Page 374 - The Tigris Expedition

Tlic Tigris Expedition
white-caps. I told the men that I was willing to sail on a two-hour
trial run with exact bearing on the west cape controlled from the
bridge. If after two hours the bearing showed that we were able to
maintain a course clear of the cape without leeway, then we should
continue. If not, then there would still be time for us to take the
wind in from the opposite tack and sail back into Hadibu port.
Everybody was happy, but at heart I was not at all pleased. This,
to my mind, was hazardous.
Two hours passed as we sailed westwards along black inhospit­
able sea cliffs where the surf had begun to show up white against the
rock as the steady onshore wind continued to blow. We were
indeed taking a risk. After two hours Norman came crawling out of
the cabin with two fresh radio messages, just as Detlef jumped
down from the bridge with his bearing report. With Gherman on
the tiller astern the rest of us gathered anxiously around the table as
Norman read aloud: ‘South Yemen Embassy at United Nations in
touch with government to explain Tigris situation. Stop. Hope
permission will follow. Stop.’ The second message read: ‘Nor­
wegian Embassy in London advises South Yemen agrees OK for
you to land Socotra.’
Some of the men shouted hurrah, and it was suggested that we
should turn around at once and try to sail back to Hadibu Bay. I
asked for Detlef’s report. He said we made two knots over the
bottom against a contrary current, and with leeway subtracted we
were maintaining a course of 278°, which was 18° clear of the still
very distant west cape.
Detlef was the first who wanted to run back to the bridge and
reverse the course for Hadibu. ‘Now we know we won’t be shot at,
he cheered. But now I was firm. ‘No,’ I said. ‘We decided unanim­
ously to make a two-hour trial to see if we could clear the cape. We
now have the result. It is affirmative. So now we sail on, otherwise
this risky test-run has been pointless.’
Norman agreed. We ought to go ahead, as no Sumerians or
Egyptians would have called at this island, knowing from earlier

57. Into forbidden waters off Socotra without adequate steering
speed; within shooting range at the entrance to the capital port o
Hadibu.
58. A birthday photo by self-exposure as the wind fills the sails
again. On the cabin roof the four reed-ship veterans Norman, or.
Yuri and Carlo, the man of the day; up the mast ladder, orn
Toru, Detlef, Gherman, Rashad, Asbjorn and HP.
308