01/03/10 All night long passage in very close convoy - but at least we now could show low down nav lights so that other boats could keep station on us, although being approached by fast skiffs in the night had us all worried.....is it robbers, military or fishermen? Daybreak saw us approaching the port of Aden, our next stop off point. It's still a long way into the harbour once you've entered the marked channel and it was quite an impressive sight to see all fourteen boats motoring into the dawn and hear them calling Port Control for permission to enter. Anthea had done a sterling job of towing Cobble for the last 200 miles (I take my hat off to him) and they cast off the tow just a mile from the anchorage, only for Cobble's engine to overheat and require a dinghy tow the last 300 metres to anchor. I took to my bed and slept for the next 18 hours, sweating and burning up.
02/03/10 A meeting ashore this morning (all in VdG shirts) to be greeted by the General and welcomed to Aden. I still felt unwell enough to attend but at least my high temperature of 103oF is falling and I did manage to get some food inside me. I also had a visit from our resident doctor, Armen, onboard Slamat (who else has a doc make house calls by dinghy?) who confirmed the same ailment of Dengue Fever which has plagued others. His wife noted that it was only the men of the rally who had been affected since Massawa. I did feel a bit better after my night's sleep, a shave, shower and some breakfast of fruit and orange juice. Our sun shade had been erected yesterday in an attempt to keep the oppressive heat off the deck of the boat while everyone rests and awaits Cobble's engine repairs. Still no wi-fi but at least there is an internet cafe ashore, and we also have mobile phone connections again so I was able to let my brother know of our arrival here.
03/03/10 I think I've broken the fever now! I feel much better, the nausea and dizziness have gone, my eyesight is improving, appetite has returned (shorts too big now!) and the disco ashore last night actually kept me awake, unlike the previous night when I just slept straight through. Armen and his wife came by to check how I was and advised continuation of the medication for another couple of days. I don't recommend the illness to anyone! Armen tells me that once you've had it, you are immune from that strain again....but there are four strains!
05/03/10 Continuing to feel better each day! Been ashore and had a look around, found internet cafe and am currently sitting here with Jordan and Leah updating as much of site as I can in available time. The route map may take a lot longer, so be patient.
07/03/10 So, it's been good to be able to communicate with the outside world again and to update this site letting friends and family know where I am. Thanks for the messages on the guestbook, glad to know someone is actually looking at the site! We've heard the updated news that Paul and Rachel Chandler, former members of the VdG Rally, may be released by the Somali pirates in the next 10 days or so, and we all wish them the very best and a speedy return the UK. Food supplies here are good, there is a large shopping mall (western style) which contains a good supermarket (Lulu) in the Crater area of Aden and we've made several trips there to stock up on supplies. How do husbands find their wives, or children their Mothers, in these places though? The first time we went, it was absolutely packed - and it's a sea of women clad all the same in black Burkha's - all veiled and all unrecognisable! Even the local taxi drivers call them Ninja's!
The holding here hasn't been too good, several boats have dragged their anchors when the wind got up a little and I had to alert Mistral to the fact at 3am the other morning. Yesterday, several of us boarded Easy 'n Free and Shelter (who's crews are away) as both boats dragged into one another. Other yachts who are not included in 'our' rally are arriving or departing almost on a daily basis, heading mostly up the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. We understand that Moody Time are almost in the Suez Canal again now.
09/10/10 Next leg gets underway??
Click for some of the Vasco da Gama boats.
For previous logs, click Here
For information on the Vasco da Gama Rally, click HERE
The time onboard is:
Time elapsed since sailing from Gillingham:
