ALGERIA, August 26-27, 2011 City of Chetaibi

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Algerian Water border patrol checking us out

Tuesday’s sail gave us no wind, but lovely sunny skies. Tabarka is located close to the Algerian border and it wasn’t long before we were actually in Algerian waters. This was made clear to us with the approach of a very large military boat complete with guns on the deck. We had been ready for our arrival in Algeria by putting up the Q flag on our port side shroud and the Algerian flag on the Starboard. As we watched this large boat approach us at a fast speed, I tried to take some pictures without being too obvious.

The military boat circled us and hailed us on VHF. Ken had a very pleasant conversation on VHF answering their questions regarding our destination, and nationality of the entire crew. After bidding us a good day, they were gone! Tuesday’s sail gave us no wind, but lovely sunny skies. Tabarka is located close to the Algerian border and it wasn’t long before we were actually in Algerian waters. This was made clear to us with the approach of a very large military boat complete with guns on the deck. We had been ready for our arrival in Algeria by putting up the Q flag on our port side shroud and the Algerian flag on the Starboard. As we watched this large boat approach us at a fast speed, I tried to take some pictures without being too obvious. The military boat circled us and hailed us on VHF. Ken had a very pleasant conversation on VHF answering their questions regarding our destination, and nationality of the entire crew.

After bidding us a good day, they were gone!

We were able to fly the spinnaker in the morning, but by afternoon, we were motoring again. It was a sleepy day with little to do but read, motor and look for dolphins. We arrived in our first Algerian harbor in the city of Chetaibi around 7PM. Tying up along the quay was a bit of a circus and the longer it took, the larger the audience became. Not very often you see an American, RED sailboat come into your small fishing harbor. Language being the biggest challenge, we had several attempts to get the boat secured without hitting bottom along the quay. One gentleman assured me that it was 2 meters deep along side, but we knew we were touching several times. After a few odd try’s, Ken finally dropped anchor with the bow out and we secured the boat alongside a cement fishing dock. We had most of our fenders alongside to protect the boat, and of course, by this time it seemed the entire village was watching our progress.


Our evening audience


The young girls had so many questions for us (ladies)

There was a younger Coastguard representative that helped with our paperwork and soon became our boat guard. It was soon apparent that many wanted their pictures taken in front of the boat and several families tried to place their small children on our deck for this photo opportunity. We had to keep our gateway closed and kindly ask them to stay off the boat. This happened through out the evening and even in the morning before we were up. (in the morning, I awoke to hearing someone on the deck and when I went up, found several young boys scampering off with the Coast Guard rep watching. I think after I asked them to respect us, he kept others from getting on board.

That first night in Algeria, Ken and Fred walked to town to try to secure some food for dinner. Molly, Paula and I stayed behind to “protect” the boat. The entire Quay was filled with people enjoying the evening and watching us. The men did not have any luck getting dinner due to our lack of Algerian
funds and they did not want our US$. After a boat-dinner, Molly, Paula and I walked down the Quay and
had several lovely conversations with some of the younger crowd. They had wonderful questions for us and one particular young girl was very anxious to talk about women’s rights and freedoms. We found our entire reception very warm and they seemed delighted we selected their village to stop for the night.

In the morning we untied early to an almost empty Quay, and motored slowly out to start our next days sail. It was about 7:30AM when we left and we found we were able to sail with the Jib most of the day. Molly and Paula were at the helm most of the day taking us to our next destination, Collo, Algeria.

Tunisia – Sidi Bou Said and Carthage – July 21-23

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Left as scheduled for our sail to Sidi Bou Said (marina) and arrived around 11:30 AM. We started boat laundry and put up the tent to shade us for the day. Since Malta, the weather has been very hot with little wind and the tent has made it bearable for us during the day.


Coming into Sidi Bou Said Harbor


View of Harbor from hilltop village – can you see Grateful Red?


Our makeshift tent to give us shade

As Ken and I have found, many villages are up a hill from the marina’s that we have stayed in and this village was no different. Village BouSaid is a relatively small area with one main street of shops for the bused in tourists. Internet Café’s are absent here and even the few hotels did not provide for their guests, so our blog updates and emails had to wait.


