Morocco
Essaouira to Caleta del Sebo, Canary Islands
04/10/07 16:06
2nd October 2007
In the morning I made a quick visit to the town centre. My first in daylight. It certainly is the cleanest town we have seen in Morocco.
Back on board the surge was noticeably less and we had no more problems with "Ciel et mer"
"Kiriwina" rafted alongside "Coruisk" and "Ciel et Mer"
Clearance out was very quick. Our passports were stamped at once. My passport has had three pages filled during the visit to Morocco. When Tomas returned from a shopping trip we prepared for sea and left at 13:15.
There was a bigger swell in the bay but we cleared Essouira without problems. Tomas caused a minor panic by misunderstanding the leading marks and veering wildly off course.
Throughout the afternoon and evening we had SW winds of 6-10 knots. We motor sailed making around 4 knots over the ground and deviating northward. Northerly winds were forecast so this was not a problem. There were one or two squalls with showers during the night and we saw a few Moroccan fishing boats.
3rd October 2007
No real change in the wind. It was a lovely night. During the early hours a large sloop passed 3 miles to the south. I wondered whether it was "Coruisk" who had been due to leave about four hours after us.
During his morning watch Tomas decided to alter course 30 deg to port thus losing all the northing we had gained. The skipper was not pleased. There was no real change during the day. The sea was a lovely deep blue. perfect conditions apart from the wind direction. The forecast W-NW winds had yet to appear.
At noon we had coverd 84 miles and had 158 to go.
During my early evening watch I was entertained by a large school of dolphins. They seemed smaller than those we had seen further north. It is very difficult to photograph dolphins. One has to aim the camera at a spot where one thinks they will emerge and hope for the best.
Around 20:00 the northerly winds finally arrived. Initially F3 but fading to F2 by midnight. We continued to motor sail.
A tanker and a couple of bulkers were visible in the distance as we crossed the shipping lanes.
4th October 2007
Ship sightings continued during the early hours. Another large sloop bound SW overtook and passed very close to us. She was motorsailing and I could read her sail number by the steaming light.
By the morning watch the wind had dropped to F1 and I was able to give the decks a good wash down. At noon we had covered 94 miles in 24 hours and had 64 miles to go.
During the afternoon we passed the occasional ship. It was beautiful weather. A long low swell with the sea barely rippled. We kept the main up, more for stability than anything else, as it was far more motor than sailing. Our pilot book advised daytime entry at Caleta del Sebo so we continued at much reduced revs anticipating an 07:00 arrival.
At 18:25 we sighted land fine on the port bow. Tomas thought it was Pico de Teide on Tenerife, the tallest mountain in Spain. I pointed out that as Tenerife was almost 200 miles away this was unlikely. It was in fact Lanzarote. I always find landfall exciting.
In the morning I made a quick visit to the town centre. My first in daylight. It certainly is the cleanest town we have seen in Morocco.
Back on board the surge was noticeably less and we had no more problems with "Ciel et mer"
"Kiriwina" rafted alongside "Coruisk" and "Ciel et Mer"
Clearance out was very quick. Our passports were stamped at once. My passport has had three pages filled during the visit to Morocco. When Tomas returned from a shopping trip we prepared for sea and left at 13:15.
There was a bigger swell in the bay but we cleared Essouira without problems. Tomas caused a minor panic by misunderstanding the leading marks and veering wildly off course.
Throughout the afternoon and evening we had SW winds of 6-10 knots. We motor sailed making around 4 knots over the ground and deviating northward. Northerly winds were forecast so this was not a problem. There were one or two squalls with showers during the night and we saw a few Moroccan fishing boats.
3rd October 2007
No real change in the wind. It was a lovely night. During the early hours a large sloop passed 3 miles to the south. I wondered whether it was "Coruisk" who had been due to leave about four hours after us.
During his morning watch Tomas decided to alter course 30 deg to port thus losing all the northing we had gained. The skipper was not pleased. There was no real change during the day. The sea was a lovely deep blue. perfect conditions apart from the wind direction. The forecast W-NW winds had yet to appear.
At noon we had coverd 84 miles and had 158 to go.
During my early evening watch I was entertained by a large school of dolphins. They seemed smaller than those we had seen further north. It is very difficult to photograph dolphins. One has to aim the camera at a spot where one thinks they will emerge and hope for the best.
Around 20:00 the northerly winds finally arrived. Initially F3 but fading to F2 by midnight. We continued to motor sail.
A tanker and a couple of bulkers were visible in the distance as we crossed the shipping lanes.
