Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: bobk on November 15, 2011, 10:41:30 am

Title: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: bobk on November 15, 2011, 10:41:30 am
I have been away from the model dockyard for a couple of weeks, and seen some interesting ships which I thought I'd share.

Anyone built a scale version of this incredible ship at Giza in Egypt?  Built for Pharaoh Khufu around 2500 BC, and its all original.
143 ft long and 19.5 ft wide.
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SAM_0210a.jpg)
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SAM_0207.jpg)

Feluccas on the Nile:
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SAM_0310.jpg)
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SAM_0355.jpg)
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SAM_0237.jpg)
I can't seem to stay away from boats somehow  {-)

Title: Re: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 15, 2011, 03:52:20 pm
Ah yes, Feluccas on the Nile, wonderful experience. We missed Khufu's boat as it was either that or walking around the Pyramids in the time we had - I'd love to go back. If you have been to Egypt as a tourist what is the current situation there?

Colin
Title: Re: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: bobk on November 15, 2011, 04:43:39 pm
Lovely pictures Colin.   The situation there is calm, but a lot of security everywhere tourists go. Visitor numbers are massively down, Only 52 of the 380 cruise ships were running.  The revolution started the evening of the day we booked so it was touch and go for some months after that.  However, no crowds at all, and in some cases we had a tour guide to ourselves.   Awesome.
We started with a list of 12 historical sites I have always wanted to visit, Thomas Cook got ten of them together for us. 3 days in Cairo then 11 on the Nile.  Next year they are starting cruises from Cairo rather than flying south to Luxor, so we may get to see Tel El Amarna and Abydos another time.
PS:  Our cruise ship M/S Ra II was built in Hull
Title: Re: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 15, 2011, 04:59:42 pm
A cruise from Cairo would be really something. The middle part of the Nile in Egypt was off limits in 2003 when we went but exceptionally our tour went North to Abydos from Luxor first and they set up a machine gun post on the back of the boat! While we were at the site it was ringed with heavily armed black clad security guys.

We stayed one night in the Old Cataract Hotel at Aswan, an amazing place. Wished we'd had three days there. Afternoon tea and cake on the terrace a la Agattha Christie - magic! We should have had four nights in Cairo really as we arrived around 1am and were off to see the Egyptian Museum at 8! Great hotel though, you could swim in the pool and look at the Pyramids.

Colin
Title: Re: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: bobk on November 15, 2011, 05:39:18 pm
No cruise licences issued from Cairo south for 16 years.  They still mount a large machine gun going north from Luxor, but only go as far as Dendra. 
The Old Cataract Hotel at Aswan, with boats . . .
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SAM_0411.jpg)

View from our hotel room in Cairo - sorry no boats, but the pool was large enough for a radio control regatta !
(http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n626/bobkiralfy/SAM_0178.jpg)
Title: Re: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 15, 2011, 06:05:07 pm
Quote
View from our hotel room in Cairo - sorry no boats, but the pool was large enough for a radio control regatta !

That looks like La Meridien where we stayed. Excellent for a regatta if you control the boats at water level from the swim up bar with cool refreshments close to hand! Not sure how boats with plasticard superstructures  would cope in the heat though!

Khufu's boat has survived for over 4,000 years and it's made of traditional materials. I believe there are two more boats hidden under the sand which are being left for future archaeologists to excavate who will probably have more sophisticated techniques than we do today. In fact they reckon, that for all it's uncovered treasures, far more remains to be discovered than has been found so far. There were some pretty sophisticated civilisations around in those days.

Colin
Title: Re: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: bobk on November 15, 2011, 06:31:00 pm
La Meridien indeed !   It only reached 26 degrees the last couple of weeks, even at Abu Simbel, with torrential rain in Cairo as we left yesterday.  Usually it is hot there?  Khufu didn't use Plasticard with good reason then.  Huge restoration projects going on everywhere.
Title: Re: Been away from the dockyard
Post by: Colin Bishop on November 15, 2011, 06:49:25 pm
We went mid October. Cairo was hot, Luxor was very hot, Valley of the Kings was like a furnace. Aswan was great, hot but not uncomfortable. Anyone offering short breaks to Aswan would make a mint I reckon.

Sitting on the top of a Nile cruiser just watching the river banks go by is an extraordinary experience and the view probably hasn't changed much since Biblical days although I don't suppose Moses had the benefit of a cold beer. The only time the modern world intrudes is when you go under the occasional bridge and the crew tells you to duck. Of course everyone can't resist crouching down and reaching up to touch the underside of the bridge. You don't get that on the Westminster to Greenwich run!

Colin