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Attention to all!!!

Who have booked Sudan diving tours onboard M/Y Andromeda through Diving World UK!

The company is not authorised to sell Sudan tours onboard M/Y Andromeda, so if you are booked on any of our tours, contact us directly immediately.

Thank you!

The first guests arrived on Sunday from Andromeda in Sudan. The trip’s departure was up in the air for a while because of the disturbances in Cairo but a week before the start of the trip most countries resumed their commercial flights to Egypt and later the charter flights as well. Kata Loranth wrote about the trip and the diving safari:

We arrived from the Sudan safari with unforgettable memories! Already on the first day a huge manta swam right towards us then Shaab Rumi awaited us with hammerhead and grey reef sharks and jolly dolphin gangs. All that a diver can dream of was there, right before us.

It seems the Red Sea showed its appreciation for us having made the trip despite all the scary stories. Andromeda is the nicest and most comfortable boat, it is a fact. It is enough just to look around in the harbour and there is no more doubt about this. Mustafa, the cook, is a gem and the crew is very helpful and friendly. It was good to have more zodiacs, so we did not have to wait for one another at the dives.

We could not help it, we had to see the pyramids in Cairo the umpteenth time and we even took a ride around Tahrir square. The good old city is back to as it used to be!

Our Egypt Air flight left and arrived right on time and nobody had any problems with their luggage either. It was an adventurous and lovely week. It would have been a great pity to miss it. For sure I will return.

Kata Loranth

March 8, 2011

Breaking News: Good Morning to all! Andromeda got to the main sea port in Port Sudan today and she is waiting for the costumers in gloriously flat calm waters. The sun is shining – currently it is a lovely 28 degrees Celsius and diving visibility is excellent.

Andromeda will be operating from Port Sudan for the next 15 weeks in the Sudanese Red Sea. She is one of a very few boats to operate in this area where diving is incredible and reefs are pristine. She has been working in Sudan in the past 2 spring seasons.

Andromeda, built in 2009, is the first, high-specification, steel boat to operate in Sudan. Her range and speed allow her to open up new dive sites in the area.

Our strengths in Sudan:

• Our regular North itinerary includes dive sites all the way North to Angarosh and Abington, visiting the sites of Umbria Wreck, Sanganeb, Shaab Rumi, Shaab Suedi – Blue Bell Wreck, Merlo Reef, Abington, Mesharifa, Quita el Bana, Angarosh.
• There are no extra charges for dive sites.
• There are at least 4 dives on every tour.
• We offer at least 4 dives every day (except for the first and the last days).
• Our new itinerary, Ultimate Sudan tour, includes the best dive sites from the North and South Sudan dive sites.
• Our diver’s safety is further enhanced by our SEA MARSHALL lost diver locate system.

Contact us to check availability onboard M/Y Andromeda and take advantage of to our best season rates.

We are closely monitoring the situation in Egypt and we are being constantly updated by our local representatives about any new developments. We were told that the Port Sudan flight from Cairo left without any problems last Saturday.

We all trust the situation will ease soon in Egypt, especially in Cairo, and all flights and schedules will resume to normal. So, as long as the flights are not restricted, our tours are confirmed and will take place. We will do our best to keep everything as planned.

The Egyptair Sales Offices are reopened

After activating the internet service in Egypt, EGYPTAIR announces that starting on the 3rd of February 2011, all EGYPTAIR local offices will be opened from 09:00 till 15:00.
All EGYPTAIR customers are now able to book online and use all the facilities provided on www.egyptair.com.

We are returning to Sudan starting in February, 2011 until the end of June, 2011! Most of our weeks are already fully booked but you still have a chance to book with us this season.

Just for the sake of information, diving in Sudan is best in the spring. This is when the marine life is the liveliest and the most amazing during the year.

Last available spaces in 2011:
12/02/2011 – 19/02/2011 North Safari/Sudan
19/02/2011 – 26/02/2011 Small North Diving Safari/Sudan
26/02/2011 – 05/03/2011 North Safari/Sudan
05/03/2011 – 12/03/2011 North Safari/Sudan

What we offer: M/Y Andromeda – Safety and luxury in one place! Diver search and locate system is available onboard!

We look forward to seeing you and your friend’s again onboard for another amazing season in Sudan and we hope to see some new faces as well for an unforgettable experience.

We hope to see you there! For any further details or with your booking requests, please contact us. Thank you very much!

That’s is for know… join your dives!

The end of this year is approaching and we all looked at each other thinking that it is time again. It is time again to send our boats to the dry dock for the necessary maintenance and renovation works and to pretty up the ladies for their next season.

