Red Sea Report

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Friday, April 27th

The advance party for PSAC’s Red Sea trip converged on Dublin Airport for the 8:30am flight to London Gatwick. On arrival at Gatwick’s North Terminal, we hopped on the courtesy shuttle to the Holiday Inn…which proved a pointless exercise as we were staying at the Best Western. At this point airline tickets were re-checked to ensure Peter had in fact booked the Red Sea and not elsewhere. Somewhat reassured that all was well with the travel arrangements, we ambled over to the Best Western, checked-in and returned to Gatwick. After a 30min trip on the Gatwick Express to Victoria Street and a short Tube ride, we found ourselves on a blazing Oxford Street in time for lunch. Post-lunch the Juvenile Branch of PSAC headed for Hamley’s toy store on nearby Regent Street for a major shopping spree. The more mature members of the club headed off to take in the sights including Picadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Leceister Square and Covent Garden. Our sightseeing completed, we returned to Gatwick and the Best Western for a meal and a few beers.

Saturday, April 28th

We returned to Gatwick’s North Terminal and met up with those that had travelled over that morning from Dublin. We were soon joined by the English contingent of Alan, Chris, Sue and Marie. Armed with tickets, passports, visas and a map of Africa and the Sinai peninsula, we took our place in the queue. John N was the first to check-in and receive his Boarding Card for the flight to Egypt. Gatwick baggage handlers being unfamiliar with the geography of North Africa apparently concluded that one Muslim country was as good as another and promptly placed John’s baggage on a flight to Algeria. Having successfully negotiated our way through Gatwick’s security procedures, we headed for the Duty Free shops. As we were soon to be guests in a Muslim country and keen not to upset our hosts, we purchased only mineral water and fruit juice. At 1:30pm we departed Gatwick on BA6858 for the 5-hour flight to Sharm. A showing of the wholesome biopic of Beatrix Potter (author of the Peter Rabbit adventures) as part of the in-flight entertainment made our journey seem just that little bit longer. We touched down in Sharm at 8:45pm (Local Time) and were quickly through Immigration and retrieving our baggage. John N waited for his baggage to appear on the carousel. And waited. And waited. And waited. Having completed lost luggage formalities, John joined us on the coach for the short trip to Sharm El Sheikh port. We were advised that security at the port had been tightened owing to the imminent marriage in Sharm of the son of the Egyptian president. Indeed the port was beset by members of an elite Egyptian special forces unit cradling semi-automatic weapons, wearing night vision goggles and accompanied by sniffer dogs. A crack team of Customs officials meticulously examined each item of baggage we had while dark-suited members of the Egyptian Secret Police questioned us closely. Apache attack helicopters circled overhead, their arc lights lighting up the entire port entrance. Having been fingerprinted, DNA-profiled and retina-scanned, we boarded our coach again and finally arrived at our home for the next 6 nights – the M.V. Typhoon of the Tornado Marine Fleet.

The M.V. Typhoon was launched in January 2005 and is 33m in length with an 8m beam. The upper deck comprised a fly bridge, sundeck (with ample shaded and sunbathing areas) and a jacuzzi. Below this was the indoor bar complete with plasma screen, sound system, a small library and coffee station. The cocktail deck outside provided ample seating for relaxing. A spiral staircase in the bar led down to the restaurant area which comfortably seated 25 for our buffet-style meals. Outside on this level was to be found the dive deck with ample space for dive kits to be assembled and gear stowed. Steps on the port and starboard sides led down to the dive-platform where two 4.8m RIBs were tied off. Below this deck were the en-suite cabins. With a capacity for 20 guests and 13 crew, Typhoon pretty much provided all we could ask for from a dive boat. We were welcomed aboard by Thijs (rhymes with ‘dice’) and Nicole, a Dutch couple who were to be our Dive Guides for the trip. After a quick orientation, the completion of some paperwork and setting up our gear, we headed to the restaurant for a meal and the cocktail deck for a nightcap…which was interrupted by a shower of rain.

Sunday, April 29th

The diving timetable for each day comprised a 6:30am (!) wake-up call for a dive briefing followed by the first dive of the day. After breakfast and some chill-out time, a second dive normally took place around 11:00am. Lunch was normally served at 1:00pm followed by an afternoon dive. The night dives took place after dinner around 7:30pm. The whole operation on board Typhoon ran like clockwork. The dive guides were knowledgeable and attentive and their briefings were both informative and witty and always accompanied by a detailed Powerpoint presentation. Our chef rustled up some fine meals with no complaints about quality or indeed quantity. The crew went about their tasks with an unobtrusive professionalism while those working on the dive platform and RIBs were always ready to lend a hand to assist with dive gear. In short, the entire operation was top drawer.

