2012 Morocco


Malua is at 34:02.55N 06:50.76W off Rabat at 0800 12/10/2012

We arrived off Rabat at sunrise. Unfortunatly the tide only reached high at noon so we had to wait off the bar for three hour to get sufficient water to cross. At noon the marina when contacted on ch 10 sent a boat out to lead us over the bar and up the river to the new marina development. On a 3.1m tide we only recorded 2.9 under our 2m keel right at the entrance of the second set of break-walls. We proceeded up the river and tied to the customs dock.
Two French and English speaking official in smart suits and leather sole shoes came aboard and got us to fill out the many forms required. The drug squad arrived with the sniffer dog who did a cursory smell of the deck and down below. We moved into the marina and found a spot near Sundancer ii.  I now had to visit the marina office and again filled out forms.  Then into Sale the actual town inwhich the marina was situated.  Rabat is across the river.  Either a taxi ride or on the very good light rail.  One can purchase a ticket at the station.  After the normal catch up with friends we started to plan some land travel.  Peter the "crew" started to act independantly.  I sign I did not register for a few days.  He did not pay for anything and used the kitty money.

Malua is still in Rabat

Over the last few days Pete and I travelled with Sundancer ii to Marrakesh and then south through the Atlas mountains into the Sahara desert. I finally rode on a camel in the Sahara desert! The tour was very well organised - long with hours of driving not only on the busy main roads but the back streets and over the desert. We had a great time. I managed to purchase a Berber carpet in the souks of Marrakesh at a very reasonable price. It is now on the floor of Malua.
We return to Rabat by train, Pete would not sit with the group and when we arrived he set off at a fast pace for the boat.  On my arrival he went below and started to pack.  I asked what we was doing? "I'm leaving." OK I will get the cost of the Marina and settle the kitty account.  When I returned to Malua Pete had done a runner - not settling his boat account or saying goodbye. He owed the kitty about Aus$690 So it looks as if I paid him to sail from Spain to Morocco via Madeira. I was very pleased to see the back of him. I had to cover for his incompitance and unsafe ships practices.  The final straw was the night before we arrived in Rabat when a steamer nearly ran us down.  I cam on watch to see a red and green light comming straight for us only one nm away.  Pete had not seen it nor kept a good watch.  The safety of Malua has improved with the arrival of Piers last night.

Malua is at 33:42.78N 07:23.91W at Mohammedia on 28/10/2012

The festival of the Eid was at its hight when we decided to leave Morocco but being the very serious religious festival nothing, and I mean nothing, was open or moved in the streets of Sale or Rabat. It is a three day two night close down.
When we asked the marina if we could leave, they very politely said that the entrance bar was too rough so the pilot would not take us out but tomorrow would be OK.
I took Malua over to the fuel dock to put fuel in. 344 litre which cost Euro 283 (note cost Pete.  This is what you agreed to pay when you joined) but they would not take payment until the following day. I also checked out and tried to pay for the stay Euro 296 (note cost Pete) and again they would not take payment till the next day.
Sunday dawned with rain again and we checked out, settled our accounts and proceeded to the Customs dock. The officials fill all the forms, asked about the crew change and spent some time checking the ins and outs of the new and old crew. Then after much discussion and phone calls we got the required blue form to leave subject to the drug dog sniffing the boat. A black Labrador arrived with a number of officials. While they shook hands with everybody the dog proceeded to roll in a very large pile of seagull droppings covering his head and side with white shit. The officials then climbed aboard and the dog jumped all over everything covering it with white. The smell was overpowering but I kept a straight face. I think it is their party trick for departing boats. Finally we were handed a form and informed we could leave.
We followed Sundancer and the pilot out the river mouth along with Charm Offensive taking up the rear.
It was then, set a course south into a very slight wind to see how far we could get. At sunset Mohammedia was off the port bow and we turned in expecting the wind to come up to 25 knots on the nose the following day.
We are now Med moored to the end of a pontoon with heavy lines set in expectation of the blow.

Malua is still at 33:42.78N 07:23.91 at Mohammadea on 31/10/2012

I have been waiting for the wind almost all this summer. In the Mediterranean there was as usual none but that is expected. When we wanted to sail along the Spanish Atlantic coast it only came up in the afternoon. In Portugal it came from the wrong direction. On the way to Madeira it was too strong while on the way back there was no wind at all.
We left Rabat knowing cyclone Sandy had cause some bad weather to come eastwards. The Azores high has gone missing this autumn and now we have an intense low pressure system off the Canaries which is bringing bad weather to the Moroccan coast.
The prediction for the three days after leaving the marina was very strong southerly which caused us to come into Mohammedea and wait. Well, we sat here for two days expecting the wind to come through but it was dead calm. I had prepared a bow line - the ever useful 28mm polypropylene line which has got us out of trouble more than once from Malua's bow across to the opposite dock. I had just pulled it tight before sunset when the rain started , then the wind and finally the full predicted fury of a storm. Everybody was scrambling to rig extra lines and put more fenders while we watched from under the hard dodger as the wind instruments recorded a gust of 41 knots. Malua and Sundancer are secured together some distance from the dock and with all our French Canal fenders out. I went to sleep last night knowing that we were secure and I could do nothing more to made Malua a safer place.
Just one more moment on Malua.
On Leaving Marocco

Malua is at 32:17.95N 10:03.14W at 0600 on 4/11/2012

We have had head winds all of yesterday and last night.  Fortunately they were light to we switched on the engine and motored into the swell and wind.  Malua was only doing 4 to 5 knots.  Piers and I have set up a 3 hour on 3 hours off watch schedule with him doing the first to 11:00 at night.  I then take over and we rotate until 8:00 am when the sun has been up for one hour.  The dawn are as good at the sunsets.  It is dark by 7:00 pm so we tend to east after the sun has set and before the watch starts.  I slept well last night when off watch knowing that after three days Piers has complete control of the boat, makes the right decisions and is able to operate the chart plotter and other systems with confidence.  What a change from the last passage.
We have set up a cruisers net names by Helen on Sundancer MOzzie Net. IT is on 6516 Mhz at 0800 UTC.  Today I spoke to Ian on Sundancer and to Charm Offensive.  Ian is well behind us having only left yesterday morning while John is still in Agadir and will leave tomorrow.  It is good to get back into the cruising net scene again.  Malua’s radio has again proved it’s worth with good power and reception.

Malua is at 30:44.54N 011:49.52W at 0600 on 5/11/2012

Last night the wind dropped and we motored into the darkness as black as inside a cow but then the moon came up and we could again see the horizon.  When I came on watch at 2:00 am the moon was directly above  and I could almost read.  Dinner was beef stew with carrots, mushrooms and rice, all prepared in port.  Piers is now in full control of Malua and uses the chartplotter to very good effect in following the wind.  The AIS is a great aid to navigation informing us about a ship well over the horizon.
There were a few ships on or port side as the steamed north and south along the Moroccan coast.  Our course with no wind was exactly 227 deg and at 0600 we had 120 nm to go so we will arrive at dawn on Tuesday.
At 0800 on 6516 I started the MOzzie Net.  Sundancer came up as did Charm Offensive but suddenly Jack Tar voice came through.  They are in the Canaries and had read my blog posting and saw the time and frequency.  It was great to speak to them again.  We last net in Greece in 2008.  They have been a few jumps ahead of Malua this season.  He gave me the Lat Long of a bay we can anchor in when we arrive so that is reassuring.  I hope we can catch up with them.
We are now approaching the Canaries and the start of the big crossing.
Follow Malua.