Five of the Gaza Flotilla's boats turn back: "We encountered waves of three meters."

BarcelonaFive of the twenty small boats that make up the Global Sumud Flotilla had to turn back again on Monday night due to, they say, "extreme weather conditions" at sea on their second attempt to undertake the journey to Gaza. Their goal is to arrive loaded with humanitarian aid for the victims of the conflict, and despite the obstacles they are encountering—this is the second time they have returned to port due to bad weather, after admitting that Sunday's departure was "a test"—they maintain their intention to dock in Palestinian territory.

"We have encountered waves of three meters," say crew members consulted by the ARA. This has forced, according to the same sources, the smaller boats to turn back, in addition to the fact that some of them have suffered mechanical problems exacerbated by the storm. These vessels are now correcting some safety defects and reinforcing some points of the ship for departure. While specialists are considering the boats, safety briefings are being given to the crew. They admit that the departure was very complicated and that it is "normal" for vessels of this type to have to turn back in bad weather. The intention, according to sources consulted by ARA, is to attempt to set sail again this Wednesday morning. Predictably, the other vessels that left Barcelona—about twenty—will slow down to arrive together in Tunisia.

"The weather reports [of the last few days] did not indicate bad weather that would prevent sailing, but the problem is that they are trying to make a crossing of the Mediterranean with sailboats loaded with people and equipment," warns Manuel Pedreira, a sailing expert and former technical director of the Barcelona World Race, the world's largest regatta. "If I, as a professional, were asked to do something like this, I would say it is unfeasible to set sail with these boats and so many people, no matter how worthwhile the cause," he acknowledges.

Pedreira explains that if the smaller boats in the Flotilla are having these complications, it's not because sailboats of about 20 meters in length can't make a route like this, but because of how it's being managed. "A good sailboat can make this trip with two experienced crew members on board, but not with 15 or 20 people loaded with equipment," he says, adding that, in his opinion, the authorities shouldn't allow sailing in these conditions for safety reasons. "Everyone thinks the Mediterranean is very calm, but it's the worst sea, even more so than the Atlantic or the Pacific," explains the former technical director of the Barcelona World Race.

Regarding the sea conditions, Pedreira also explains that things would have been very different if the Flotilla had planned to set sail in July, rather than now in September. "In July, a five- or six-day voyage would have been possible, but now we're in a period of very changeable weather, with mistral and tramontana winds, which makes it impossible for these small, heavily loaded vessels to undertake fifteen- or twenty-day voyages," he insists.

Small civilian vessels

The mission's official departure was on Sunday, but the delegation had to return to port a few hours later due to adverse weather. Finally, they explained that on this first day they had conducted a "sailing test" and then returned to port to wait for the storm to pass over the sea on Sunday night. Yesterday, Monday, the vessels departed. they set sail again from Barcelona around 8 p.m. heading for the Gaza Strip, but five boats had to turn back again for the same reason as the day before.

In the same statement in which it explained the weather difficulties that forced the five boats to turn back, the organization also confirmed this Tuesday morning that all crew members are safe and that the mission continues. "When small civilian boats must do the work that governments have failed to do, sailing to break the siege and end the genocide, challenges like this are common," the Flotilla states in this statement. In the same text, the organization insists that if the "complicit" governments sent their ships to bring aid to Gaza, this responsibility would not fall on ordinary people.

Despite the obstacles the boats are encountering, the Flotilla organizers clarify that they maintain their intention to sail to Palestinian territory. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to reach Gaza, to join the boats leaving from Tunisia, Greece, and Italy, and to stand united in breaking Israel's illegal blockade with a humanitarian and nonviolent mission," the organizers conclude.