We awoke on Sunday morning to find that Typhoon had departed Sharm El Sheikh and was now anchored at the nearby Ras Kata dive site. The skies were blue without a hint of cloud and temperatures were heading for the 30s. The water temperature was a pleasant 22C and the visibility was gin-clear. We split into two groups of 10 divers with Thijs and Nicole leading the separate groups and using the dive as an opportunity to assess our abilities. Needless to say, PSAC acquit themselves with distinction. Once back onboard, breakfast was served and Typhoon headed for the nearby Ras Umm Sid dive site. At 11:00am, we kitted up and hopped into the RIBs for our second dive. The marine life, coral and drop-offs here were excellent. Ras Umm Sid proved to be a popular dive site with at least a half-dozen dive boats mooring alongside us. Even Mr. Whippy showed up. In the afternoon, we dived the Tower dive site and negotiated a flock / swarm / bevy / herd of jellyfish in order to get back onboard. We upped anchor and headed off to a quieter spot for a night dive after dinner. Thijs led and was joined by a further five divers. Afterwards some 100% hetrosexual, red-blooded, male bonding took place…in a bubble-filled jacuzzi. Rumours that John’s baggage would be joining us turned out to be greatly exaggerated.

Monday, April 30th

The early morning dive took place at the colourfully named Jack Fish Alley in Ras Mohamed Park. We dropped in en-masse from the dive platform as Typhoon powered away. Having dropped down to 25M, the drop below this was reminiscent of James Cameron’s ‘The Abyss’. We continued on through a swim-through and through some colourful coral observing stingrays and moray eels on the way. The RIBs were deployed to pick us up. At 11:00am we dived our first wreck of the trip. The Dunraven, a tramp steamer that sank in 1876, was returning from the east with a cargo of cotton when it hit a reef and sank in 27M of water. In the afternoon, we dropped off the dive platform, down the port bow line and dived Stingray Station – something of a misnomer as not one Stingray was to be seen. We were compensated, however, by the appearance of a turtle. Those who didn’t partake of the night dive watched Casino Royale….and were soon regretting the decision not to go diving.

Tuesday, May 1st

The early morning dive was at Small Crack. Our cox’n was obviously still a trainee as he decided to spin the RIB just as we commenced our back-roll entry. We have enrolled him in CFT’s next Diver Cox’n training programme. 30M was hit and we were unlucky to miss spotting dolphins who were above us at one stage of the dive. Next up was the wreck of The Kingston which sank in 1881. As the story goes, the captain of The Kingston had spent 48hours on watch navigating his way through the Suez Canal. Nearing exhaustion and needing sleep, he handed control of the vessel to the inexperienced first mate. Shortly afterwards it struck a reef and sank rapidly.

Next up, and the highlight of the trip for many, was the S.S. Thistlegorm. Built for the Albyn Line shipping company, the Thistlegorm was launched on April 9th, 1940. At 126.5M in length and with a top speed of 10.5kn, it was assigned to transport supplies to British forces during WWII. In May 1941, it left Glasgow with a crew of 39 and 9 Royal Navy ratings headed for Alexandria with a cargo that included Lee Enfield rifles, BSA W-M20 motorcycles and trucks for the British 8th army in North Africa. Also included in the cargo were rolling stock bound for Egyptian Railways. As much of the northern Mediterranean was in enemy hands, the convoy comprising the Thistlegorm circumnavigated Africa stopping in Cape Town and Aden in South Yemen to replenish fuel and food. Having entered the Red Sea it was ordered to drop anchor in the Strait of Gubal and wait for an obstruction in the Suez Canal to be cleared. At 12:35am on October 6th, two German Heinkel HE III bombers based in Crete spotted the Thistlegorm. The lead aircraft was piloted by Karl Von Bulow and Kurt Schmidt, both of whom were active members of the Bader-Meinhof Sub Aqua Club and keen wreck divers. Never ones to miss an opportunity, they flew in low over the Thistlegorm and dropped their payload of two two-tonne bombs on the freighter hitting No. 5 hold just aft of the bridge. The vessel split in two and sank rapidly in 30M of water. Nine were killed and the survivors were picked up by HMS Carlisle which was (not very successfully) escorting the Thistlegorm. The wreck was discovered by Jacques Cousteau in March 1955 while on his way to the Indian Ocean on board the research ship the Calypso.

As there are no permanent moorings on the S.S. Thistlegorm, each dive boat attaches lines to its structure to allow divers to drop onto it – wreck preservation is obviously not a high priority. Thijs undertook three dives in order to drop a line from our stern to the Thistlegorm’s stern and a further two lines from our bow to mid-ships. The dive party split into two with some heading for the bow section and the cargo holds while others headed aft to examine the stern and propeller. A fascinating dive was enjoyed by all – the one disappointment being that the visibility on the wreck was probably the worst of the week! Another night dive and an early morning dive on Wednesday afforded ample opportunity for all divers to examine the wreck thoroughly. Entertainment on Tuesday evening was provided by the 6:30pm al fresco dance class on Reef Master which was moored nearby. Even the paparazzi made their way onto Typhoon in order to observe and photograph proceedings. While we were distracted, a rather hirsute stowaway came aboard and was found resting in Peter’s bunk. That night we raised a glass to the S.S. Thistlegorm and all who sailed her. A toast to the Luftwaffe was deemed to be in poor taste.