4th October 2007
Ship sightings continued during the early hours. Another large sloop bound SW overtook and passed very close to us. She was motorsailing and I could read her sail number by the steaming light.
By the morning watch the wind had dropped to F1 and I was able to give the decks a good wash down. At noon we had covered 94 miles in 24 hours and had 64 miles to go.
During the afternoon we passed the occasional ship. It was beautiful weather. A long low swell with the sea barely rippled. We kept the main up, more for stability than anything else, as it was far more motor than sailing. Our pilot book advised daytime entry at Caleta del Sebo so we continued at much reduced revs anticipating an 07:00 arrival.
At 18:25 we sighted land fine on the port bow. Tomas thought it was Pico de Teide on Tenerife, the tallest mountain in Spain. I pointed out that as Tenerife was almost 200 miles away this was unlikely. It was in fact Lanzarote. I always find landfall exciting.
Essaouira
01/10/07 18:31
At 05:00 we were woken as "Gran Siesta" prepared to depart accompanied by the son from "Ciel et Mer" running about and dogs barking. "Gran Siesta" got away without any problems and we went back to bed.
Then at 08:00 we were woken again by the beautiful British Rustler 42, "Coruisk", as she came alongside. She was too big to lie outside us so we unmoored, she went alongside, and we moored on the outside. By now the skipper from "Ciel et Mer" was on board and both he and his son resumed hustling, their target being "Coruisk" but we got a little as well. I am heartily fed up with this and completely Moroccoed out.
Later "Ciel et Mer" had more success with their marketing and we we given 5 minutes to move so she could take visitors on a 1 hour harbour and bay cruise. We and "Coruisk" then rafted alongside the pontoon. Forty five minutes later, with some passengers having been seasick,"Ciel et Mer" was back.
"Coruisk" mooring alongside "Ciel et Mer"
We had to move again. Then "Coruisk" went alongside "Ciel et Mer" and we rafted alongside "Coruisk". Fortunately that was it for the day as far as moving was concerned. The berth continued to be uncomfortable with a noticeable surge in the harbour. Later a small charter fishing boat moored outside "Kiriwina" giving the gelcoat a good whack as she came alonside.
Tomas found another shower that wasn't a shower. This time a cubicle with a cold tap and a bucket. I tried it out a bit later. The water was not too cold.
When I got back there was a substantial surge in Essaoira harbour. "Ciel et Mer" was badly moored and her line arrangement allowed substantial movement along the pontoon. Too much. As I stepped on board "Ciel et Mer" lost a mooring line. The line was so old and oily it slipped off the cleat under load. This allowed her stern to swing out, and "Coruisk" and "Kiriwina" with her, into the harbour.
The crew from "Coruisk" pulled "Ciel et Mer" back alongside and we managed to secure her by using a jamming knot on the cleat.
It was our last night in Morocco and we had dinner ashore with the crew from "Coruisk".
Then at 08:00 we were woken again by the beautiful British Rustler 42, "Coruisk", as she came alongside. She was too big to lie outside us so we unmoored, she went alongside, and we moored on the outside. By now the skipper from "Ciel et Mer" was on board and both he and his son resumed hustling, their target being "Coruisk" but we got a little as well. I am heartily fed up with this and completely Moroccoed out.
Later "Ciel et Mer" had more success with their marketing and we we given 5 minutes to move so she could take visitors on a 1 hour harbour and bay cruise. We and "Coruisk" then rafted alongside the pontoon. Forty five minutes later, with some passengers having been seasick,"Ciel et Mer" was back.
"Coruisk" mooring alongside "Ciel et Mer"
We had to move again. Then "Coruisk" went alongside "Ciel et Mer" and we rafted alongside "Coruisk". Fortunately that was it for the day as far as moving was concerned. The berth continued to be uncomfortable with a noticeable surge in the harbour. Later a small charter fishing boat moored outside "Kiriwina" giving the gelcoat a good whack as she came alonside.
Tomas found another shower that wasn't a shower. This time a cubicle with a cold tap and a bucket. I tried it out a bit later. The water was not too cold.
When I got back there was a substantial surge in Essaoira harbour. "Ciel et Mer" was badly moored and her line arrangement allowed substantial movement along the pontoon. Too much. As I stepped on board "Ciel et Mer" lost a mooring line. The line was so old and oily it slipped off the cleat under load. This allowed her stern to swing out, and "Coruisk" and "Kiriwina" with her, into the harbour.
The crew from "Coruisk" pulled "Ciel et Mer" back alongside and we managed to secure her by using a jamming knot on the cleat.
It was our last night in Morocco and we had dinner ashore with the crew from "Coruisk".