Mikado report from Rabat 34:07.00N 6:51.00W

Mikado
Mon 10 Nov 2008 21:25
Hi Everyone,

We are in Rabat Marina, Morocco, after sailing overnight from Gibraltar last night. We left at 4PM (a couple of hours later than planned) and arrived at about 2PM today. The sea was almost calm and we had to motor or motor sail all the way. Not at all what I expected from the Atlantic in Winter. Apparently Ireland got a pasting though.

We had an amazing experience this morning about 20 miles out of Rabat. We had watched the sun rise and were starting to peel off the layers of wet weather gear and thermals, when the sky went hazy and white. We didn't know whether it was a squall or fog or who knows what else.
It turned out to be a dust cloud with a strange woody or mouldy smell but the temperature dropped about 5 degrees as it came over us. Then it cleared just as quickly.

The flights to Seoul and London were very comfortable as the planes were only half full and we had room to spread out.
From London to Gibraltar was fairly full, but only 2 hours or so.

Unfortunately I didn't get much chance to go sightseeing in Gib because we had to get the boat ready and spent a fair bit of time getting the sat phone to talk to the laptop for emails and weather, but eventually succesful after a couple of reinstals.

The marina at Rabat is amazing. A new site in building, but the floating marinas are completed. They charge only ~$A7 per day, incl power water and free wi fi internet access! The speed is painfully slow, but it is free! Compares with about $40 per day plus power plus water for the marina at Gibraltar, and I paid £7 for 1 hour wi fi access.
They were very friendly and helpful, but after we had tied up, the cops turned up with a sniffer dog which they took through the boat.

A few of us are coming down with sore throats and colds which we probably picked up on the flights, but otherwise all is well.

Tomorrow we are planning to catch the train to Casablanca. (Couldn't leave Morocco without going there.)
Then a bit more sightseeing here on Tuesday before leaving in the afternoon for the 420 mile run to Lanzarote in the Canaries.
We decided to skip Agadir so we could take a bit more time here.


Hope all is well in Aus.






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