Since the war started in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, we have been keeping an eye on safety concerns for cruisers sailing west from Thailand and Indonesia for the Red Sea.
This week we contacted Wade Alarie who is an old Red Sea hand and run the Red Sea Cruisers Facebook Group. Cruisers use this group as a community in which to share news and information. We asked Alarie if he had any updates for those contemplating a Red Sea Passage this year.
Via Facebook Messages he wrote back: “No update. As you can see it is a dynamic situation. I can tell you that no yachts have been targeted or inadvertently damaged by pirates, hostile fire or anything else. Yachts are still passing through with probably 70 making the passage from January through April.
“I provided an update on Noonsite two months ago. Despite what fear you may have from reading the news, it is situation normal for yachts.”
That’s good news and in another positive turn of events the Eritrean port of Massawa is now open again and safe for cruisers. A good harbor and an ancient city in much disrepair, Massawa offers a good waystation along the Red Sea passage and is interesting as well. Plus, it is one of the only stops along the African coast between Djibouti and Suakin in Sudan.
For those wanting to learn more about the Red Sea passage, the Red Sea Pilot by Elaine Morgan and Stephen Davies, published by Imray, is an excellent resource.
