamb, pork, or chicken (depending on where you are), but they don't tend to fire up the rotisseries until at least 3:00/4:00 pm. It was a huge bummer and the only disappointment of the day. Instead of gyros we ate at a little waterfront caf (as if we don't get to see enough water but hey, habits die hard). It was an idyllic lunch; slow and relaxed, good food, good wine, good view and good company.After lunch we ventured out for a walk and found a stairway path that went up the side of the mountain and provided terrific views over the harbor. We weren't all as energetic as Kimberly (who went to the top); Chris & Mark sat at the first shady spot and I only ventured as far as required for a good photo!Having come to another country, we couldn't miss out on the duty free opportunities. Of course, without Billabong we were limited to 1 L per person, but it's better than nothing!Then, as if we hadn't been gluttonous enough at lunch, we decided we needed coffees. But not just your ordinary coffees, nope, we went for ice-cream coffees! Stuffed like pigs and tired from the uphill walk and hot sun we bordered the ferry and lounged our way back to Turkey. By the time we got our passports back, waited for the next bus to Finike, and rode along for two hours, it was, surprise-surprise, dinnertime! After such a luxurious day, why spoil it cooking for ourselves and having to do dishes. We went for cold beers and pide; the perfect end to a perfect day!

Night 6 [New Window]
View Map of Location 708 nM down - 545 nM to go Wind finally at 70-90 Degrees Caught two Mahi Mahi at once - Too smallPizza on a rolly boat At least you can check your toppings through the window

Night 3 [New Window]
View Map of LocationNight 3 312 nM down - 300 nM to go Much Nicer day, sailing + motoring, Dust ClearingThings were much, much better. The wind would occasionally pick up, but nothing like the day before. A brown haze still hung in the area -- we couldn't even spot a huge tanker that was barely 4 miles away! And dust still filled ever nook and cranny both on boat and person. I had trouble relaxing as every time a little burst of wind would come through I'd find myself bracing, waiting for the storm that was sure to follow...Convoy sailing (photo by Stardust)See Journal on Passage Oman Yemen for more details.

Cairo Egypt [New Window]
View Map of LocationKT's Birthday in Cairo, an overnight train ride brought us to this crazy city. We'll explore more in the coming days, today we relax and enjoy the gift to the world that is KT!!See Cairo Egypt for more details.

Khan al Khalili [New Window]
View Map of LocationThe busiest, craziest, loudest place we've EVER been. Absolutely insane to think that this is how they shop here. They must burn out their horns in a week.See Khan al Khalili Market for more details.

Enroute [New Window]
View Map of LocationEnroute to Khor Shinab, two pilot whales played like dolphins off our bowTwo Pilot Whales playing

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of LocationThrough the Canal and on our way to Turkey.. expecting light winds so it might be a slow trip.. but we are SAILING!!

Just a Bowl of Cherries [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: Turkey Coast (between Finike & Marmaris)At last we made it through the Red Sea another body of water under our belts and a huge sigh of relief. While Egypt may have tested my patience at times, the Red Sea as a whole was fantastic. Yes, we had to work for it and yes we got pounded a few times, but in the end Im happy we decided to go through the Red Sea. I feel that it was a very unique opportunity and that I have now seen a different view of a somewhat conflicted part of the world.We arrived in Finike, Turkey on July 5th. Already Im in love. Green hills, blue water, puffy white clouds, and more fresh fruit than one could ever eat. Weve been in the marina longer then we intended (dont we just always seem to get stuck) the downside is we will owe a small fortune when we go to leave, but on the upside, we were around for the Saturday market. What you may not know about me is that Im obsessed with food. So a large market of goods I havent seen in awhile really floats my boat.Fabulous. Thats the word for it. The first thing that hits you is the smell gorgeous scents lofting through the air seriously it smelled sooo good I feel that only a poet could accurately describe it. The peaches alone made my mouth water, and when we bit into one right then and there, juices dripped off our chins and both us could hardly contain our moans. Im sure the local vendor now thinks Americans have never tasted a peach before! Honestly, Ive NEVER eaten such a tasty peach. Next up were the cherries. WOW! Oh man they are so good we got a whole kilogram. And capsicums (bell peppers to those back home) finally nice firm, un-wilted capsicums and they had red ones too (my favorite). Fresh basil and huge piles of spices were around every corner. And there was real lettuce, not just cabbage! Apples, pears, plums, grapes, and oranges the list just goes on and on. To top it all off, not only were the prices listed (so we knew we werent getting the white price), but things were very affordable too. I thought for sure I had it wrong when I got a gigantic bag of cucumbers (probably 20 small guys) for only 1 lyre! [We later learned that Russia had recently banned certain Turkish produce imports, so there was a surplus supply. Luckily the ban has just been lifted, so business should get back to normal for the locals].It was the kind of market where we could just hold out some money and know the vendor would only take what was due! I probably went overboard, well now have to eat fresh fruits and vegetables ten times a day to ensure nothing goes bad but it was so fantastic I couldnt help myself.There were also stalls of goat cheeses, yogurt, & olives, warm breads, and roasted nuts. Everyone was friendly, offering up tastes & samples. It was so colorful we came back an hour later with the camera. As always we were cautious with the photo taking, always asking for permission. Its interesting the mixed responses you get, some people are very adamant with a strong NO, while others want you to take multiple photographs of them. Many thought I was strange when I focused the camera on the fruits & vegetable rather than the people I mean who hasnt seen a bunch of tomatoes before???As Chris and I sit in the cockpit with a bowl of cherries between us we cant help but think of the old saying, Lifes just a bowl of cherries. Aint it true???

Dolphin Reef [New Window]
View Map of LocationDolphin Reef, Egypt40 Feet Good holding in sand in the lee of the reefSome of the nicest Snorkeling we've seen since Fiji

The Pyramids [New Window]
View Map of LocationWow. Huge blocks (2-15 tons) made at a rate of one every two minutes for 23 years. It's amazing to walk in the shadows of the only remaining monument of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Great Sphinx is also in the complex.Pyramid and sun.. imagine when the top was gold!!See The Pyramids for more details.

Night 9 [New Window]
View Map of Location 1120 nM down - 152 nM to go Woke up with 78 dead flying fish on boardFlying Fish Fiasco

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of Location20-30 Knots Steep Seas. Good fishing, also caught a GIANT Trevelli- 75+ Lbs Nice Spanish Mackerel

Zeitiya [New Window]
View Map of Location3am start ..(hey it was calm .. 10 knots) Made it to Zeitiya. From here we will jump to the other side for "calmer" weather. Forecasts are way off says 6 knots we're getting 25-30 across the deck.. Ah the Red Sea!!

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of LocationSoutherly Winds North of MassawaThose teeth

Jake has arrived !! [New Window]
Current location: Jake's BirthplaceVisit our New Blog for more details. View More Photos from PicasaView Larger Image of Birth AnnouncementWe'll keep you posted on boat activities, and our sailing trip reflections here!!

Night 5 [New Window]
View Map of Location 570 nM down - 683 nM to go Bearing off a bit - Still 20nM off courseSmall Mahi-Mahi - too rough to clean

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of Location 75 nM down - 1180 nM to go Crappy Sailing beating into 20 knots

Long Island [New Window]
View Map of LocationLong Island, Sudan, Africa50 Feet Good HoldingLagoon has Flamingos and Nesting OspreyAfrican Flamingos in Flight

Shumma Is [New Window]
View Map of LocationShumma Is, Eritrea, Africa152 nM, 28.5 hours, Ave 5.3 KnotsReef Anchorage - Shumma Is

Night 3 [New Window]
View Map of Location 340 nM down - 1192 nM to goMahi-Mahi and Ice Cream

Night 10 - AIS Sandwich [New Window]
View Map of Location1287 nM down - 245 nM to go Light Wind on the Nose - MotoringBillabong Sandwich: from our new AIS systemThe Arrows are container ships tracksBillabong (+ with Rings) length:12m speed: 5ktPort- Tanker length: 340m speed:15ktStarboard- Container length: 272m speed: 22kt

