" It is a great joy to have realized this project. It was more complicated than I imagined, but also much more beautiful and amazing than I ever dreamed! "Bertrand has just sailed 2600 miles with his 7m day cruiser. He has absolute confidence in his boat and is already planning future projects, still on board.
Departure from Aqaba in Jordan
For this "trip", he had his boat delivered by cargo to Aqaba in Jordan. The first difficulties begin with the customs clearance of the boat which remains blocked one week. For lack of knowledge, it will have fallen just at the end of Ramadan to which are added the vacations that follow and a Friday. It is only after 6 days (spent visiting the surroundings, including the site of the Dead Sea and that of Petra), that Bertrand and his partner (Alberto, an Italian friend) take the departure of the adventure.
Between sea and desert
The first stage takes place in the Gulf of Aqaba. A coastal navigation with a sea of oil where the 2 very close coasts frame the wake, along the Sinai desert. The stopover will be in Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt). Just before, the Strait of Tiran (between the land and the island of the same name), narrow, shallow and subject to the current, raises big pots.
The next day will be busy sailing up the Red Sea to Suez, at the entrance of the canal. Exceptionally, the friends slept on board to leave at daybreak. Indeed, the road is long on this stage: 175 M. But by sailing early in the morning and avoiding the afternoon, the navigation is going well with high average speeds, often above 25 knots.
The contact with the Egyptians is not pleasant explains Bertrand. euros unlike the Jordanians, we have to pay bakchichs for everything. Bertrand takes advantage of this stopover (which will last 3 days) to visit the pyramids.
Incredible Suez Canal
For the passage of the Suez Canal, he will have to take a pilot. The canal takes 2 days with a stopover in Ismailia before arriving in the Mediterranean at Port Said. This crossing remains an exceptional memory for Bertrand. "In the canal, one has the impression of being in a history book, in a technology book as the structures and boats crossed are so impressive, but also in a military book" . Bertrand never tires of seeing the pharaonic works of the bridges and roads or the floating cathedrals often more than 50 m high that pass by him loaded with containers.
at the Ismailia stopover, they met the director of the Suez Canal Yacht Club, which is seeking to develop tourism on the canal. A beautiful evening of exchange in this Yacht-Club out of time and geography.
Imprisoned in Tel Aviv!
The stage between Port Said and Tel Aviv was the wettest of the trip. Indeed, the boat encountered 1 m of swell from 3/4 aft which slowed it down and copiously watered the crew. The arrival in Tel-Aviv almost turned bad. No luck, the Navy did not answer the sailors' calls to enter the port. They learned later that the authorities were looking for two terrorists who had just committed axe murders. The entry into the country ended with a night at the police station, which fortunately ended without grievance. Despite this cold reception, the crew took the opportunity to visit Jerusalem. Another visual slap in the face for Bertrand.
Dirty gasoline clogging the hoses
Now, the 200 miles that separate them from Cyprus will be the hardest. The weather is not good and on top of that, the diesel supply to the engine seems to be defective. The diesel bought in Egypt and Israel was dirty. It blocked the tank outlet, forcing the crew to blow into the hose to unblock it. This operation took place in the open sea, 100 miles from any coast. Fortunately, Bertrand had a satellite phone with him, which he used to make a diagnosis with his shipyard in Saint-Malo. It is from this piece of French land that the solution will be found and that the journey could continue without any problem. Today, Bertrand would leave with a funnel equipped with a grid to pre-filter the fuel while refueling.
After Cyprus, it will be a departure towards Greece by avoiding Turkey. A little chilled by the Israeli episode, Bertrand thinks that it is better to avoid Turkey and to enter directly into a European country.
