Gibraltar Straight

It’s always a milestone in any journey: crossing Gibraltar Straight. We look forward to it for weeks and then it’s over in an hour or two. But thank God we’re off the Atlantic. From a sailor’s point of view, the Mediterranean really is a big lake; there are hardly any tides and hardly any swell. Sailing the Mediterranean is a walk in the park, so to speak.

The weather is always a surprise in Gibraltar Straight (as it is anywhere else, I suppose). Sometimes gales get bottlenecked to full fledged storms and passing the straight is like passing a cactus. Sometimes it’s spectacularly clear and you can count the leaves on the trees on either side. Once I’ve seen a wind-still day produce strange whipped-cream globs of clouds just sitting on the water, for us to circumvent.

Today conditions are boring but not very trying. Rain and fog keeps the Rock of Gibraltar from our sight. We pass along the African Coast, along with countless other ships, safely separated in a convoy going west and one going east. And as we stand and stare and each other, we notice the dorsal fins and arched backs of a large herd of dolphins moving gracefully between us out the Mediterranean and onto the Atlantic.

A container ship in the Gibraltar Straight

Dolphins in the Gibraltar Straight

Casablanca, Morocco

A couple of tired-eying line guys tie us up in the congested cargo port of Casablanca.

“Where’s Rick’s?” we yell, visibly making the line guys even more tired. We’re not the first foreign fools to refer to the 1942 movie, and we’re also not the first to forget that Casablanca existed long before Humphrey Bogart, and has existed long since.

In 2004 a brave woman from Oregon named Kathy Kriger moved to Casablanca and opened the only Rick’s Café in town. I’m sure it attracts many a foolish foreigner who come from afar to sing along with Sam. Well, if Kathy can stand it, so can they, or something like that.

We’re only here for a day; we’ll leave in the late afternoon. The town curves around the port like a cupped hand. An impressive mosque stands on the edge and I’d love to go see it. Unfortunately there’s no time. I’d also love to go see the 1930 Sacre Coeur Cathedral or the more recently built Notre Dame de Lourdes; two massive churches smack in the middle of Islamic Morocco.

Maybe some other time. Maybe not…

An impressive mosque close to the port of Casablanca, Morocco

Casablanca, Morocco

Casablanca, Morocco

 

Agadir, Morocco

We’re in Agadir, Morocco, for only half a day. Ahead lies the town in the blistering heat; a scorching dessert wind comes pelting over the mountains, carrying sand that scrapes the paint off the bulkheads and settles in corners and blows in through every gap or inlet.

To our port side, the pretty blue ship Taurus J is loading containers. Behind us lies a ship from Lima with a curious green hull. Half way the morning the cute little cruise ship we saw yesterday in Arrecife comes floating in. I recognize it now: it’s the Corinthian II. She was also with us in Senegal.

As we get ready to depart, the wind increases to a whopping gale force 8 and all brace for a rough ride to Casablanca. I can’t wait to see the lush green shores of Northern Europe, but first we need to cut through Gibraltar Strait and spend a month in the Mediterranean. After that we go back across the Atlantic. Northern Europe we won’t see for a while.



Agadir, Morocco

Agadir, Morocco

The mini cruise ship Corinthian II; our companion for the last few days

Cargo ship Taurus J  loading containers in Agadir, Morocco

 

Another cargo ship in the port of Agadir, Morocco