Red Sea Rush Hour [New Window]
Current Location: Port Suez, Suez Canal, EgyptCurrent Position: 29 56.85 N 32 34.37 ENext Destination: Ismailia then TurkeyThere are certain places we arrive at that just feel good, really good. It is as though upon arriving a huge weight is lifted from our shoulders and we both can't contain our smiles of relief and happiness. It has nothing to do with the location, but rather the difficulty of getting there. Some places just feel earned, as though a huge accomplishment has been achieved. Port Suez is one such location, as it marks the end of the Red Sea. There wasn't a moment traveling through the Red Sea that weather was not on our minds. Even in calm weather all we could think was "how long do we have before the wind picks up?" The last leg (from Hurghada to Port Suez) was getting especially bad reviews from the cruisers before us, who reported big seas and winds constantly over 20kts. When one of our friends emailed us and told us to multiply the weather forecast by five for the first part, and by two and add five for the second, we thought they were exaggerating ... only to learn later that even these modifications probably weren't enough! It's easy to understand that we weren't looking forward to this trip, but sometimes you just have to push onward!It doesn't sound like much, after all it's not even 190 miles - how hard could it be? After our first day out we figured the best example for those back home was rush hour traffic. You know when you are sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic and you can SEE your exit just two miles ahead but you aren't moving, just sitting there, frustrated and wondering how much longer this will take? Then finally, 30 minutes later, you are at last off the freeway and you still can't believe that it just took you an hour to barely go 20 miles. Well, that's sailing in the Red Sea. Only it's a heck of a lot more uncomfortable sloshing around in big seas with wind and waves in your face. This BLOG is a day-by-day blow to show you what I mean.First, just let me say that during this entire week the weather forecast was always around 10kts or below ... so it's not as though we didn't wait for a good weather window - this was it, this was as good as it was going to get! Also it should be understood that the winds ALWAYS (this time of year) come from the northern region, and of course, we were trying to go north.Day 1: Hurghada to Endeavor HarborSummary: 7 hours, 22.7 milesFor the most part it was, at least, a comfortable day. We were in the protection of some reefs so we didn't have big seas, and therefore we were able to motor almost straight to our destination (rather then short-tacking inside the reefs). On the other hand we were now a bit worried about the days to come ... if we were going this slow in protected waters, just how slow would we be going in the open waters without the reefs to break up the swell???Day 2: Endeavor to GeisumLeg 1 Summary: 1 hour 15 mins, 4 milesLeg 2 Summary: 3 hours 10 mins, 11 milesWe departed Endeavor around 6am hoping to make a few miles before the wind picked up. We didn't get very long, about 20 minutes later we had 25-30 kts across the decks. We kept telling ourselves that it shouldn't be so bad as we were less than 2 miles from a huge mountain that should've been protecting us for any big fetch. Nothing about the Red Sea is logical, even with just 1 mile of fetch we had huge square waves and we depressingly watched as Billabong's speed sank and sank until we weren't even making 1.5 kts! Finally we caved-in and headed off to an anchorage. At this point I was seriously thinking that we'd just have to go back to Hurghada and wait for next year. We looked at the weather forecast and it was all the same, 6-12 kts for the next few days, if 6-12 meant 22-27 than how would we ever make it??? The winds were predicted to lighten up in the afternoon so we waited, and waited, and waited, but it was still blowing 20kts. Luckily, thankfully, friends of ours were coming from Hurghada and reported only having 15 kts. We figured the mountains must be accelerating the winds in the anchorage, so at 3pm we joined them and were extremely relieved to find that it had indeed lightened up (to about 15-20kts). There is an inner route, through the reefs, that we planned on taking but it did require sticking our nose out into the channel (no protection from swell) for about 5 miles. We gave it a go that afternoon, and were thrilled to find that we could actually make way, even in 20 kts. Our faith was restored that we could actually make it to Port Suez! In total it had taken us 4 hours and 25 minutes to go 15 miles, but the real kicker is that we had only gone 5 miles as the crow files!!!Day 3: Geisum to El TorLeg 1 Summary: Geisum to Zeitiya; 4 hours 15 minutes, 14.7 milesThis time we departed at 3am, and it paid off. We took the inner route through the reefs and for the first few hours it was nice and calm with little wind. The winds started picking up as we neared the anchorage so the last hour and half was a bit long, but overall we were quite happy. Leg 2 Summary: Zeitiya to El Tor; 5 hours 15 minutes, 25.2 milesI must say we were THRILLED with this leg. Zeitiya was where we jumped across the channel; meaning no protection from the swell, we'd be taking on the full brunt of the Red Sea, and have to avoid huge ships at the same time. We waited until the afternoon so that the tide was flowing with the wind (therefore, hopefully, resulting in less swell). When we departed it was blowing 22 kts, we both wanted to wait, but also knew that this was probably as good as it was going to get and we needed to just suck it up and get out there. It was better than we'd dared hope. We motor-sailed across at a pretty decent angle (not going backwards anyway) and averaged 4.8 kts all the way to El Tor, even with 20+ kts! We really couldn't believe it. El Tor was a big milestone for us, as we were now across the channel and people (and forecasts) had reported the winds were a bit lighter once past El Tor.Day 4: El TorSo much for the lighter winds theory - the wind blew above 20kts all night and we woke up to whitecaps in the anchorage. The Red Sea looked ugly. At 6am it was already blowing 25-28kts. We decided we needed a day of rest.Day 5: El Tor to Shab el HasaSummary: 9 hours, 32 milesWaiting seemed to pay off. We started the morning with 16-20 kts, and although it picked up throughout the day (22-28kts), the seas remained manageable. Many months before we had read about the waves and swell of the Red Sea, and unfortunately near Port Bernice we experienced just how bad they can be. The thing about the Red Sea is that the seas build up almost instantly and form these square waves that knock you back as if hitting a mack truck. Trying to motor into such swell is nearly impossible, unless willing to travel at about 1-2kts. However, what we found is that if we motor sailed, keeping the seas at an angle and using the wind to give us extra drive, we actually made way and the ride was more comfortable. The downside was that we usually needed to hand steer in order to stay tight to the wind and tacking required more work than lazy sailors (such as us) tend to like! In total we tacked 26 times, sailed 44.9 miles to go 32 miles, and both were feeling a bit worn out when we arrived. But we had made 32 miles, which was a great day for us (in this weather) and had managed to average 5 kts. We were exhausted but happy.Day 6: Shab el HasaAgain it blew all night and was already averaging 25+ kts when we woke up to go. There was a local in a motorboat that was anchored near us and he had stopped by to see how we were doing the night before. He too was going to Port Suez, and when we looked out and saw that he wasn't going anywhere we figured that we should trust local knowledge and stay put! Day 7: Shab el Hasa to Marsa HammamSummary: 10 hours 10 mins, 40 milesThe Red Sea is a huge mind game. With weather forecasts so far off and given that the winds and swell can pipe up within 20 minutes, we were forever wondering if we were doing the right thing and second guessing ourselves. As the wind started to die on the night of day 6, we asked each other, should we go now and go overnight? But what if it picks back up, we'd have nowhere to duck into at night and then we'd be out there, at night, not something we were keen to do. But on the other hand what if it's calm all night and the wind picks up in the morning? What if the weather window isn't as long as we think it is and by remaining anchored for a day we end up stuck somewhere for two weeks? What if, what if, what if???? And so it made it hard to ever relax. Even at night I'd wake up whenever the wind changed, wondering if we should be out there, or sometimes grateful that we weren't, and stressed about what the morning would bring.The morning of Day 7 brought good news. 16 kts. WOW! While it got up to 27 kts, most of the day hovered around 20. What we couldn't understand (but weren't about to complain) were the somewhat flat seas. Given the wind direction there was nothing to protect us from the swell, and it was blowing around 22 kts a large part of the day, the same wind we'd had previous days and encountered huge square waves, but on this day, the swell was that of 12-15 kts of wind, not 20-25. We couldn't understand it, we theorized and theorized but in the end we just gave up and enjoyed the sail. It was truly a terrific day, we only had to tack 12 times, sailed 46 miles to go 40, and averaged 4.5 knots ... so far it looked as though we'd made the right choices by staying put on the two high wind mornings.Day 8: Marsa Hammam to Port SuezSummary: 12 hours, 52.3 milesWe couldn't have asked for a better day. We didn't know if we'd make it all the way to Port Suez, but we departed at 4am thinking that if the weather was calm enough, we just might make it. What we got was unbelievable. Flat, and I mean FLAT, seas and light-light winds. We were happier than pigs in, well you know the saying. At first it was hard to believe or enjoy as I just kept waiting "for the other shoe to drop", but as the day went on and the seas only got calmer and Port Suez got closer I couldn't help but get excited ... we were really go to make it!!! We averaged 4.4 kts and didn't have to tack once (because it was light enough that we could just motor straight there). We were done. At a little past 3pm we entered the Suez Canal and tied up at the "yacht club". The Red Sea was over. I knew I'd sleep soundly that night; not worrying over what the wind would be doing tomorrow or how much of a beating we'd have to take. Honestly though, Chris and I both agree that we had a good trip. It might've been slow, but it was easily 100 times better than what we'd expected. Most of the hassle was the planning, wondering and guessing. We think it was a combination of luck and patience that made our trip "easy". We were even more appreciative when the boat next to us told us of his hellish 40+kts that he experienced.Sitting just inside the Suez Canal we can watch the huge tankers and container ships steam past, and it's amazing. These huge monsters slowly motoring by, dwarfing everything around them. What is especially interesting is how they take-on and disperse the canal pilots. Imagine sitting in a small motorboat, about the size of a three-person rowboat. You motor next to a HUGE tanker going about 10kts. Via a crane, a line is lowered down that is attached to your small boat and slowly you are lifted off the water and raised up to the ships deck. When it's time to depart the process is reversed. The large ships never stop, and for good reason, listening on the VHF we heard one tanker tell port control he needed 45 minutes to raise the anchor. If they had to stop and anchor at both ends of the channel they'd probably loose about 4-6 hours. Still it's amazing to watch them raise and lower these little boats with two men sitting there, probably praying that nothing goes wrong. If all goes smoothly, tomorrow we'll motor through the first half of the canal. At least we don't have to worry about the winds, as the canal is too narrow for any fetch to build up, but as it takes us our ten hours to go forty miles will be thinking of home and just how fast that rush hour traffic moves!!!

Night 4 [New Window]
View Map of LocationNight 4 427 nM down - 185 nM to go Passed through Pirate Alley with no problems, motor sailing to keep speed upWe hit the "pirate alley" around sunset and decided to run with anchor lights. Originally we had planned on no lights, but it was too difficult with the close proximity of the boats. All our anchor lights were pretty dim, so we figured it was good enough.We got through the area without a single worry. We were almost to Aden and ready to be done with the convoy.See Journal on Passage Oman Yemen for more details.

