Gibraltar to Madeira via Morrocco
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October
2009 Gib to Ceuta – Spanish enclave in N Africa. We liked Ceuta.
Pam and John from the neighbouring boat
"Cozi," a Contest 42, came over for loads of Pimms. Would come back to Ceuta
again, lots of lovely sunshine here!
Then on to Tangiers which was horrible! Back
to GMT, so we're going backwards 2 hours!
The apero hour is taking too long to come around! Boarded by 2 police and 1 customs
officer, or the other way round.
Then, of course, because I'm only a mere woman, Mike has to go to the
office to fill in the paperwork.
Walked intoTangiers -wish we hadn't bothered! Bought a cup of T-- wish I hadn't
bothered! Went to the police office to collect our passports and the boat
registration to be told he would come to our boat at 10.30 Am. By 11.15 AM the boat boy said he
would go and get them - so, for a packet of cigarettes, it was worth it!
Of course, we hooked up someone else's
anchor chain trying to leave so fannyed around for ages and got boat, and Mike,
covered in mud! Unfortunately,
weather deteriorated so we didn't reach Asilah until too low water and too dark
to risk getting in safely. I blame
that wanker policeman from Tangiers! So, overnight sail to Rabat.
Loads more form filling
later and we are tied up for £48.00 a week! No alcohol....
Hmmmmmmmmmm! Then to Rabat Medina for a look at it and the souks.
Went by train to Marrakesh
for 2 nights! It’s not the Express – it took 4and a half hours!
Stayed in the bed and breakfast recommended by Tanya. Fab, right in the middle of
the Medina. Spent two
days rummaging through the souks and walking the ramparts. We ate in the main square
both nights for around £6.00 for two of us! Loved it! Bought a lamp, a
rug and six T glasses for wine!
Several lazy days in the marina followed
while Mike’s tummy revolts! And
then, keeps on being revolting for three days! Got lots of sewing done tho. Now have
lovely dodgers, a quilt that fits the bed and a Mozzy net in our
room! Yet another trip to the Souk where I finally
find the lamp and two
eggcups! Finally left the marina at Rabat after 90 minutes of red tape and Boris the sniffer dog! En route to Madeira. Cracking sail with 3 potential fish caught –however, they all got away! Apparently, there was very little wind during the night! And today “we are not going anywhere” according to Marvin, the depressed android (See Hitch-hikers guide!)! (Also, apparently, I have taken that out of context!)…….But we did!
I caught a fish! Some sort of tuna we think.
So tonight’s dinner stir-fried tuna with mango and spring onions –
without the spring onions! Arrived at Porto Santo. Mike still in progress trying to sort out iridium email and now the Deckband has thrown in the towel!
Wall at Porto Santo where visiting yachts
paint their boat names and messages. No wind and an overcast but
warm couple of
days.
RT complete with new dodgers at Porto Santo.
Met up with Alan and Corinne from “Cheal” and Alan from “Harmonii”
in the bar for lovely fish supper & wine and agreed we would
convoy to anchorage in Madeira the next day. Although not much to see on
Porto Santo, the marina was nice. Rock layers on Madeira. Mostly motoring but Mike still trying to sail in no
wind! Left Porto Santo around 10, the others easily
overtook us motoring while Mike struggled on sailing! I leave Mike unattended for 5 mins and when I get back find that he had managed to tip up the dinghy and throw himself and his now-ruined camera into the water on to the rocks. The result was a split head and a bashed back. Thank goodness for the disposable nappies trick (Thanks George!) as it soaked up lots of blood and is very fetching to wear on one’s head! So Orlando (mariner from the marina) drove us to hospital where Melvin the depressed android (as in -“I’m perfectly alright and I’m not going anywhere till I’ve had something to eat…I’m famished!”) had the wound shaved and 5 stitches! Luckily, I’m not frightened so I packed him a jam sandwich to eat after the hosp and dragged him to frightened mariner’s waiting car!. What better way to pass a sunny Sunday morning! Apparently, there’s “worse things happen at sea”!
Quinta do Lorde Marina Had lunch in
Funchal and went up the cable car to Monte – wish we’d taken one of
the “fruit sleds” down – looked like fun. Mike took the boat apart again to try and fix the engine fan. Fan is working but think we may now have a prob with the new bit of electrical kit fitted in Cascais! Engine now won’t start all the time. Mike has spent 3 days trying to solve the prob with email support from UK. A massive amount of Skype including a conversation with Harry and George without them having a mic! Hilarious as they mime what they had for dinner.” Er, corn on the cob? Beef burger?” No, (message written on pad)….spare ribs! Mike has taken the control panel apart
again! Lots of emailing backwards and forwards with the people who supplied the
fancy elec gadget we bought whilst in Cascais, so hoping, finally, problems are
getting resolved! On our
last night in marina on Madeira we discovered that there’s a restaurant above
the bar where we had omelette and chips the previous night, so we headed up
there for dinner. That has to be the best meal we’ve had in a
very long
time – certainly since we left the UK! |