So, of course all the old stories came to life again about the construction of the boats and so did the photos hiding on disks that forever will keep the memories of dreams coming true. The photos tell a story of boat construction, about the birth of these majestic ladies and about their colourful career, spiced with some challenges on the way. This time we would like to share with you some photos that bring back some nice and interesting memories.

Here is for example one of the interesting stories – the story of Cassiopeia’s birth. Naturally the whole process was documented as she was our first-born and we wanted to remember and to see every step of her coming to life. And of course, because she –as her sister, Andromeda- was born in the land of the Pharaohs.

But how did exactly Cassiopeia become this 5-star motor yacht that so many of you know and love already, sailing the Red Sea for nearly 5 years now? Well, these photos will tell the story…

1. The name…
Cassiopeia got her name after a small Palm PC. Then actually finding out that this installation is made up of 5 stars, we were especially happy since we wanted to build a five-star boat.

2. Cassiopeia from the front
We used several coatings on the wood before painting it. By coatings we mean several layers of putty under which lies the fiberglass coating because the front of the boat is often drenched by tall waves and it needed to be protected from the water. The small sun deck in the front was made comfortable with the cozy and soft mattresses and cushions. The ropes also found their home here in the front.

3. The Captain’ bridge from the front
The windows were installed, the teak wood was laid, the seats for the front sun deck were constructed from wood and then all of it was painted. This is a place for comfortable relaxation and to breathe in the salty sea air while the skin turns into a nice shade of golden brown by the end of the week.

4. The Captain’s bridge from the inside
The cabinets were designed, the carpet was cut to size and installed, the electronics and the wheel were installed and finally the navigation and safety equipment were also installed. The wheel and the other navigation and safety equipment on the bridge are directly connected to the engine room.

5. Upper sun deck
While the bridge was being constructed, the upper sun deck was also in a fury of hammering. Under the paint a fiberglass coating protects the wood of the deck from the constant humidity and sea water. The place for the radar and the GPS was also finished. When designing the unique wave-shaped seats and tables, we kept in kind the needs of sun lovers. There is a place for the lonely wolf and for those who enjoy having a good time in groups.

6. Dive deck
When designing the dive deck, we mainly focused on comfort, safety and for the placement of photography equipment as we must handle 26 divers’ dives 4 times a day. So, the benches were placed in an H shape for optimal space utilisation.

7. Diving platform
The main concern here was the size as it is important for example with drift dives how many divers can gear up and jump into the water at the same time. There are 2 types of ladders on the 2 ends of the platform. One for climbing out of the water with fins on and one for climbing out in booties.

We also chose Cassiopeia’s future colour as well. We decided it to be a claret colour like one of the Azimut’s super yachts that came out in 2006. The surfaces under water were painted with an algae repellent.

8. Hallways
No need to turn sideways when walking in the hallways on the boat. All traffic areas were covered with teak wood of course. The bollards were also put in their places and their weight capacity was tested when the boat was water-born.

9. Charging/storage station
The units have 220v charges for lights, cameras, batteries and mobile phones. There is also place for smaller items such as sunglasses, logbooks or other items.

10. Stairs
When designing the stairs leading to the lower-deck cabins, our main concern was safety. So the steps were designed to be wide enough and were covered with carpet.

11. Dining area
We decided not to follow the traditional safari boat dining room design and created a dining area with a real “restaurant” look with round and separate tables and chairs. Good food deserves the appropriate setting and the tables are also great for poker parties!

12. Double-bed cabins
We wanted to cater to couples travelling with us as well, so we designed 5 cabins with queen-size beds to fit their needs. There is plenty of space for packing and the cabins are equipped with private bathrooms including shower, sink and toilet.

13. Salon
Behind the substantial bar counter 6-8 guests can make their morning coffee at the same time, not to mention the late-night cocktail parties. The salon also provides ample place for lying back to watch DVDs, for holding briefings and for nice conversation.

14. The salon and the bar in their shining glory
This is a European style room with comfortable cushioned seats, pleasant air-conditioning and an LCD TV, video, Hi-Fi, CD and DVD players to make time more pleasant during the day and at night.

15. Arabian café – for the gourmands…
The style, design, waterpipes, coffee and tea specialties all provide the essential Egyptian mood and feeling in the room.

16. The heart of the boat
The unique mashrabeya (wooden motifs), carpets and furniture all bring to life the well-known Arabian cafes’ atmosphere. The mashrabeya was carved by hand by a local artisan. Glue was boiling in the middle of the room during construction which he used to glue the paper-thin designs together and finally he painted them with varnish.

17. Twin-bed cabins
These cabins, just like the double-bed cabins, have lots of storage space, private bathroom with shower, sink and toilet and ample room for moving around in the spacious cabins.