The Things We Miss [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 E (View Map of Location)Next Destination: Hanging here for the winterWe are just two weeks from stepping foot back into the US-of-A! It's been three years since we last visited home ... five weeks out of five years is all that we've spent in the States. Yes, we are due for a long visit home.We are often asked "What do you miss most" - usually with the caveat, "besides friends and family". We have posted some thoughts on the matter on our SailBillabong FAQ page, but we thought it would be fun to expand on that a bit.Food seems to be a big on our list:PorkThis is one of those you always want what you can't have items. Since mid January we have been in Muslim countries ... our only "problem" with this is the lack of pork. It's strange because we don't eat a lot of pork normally, but not having the option there seems to get the taste buds going! Specifically we miss BACON! Oh my, all the things I could do with a package of bacon ... especially with all the fresh tomatoes and lettuce in the markets - just screaming to made into BLTs. My mouth waters just thinking of the smell wafting up from the frying pan. Yes, bacon will be top on the list.In and Out BurgerAll I can think is "In and Out, In and Out, that's what a hamburger is all about" (add in some nice jingly tunes)! Grilled onions, toasted bun, melted cheese - and heck we better throw in a chocolate shake since it has been so long!Cheddar CheeseNow, I'm not talking any kind of cheddar, no sir, I want some sharp, sharp, really flavorful stuff - none of that mild or fake crap!Arby'sOkay, I should be embarrassed that this is even on my list, but yes, I'm craving an Arby's Beef and Cheddar (hold the special sauce). Oh that neon squeeze cheese dripping off the sides - and some curly fries to boot. I should point out that Chris wants no part in my Beef and Cheddar - the thought, as he puts it, "is making me gag".Ice CreamAgain, we have specific requirements. First we'd love some Ben and Jerry's. Picking a flavor is going to be tough, so we might have to go for multiple samples! The really hard thing is that they actually have B&J's here in Turkey, but at 12 bucks a tub it's just a big tease. The other ice cream we're both craving is some real vanilla bean ice cream - I'm talking quality stuff, where you can see the black bean bits throughout the ice cream.Sushi BarNo doubt we've eaten tons of sushi while cruising - thanks to Chris' ever improving fishing skills. And not to complain, but it's all been Tuna (which I love, and I'm sure you're not feeling sorry for me!). I wouldn't mind just a bit of variety. I can easily imagine myself sitting in our favorite Sushi restaurant in Ventura (I Love Sushi) and ordering one of everything. Prawns, salmon, tuna, scallops ... oh yum!Well, that's a good starter list on the foods - we'll have to be careful not to gain 100 pounds! So far there are two shops on our list:Trader Joe's (okay a food shop, so maybe it should be under foods) and Fry's Electronics. It's not that we need or want anything from Fry's, but it's such a HUGE store that we'd just like to get lost in it for a few hours and see where technology is going these days.Finally there are some "ease of life" things that I miss (probably more so than Chris): washing machine, dishwasher, and English (as in the language).I think the first two go without explanation - who doesn't want a washing machine and dishwasher??? As for English - first I'll say that I think it's pathetic I only speak one language - and yes, I should work on that. In every country we both try to pick up the language, but it's hard, especially if we are moving a lot. Turkish seems to be an especially difficult language for us, and though I'm trying I don't seem to be making much headway. There are times when I miss being in a country where English is the primary language. It just makes life easier when you can read labels, street signs, and instructions. Things can be accomplished faster when you don't have to play charades every time you are trying to communicate! It will be nice to understand everyone around me for a change!I am sure this list will double or triple in size before we board our flight home - it's fun sitting around right now talking about all the things we are looking forward to. And, just so for the record, yes, the number one thing we miss is friends and family!

Luxor [New Window]
View Map of LocationEnjoying the ancient treasures of this wonderful place. Wow it's old!! It's amazing to think about what life must have been like back then!!No photos yet click on name of location above to learn more from WikipediaLuxor TempleSee Luxor Egypt for more details.

Valley of the Kings [New Window]
View Map of LocationA long bike ride into the desert to view the amazing tombs. It took an entire rule of a king to build his burial place. Increadible to think they were carved and decorated by hand.Valley of The KingsSee Valley of the Kings for more details.

Salalah, Oman [New Window]
View Map of LocationSalalah Oman - Busy Port AnchorageTrip Summary - 1273 nM, 240 Hours, Ave 5.3 KnotsNautical Miles to Date - 24,885a very Crowded Area by Container PortSalalah Oman Yacht Anchorage

Ismalia Yacht Club [New Window]
View Map of Location1/2 way through the Canal. Looks like a nice city maybe we'll spend a couple/three days before we leave for the Med.

Khor Shinab [New Window]
View Map of LocationKhor Shinab, Sudan25 Feet Great Holding - In the Middle of the Desert with A 20 Knot Blast Furnace Blowing Over Us. The spec in the photo is Billabong. Awesome Hiking with Amazing views and 1000's of FossilsOverlooking the Anchorage

Night 2 [New Window]
View Map of LocationOfficially in the Red Sea, First sites of Africa to port. Great fishing caught four Mahi mahi in 15 minutes, only kept oneMore Mahi Mahi

Felucca Ride [New Window]
View Map of LocationCrazy to think we'd want to go sailing again, but it's the Nile afterall! A light breeze (and sometimes paddling) carried us around Elephantine Island on a 2hr Nile Cruise.Felluca SailSee Felucca Ride for more details.

Marsa Fijab [New Window]
View Map of LocationMarsa Fijab, Sudan, Africa45 Feet Good HoldingNice Marsa with Camels, Flamingos and OspreysBillabong and the Camels

