Suez : Profile

Location

Suez is located at the northern end of the Gulf of Suez and marks the southern end of the Suez Canal. It has been a commercial port since the 7th century although Suez itself was never much more than a village until the present day canal was opened. Today it is one of Egypt’s largest ports.

Clearance

Yachts are usually met in the approaches by an agent's boat, who will offer his services, sometimes quite forcefully. It is therefore advisable to have made arrangements in advance with an agent, either in Hurghada, by phone/email or on VHF Channel 16. The agent will then meet the yacht on arrival.

The agent will obtain permission for the yacht to proceed directly to the Suez Yacht Club. The agent will also arrange for the officials to come to the club for clearance, or will deal himself with all other formalities, including Canal transit. The agent will also bring the Suez Canal pilot to the yacht club on the day of the transit.

Otherwise yachts should anchor in the waiting area in Port Ibrahim and contact Port Control on VHF Channel 16 for permission to go to Suez Yacht Club, which is located on the left-hand side of the Canal, just beyond the Canal Authority buildings.

Procedure for transiting the Suez Canal

To transit the Canal, the same formalities have to be gone through as those described for Port Said.

Although not compulsory, it is advisable to employ the services of an agent, as it is more difficult to complete the canal transit formalities alone than in Port Said. If using an agent, all fees should be agreed in advance and the agent should also be asked to specify exactly which fees and services are included. It is advisable to know your boat's tonnage, which for Suez measurements includes all covered structure about the deck (i.e. pilot house etc). The agents in Suez who appear to handle most cruising yachts are Prince of the Red Sea and Felix Maritime Agency.

The procedure for the transit is identical to the southward passage: the pilot will arrive early in the morning and the night will be spent at Ismailia where the pilot will board the following day and take the vessel to Port Said. Do not rely on the pilot knowing anything about piloting a yacht. Keep in 8-10m of water close to the buoys if the flow is against you and 15-18m if the flow is with you. You can gain well in excess of 1 knot doing so.

If a yacht gets into difficulties during the canal transit, contact your agent not the Canal Authority.

No yacht can transit the canal if a warship is passing through.

Be prepared for the "baksheesh" culture of the canal and carry plenty of small change US$.

Last updated September 2010.

Felix Maritime Agency
(Mr Nagib Latif) , Suez Yacht Club
Tel:+20 66 333 3232/+20 66 324 8283 / mob. 012 211 9365, Fax:+20 66 333 3510
felix@felix-eg.com
Rates are negotiable.

Prince of The Red Sea
(Captain Heebi)
Tel:+20 62 319 13 16 / +20 62 319 21 22 / Mobile +20122291049 / +20 10 006 84 12, Fax:+20 62 319 09 65, VHF Channel 16
princers@tedata.net.eg, and, princers1@tedata.net.eg