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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Elmer and Lucille Hartley
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Wakarelu, Ras Tanura
This is our boat, Wakarelu, being pulled from the water at the Sandy Hook, Tarut Bay boat launching ramp in Ras Tanura.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Bushehr, Iran
This is a photograph of the 3 Ras Tanura Yacht Club boats that sailed to Bushehr, Iran during late 1972: the 32 ft. Japanese built kecth, Wakarelu, the 32 ft. English built sloop, Invincible, owned by Aramcon Ed Stecher, and the 25 ft. Dutch built sloop, Fandango, owned by Aramcon Carlos Johnston. Lucille and Aramcon Jim Milne sailed the Wakarelu, Aramcon Bob Gulvason sailed with Pat and Carlos Johnston, and Aramcons Larry and Jean St. Croix sailed with Bernice and Ed Stecher.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Departure; Dammam, Saudi Arabia
The boat was loaded onto the truck bed at Ras Tanura. The two drivers wanted to say good-bye to friends in Dammam before they left for Beirut. The children had most likely never seen a boat built differently than the local dhows.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
West of Damascus, Headed for Beirut
We had just passed through the city of Damascus. We had stopped there to get the truck's rear brakes fixed, but it was Friday and no one could or would fix them, so we proceeded over the Lebanese mountains to Beirut with only the front wheel brakes. I sat in the cab with the cab door partially opened ready to evacuate as we went down the side of the mountain into Beirut.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Pepsi and Water Stop
We stopped many times along the desert road to purchase Pepsis from Arab shacks. Coke was not allowed in Arabia at that time because of a boycott.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Teatime on the Tapline Road
Drivers, Misfer and Bekhit, could not speak English and my Arabic was not that good. We had one horrible time trying to carry on a conversation. My attempts to get them to drive slowly and protect the boat as we drove over unpaved roads were usually in vain. They were in a hurry and had a job to do. How the boat traveled on the rough roads did not matter to them but it did to me!
We drove from sun-up to sun-down; mostly 15 hour days. I would have a severe headache every night from attempting to converse with Misfer and Bekhit throughout the day.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Driver, Bekhit, and Tea
Teatime stops happened many times during the day inspite of the temperature rising to about 129 degrees fairenheit.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Iraq Inspection at H-4 Pipeline
Here we stopped for a customs inspection at the Saudi - Iraqi border.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Customs, Syria - Lebanon Border
Every customs clearance border crossing was an ordeal for me. At these inspection areas there were many abandoned cars and trucks that had never made it through customs. The Arab drivers handled all the paperwork, but I was still concerned that my boat would not clear customs.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Jounieh Bay and City, Lebanon
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Jounieh Marina
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Jounieh Marina and Bay
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Jounieh Marina and Bay
After five days we arrived at Jounieh, Lebanon. The boat was off-loaded by crane and moored at the Automobile Club of Lebanon's Marina.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Lucille, Karen and Lady Aboard Wakarelu
After getting the boat to Lebanon, I returned to Arabia. Lucille, Karen, our dog, Lady, and cat, Ginger, stayed on the boat at the Jounieh, Lebanon marina.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Wakarelu, Galveston Bay, Texas
The boat was sailed from Lebanon to Greece, shipped by freighter to New York and then sailed to Texas. Here she is pictured sailing on Galveston Bay.
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Photo By: Elmer Hartley
Wakarelu in Rockport Slip, 1981