The Downside [New Window]
Current Location: Hurghada Marina, EgyptNext Destination: Towards the MedNo place is perfect. There is always a downside. In most cases, for us anyway, the experience we have so completely overrides any downsides that within days (sometimes merely minutes) our memories have released any tainted thoughts. This very thing is what allows me to continue sailing ... if we didn't have a tremendous time overall then I would never forget about how much I hated getting somewhere, and I'd never set out to sea again. Egypt, unfortunately, has a huge downside. I'd love to forget it and just focus on Egypt's outstanding sites and its intriguing history, but I find that every time I'm telling someone about something we did in Egypt, I can't escape the "but". I hate this, I don't want there to be a "but". I'm currently in the process of going through the 800 or so photos we took during our two week inland travels and I am continuously amazed by Egypt's history and their archeological paradise ... BUT I also keep thinking about the people - no, not all the people, just those trying to make a buck off you, a.k.a the endless number of TOUTS. I should warn you, I'm about to go off on a rant, for this I apologize, but I figure if I get it all out, here and now, then perhaps in the future (such as when I'm writing up our Billabong Journal for Egypt) I'll be able to leave all this behind and focus only on the amazing things that Egypt has to offer. In case you don't know, one definition of a tout is "someone who buys something and resells it at a price far above the initial cost". Okay, that half describes the vendors in Egypt. Egyptian touts go beyond just trying to make a good percentage; they are aggressive, vulturous, persistent, relentless, in-your-face, rude, and inexorable (and yes, I had to use a dictionary). Maybe I'm being harsh, but I've got stories to back it up. Lonely Planet says to try and remember that these vendors are poor and only trying to earn a living. I tried that theory for a few days, but it doesn't fly with me, mainly because they don't treat each other in the same manner. Walk through any area where there are tourist and locals both shopping - you won't see the touts hammering away at the locals, only the whity. I don't mind a shop marking up their products, and I don't even mind when they yell out to you to come into their shop. BUT when they begin following us around, touching us, standing in front of us so that we can't pass, and yelling at us when we don't acknowledge them, well, that goes beyond "just trying to make a buck". Luxor had these magnificent narrow alleyways, full of little touristy shops where you could get just about anything your heart desired, from useless nick-nacks to beautiful scarves. When I first saw them I thought, ahhh I could spend hours wandering around through here. In addition these alleyways were mostly shaded, so they provided the perfect midday entertainment (when the sun was full-on and you sought out the relief of shade). BUT about ten minutes later, after barely being able to make my way to the hotel due to all the touts rushing out in front us, shoving t-shirts and necklaces in my face, I was seriously rethinking shopping as a midday option. And to make matters worse they absolutely do not accept a polite no-thank you. Saying "no thank you" only leads to them asking you "why not" "do you know the price?" "but it's really cheap" and on and on. If we did see something we kind of liked we'd try to talk under our breathes about it without looking directly at it, and only if we then thought we might really want it would we approach the stall to take a closer look. The minute you looked directly at a stall, or were obviously talking about a specific item (god forbid you should pick something up), the vultures attacked. A guy would instantly come over and start talking non-stop and start showing you other items as well. It made it nearly impossible to actually look at anything, or for Chris and I to talk about if we really liked it. And unless we were rude it would take a good 5-10 minutes to get away from the vendor if we decided against buying anything. I'll admit that we were probably easier targets then some. We didn't want to be rude. In the beginning we'd politely smile and say no thank you (sometimes even in Arabic thinking that would help). If they asked us questions (their way of stalling you and trying to befriend you so that youd come into their shop), such as whats your name and where are you from, we'd answer politely while still trying to slowly continue on our way. It didn't take us long to figure out that it wasn't working and with every day that passed we became shorter and shorter, offered less smiles, and made less attempts at politeness. This bothered us though, especially after all the great people experiences we'd had through our travels -- we just couldn't believe that rudeness was the only answer. We also couldn't believe that ALL the vendors were so brash and deceptive ... which of course led us to getting screwed more than once. Our worst tout experience was a spice guy. It started with us stupidly, once again, attempting to walk through the alleyways, a post-dinner kind of thing. We walked far enough that we actually got into a more local market area (still some tourists but mostly locals). During our walk we'd managed to pick up a "tour guide". Of course we didn't want or need one, but a guy attached himself to us and kept trying to "show" us things. No matter what we said or did we couldnt get him to leave; ignoring him, walking fast, walking slow, saying goodbye nothing worked. We came upon an interesting looking spice shop whose vendor was especially friendly and invited inside. We opted to go inside mainly because we thought we might finally be able to ditch our "guide" (who, by the way, was ever so useful as to point out to us that what we were looking at were spices ... DUH!). The spice vendor inevitably started on one great pitch about his various spices; pulling sample out of jars to show us, letting us taste and smell them, and so on. He also brought us the "no obligation" welcome drink (tea). We had sat there long enough and were rather enjoying our time, so Chris whispered over to me that we should buy a little something just as a "thank you". I agreed, I mean we're talking about spices - something we needed anyway, and how expensive, even marked up, could they be you cant get too screwed buying spices right??? Chris asked how much the saffron costs and our host went into this HUGE spiel about how we were in the "Egyptian market" and not the "Tourist market" and therefore things here were fair, none of this upping the cost and bargaining, no hassles, and so on. It was extremely convincing; he even went as far as to make fun of the other touts, mimicking their obnoxious calls. And of course, both Chris and I still believed that we were destined to find an honest Egyptian storeowner. About 20 minutes later we had a small set of spices ready to buy. Our vendor-friend went through the prices by gram and they sounded about right, then weighed everything and magically did the math in his head. What I think happened (after many hours mulling over it later on) is that he basically picked a number out of thin air. I'm too embarrassed to actually write what he charged us. Of course we are to blame as well, when he announced his ridiculous price (probably about 10x normal cost) we should've just walked out. But, between trying to do the conversion from pounds to dollars in our heads, trying to remain polite and respectful, and not wanting to offend him, or embarrass ourselves, we paid it. Stupid really. Once we got back to our hotel room and talked it over we realized just how screwed we were and both of us felt like complete fools. So much for our vendor guy's big 'ol spiel on the great Egyptian market. AND to top it all of, when we left the shop (like 45 minutes later) our "guide" was still hanging around. Arrgh! At this point though we were both feeling jaded and not so polite with our tag-along. Chris had to finally tell him to just leave us alone. The guy then asked Chris how much money we spent in the shop, to which Chris replied it was none of his business. The guy proceeded to ask Chris for a percentage of the sale price since he was the one who brought us there!!!! YEAH RIGHT! Chris had to outright, forcefully tell the guy no-way and practically yell at him to go away. What really steams me though isn't the trinket and tourist shops. I accept that shops in tourist areas will charge more - it's just how it works no matter where you are in the world. But it really chaps me when we go into a local store, in an out of the way area, and still get the white-price. There is hardly a shop in Egypt that has prices displayed, so you ALWAYS have to ask and the minute you do, you get the once over where they realize ahhhh white-man and then times ten to the normal price. Imagine going in a grocery store in the States and having them enter your race at the checkout to determine what price you get! We walked in more than one bakery where they tried to charge us 5x what bread should cost, all because we were white - a local who walked in the EXACT same store would've be charged less. Our real bummer was in Aswan, where we discovered this out of the way lunch spot. It was full to the brim with locals and not a lick of English. Our type of spot. The 'waiter' was extremely nice and helped us order by giving us a few samples of the various dishes. Then we went to pay. We figure we were overcharged by about 3x. Chris tried to call the guy on it but he just denied it. We know that (a) no local would pay that much for lunch and (b) a soda at a TOURIST cafe on the Nile is about two pounds, we were charged SEVEN! Unfortunately there isn't much we could do given we'd already eaten! The real bummer is that the food was FANTASTIC! When we started eating, I said to Chris, "we've found our restaurant for Aswan". We seriously would have eaten there every day, maybe even twice a day! BUT not after being so blatantly ripped off. And then there are the touts full of tricks and cons. In my opinion these men are plain thieves. They are the ones who will offer to take your photo for you, but then not return the camera until you give them money. Theyll tell you a certain display/site is closed, but offer to let you in for a little bakeesh (aka tip or payoff) when all along the site was really open. In the Valley of the Kings Chris and I decided to walk up to the top of the cliff for the view overlooking the valley. The minute we started up the track a tout came after us offering to show us the way. We kept saying we were fine and we wanted to be alone, but the guy wouldnt leave until Chris outright told him that we were not going to pay him anything so he should go bother someone else. We thought the top would be more peaceful (ie no touts), but it is apparently how all the touts hike in to get into the valley without paying the entrance fee, so we were never left alone. Coming down one tout approached us as Chris was reading an excerpt from our Valley of the Kings tour book. He tried to sell us his tour book, to which we said no-thank you; we (obviously) already have one. They guy then said but your book isnt in English. Chris gave him the do you think Im stupid look before telling him that it was indeed in English. The tout then held out his hand while saying, let me see, its not English. He kept pestering us and asking to see the book, telling Chris (who was reading to me from it IN ENGLISH) that it wasnt English but that his book was. Finally Chris had to practically yell at the guy to go away. We figure the scam was that he would take the book then not give it back until we either gave him bakeesh or bought one of his books. It happened so often and was so frustrating that we got to the point where we walked everywhere (refusing to try and negotiate buses, taxis, or horse buggies), and never just strolled about - we only went out when we had somewhere to go, never just to browse around. The sad, sad thing about it all is that the non-vendor locals are extremely friendly and some go out of their way to be nice. The problem is you don't know who wants a buck off you and who is being sincerely friendly. Unfortunately we ended up being abrupt with some locals who were truly just trying to be helpful. We would later apologize and try to explain, but I don't think they realize just how bad their touts are behaving and how is it destroying the image of Egypt. In Cairo we went in the tourism office at the train station to try and get directions to the bus station. After leaving, walking around lost for about 45 minutes, and failing to find it, we returned and asked her if she could explain it again. A policeman who was in the office suggested we just take a taxi - it would only cost 3-5 pounds. We laughed and said that there was no way we could get a taxi for that price. Both the lady and policeman asked us why. We tried to explain how the price goes up once they see we are white; to which they replied "you just have to negotiate beforehand" (which we always do). Inspired by them, we set out to see about a taxi. Our fist inquiry came back with 30 pounds! We just walked away couldn't even bring ourselves to bother haggling. About five taxis later we finally were able to negotiate to 10 pounds ... it was the best we could do. If it isnt obvious by now I could probably go on forever about this. Enough ranting. Its out of my system; Im done with it. I will end by saying that Egypt is magnificent, truly mind-boggling when you think about the history. I also want to stress, one more time, that I do not believe every Egyptian is out to get me, and those locals that weve met outside of shopping or extreme tourist areas have been very friendly and have a great sense of humor. I only wish the shops owners would realize that in the end they would probably make more money if they just threw on a price tag (even a marked up one) and left you in peace.llz=27.226,33.842,15

Night 8 [New Window]
View Map of Location 996 nM down - 277 nM to go Nice Bluefin Tuna for Sashimi Lunch Caught 2 Mahi Mahi and another Small TunaThe Keeper - Nice 4+ foot Bull Mahi Mahi for the Freezer

Luxor Temple [New Window]
View Map of LocationRight outside our hotel. An amazing introduction to the treasures of Egypt. Not a bad room for $18 a night.Temple EntranceSee Luxor Temple for more details.

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of LocationCrossing Foul Bay to EgyptSome light winds but strong Northerlies are predicted for tomorrow. Hopefully we'll make it before they hitA weary overnight passenger

The Lycian Way [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: Hanging here for the winterThe Lycian Way is the first waymarked long distance footpath in Turkey. It stretches from Fethiye to Antalya, through the Teke Peninsula (historically known as Lycia). The Lycian Way is not only scenic (traveling along the coastline as well as high into the cliffs through largely uninhabited areas), but it also offers an opportunity to see the lingering of ancient civilizations. Swimming. Views. Nature. History. The Lycian Way has it all and was, in fact, named one of the Sunday Times Worlds Ten Best Walks.Given that the Lycian Way comes right through Finike, how could we not walk at least part of this trail? The entire trail is more than 500km and can take weeks to complete. We, along with four friends, decided it would be a grand idea to do a day hike, hopefully making it from Finike to Belos and back. Of course, since we notoriously tend to end up doing things the hard way, the area of the trail we would be walking is deemed one of the most difficult!!!BlurbBits for this Entry w/LocationAt least twice we had looked for the start of the walk in Finike, and while we now thought we had a pretty good idea where it was (based on the book "The Lycian Way", and Google Earth), the last thing we wanted was to start our hike out "lost". So, odd as it may sound, we took a taxi to the trail. Much of the trail in the Finike area has been bulldozed into somewhat of a rocky tractor road; one can still get onto the original trail in places (walking more in the forest then the cleared rocky road). We started in the forest, and opted to climb up to the road when we lost site of the waymarks. Luckily it was early morning and no longer summer, because it didnt take long before the steep incline had us all sweating, and huffing and puffing.The great thing for us, all cruisers, about this part of the hike was that although the incline was difficult it brought us into the mountains, and eventually along the ridgeline. I hadnt realized just how much I missed the mountains it was great to get away from the sea for a few hours.The first 4 km brought us up to about 650 meters. Along the way we came across a large herd of beautiful goats and a shepherd. We also came upon a field of ancient walls and Lycian tombs.Another hour and half or so brought us to the ridgeline and magnificent views looking out over the town of Demre with views of Kekova Island in the background. We stopped for lunch, enjoying the peace and quiet and terrific scenery, before heading up, along the ridge, to Belos.We couldnt have asked for better weather. The sun was out and not a cloud in the sky, yet the air was cool enough to not wear us out. Wed thought that wed be dealing with a lot of wind especially in Belos, which is about 910 meters above sea level, but it was still as could be. Belos is an ancient town littered with ruins and huge sarcophagi. Rooms and walls still stand complete, and everything seemed even more spectacular with the views of Kekova as the backdrop. We spent a leisurely amount of time walking around the ancient town, guessing as to what might have been what and trying to imagine life thousands of years ago. What we especially were in awe of was how they managed to live so high in the mountains here we had only walked a portion of the trail, with light packs, and were feeling our exhaustion these people had moved, carrying everything they owned, old and young, and not wearing fancy hiking boots! It was a perfect spot for protection, with stonewalls to protect them and the long distance from the sea to discourage pirates.It was very cool to have Belos to our own. The ruins of Myra and Demre, which we had visited a few weeks earlier, were brilliant, but there is something to be said for the quiet solitude in walking amongst the ancient city, undisturbed by the masses.On the way back we had planned on a little side trek to Dinek, but the markings werent clear to us, and knowing we still had a long walk back to Finike ahead we didnt want to wonder "aimlessly" maybe another day!I seem to never give downhill trekking the credit it is due. The entire way up all I could think was "at least coming back will be downhill". But it doesnt take long, especially on steep terrain with loose stones that are uncomfortable to walk on, before I began to wonder if going up wasnt better! People think that cruising keeps us in shape, but in truth we live pretty sedentary lives maybe not compared to the average land-lubber American, but in terms of tackling a mountainous 20-24 km day hike, we are in sad shape! It seemed that the last bit of the return trip just kept going and going and going. But at last we were back in Finike where our first stop was the beer garden just outside the marina!It was a fantastic day, well worth the effort and the soreness that followed over the next few days. We are hopefully that we can do another section of the Lycian Way next spring when we start cruising again maybe we ought to start exercising now!