18. Lower-deck hallway and cabin furniture

19. Dining
The weekly menu is assembled by the chef every week and it includes a variety of salads, fish specialties, chicken, beef, side dishes, pizza and other delicious meals along with sweet treats for the ones with a sweet tooth. For breakfast eggs are prepared in every possible way, toast, Fench toast, sausages, cold cuts, jams, joghurt and fresh vegetables are served.

20. Shisha room – the final touches
The hand-woven camel-hair carpets found their place on the walls, the traditional Egyptian seats were also put in their places and all missing were the belly dancers.

21. The bows
The bows were made for the wave lovers. All is needed is to exchange agreeing glances with the Captain to navigate the boat towards bigger waves when travelling from reef to reef. The winch helps the crew to bring up the anchor into the bows.

Haven’t you been onboard Cassiopeia yet?
Would you like to try? Get in touch with your diving instructor or contact us directly!

Following an almost month-long preparation and beautification process, in the beginning of February, 2011 Andromeda will sail to Port Sudan harbour once again. This coming year we will enjoy Sudan’s hospitality for 16 weeks and we have planned 16 diving safaris from February to June. Are you curious about the boat’s preparation details? Then read on the article…

Andromeda’s technical preparation will take about 20 days in January. During this time the outer wood surfaces will be sanded and after the caulking, it will be all re-painted. All the textiles including linens, cushion covers, mattresses, curtains and all the linens in the Shisha room, will be cleaned.

During this time the engines of the boat, the compressors, the air-conditioning system and generators will go through maintenance and any problems will be repaired.

After all this, we will start filling up the beverage and non-perishable supplies onboard. It will take one week to fill the boat with supplies from various vendors arriving with smaller and larger trucks.

The fuelling will take another two whole days. During this time we will purchase all necessary spare parts for the engines and all technical units as well as for diving.

So, as you can see, preparing Andromeda for her 16-week stay in Sudan will take close to a month. In the end, we will depart for Sudan 100 tons heavier. The extra weight will be from the supplies, water and the fuel of course.

The only thing left will be 2-3 days of administration at customs and the boat can set sail for Port Sudan harbour, a trip which will take a day and half to two days, depending on the weather conditions.

The wreck Umbria has a cargo of 360.000 bombs that makes the exploring of the wreck still more exciting. The Umbria is one of the most famous sunken ships in the world. The Umbria was built in Hamburg in 1912 and started life as a freighter. It’s big enough to give you plenty to explore but small enough to cover in one dive.

The central part of the ship can even be explored without breathing apparatus and there is much to be said for getting a general impression of the wreck with just musk and fins. Corals and fish are plentiful in this area. The fish which have made the Umbria their home are use to divers and let them come to close quarters, almost posing for photographers.

The depth it lies in means you get plenty of bottom time and there is plenty of easy penetration to be done. For those who want to, it is possible to get to the engine room, in the holds, the bakery and thoroughly explore the interior of the wreck. The cargo of fiat lagunas, wine bottles and munitions provide interest and the wreck is festooned with coral and fish life. Even just swimming the length of the wreck and observing the holds from a distance is an excellent experience.

Be sure to head around the stern of the wreck to the propeller, and there is a nice swim through underneath the large rudder, which is home to lots of snapper and some featherstars. On one of the gangways towards the collapsed funnel midships live some tiny cleaner shrimps, and if you put your fingers on the handrail they will come up and begin to ‘clean’ you, which is very entertaining. We did 3 dives on the Umbria whilst in Sudan; I could have happily done three more. It really does deserve its reputation as one of the world’s best dives.

Suddenly feeling the urge to get away from it all? Get away to Sudan for some winter sun and some of the best scuba diving to be found in the World.

Get far enough south in the Red Sea and you won’t see other safari boats, or overdived reefs – just marine life, and lots of it! Sudan is known as the gem of the Red Sea and with reason! Untouched reefs, a splendour of corals in thousands of amazing colours, huge schools of fish and of course, sharks in abundance can be found here. And no wonder that Captain Cousteau built his underwater observatory here the parts of which can still be explored by divers.

After visiting Angarosh, one of the most famous shark sites in the world, a really exciting wreck awaits us – the Umbria. Besides the beauties of the sea, we must also mention Suakin, the ghost town, which once was the main port in the Red Sea.

As we did this year, we are returning to Sudan again in February, 2011 until June, 2011, so we look forward to seeing you and your guests again onboard for another amazing season in Sudan and we hope to see some new faces as well for an unforgettable experience.

We offer a collection of unbeatable, special offers to Sudan from 12 February 2011 until 04 June 2011.

Got a question or want to check availability? Please send us an enquiry!