Rabat, 11 June 2013

Alcedo
David Batten
Tue 11 Jun 2013 19:52

Following our unscheduled interlude in the UK, we are back on board in Rabat with Anthony and Venetia.  The crew split up in Marrakesh, Anthony, Venetia and Jane to spend the weekend bird watching at the Suss-Massa national park, while David and Sally flew back to join the family in funeral preparations.

The funeral preparations were pretty much sorted by the time we got back and what a wonderful send off the family had organised.  The day provided perfect sunshine and a real tribute to a much loved and respected husband, father, grandfather, friend, confidant and sailor.  Over 500 attended the Church service and most came back to help celebrate a good life, a good innings and a good end.

Rabat has proved to be a very safe place to leave the boat, with the marina staff challenging all of us when we started to walk down the pontoon to rejoin her.  There was not as much evidence of the seagull population as we expected and the boat was as we left her, except with a light covering of sand.  We have spent the morning shopping for fresh provisions in the Mellah in Rabat (excellent vegetables and fruit and great fun with helpful translators for our rusty French).  The afternoon was spent washing the decks and finding wine (Anthony is very good at persisting with potentially difficult issues like finding alcohol in a Muslim country), while Venetia kept David busy with little important tasks like putting up clothes hooks and door hooks and reinstating the smart but incompetent door handles.  Sally stowed the shopping and did more washing.  The washing machine is a great success!!

We are planning to leave for the Canaries tomorrow, but need to cook the giant prawns purchased for supper now!

Alcedo