Night 5 [New Window]
View Map of LocationNight 5 549 nM down - 63 nM to go Almost there, Nice Sailing, Lots of BIG Ships coming through the convoyIt was good sailing during the day. The wind picked up as the day carried on, and by night the seas had a pretty good swell going. The wind was directly behind us, so we had to run wing-on-wing. The difficult thing was that we were trying to keep our speed up in order to not cause everyone an extra night out, so we had our full main up, which meant we could absolutely not afford to accidentally jibe. Simon (the auto pilot) was having trouble steering down the big seas without going off course, so we had to continuously adjust and monitor things, practically hand steering, to ensure we did not jibe.Sunset Last NightSee Journal on Passage Oman Yemen for more details.

Marsa Inkeifal [New Window]
View Map of LocationMarsa Inkeifal, Sudan, Africa20 Feet Good Holding in Small Marsa with Mountains near the CoastMountains meet the Red Sea

Suakin [New Window]
View Map of LocationSuakin, Sudan, Africa18 Feet Ok HoldingJust off ruins of Old SuakinRuins of Old Suakin

Ancient Cities and Flaming Mountains [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 E (llz=36.25887,29.98447,13)Next Destination: Hanging here for the winterOn the same day we learned The Truth about Santa Claus, we also visited the ancient Roman city of Myra, Mount Chimaera, and Olympus.The Myra/Demre area is a fertile agricultural area thanks to the good soil brought down by the mountain rivers. Prior to the tourism boom the local economy was very dependent on agriculture. Today you'll find the locals growing pomegranates and citrus trees as well as large quantities of fruits and vegetables in green houses. The ancient Lycians didn't want to take up the precious land with burying of the dead, so instead wealthy Lycians had stonemasons carve tombs for them from the limestone walls of the mountains. Today the tombs have all been broken into and robbed, but they are still an impressive sight. And at the base of these rock-cut tombs stand the remains of an ancient Roman theatre. If you're a history buff you can get more information about the Myra/Demre area on Wikipedia.View Album w/Location Map (popup version)View BlurbBit w/LocationIt was then a couple of hours driving away from the coast, up into the mountains to get to Mount Chimaera. But before venturing to climb up the fiery mountain we stopped for lunch at a trout farm. We were served endless amounts of hot pide bread with dips and cheeses, followed by seasonal salads, and finished with fresh trout baked whole in a clay dish over a fire. Ahh, I'm drooling just thinking back!In Greek Mythology the Chimera is a three-animal beast with the head of a lion, tale of a serpent, and goat in the middle, who breathes fire and was thought to be indestructible. Then along came the hero Bellerophan who was sent by the King of Lycia to kill the chimera (the king was trying, in a round about way, to kill Bellerophan). As it turns out Bellerophan succeeded in slaying the beast thanks to the winged horse, Pegasus, who flew Bellerophon high above the chimera, away from its fiery breath, and shot the creature full of arrows until it died.Some, however, say that the chimera was not a beast but rather refers to the mountain, as Mount Chimaera "was on fire here, had lions and goats there, and was full of snakes over there". And since it was Bellerophon who made this habitable, he is therefore said to have "killed Chimaera"Mount Chimaera (called in Turkish Yanarta (flaming rock)) consists of nearly two dozen vents in the ground. The vents emit burning methane, which in ancient times sailors could navigate by.Not far from Mount Chimaera lies the the ancient city of Olympus. This was quite a site, with ruins upon ruins to walk among. The city was founded during the Hellenistic period. According to Homer, it was from these mountains that the god Poseidon saw Odysseus sailing from Calypso's island and called up a huge storm that wrecked Odysseus on the island of Nausicaa.One interesting tid-bit we learned from our guide was that the top of a fisherman's sarcophagus was shaped like the keel of a boat so that in the afterlife the inhabitant could flip the lid over and survive as a fisherman in the underworld (see the photo in the slideshow below for example).BlurbBits for this Entry w/LocationAs you can see it was a fantastic day, full of history & mythology. We look forward to our next Turkey adventure.

Reef Anchorage [New Window]
View Map of LocationHad a nice days rest.. it was blowing 27 when we went to leave .. so we stayed!! Sailed 45 nM to cover 32 today with 27 tacks in mostly 23-27knots. Still looking for a break in the weather!!

Sheikh El Abu [New Window]
View Map of LocationSheikh El Abu, Eritrea25 Feet Hard Bottom Reef AnchorageSand Haze Sunrise

A Day at the Grocery Store [New Window]
Current Location: Nai Han Beach, Phuket Island, ThailandCurrent Position: 07 46.57 N 98 18.05 ENext Location: Passage to Maldives (potential start: Jan 17, 2007)Everyone thinks we've got it easy. That life aboard Billabong is one big vacation. Non-cruisers laugh or give us "the look" when we mention that we had a tough day, or that we have too much "work" to do. Okay, I'll agree that we've got it pretty good, but it's not all strawberries and pink champagne. We don't write much about our day-to-day chores or mundane tasks. We figure that complaining about how tough life is will only lead to a rolling of the eyes or bore the few dedicated visitors that we have. But on this occasion we bring to you a day at the grocery store, just to give you a taste of the other side of our life! First imagine YOUR day at the grocery store. Nobody loves going, but it's not that bad; hop in the car, drive to the nice, big, air conditioned, one-stop grocery store, buy everything you need, roll it out to the car, drive it home, and carry it the few steps from the garage to the kitchen, where there is ample cupboard space awaiting. Fairly simple, definitely straight forward, and no big dramas. Alright then, let's see how our day went. We were lucky enough to score a rental car. This being the high-season, most cars were rented out, but prices were high (for Thailand anyway). We arranged a truck with a covered back (as we needed to drop of our settee cushions for repair) to be delivered to Nai Han Beach between 8:30 and 9:00am. While I waited with the heaps of stuff we had brought in Chris went to meet the guy bringing the car. We couldn't believe our luck. Most of the rentals we had been in or seen in Thailand were barely running pieces of crap. The truck we ended up with was in premium condition, had a terrific air conditioner, and a working radio to boot. On top of that, the guy was actually on time and had arranged his own ride back so we didn't have to drop him off anywhere. Our day was off to a good start. We were happy to have a truck for the extra protection and safety for driving around Phuket. We have driven is some crazy places, but nowhere has been as bad as Thailand. There are no rules. Cars and scooters will drive in any lane they want, change lanes without looking, and even drive against the traffic on the wrong side of the road. You have to be aggressive and confident, otherwise you'll find yourself stuck at a turn for hours waiting for a chance to enter the flow of traffic. Road signs and traffic lights are only suggestions, not requirements. Red light? No worries, just zoom on through if you can make it without getting creamed! We almost took out one scooter when he passed us on the right while Chris was making a right hand turn Chris had done everything right; slowly braked, moved to the right edge of the lane (leaving room for cars and scooters to go around us on the left), turned on his right blinker and then began making the right turn, and still this guy tries to zoom by us on the right! Luckily Chris saw the scooter out of the corner of his eye and braked just in time. The first thing you have to know when provisioning in smaller foreign countries is that there is no such thing as running to 'the' store. Not if you want the majority of items on your list. On average we visit at least three stores when doing a major provision. Our fist stop was Super Cheap. A huge warehouse-like store where all the locals shop. Super Cheap is great because since it's a "local" store the prices haven't been marked up. On the downside, it's not as clean as Farang (white-person/tourist) stores, has no air-conditioning, and is contaminated with a ripe fishy smell from the meat section. The most difficult thing though is that there is no English to be seen or heard. Most the time it's not a big deal, I can recognize the brand, or figure out the contents by looking at the picture on the can. But it does take longer, and many times it's hard to be 100% sure that you really are buying what you think you're buying. The one item I finally gave up on was dark soy sauce. The soy sauce isle was huge. At least 20-30 different brands with about 10 different types per brand, and here's a product that truly doesn't have any pictures or English to help out. I found the white soy and the normal soy, but couldn't figure out which one might be dark soy. One of the workers kept smiling at me as I went from bottle to bottle, but in the end the best he could do to help was to tell me "Soy-a-sauce" yeah I got that. Finally I figured it wasn't worth saving 50 Baht for I'd just buy it at a Farang store where there would be some English. The one upside about shopping in foreign countries is that you get really excited when you find the EXACT thing you are looking for. When Chris came back to the cart he had 15 packages of the coffee we like with him - I gave him a huge smile and shouted out "You Scored!". I never recall getting so excited when grocery shopping in America. We checked out, loaded up the car (it was nice to have rented a car and not have to lug everything onto a bus), and then were off to the next store. Our next stop was Macro. Another warehouse type store (where everything is individually packaged, but then sold in large quantities). Macro is a much more pleasant experience than Super Cheap in that it doesn't smell, is cleaner, and has a wee bit of air-con. While a lot of locals shop at Macro it also caters to Farangs, so there is some written English and a few of the workers speak a bit of English. They didn't have as much as we'd thought they'd have, so we realized that we would be adding a fourth stop to our plan. Tops was third our list. A real Farang shop, in a high-end Farang Mall with horrible parking. It took us about 30 minutes to find a spot - round and round the lot we drove, avoiding people and cars who didn't bother to look. Luckily it was Monday, we'd heard that the weekends are even worse. Double parking is allowed - there are signs in Thai and English that even give the rules for double parking; leave the wheels straight, the parking brake off, and the car in neutral. Then when a person needs to get out, they just push your car forward or backwards so that they can back out! Because the Central Mall and Tops cater mostly to Farangs it is fully air conditioned and quite clean. In Tops all the tags are in both Thai and English. The mall itself contains common American stores (like Gap, Bebe, Warner Brothers, etc). The huge downside is that everything is marked up. Even identical products cost more here than they do at Super Cheap or Macro but hey, at least you know that you are indeed buying tuna and not mackerel or some other meat concoction! Finally, after running a few other errands, we were ready to tackle our fourth market Testco. Testco is in another mall and caters to a mix of Thais and Farangs, so most things are tagged in both languages, and prices aren't marked up as much as Tops (but still higher then 'local' markets). We loaded up on the final items that we couldn't find elsewhere, and were finally ready to call it a day. It can be a little depressing when you look at your shopping list and notice that about 25% of the items still aren't marked off. This, however, is normal. When I make the list I put down everything I WISH we could buy (within some realms of reason), of course it's all a pipe dream as there isn't a country we've been to where I've managed to find everything. And now that I have favorite food items from a variety of countries I have a feeling that even back home there will be items I won't be finding! We've now spent a whole day grocery shopping, moving from one crowded store to the next, attempting to decipher foreign labeled foods, and dealing with crazy Thai driving in between. We are both exhausted and I can think of nothing better than sitting back with a cold drink. But we still aren't even close to being finished. I long for a garage where I could leave the groceries in the car till the next morning or maybe even on the kitchen floor. Instead we return to Nai Han Beach, where at least we are lucky enough to have been able to tie the dinghy up to a floating dock (much easier then launching a full dinghy through the surf from the beach). First we unload the zillions of bags worth of food from the car to the top of the steps leading down to the dock. Next we go back and forth, back and forth, lugging bag after bag from the steps down the dock. Then Chris gets in the dinghy and I hand the bags over to him. With every transfer we try to remember which bags have the heavy squash-able items and which backs contain the bread, eggs, and other items you wish to get to the boat in a somewhat familiar shape. We are impressed that we've managed to fit everything into the dinghy for one trip (we thought for sure that this would be a two or three dinghy trip grocery run) mind you, the dinghy is nearly sinking and bags are stacked quite high. I climb over everything and off we go. With all the weight every little ripple in the bay sends some spray into the dinghy and we can only hope that nothing is getting wet that can't handle it. Finally we are back to Billabong. I hop off and stand at the stern while Chris hands up the bags and I place them in the cockpit (what, are we on transfer #5 now?). Then, almost done, it's me down below, with Chris handing bags down from the cockpit. At long last everything is aboard. Unfortunately because we are at anchor, and especially because this anchorage has been known to get rolly, I can not just leave the bags and boxes for tomorrow. But there are no roomy cupboards awaiting -- just small spaces that have to manipulated and pieced together like a puzzle in order for everything to fit (and not break underway). I spend a few hours unpacking and packing, moving, shifting, storing, cleaning and organizing, before I'm just too beat to finish. I figure I've put away all the breakable items and have placed the other stuff in canvas bags under the table, so even if a swell comes in or there is some emergency where we have to move the boat, things are stored well enough and out of the way. At last I can enjoy that cold drink!!! Of course it is also well past dinner time and we are both starving, but one of the additional errands we ran was filling the propane tanks, so the bottle is not currently hooked up, and anyway, I'm to beat to cook. Croissants and Nutella it is!!! It takes me another almost full day to get everything stored. The most amazing thing is that everything actually fit. Chris always comments that he can't believe how much stuff I can squeeze in! So now you know that it's not an endless vacation out here, but I'll tell you what we do have a terrific trade-off. It might take us two full days to grocery shop, and sure we don't get everything we'd love to have, but there is no question that in return we get one hell of a good time!!!

