Skipper: Horst Tabel
Crew: Andrey Semenko (later, Burkhart Tabel), Ahmet Davran
Distance logged: 5450 nm.
Ports visited: Kusadasi, Gumusluk, Bodrum, Symi, Marmaris, Gobun, Megisti, Kas, Finike, Paphos, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Marsa-Telemet, Al Gouna, Ras Abu Soma, Marsa Mubarek, Ras Banas, Massawa, Asab, Salalah, Lamu, Kilifi.
Crew: Andrey Semenko (later, Burkhart Tabel), Ahmet Davran
Distance logged: 5450 nm.
Ports visited: Kusadasi, Gumusluk, Bodrum, Symi, Marmaris, Gobun, Megisti, Kas, Finike, Paphos, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Marsa-Telemet, Al Gouna, Ras Abu Soma, Marsa Mubarek, Ras Banas, Massawa, Asab, Salalah, Lamu, Kilifi.
November 11, 2001 - Horst, my neighbor of five years, calls to let me know that he is moving to Capetown and asks if I would be interested to sail with him to take his boat, Meridian, to Capetown. We would have a layover in Kilifi, Kenya. I jump on the opportunity, knowing that this will be the longest and most daring trip I have undertaken. The next day, we go to Kusadasi and drydock the boat. He hands me the "Red Sea Pilot" book and flies back to Capetown, I return to Manal.
- World Cruising Routes by Jimmy Cornell
- Red Sea Pilot by Stephen Davies & Elaine Morgan
March 2002 - Horst flies in to Izmir. Preparations in Kusadasi. Maintenance, painting, antifouling. Ordered new sail and spray hood. Will pick-up liferaft from maintenance, bought new dinghy. Solar panel ready to be mounted. Looking into purchasing satellite phone, coverage is as far as Kenya.
June - Aiming to start in mid-July. We will sail around the Aegean first, checking the boat, fine-tuning everything. Crew members are Horst Tabel (60), Ahmet Davran (46) and Andree Semenko (26).
July 2, 2002 - Started from Kusadasi to Gumusluk - 63 nm. and on to Bodrum - 20 nm. where we performed further maintenance and installed the solar panel. Sailed to Symi - 49 nm., spent one night, then on to Marmaris - 50 nm. From Marmaris to Gobun - 43 nm., Megisti - 52 nm., Kas - 4 nm. and to Finike - 35 nm.
July 18 - Left Finike, arrived at Paphos, Cyprus - 155 nm.
July 20 - Paphos to Port Said/Port Fuad, Egypt - 240 nm.
July 21 - After a night in Ismailia, crossed the Suez Canal - 25 nm. With our pilot on board, we cruise through multitudes of tankers and container ships that pass daily through the canal. Then we sail Gulf of Suez in two legs: Suez to Marsa-Telemet - 65 nm., and Marsa-Telemet to El Gouna - 125 nm.
July 25 - Anchored at the Abu Tig marina in El Gouna; resting and enjoying the incredibly beautiful underwater sights.
July 29 - El Gouna to Ras Abu Soma - 50 nm.
July 30 - Ras Abu Soma to Marsa Mubarek - 108 nm.
August 1 - Marsa Mubarek to Ras Banas - 147 nm.
August 6 - Arrived at Massawa, Eritrea after four days of sailing, bypassing Sudan - 685 nm. Caught two 6 lb. tasty barracudas on the way. I was alone on the boat when a sand storm kicked up (Horst and Andrey had gone to the capital, Asmara). While praying that the anchor would not drag, I carried everything on deck inside and experienced this amazing occurrence with no damage. We will spend a week or so in Massawa, resting and restocking provisions.
August 10 - Left Massawa, heading towards Asab. Stopped over at Shumma Island (33 nm.), Dahleid Island (20 nm.), Anfile Bay-Hant Deset Island (60 nm.) and arrived at Asab (184 nm.)
August 22 - After a long, non-stop sailing, arrived in Salalah, Oman - 833 nm, 7 days. We had a difficult time during the last 3 days of the trip when the fresh water pump broke down. We had to fall back to sails with no wind, and drifted with the waves most of the time. The pump was repaired by a local mechanic using Horst's supply of spares. Getting ready for the longest leg of our trip to Seychelles (1300 nautical miles).
September 3 - Started for Seychelles. Unfortunately, during the second day, the fresh water pump broke again. We had no choice but return to Salalah, backtracking 204 miles.
September 5 - Arrived at Salalah port late at night. Planning on continuing on September 25th. Horst flew to Germany to take care of some things, he will be back September 20th. He will get a new water pump and have the autopilot (Autohelm 6000) checked, as it was acting up too. Andree returned back home to Capetown, a friend of Horst's will be replacing him for the rest of the trip. I am alone on the boat, passing time in Salalah.
September 23 - Left Salalah for Seychelles. Since Horst's friend had changed his mind, Horst's cousin Burghart flew in from Germany that day and joined us. His navigation skills and sailing experience turned out to be blessing, as we would find out later. Heavy head winds and waves made us consider changing our route to the Maldives; however we continued to the Seychelles, bypassing Socotra 120 miles to prevent possible trouble with pirates. As the autopilot failed again, we each had to tend the wheel at 3-hour watches. About a day or so from the equator, we encountered whales; their size and power amazed me. We crossed the equator around noon, on October 4th. By this time, we had abandoned the stopover at Seychelles and continued on to Kenya.
October 6 - Arrived at Lamu, Kenya, after 13 days and 2,069 miles. At the entrance to Lamu, we relied on Burghart's nighttime navigaton, using only charts and GPS, as the buoys that were indicated on the maps had no light. Lamu is a unique place; with no cars, only donkeys for transportation. Horst had visited the place some 35 years ago and had loved it, now it was a dream come true for him to come back in his own boat.
October 10 - Arrived in Kilifi, 120 miles south of Lamu. Timed our arrival to Kilifi Creek with the low tides, as we had to cross under a bridge and high-tension power lines. Meridian will be moored at the Kilifi boat yard until we continue the second leg of our trip. Burghart returned to Frankfurt on October 12; Horst and I will leave for Nairobi on October 17 and fly on to Capetown and Istanbul, respectively. We spend our time cleaning up the boat and getting things in order. I go on a two-day safari at the Tsavo National Park.
October 18, 2002 - Arrived in Istanbul, safe and sound. Tentative plans are to start the second leg of the trip in May-June, 2003.
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