How to Bypass the Gulf of Aden

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Lexx

I’m no structural engineer but I chatted with our local Rigger who is well and widely know with many years experience and he tells me that a mast cut and then sleeved properly when rejoining will be aligned correctly and loose no structural integrity. The correct size sleeve actually takes care of the alignment and the sleeved area tends to be slightly stronger than the rest.

Could be worth considering when thinking of the costs involved if the mast is required to be shipped separately.

Lexx

I did spend 5 years working as a structural engineer (mechanical) for structures used in transportation. I wouldn't want to voluntarily cut my mast like that. No.

[CruisingSpirit]

You have raised some interesting points in # 39.

From what I have garnered from reports regarding attacks on yachts in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea during 2012, the reported number of piracy incidents have been reduced dramatically because the number of sailing yachts attempting that route have also markedly fallen, presumably because the warnings issued are finally being taken seriously.

Conversely, I’ve been looking around for reports covering successful transits of sailing vessels through this area in 2012 and have not found any. It may be, that they are being kept quiet in order to avoid attention (which would make sense) but tend to believe, personally, that the last of the “unbelievers” have been convinced.

It certainly isn’t “illegal” to make that passage and, at the end of the day, it is a personal decision each skipper and crew must make for themselves. Essentially, it is an exercise in “risk assessment” and the final decision will be based on the overall sailing experience of the skipper in question.

The value of a captured yacht does not lie in the vessel itself, but in the ransom which is expected to be paid for the release of the crew. Many demands for ransom made so far have gone into seven $U.S. figures. I have one hose on my yacht, that I use to bunker water and another one, with which I can hose down my anchor-well and the deck. To contemplate using either, in order to ward off a pirate attack, is ludicrous, at best.

Anyone willing to play “Rambo” with automatic weapons and engage 4-6 skiffs and/or a mother ship in a firefight somewhere in the southern Red Sea is welcome to do so. It certainly ain’t gonna be me.

Sailboats are simply too slow and vulnerable in such a situation and actions like these have accounted for a good number of sailing ships, who’s crews have ended their passage through those waters thoroughly dead. I think that so many yachts were captured during the past years because these dangers have been completely underestimated.

I’ve therefore drawn my own conclusions and have come to my own decisions regarding this. In my life I’ve taken some incredible risks, rolled the dice and made it. This, however, is one risk I’m not willing to take at this time.

Thanks for your input, Lexx, and may you always encounter fair winds.

[CruisingSpirit]

This is an update regarding the overland Dubai to Aqaba option, in order to reach the Mediterranean Sea on a westward passage.

Negotiations with Naber & Co. International Forwarders and Nabresco are ongoing. It appears, however, that trucks with low-bed trailers and Jordanian license plates may not enter the UAE, in order to pick up cargo. Naber & Co. suggest using a trucking firm working out of Dubai. They are, nonetheless, willing to be of assistance as soon as a yacht reaches Jordan territory.

I have asked Naber & Co. to determine whether a Jordanian truck transporting a yacht from Aqaba to Dubai could legally return to Jordan carrying a yacht in transit from to Dubai to Aqaba. They have informed me that they will look into this question and revert to me.

Further, I have asked Naber & Co. to provide me with any references they have of transport companies in Dubai, that they consider capable of undertaking such transports out of the UAE. They have asked me to provide images of S/Y Spirit, as well as the shipment specifications which are:

Length 14.02m
Height 4.50m
Beam 4.14m
Weight 12500kgs
Mast 18.28m

I've provided the images and the specs, as requested.

Blue Bell Shipping (see postings # 20 and 30, above] has informed me that several negotiations concerning transport from Thailand to the Mediterranean are ongoing and requested a bit more time. This, I gladly granted them with a renewed request for checking on the option of separate transport of the mast in order to reduce the overall costs.

At this junction, I believe that patience is required, not unlike waiting out a lull in the wind.

I’m still determined to follow this option through if there is any way of doing so. I’ll continue to keep you informed. If anyone else reading this thread is interested in either an Aqaba to Dubai or Dubai to Aqaba transport and would like to support this option through indicated interest, please do so by contacting Naber & Co. via Sales02@naberco.net and providing them with dimensions of your vessel.

It might be that this solution will have to become a two-way street, in order for it to function.

To all of you, a Happy Easter.

[Trim50]

Thank you for all this information! We are following your progress very closely.

Have you considered contacting the Pacific Puddle Jump to establish early interest in West Bound yachts? Potentially writing an article for Latitude 38 detailing potential options for vessels once they reach Indonesia?