Wednesday, May 2nd

After the early morning dive on the S.S. Thistlegorm, we upped anchor and headed for Gobal Island and the wreck of the Ulysses which sank in the late 1880s. As the story goes, the captain of The Ulysses had spent 48hours on watch navigating his way through the Suez Canal. Nearing exhaustion and needing sleep, he handed control of the vessel to the inexperienced first mate. Shortly afterwards it struck a reef and sank rapidly. In the afternoon, an underwater group photograph was organised followed by a one-fin race and a tour of the Barge wreck. Later on a party from the M.V. Whirlwind boarded Typhoon in an attempt to steal our beer and ravage our women. We fought valiantly to protect our beer. After dinner, a school of dolphins were spotted nearby and Louise fulfilled a lifetime ambition by swimming with them. We finished off the evening with a rather robust music quiz, Irish set-dancing, Thai kickboxing, a demonstration of the entire Hamleys toy store catalogue and a poor attempt at a singsong. PSAC must be in the record books for knowing the first line (and only the first line) of an inordinate number of songs.

Thursday, May 3rd

Our early morning dive was at Abu Nuhas and the wreck of the Giannis D which sank in 1983 carrying a cargo of wood. As the story goes, the captain of The Giannis D had spent 48hours on watch navigating his way through the Suez Canal. Nearing exhaustion and needing sleep, he handed control of the vessel to the inexperienced first mate. Shortly afterwards it struck a reef and sank rapidly. The wreck is lying on its port side in 24M of water with a fairly intact stern section. While the bridge was intact and provided an interesting swim-through, the angle at which the ship lay proved a little disorientating for some. Our next dive was the wreck of the Carnatic which sank in 1869 with the loss of 31 lives. Amongst its cargo, it was reputed to be carrying £40,000 in gold coins. As the story goes, the captain of The Carnatic had spent 48hours on watch navigating his way through the Suez Canal. Nearing exhaustion and needing sleep, he handed control of the vessel to the inexperienced first mate. Shortly afterwards it struck a reef and sank rapidly. Next up was the Chrisoula K which sank in 1981 carrying a cargo of Italian granite floor tiles bound for Right Price Tiles in Jeddah. As the story goes, the captain of The Chrisoula K had spent 48hours on watch navigating his way through the Suez Canal. Nearing exhaustion and needing sleep, he handed control of the vessel to the inexperienced first mate. Shortly afterwards it struck a reef and sank rapidly. A number of divers penetrated the wreck from the stern section and declared that the experience was more akin to potholing than diving. After a night dive at the Alternatives, we settled down on the cocktail deck for our last night onboard. Having been subjected to some classic Irish songs such as “Joxer Goes To Stuggart” the night before, our hosts decided it was only fair that we should be subjected to some Egyptian music and dance. First up was the Egyptian classic “Moustafa Goes To Mecca” followed by a demonstration of Egyptian dance by crewmember Tarek. Ship’s captain Hamada, keen to assert his superiority over proceedings, challenged PSAC to a “Place The Bottle” duel and wagered M.V. Typhoon that he wouldn’t lose. He lost and plans for a 33M X 8M extension to the boathouse are underway. As Friday was our last day on board and sensing that people would be keen to get up early, a 1:30am wake-up call was arranged.

Friday, May 4th

A bucket of water over the head while I lay asleep in my bunk at 7:30am suggested that my earlier wake-up call had not been well received. Two dives on the wreck of the Yolanda and at Ras Gazlani took place before we headed back to Sharm el Sheikh port. We bid farewell to Thijs, Nicole, ex-captain Hamada, Nour, Mohammed. Mahmoud, Bob, Assad, Abdallah, Ibrahim, Sammy, Tarek and Moustafa before boarding our coach for the short trip to Eden Rock hotel where a tearful reunion between John and his lost baggage took place. After a dip in the pool and dinner, we headed off to explore the subtle charms and understated elegance of Sharm resort. A few beers on the roof terrace of the Camel Bar brought the day to a close.

Saturday, May 5th

Some last minute souvenir shopping and a quick dip in the pool were squeezed in before we boarded the coach for Sharm airport and the flight home. We arrived in Gatwick at 10:00pm with barely enough time to make the following morning’s 6:30am flight to Dublin. The 24-hour Marks & Spencer store was raided and armed with a couple of bottles of Sauvignon Blanc, crackers and cheese, we partied into the wee small hours in the salubrious setting of Gatwick’s North Terminal.

Sunday, May 6th

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The report would be incomplete without a special word of thanks to Peter for all his efforts in organising the trip. We’ll expect more of the same in 2008.

May 14, 2007

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