Essaouira
30/09/07 19:16 Filed in: Morocco
After motoring throughout the night we arrived off Essaouira at 08:00. It was flat calm and we followed the leading marks in before turning north into the harbour.
Approaching Essaouira.
We made fast to another Moroccan maritime emergency vessel "Tensift", a sister ship to the one we had been alongside in El Jedida.
The engineer on duty immediately demanded payment for his trouble in taking our lines. Formalities were much shorter. I visited the Surete National where details of crew and vessel were taken and our passports stamped in. Then I visited the Gendarmerie where the same details were written in a ledger.
The atmosphere here appeared more relaxed. Perhaps because there were a lot of visitors. Three coach loads in the port area when we arrived.
Back on board the engineer resumed his demands for payment. Then he told us that the emergency vessel might leave at any time and we could not leave "Kiriwina" unattended. We the moved alongside the day trip passenger boat "Ciel et Mer".
Our berth in Essaouira.
There was quite a bit of surge and Kiriwina's fenders were taking a battering and gradually being coated with blue paint from "Ciel et Mer".
Her skipper said that he might leave at any time on a passenger trip and both he and his son were relentless in their demands for money, whisky, beer and shampoo. The son demanded 200 Drm to guard our boat. When this was refused he said he would ot be responsible if anything "happened" to Kiriwina. Meantime the engineer from "Tensift" had not given up. He followed us down the quay and from "Ciel et Mer" resumed his demands from payment. He finally gave up when told there would be no payment.
Throughout the afternoon the skipper and his son from "Ciel et Mer" relentlessly pressed for payment. Give me a break!
Later in the afternoon a Spanish Nauticat 33, "Gran Siesta" arrived en route from La Coruña to Gran Canaria. She moored outside us and we had a break from the hustlers as they turned their attention to the Spanish boat.
Finally the skipper and his son went home. There had been no day cruise. Later we were able to go ashore and vist this attractive town. It was much cleaner and very pleasant to stroll around. Thankfully there were no hustlers ashore.
Anti stress medecine and other remedies.
Approaching Essaouira.
We made fast to another Moroccan maritime emergency vessel "Tensift", a sister ship to the one we had been alongside in El Jedida.
The engineer on duty immediately demanded payment for his trouble in taking our lines. Formalities were much shorter. I visited the Surete National where details of crew and vessel were taken and our passports stamped in. Then I visited the Gendarmerie where the same details were written in a ledger.
The atmosphere here appeared more relaxed. Perhaps because there were a lot of visitors. Three coach loads in the port area when we arrived.
Back on board the engineer resumed his demands for payment. Then he told us that the emergency vessel might leave at any time and we could not leave "Kiriwina" unattended. We the moved alongside the day trip passenger boat "Ciel et Mer".
Our berth in Essaouira.
There was quite a bit of surge and Kiriwina's fenders were taking a battering and gradually being coated with blue paint from "Ciel et Mer".
Her skipper said that he might leave at any time on a passenger trip and both he and his son were relentless in their demands for money, whisky, beer and shampoo. The son demanded 200 Drm to guard our boat. When this was refused he said he would ot be responsible if anything "happened" to Kiriwina. Meantime the engineer from "Tensift" had not given up. He followed us down the quay and from "Ciel et Mer" resumed his demands from payment. He finally gave up when told there would be no payment.
Throughout the afternoon the skipper and his son from "Ciel et Mer" relentlessly pressed for payment. Give me a break!
Later in the afternoon a Spanish Nauticat 33, "Gran Siesta" arrived en route from La Coruña to Gran Canaria. She moored outside us and we had a break from the hustlers as they turned their attention to the Spanish boat.
Finally the skipper and his son went home. There had been no day cruise. Later we were able to go ashore and vist this attractive town. It was much cleaner and very pleasant to stroll around. Thankfully there were no hustlers ashore.
Anti stress medecine and other remedies.