Night 7 [New Window]
View Map of Location 846 nM down - 425 nM to go Calm then Rough - Wind on the Beam Caught small tuna 3 x size of lure

Night 5 [New Window]
View Map of Location 594 nM down - 931 nM to goCaught FOUR Tuna at Once Kept Two - Freezer is Full

Knor Nawarat [New Window]
View Map of LocationKnor Nawarat, Sudan, Africa25 Feet Great holding160 Miles Ave 5.7 KnotsAnother Low Island Anchorage where we met a local Bedouin who gave KT a ride on his camelKt gets her Camel Ride

BOB Threatens Season 6 [New Window]
Current Location: Billabong's Location Our Location: Chris + KTWe've been pretty lucky with good 'ol Mother Nature during our five year trip. Sure, we've been hammered both at anchor and at sea, but I can count the really scary moments on both my hands. Not a bad percentage considering we've been out for 1885 days.We usually play it rather safe, avoiding cyclone seasons, watching the weather before passages, but Mother Nature is the boss out here and sometimes you simply get caught out. Once we entered the Western Indian ocean, we had to be careful of Named Storms/Winds. In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden these winds usually created sand storms that covered the boat in red mud and created huge steep seas. We got caught in a Belat (a sand/dust storm) on the trip from Oman to Yemen, it wasn't pretty. These systems have been tracked for thousands of years, carry Arab names by fishermen they effect, and are even part of the Coptic calendar (including a special calendar of Gales).The MeltemiThe MistralThese storms don't end in the eastern Med, there are named winds throughout the Mediterranean - including the Etesian/Meltemi that effects the Aegean Sea (Greece/Turkey), the Mistral, and the Sirocco. You really have no understanding of these storms until you've been through one. We've had southern gales in Finike that brought sand from Africa, 380 miles across the Mediterranean. It covered our decks with red dust/muds... 380 miles.. how is there any sand still left in the desert? While we've been home, our friends in Marmaris experienced 76 Knots and the marina we almost left Billabong in was badly damaged (check out the video).BOBI know it doesn't sound very Arabic but BOB has been tracked even longer; longer than recorded history in fact. The timing is relatively well understood (around the end of June), but we can't be sure when exactly it will arrive. Will it come in the darkness of night, the early morning hours, or during the day with full light? Do we stay in Finike and ride it out in a known location or do we attempt the run to Marmaris and risk getting caught out? We arrive back in Turkey in April, but we have to paint the bottom and get everything prepared. We could really go for it and try to make it to Malta before BOB arrives... Decisions, decisions.The good news is we've had plenty of warning and even started preparing Billabong before we left to come home. We've removed all the non-essential gear and are reading up and strategizing on how to prepare. Like all things in our cruising life preparation is the key, but we've been told that no matter how much we prepare, BOB will cause HUGE upheaval on board Billabong.Despite all the work.. we are ecstatically awaiting Billabong's newest crew member (ie. Baby On Board .. BOB). How will it effect our season? You'll have to tune in to find out.. this one is fully in Mother Nature's hands. More Photos

Aswan [New Window]
View Map of LocationA 3 hr train ride brought us south to Aswan, where our room looked at at the Nile!The Nile in AswanSee Aswan for more details.

Massawa [New Window]
View Map of LocationMassawa, Eritrea, AfricaBusy War Torn Port TownBattle Scars and Fishing Boats

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of LocationUnderway up the Red Sea, Riding a southerly while we can

Renanto Reef [New Window]
View Map of LocationRenanto Reef, Egypt45 Feet Our own private reef(literally drop right behind the reef.. and watch out for a southerly switch)Wind picked up to 20-25 knots and we are hiding here until it dies down a little. If I had know the reefs would have this much of calming effect I would used them more often. Once you get to Egypt you lose a lot of the indented protection of the Marsa and Khor anchorages and this is where you really need them as the northerlies fill in with a vengeance.You'll still find calm days, but the weather windows are usually shorter than predicted, always have a ditch plan. We know fellow cruisers who had to re-sail hundreds of miles after they got blown out and couldn't make the finally destination.Calming Effect of the Reef

