Sam Holmes Sailing · video

What this video covers

Sailing yacht Pickled Herring departs Tangier after a 15-to-20-minute checkout at the customs dock, then makes a two-day Atlantic passage to Rabat.1:45 The approach to Rabat's Bouregreg Marina requires timing for a rising tide and seas under two meters; the crew arrives on a dropping tide but with enough water to avoid grounding.1:54 En route, a broken autopilot and a wind vane struggling in light, confused seas force Sam to anchor overnight in about 35 feet of water roughly a quarter-mile offshore after counter-current erases an hour of motoring.8:14 A replacement electric autopilot is arranged for delivery to a friend's address in Rabat ahead of the Atlantic crossing.11:18 Checking into Rabat involves police paperwork, a marina form, two boat inspections, and the drone being held by authorities until a receipt is issued.14:44 From Rabat, Sam and Arlene take a fast train to Casablanca to visit Hassan II Mosque, then continue by train to Marrakech, where temperatures hit 109°F.18:12 They haggle in the Marrakech souks, drive three hours to a waterfall, and take a hot air balloon ride at dawn.22:15 Getting further offshore to escape coastal counter-current, then waiting for a favorable tidal window, proved essential for making progress along Morocco's Atlantic coast.10:21

More from Sam Holmes Sailing

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