A succession of dreamy ports of call
The stopover will be on the island of Kastellorizo. It is the most eastern island of Greece and is located just over a mile from the Turkish coast. This stopover will be an opportunity to ride a scooter to visit it. The discovery of a real jeweleuros
The ports of call in Greece follow one another: Rhode, Nissiros, Paroseuros. Some of them are not approachable, like Amorgos where the strong wind prevents entering the port. Others leave memories like the channel between Antiparos and Paros approached from the south, a magical moment.
in euros, Bertrand learns with surprise that the Corinth Canal is still closed for works. It is thus necessary to go around the Peloponnese to join Italy. Fortunately, the weather remains good and this detour will always be done with the pleasure of discovery.
The course towards Italy is taken at the level of the island of Corfu after the visit of Zakynthos where the reception of the locals is always so charming. Bertrand and his friend crossed the Adriatic towards Santa Maria di Leuca. Then it will be Gallipoli (with a stop of 2 days to visit Calabria), then Roccela Ionica where the sea offers a nuancier of blue, finally the arrival near the strait of Messina with the discovery of the majestic Etna.
It is the presence of migrants who are visible in all the ports of southern Italy that will mark the most Bertrand. Boats, camps... are all proof of the human distress that arrives on our coasts.
The solo suite
In Sicily, Bertrand wanted to stop in Syracuse and above all to sail around the island from the south. This is what he will do, but this time alone, because his friend must disembark. From Marzamemi, he will cross the southernmost cape of Italy, even further south than Tunis! Along the coast, he will be surprised by the fog towards Trapani.
For the crossing to Sardinia, a long 160-mile sail, he took on board a co-pilot. They left at night at 4 am, because the weather forecast announced a little wind in the afternoon, and covered the distance in 9 hours, arriving in Porto Corallo at 1 pm. Despite the 12 to 15 knots of wind, the sea only rose for 1 hour at 2/3 of the course. A good day of rest is necessary after this long navigation.
Once again, Bertrand sailed solo along the east coast of Sardinia towards Corsica. He slalomed between the superb islands of the Maddalena and crossed the Bouches de Bonifacio, encountering a high swell. The whole west coast of Corsica to go back to Calvi was swallowed in one day. It will be the only day without seeing blue sky, with even a little rain at the start. In Corsica, Bertrand learned that he had just become a grandfather for the first time. So he accelerated his pace a little.
Whales at sea!
The departure from Calvi will be in the middle of the night at 3 am. Direction the Ile du levant. After having met whales, he will arrive in the afternoon at Sanary-sur-Mer. Then it will be the final stop in Marseille. We are on May 27, 2022.
2600 miles and 130 hours of motoring
Bertrand left on May 2nd and completed this incredible journey in 25 days (including breaks and visits). 2600 miles and about 130 hours of motoring. The 270 hp Nanni Diesel inboard engine in Z-Drive did not cause any problems. The reliability of this 4-cylinder Toyota block proved its robustness. On the crossing to Cyprus, it ran at 1200 rpm for 12 hours without any problems.
All in all, Bertrand had only 3 spare parts with him: an oil filter, a diesel prefilter and a diesel filter. He made the whole trip (130 h engine) without changing any oil. His only intervention was to add some oil in the Z-drive in Sicily.
As far as the weather is concerned, Bertrand had chosen this period in May, which is known to offer a windless climate in the Mediterranean. This proved to be true as the sailor only had to endure 2 windy days out of the 22 days at sea.
For comfort, the crew stopped in the ports each day, renting a hotel room to have a good night's rest. They never made any reservations for either the port or the hotels, as this period of May was not too active.
Reasonable consumption
After this experience, he thinks that 5 to 6 hours of sailing per day is the right pace. Without an autopilot, he could not let go of the steering wheel (except above 30 where the boat becomes stable). During all the navigations, he had to remain standing. Indeed, his cruising speed was between 25 and 33 N when the sea allowed it. As for consumption, the sailor was able to validate a little more than 1 liter/mile between 25 and 28 N and 1.5 liter/mile at 33 N. In the end, the adventure will have consumed about 3 000 l of diesel.
hardly arrived on land, Bertrand already has new projects. But first, he would like to return for a longer period of time to 2 places he particularly appreciated: Greece and Sardinia