Footprints on my Toilet Seat [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: Turkey Coast (between Finike & Marmaris)I guess I learned at an early age that there are various ways to do the doo thing. We lived in a very old house (1700s) heated by a system my dad referred to as cold dust, when my parents decided it was time for an addition. We went to visit the architect at his house and almost immediately after arriving I had to go. I was directed to this palatial room, longer than any room in our house, which had all sorts of fancy gizmos. Multiple sinks, a bathtub, Jacuzzi, stall shower, toilet and a drinking fountain. Wow this is pretty cool, I thought. Ok I was like eight or something and easily impressed. As I was finishing my business, I realized I was thirsty so I moseyed on over to get a drink from the fountain. Well luckily for me I was never trained to shut the door when I was in the bathroom (or most likely, ignored my training). Just as I was about to take a drink I heard the architects kids gasp in horror and run screaming in French to their parents. Do you get it yet? French porcelain thing that squirts water straight up... it was actually a bidet. It took a little explaining, some very confused looks on my part but I finally understood the near horror of my actions (yet I still wanted to know why they wanted to sit on a drinking fountain). Ever since that moment, Ive looked at bathrooms just a tad bit differently.I always joke with KT that we are not tourists but rather world travelers. When you are a tourist, the places you visit typically cater to your needs and set up surroundings that make you feel comfortable and at home. That is not the same in most remote villages or way off the beaten track. Most islanders dont have running water; they shower/wash in a communal pool in the stream and electricity runs for an hour or two at night if the village can afford to run the generator. We hadnt experienced anything too odd until we were headed North from Fiji to the Marshall Islands. In Kiribati, they have very cool houses built from natural materials tied together with hand made coconut fiber rope. Each room is a separate building and it takes a while until you realize the bathroom just isnt part of the plan. During the dry season they get most of their drinking water from holes in the atolls so they cant just go dropping their droppings near their water source. Instead they head out to the beach right near the waters edge. I was on a stroll one day, when I stumbled upon two sets of footprints. You could tell the couple was close, skipping and playing around with each other as they meandered down the beach. I followed the track around the corner until I came to a spot with two sets of footprints side by side, facing out towards the sea. Behind each set was, how do I put this, a present and in between the two sets of footprints was a heart drawn in the sand. Ah the joys of young love.We had read Sex lives of Cannibals, which describes life in Tarawa, pretty much the armpit of Kiribati if not the world. We knew there was a section of Tarawa where everyone went to the bathroom on this certain point. Crap peninsula, dump point; I dont remember the name. We stumbled upon it by mistake while we were checking out the World War II relics. There is a HUGE public restroom that now sits on the entrance to the beach at the point. In fact, you have to work hard to get around it. But when Mother Nature calls, the locals do what feels natural and head straight for the ocean. The restroom was vacant, the beach was: em-BARE-ASS-ingly packed with poopers. We struggled through the maze of rocks and people not knowing where to look.We spent the better part of two years in remote places before we arrived on the shores of Australia. The Gold Coast was amazing and we swallowed the hook in a bay (aptly named Bums Bay); across from a HUGE mall where you could buy almost everything. We arrived around Christmas and almost immediately stumbled upon a vendor (you know those ones they put in the middle of the walkways around the holidays) selling add-on bidet toilet seats. It had all the bells and whistles; an automatic raising/lowering seat and lid, a heated seat (in Australia?), heated water, and a warm air dryer. It even had a remote control with a multitude of options; bottom wash (or posterior; the documentation was confusing), enema wash, feminine wash, warm air dry along with all sorts of water and nozzle controls. The icons for the buttons were good, and umm, very visual. Can you imagine the design review process for those? The seat even had adjustment settings like those automatic car seats, you know for driver 1 and driver 2. Next thing you know theyll have voice activation. Um yeah Hi its Chris.. um and.. ah..Crap. Anyway I have no idea why it was so intriguing. Maybe because I hadnt seen a real toilet seat in a while, but much to KTs shear and utter embarrassment, I had to take a closer look!! Well this poor vendor must have thought he had a hot one because he was all over me, sharing the very important health and hygiene benefits I would receive if I only spent $1490 (I would love to have enough money where I could justify spending that kind of money on something like that). I listened to his spiel with my hand in my pocket pinching myself pretty hard so that I wouldnt laugh in his face. I took a brochure AND a $100 off coupon but he wouldnt take no for an answer. I finally told him we live on a boat, with a vacuum-sealed seat that is required to flush the toilet. Needless to say he was confused and he tried whole-heartedly to find a way to get me into an automatic healthy seat. Anyway I still have the brochure if anyones interested.We did the rally from Darwin through Indonesia to Singapore, with cruisers who ran the gambit of backgrounds from the very experienced cruisers of Europe, all the way through to newbie cruisers of Australia who were experiencing their first foreign landfall. Now the rally has been going on quite some time and is a HUGE thing for the Indonesians, who dont get a lot of tourism in their remote villages. I didnt really notice it at first, but after a while I realized that the first thing each village did was show us their brand spanking new bathrooms, in some cases the wet paint sign was still hanging. The entire village was very proud, smiling and nodding their heads. You could tell a HUGE amount of effort was spent building these facilities for us. They were more modern than any building in the village and even had concrete floors (which must have actually cost them money). KT and I were embarrassed to think that someone must have complained enough that they were told to take the time and effort to build the facilities (which will most likely only get used on one day a year). I really hope they got more feedback about previous visits than the cruisers want toilets. Can you imagine what the local must have thought about our values if that was the case? Anyway it was kind of funny because the next shock came when people actually went to use them and realized they were pit toilets. They had incredibly nice brand new porcelain footpads, with cast in non-skid (hey it helps), which again cost them money. You ask for a toilet, thats what you are going to get in Indonesia; because thats how they do toilets. Anyway KT and I found the problem wasnt toilets vs. no toilets in the villages, it was the six hour bus ride (with one stop) after eating very greasy native food of unknown origin, kicking up the southern hemisphere version of Montezumas Revenge.In Oman we visited a maritime museum, which showed older ship construction techniques and even had a scale replica of a ship deck complete with the head. The head was basically a box that rested precariously over the ships rail with a hole in the floor and a bucket on a string. Well I thought it was older ship construction until we arrived in Eritrea and I watched a man feverishly dipping a bucket in the water before he passed the four sailboats at anchor. I was trying to take photos of a working fishing boat with my telephoto lens and I didnt understand the urgency of his situation; until I saw he was sitting in a box, over the rail. Well in Sudan, they get rid of the side of the box all-together. Each day in Suakin we passed these small fishing boats, which had two planks, attached to the back of the boat. They were parallel to the water, connected in the front by a cross beam, and supported by sturdy ropes to the upper rail. I told KT what I thought they were but it wasnt until weeks later that we saw them but to the test. It was blowing 30-35 knots and we were in a dodgy Marsa anchorage when a small fishing boat entered the bay with 10 people on board. They anchored upwind and to the side of us. One by one each person went to the stern, adjusted their robes and did their business. Some of them even waved!!Ok, Finally the footprints on the toilet seat; hey this IS a chronological journey. When we arrived in Hurghada Egypt the marina was complete but the surrounding buildings were just shells. There were only two or three bathrooms; each with a shower, one sitter and one stander. Well the first thing you realize is toilet paper is optional and not provided. Luckily being the world travelers we are, 9 times out of 10 we do the paper check FIRST! Ok mad dash to the boat, grab a roll, run back to the toilet, wait for the person who stole your spot.. ok fine. Business done. Oh did I mention that most toilets have trash bins for the USED paper. Its pretty much been the norm, with the exception of NZ and Australia, and Im not sure if its the plumbing systems or just habit. Anyway, I happened to notice that there is a sink in the stall with the toilet, and there is this funky fitting on the back aimed at a 45 degree angle directly towards the direct center of the seat, hmm whats that (..more later). Since there was lots of construction, the bathrooms were shared with the workers and there was lots of mud and sand tracked in on the floor, and THE SEAT. I guess if you are used to squat pit toilets, thats the way you do it; even if you have to balance precariously on a raised wobbly platform. As time went on, it got wobblier and wobblier as the seat attachments worked loose. Well this must have caused more and more balance issues, with the appropriate radical corrections, until finally the entire toilet worked it way loose from floor and whatever held the thing down.Once again someone must have complained because we were all issued a golden key to one set of facilities. They actually started putting toilet paper at the toilet AND the urinal, I dont think they really understand what we do with it. Plus its bloody expensive, we went to stock up and KT grabbed a brand she knew, imported for a measly $3 a roll!! Not!! They use their hands, and in most Arab cultures it very offensive to touch someone or eat with your left hand (the wiper). Due to the lack of early morning use by the construction workers, I must have been first to arrive on the scene one morning. Im relaxing, enjoying the peace and quiet, when I hear this muted buzzing sound; kind of like 20-30 mosquitoes flying in a covered porcelain bowl. Im racking my brain trying to figure out where the noise was coming from, when I stand up and a cloud of mosquitoes flies out of the gapping hole that was just recently occupied by my behind. Luckily they were too traumatized by their experience to think of biting their way out. Try and explain those welts!!We were on our inland travel trip, when I realized what that thing was sticking out of the back of the toilet. You remember; 45 degree angle, aimed center of the seat. Well our $18 hotel room had a nice puddle of water on the bathroom floor that was obviously from the leaky toilet. Being a self-proclaimed handy man and a water Nazi, I decided Id take a gander behind the base of the toilet. Just as my head reached the side of the bowl, I touched a valve and water shot straight over my shoulder into the shower behind me. Holy crap what was that? Well I just discovered the Egyptian version of the Bidet. Luckily this was the modern version, developed after they perfected computer simulation to get the angle and pressure just right. I had seen a couple of older models with a small piece of metal tubing coming straight out the back to the rough center before it took a 90 degree bend straight up. It looked more like a torture device, and if you didnt realize what they used it for, there was no way your were going to get anything close to it.The worst was on the trains. We took the basic train from Luxor to Aswan and realized just exactly how bad a toilet can get. There was no seat, the rim was covered by someones attempt at making a seat out of 100s layers of toilet paper, and someone left a present without flushing which just went straight to the tracks below. Luckily I was just standing, but I thought of the poor people who might come after me, plus I would have been horrified if I opened the door and someone was waiting to go in. I mean, do you explain that it was like that when you got there; what is the etiquette on that? What if they dont speak English? Anyway I tried to find a flush button, and finally found a foot lever like on those trashcans where it lifts the lid. Now you really have to picture this and understand my noble intentions. Imagine, hmm.. yeah that must be it, followed by a quick foot press. Well in this case it shot a massive stream of water straight out of the magic hole in the back of the bowl right into the center of my chest. Awe come on!! or something similar to that effect. Now I know some of you guys have leaned up against a wet counter and gotten that wet strip across your crotch, kind of embarrassing eh? Well imagine trying to explain water dripping from your chest all the way down your front. Thats it; I was done. No more worrying about the people behind me. I didnt even care if the Egyptians thought all Americans were disgusting. All I wanted was a normal bathroom. I was dreaming, no, I was praying for modern facilities!!When we first arrived in Finike Turkey, we couldnt believe our luck. Nice Marina, cool town within walking distance, Saturday markets, and the biggest heads weve seen since Singapore. Nice and clean, with marbled floors, no waiting. KT and I both commented to each other when we got back on the boat. You know youre in trouble when you get giddy over a bathroom but we both did!! These facilities are so modern they have motion sensors on the paper towel dispensers and motion detecting light switches for each unit (shower or toilet). Now I dont know if the Turks get jiggy with it on the toilet and in the shower, but Flash Gordon couldnt finish in the time they give you. Now at 41, I know where my bits are, so showering in the dark isnt really a problem, but you feel kind of like a complete lunatic sitting on the toilet or bare naked in the shower jumping up and down and waving at some sensor just to make the light go on. Maybe its all just a ploy by Candid Camera. If so, youll soon see me waving like a fool on the crapper in a couple of months. Please dont let this be my fifteen minutes of fame.

