We had a great day yesterday despite a negative forecast, and steamed up the coast. But we paid for our hubris when a boat 50 miles ahead reported 40 knots from the north at 23:00, and the front hit us at 03:00. One minute we had 4 knots, the next the wind was screaming in the rigging with flogging sails.

Our nearest refuge was only 12 miles away, so we jillied about in increasing seas till daybreak, when we made a rather hairy entrance through pounding reefs in poor visability. But the bonus has been a gorgeous marsa with exquisite corals and fish, so we can't complain.

We'll have to stay here till the weather improves, then make a dash for Bur Safaga, the first port of entry for Egypt. Richard and Sue will leave us there (sadly) and we'll take a trip to Luxor. The main headaches are then over, and we can day hop the 180 miles to the Canal. Then it's only 370 miles to Turkey.

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