Cemetary on top of Sidi Bou Said


View looking toward Golfe de Tunis

On Friday, we arranged with our new friend Jaz to have him pick us up and take us to Sidi Bousid, and check out the local souk (Market). As we drove, Jaz gave us a wonderful tour and pointed out many points of interest. Reaching the city, Jaz pointed out the square where the young, unemployed college graduate set himself on fire in protest. Our hope as humble visitors is that their voices will be heard and civil and political grievances will be addressed and some solidarity is found.


National Guard, Police and Military presence are still seen, along with Barbwire barriers


Our visit to a Souk (market)

Our tour through the Souk took us to one of the highest vista’s in the city. To get there we had to walk through a beautiful carpet shop with several floors. When we were on the roof, we heard the calls to prayer which for me, only experiencing it on TV, found it very moving.


Paula with our Tunisian friend Jaz

As we walked back down through the carpet shop, we were invited into one of the “sales” rooms and were given a demonstration and lesson on fine carpet. It soon turned into a sales pitch and Paula found a small carpet that was negotiated on and agreed upon. Paula and Fred left with their package securely wrapped and tied.

On our way home, we decided that Paula and I should take a cab to the Carrfor Supermarket to get some provisions. Being a Friday (a Holy day for Tunisia), no alcohol is sold. We did not know this and realized it might be a dry several days until we reached Spain!

Fred, Paula and Molly ended up taking Jaz and his wife to dinner and Ken and I spent a quiet evening on the boat

The fuel dock that appears to have not been operational for some time!
Saturday, July 23rd, we wanted to leave at 8AM, but found that the harbor master was not in his office (hours posted, but not always observed). We moved the boat to what we thought was the fuel dock to further our departure while we waited for him to show up. The fuel dock had not been in operation for what appeared some time but while we were there waiting, it seems the dock hands were given permission to take our payment for the berth. Ken got our papers from the National Guard and we left for Besirk around 9AM.


Molly at the helm

Winds varied during the day from 10kts to 25kts and we sailed mostly with furled jib.

Tunisia – Sidi Daoud, Visit to Kerkouane

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After the Roman Caves, our taxi guide started to take us back to the port. We asked him if he would take us to the Pre-Roman Ruins in Kerkouane. He said he could not and would drop us off in the village before the port and we could get another taxi to take us to Kerkouane. After dropping us off, Molly negotiated for 60 Denar with another taxi to take us to a ATM in Kabalia, then to the Pre-Roman ruins.


Behind trucks loaded with tomatoes going to a cannery


Cannery truck with tomatoes


Entrance to Kerkouane.

I will let Wikipedia explain Kerkouane to you:

Kerkouane (Arabic: كركوان‎; occasionally Kerkuane) is a Punic city in northeastern Tunisia, near Cape Bon. This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c. 250 B.C.), and as a result was not rebuilt by the Romans. It had existed for almost 400 years.

Excavations of the town have revealed ruins from the 4th and 3rd Centuries BC. Around the site where the layout is clearly visible, many houses still show their walls, and the coloured clay on the facades is often still visible. The houses were built to a standard plan, in accordance with a sophisticated notion of town planning.

A sanctuary has some columns preserved, and in a small atrium parts of mosaics are found. Curbstones, doorsteps, thresholds, and floors of simple mosaic layers are found all over the ruins. Still archaeologists work on the Kerkouane site, but it is believed that the best parts have already been discovered.

Kerkouane was one of the most important Punic cities, with Carthage, Hadrumetum (modern Sousse) and Utica.


Bathtub in one of the structures. Very advanced water system throughout the ruins

According to my guidebook, many homes were single-story with steps leading to a rooftop terrace. On the floor of several houses, you could see an early form of mosaic known as opus signinum, in which fragments of white stone were inserted amongst the red paving. One house had a beautiful white Tanit (a god) symbol set into the floor.


More mosiacs


Well preserved “hip-bath”


Great example of their great use of stone


Fred, Paula, Kristine & Ken (photo courtesy of Molly!)

It was a very interesting visit to the ruins and we took some time to visit the museum there also. This taxi squeezed all 5 of us in his taxi even though, we assume, he was not supposed to do so. He did NOT want to miss out on our fares.

When we returned to the Port the “men” filled the boat with Diesel, one jerrycan at a time and we made chicken Quesadillas for dinner. We paid 60 Denar per night for our stay and left around 6:45AM to head to Sidi Bou Said Marina, Tunisia.