6/19/2008 [New Window]
View Map of LocationFinally Back out Here .. This Will be a rough trip. The first protected leg took us 7 hours to go 24 miles.. uggh. Oh well I guess it's just part of the job!!

Night 4 [New Window]
View Map of Location 450 nM down - 804 nM to go Still Beating 20 knots. Slightly Favorable Wind Shift - Still 40nM Off Course

Night 7 [New Window]
View Map of Location 910 nM down - 615 nM to goB-Day Feast: Sashimi and Brownies

The Truth about Santa Claus [New Window]
Current Location: Finike, TurkeyCurrent Position: 36 17.63 N 30 08.98 ENext Destination: Hanging here for the winterWith Christmas just around the corner I thought it was time for the truth to be known. First, Santa Claus is real - and he's from Turkey. Now, I grew up thinking good 'ol Saint Nick was from the North Pole. This jolly ol' guy wore thick red suits to stay warm and his cheeks were always rosy from the chill (or maybe the spiced hot chocolate). So imagine my surprise when I learned that all these years I had been lied to ... Santa Claus isn't from the North Pole, no sir, he's from right here in Turkey, about an hour drive from Finike - in the town of Myra (today known also as Demre)!We had the pleasure of visiting Saint Nicholas' Church in Demre / Myra a few weeks ago. Unfortunately it was closed for the end of Ramadan (Muslim holiday), but we did get a chance to wander around the area and learn about the history of Santa Claus.BlurbBits for this Entry w/LocationIt all starts with Saint Nicholas - a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop of Myra. There are a couple of versions of how the gift-giving began but they are all centered around giving to others and helping the less fortunate. The story we heard (from our well informed guide) was that it started with Nicholas helping three impoverished daughters - providing them with dowries so that they could marry and not be sold into slavery or prostitution. As our guide tells it the first two daughters he helped by placing bags of gold through an open window (in the summer), but when it came time to help the third daughter it was winter so the window was closed. Nicholas therefore climbed up the roof and dropped the bag down the chimney, where, it so happens, the daughter's stockings were hanging to dry, and wouldn't you know it, the bag of gold fell right into the stocking!Throughout his life Saint Nicholas was known for trying to help others and inspire good virtue. As legends of his unselfishness spread, the accounts of his deeds blended with regional folklore and eventually he was transformed into an almost mystical being who was known for rewarding the good and punishing the bad. He also became a patron saint to many children, orphans, and sailors who prayed for his compassion, guidance, and protection. His death (December 6th) was marked by an annual feast. On the eve before, children would set out food (for St Nicholas), straw (for the horses), and schnapps (for his attendants). The next morning, assuming they were "good" children, they would find their gifts replaced with sweets and toys.From there Santa Claus, as we know him today, developed from many religious, cultural, and even commercial influences. Americans have the Dutch immigrants of the 1600's to thank for Santa Claus, originally introduced as Sinterklaas (meaning Saint Nicholas).So why then does Santa Claus live in the North Pole? I mean where would you rather live - Turkey or some freezing, uninhabited, middle of nowhere place like the North Pole? And what about that red suit, the flying reindeer, and such? Most of these details come from creative writers and some commercialization. It starts around 1808 with the American author Washington Irving who wrote of an old St Nick riding over treetops in a horse drawn wagon, dropping gifts down chimneys. Irving also described Santa as a jolly Dutchman smoking a long stemmed pipe and wearing baggy breaches. In 1822 Dr Clement Clarke Moore, in "The Night Before Christmas", substituted eight reindeer and a sleigh for Irving's horse and Wagon - giving St Nick a more arctic background. Moore also gave Santa his broad face and round belly. Then in 1863, when Thomas Nast illustrated Moore's book of children's poems, he depicted a softer Santa dressed in red. In additional it was Nast that gave Santa a home - the North Pole. And finally we can thank artist Haddon Sundblom and Coca-Cola (in 1931) for adding the final touches to Santa's modern image. Sundblom's billboards for Coca-Cola featured a portly, jolly, grandfatherly-type Santa with rosy cheeks and a twinkle in his eye.The terrific thing about Santa Claus is that he incorporates so many beleifs and traditions from around the world. And even though much of Santa may have come from the imaginations of writers, artists, and advertisers, the underlying truth of Santa is hard not to appreciate. Who doesn't like a man that represents goodness and kindness and attempts to help those around him in need? So from Billabong we wish you all a Happy St Nicholas Day!

Night 3 [New Window]
View Map of Location 330 nM down - 925 nM to go Still Beating 20 knots w Torn Jib. NE Moonson? Why NNW Winds? UGGH

Temple of Hatshepsu [New Window]
View Map of LocationIt looks like it was carved out of the surrounding cliffs. Also "found" our own ruins Mt biking over a short cut to get to the road. Amazing what else you can see while taking it slow.See Temple of Hatshepsut for more details.

Night 2 [New Window]
View Map of Location 205 nM down - 1050 nM to go Still Crappy increased to 25 knots

Quick Update [New Window]
Billabong is still on the hard in Finike Turkey ( View BlurbBit w/Location).We are on a whirlwind four month trip through the states to visit family in three different states ( View locations). It's a little crazy.. but it's been great to catch up with family. We are REALLY enjoying our visit to the states.. but it is such a contrast our past year of sailing and life in Turkey.Speaking of which, we have updated our blog with all the Blurbs that we originally mapped (via email) during our trip across the Indian Ocean and up the Red Sea (77 updated posts). They are shorter than our usual blogs and just include a status update, with position, and sometimes a photo (also see our Blog Album Summary or our Egypt Land Tour Photos). They complete the story and fill in some of the blanks and may help cruisers following in our wake with anchorages and cool places to stop. We've also added labels to help search blogs by country or area, in addition to our archive (by date). With the Geoblogs on this Page map you can quickly see the locations we blogged about in each area or time frame.It also helped us test some new functionality that we may release for BlurbBits. If you are interested in giving BlurbBits a try or starting your own blog.. give us a shout!!More news .. soon!!The last part of the Red Sea in the hardest, the wind doesn't want you to leave. Non-stop 20-30 knots right on the nose, with ridiculously step seas for the amount of fetch. We sailed in similar winds at the same angle for 1800 nm from the Marshall Islands to Fiji but those seas were open ocean swell and not the boat stoppers that the Red Sea dishes up. Check out the number of tacks.. it was work.. all day non-stop work!! All that to travel 30 miles.. what you cover in a half an hour on the freeway!!

Marsa Alam [New Window]
View Map of LocationMarsa Alam, Egypt25 Feet Good Holding. Two days sailing = 30 miles north before the wind picks up to 25 knots. AND we get up at 5 am to leave, we've had to sail 41 miles to make that 30!!Our actual track

Night 8 [New Window]
View Map of Location1062 nM down - 464 nM to goPlaying with Dolphins

Hurghada [New Window]
View Map of LocationHurghada Marina Egypt - We Made It!!!From Thailand we have covered over 4770 nM in less than two Months. A moving average (including stops) of 2.2 Knots.Nautical Miles to Date - 26,800 nMHurghada Marina EgyptSee Hurghada Egypt for more details.

Aden, Yemen [New Window]
View Map of LocationAden, Oman: 25 feet Mud in Busy PortTrip Summary - 617 nM, 122 hours, Ave 5 knotsNautical Miles to Date - 25,502Aden Yemen Yacht Anchorage

Marsa Wasi [New Window]
View Map of LocationMarsa Wasi, Sudan25 Feet Good Holding (So far) Very Tight Anchorage with wind to 35 knots. Reef is 1.5 boat lengths behind us.. Ugggh!!A VERY tight anchorage

Another Rest day [New Window]
View Map of LocationAnother Rest day .. another 27 knots. Today was a great day we sailed 45 miles but covered 40 this time, wind never got above 25. only 50 miles to go!!

Marsa Hamistat [New Window]
View Map of LocationMarsa Hamistat, Sudan 32 Feet Good Holding Much nicer than last nightWaiting for the wind to drop to head North

6/20/2008 [New Window]
View Map of LocationPart 1 .. stop a little ways up after a 30+ knot pounding..1/2 mi of fetch and it still killed us.

Night 1 [New Window]
View Map of LocationNight 1 62 nM down - 550 nM to go Crappy first day left in a Sand Storm very little visibility and lots of windThe morning of our departure was a bit of a debacle. First the wind picked up enough to cause a few boats to drag and they had to re-anchor.   Then one of the tug boats came through asking about 10 of us to move as a ship was coming in that needed to dock behind us. In Oman you have to check out within a couple of hours of your departure, no 24 hour leeway, therefore we hadn't yet cleared out which meant we didn't have the option of just leaving, we had to re-anchor - not the easiest task with the higher winds, too-small of anchorage, and poor holding ground. We managed, and Chris was finally able to go ashore to check-out while I kept an eye on Billabong...See Journal on Passage Oman Yemen for more details.

Temple of Philae [New Window]
View Map of LocationA beautiful temple in a serene location.See Temple of Philae for more details.

Mersa Dudu [New Window]
View Map of LocationMersa Dudu, Eritrea, AfricaTrip Summary - 221 nM, 44 Hours, Ave 5 knotsVolcanic Formations of Mersa Dudu

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