[CruisingSpirit]

Thank you for the excellent suggestion. I’ve taken the liberty of contacting Andy at Pacific Puddle Jump, briefly explained the situation, directed him to this thread and queried whether he could establish potential interest through the PPJ network.

I hope he will respond. This information would certainly be an incalculable help in our negotiations.

Regarding an article for Latitude 38, I would be pleased undertake this. Do you have any contacts to that site, respectively their editorial department? An introduction or reference might also be helpful, in order to determine whether they are interested in addressing this issue on their venue.

[CruisingSpirit]

If one carefully looks at the map provided here

http://www.cruiserlog.com/forums/att...9&d=1341123005

you will notice that there are three further countries located in the Arabian Gulf and the Persian Gulf, that can be easily and safely reached by West Bound yachts: Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Although I have not in any way begun to investigate how well these countries are able to accommodate sailing yachts, nor how the highway systems from these areas are linked to Saudi Arabian highways and Aqaba, I would suggest that there are ample possibilities that can still be looked into should the Dubai to Aqaba option prove unworkable.

It would be interesting to determine whether Naber & Co. can send empty low-beds to any of these countries from Jordan and how these alternate routes from Doha, Manama or Kuwait City would potentially affect the yacht specifications as applicable from Dubai to Aqaba (max height 5.5 meters: = yacht + cradle + trailer).

Please consider this posting as a simple brainstorm, addressing possible plans B, C and D should all else fail. It should be noted that the distances to Aqaba are markedly reduced, should any of these countries become the starting points of an overland yacht transit to Jordan.

Does anyone on this forum have experience with the facilities these countries offer for sailing yachts?

Perhaps we should keep these options in mind.

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by CruisingSpirit

Regarding an article for Latitude 38, I would be pleased undertake this. Do you have any contacts to that site, respectively their editorial department?

I believe Andy is your man

If you do write an article for Lat 38, you should probably include the shipping option from Singapore to Turkey. Several of the boats from PPJ 2010 just completed that trip. S/V Serenity from Ventura California is one that you could talk to regarding their experience. From what I can tell, they were pretty happy.

[adriftnelly]

Cruising Spirit you are great with the information. Shipping Singapore to Turkey is also a good plan. Did anyone write more about that shipping somewhere here on Cruierslog?

[ParadiseParrot]

Seems crazy that someone isn't arranging convoys across with a couple of armed guard boats.

[AussieBruce]

Hi Guys & Gals, (my first post).
Just a bit further thought to the idea of cutting the mast for cheaper transport costs.... When Catalina now sends boats to their dealer (s) here in Aus, they come with the mast "broken" (cut) just above the deck. Norman Ambrose from Ausail Marine Group, tells me they are doing this now with all their exported yachts purely to keep transport costs down. He showed me a 38 footer with this sleeved joint & quite frankly I didn't think it looked too bad. I have some knowledge of structural mechanics in the sense of both point loads and uniform loadings and can concur with Auzzee (g'day mate) that this does not weaken the mast at that point. The new strees points become moved to just above & below the joint in question. If boat manufacturers are now designing these joints into their boats then the calculations of stresses would definitely have been done. I see no reason why a mast cannot be "broken" for transport, then sleeved (properly designed) and rejoined at a later date. This I belive is most definitely an option and could then be separated and joined at will for future transport if done correctly.
Just a thought form AussieBruce who is looking to have a Catalina or Hunter shipped to Aus.
Happy sailing to one and all.

[hartcjhart]

These guys could do it,they have the transport capability and also the right locations, dont be put off by the 'massive' things they move it could be worth a punt at asking for a price

ALE Case Studies

[Cowboy Cruiser]

Originally Posted by ParadiseParrot

Seems crazy that someone isn't arranging convoys across with a couple of armed guard boats.

My thought too! Contracting for an annual armed guarded convoy at sailing speed, would have to be a lot cheaper than shipping even one boat overland.

Mike

[redbopeep]

There are a couple services out there to provide armed convoy as you suggest -- but to merchant ships. I looked into it last year and I recall thinking it was going to take 8 or more sailboats and still be be more than $40,000 USD per sailboat in the convoy (related to how slow sailboats really are) and I dropped it because you can get a boat shipped for that.

[carpentersbug]

Is there any update on this? I'm based in Thailand and am thinking of sailing my boat back to Europe. I found this thread and was wondering if anyone had found a solution.
Thanks.