Gibraltar to Canaries for ARC

[Ausluke]

Hi,

We also plan to leave Gib late oct. with minimal experience, will be following this thread also.
Currently in Croatia.

[terah]

Originally Posted by Ausluke

Hi,

We also plan to leave Gib late oct. with minimal experience, will be following this thread also.
Currently in Croatia.

Hi Ausluke,

Where in Croatia? We're in Veruda (Pula) just now, about to start heading south.

[2big2small]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Dont overstress about the Straits.. its a doddle... stay on the N side about a mile offshore and clear of the shipping lanes.
Wait till 5nm past Tarifa before turning South.. by then the commercial traffic has sorted itself out and its much less crowded.
I always go 1hr before high watermaker er and motor till past Tarifa.. get the benefit of 3kts of tide to help me through.. So am past Tarifa by slack water.
Watch out at the entrance to Tarifa for the fast Catamaran Ferries to Tangiers.. they gun it at the entrance however you can spot the topsides over the harbour wall as you approach.

We typically turn south way before Tarifa but yes, start on the north shore.

Originally Posted by fieldtrip400

What's the best way to secure a couple of people who have a lot more experience with watches Etc to join us?

Crewbay.com
Findacrew.net

These two sites allow you to vet people a bit: see how promptly they reply, how well they write, whether they have favorable reviews, etc. Skype with them before meeting them.

In Las Palmas there are throngs of wannabes looking for a free ride across. Some of them have flyers out and amongst the skills you most often see listed are juggling and playing guitar, ukulele, etc. They volunteer in farms or live in squats while hoping for a boat and some of them want to press you into offering a berth aboard while you wait for the time to cross. Don’t get me wrong, many of them are nice enough but it’s hard to come across experienced people there even though there are always some. But if you're looking for experience and not just company, don’t bet on Las Palmas and start well in advance on the sites mentioned above. These too are populated mostly with people without experience but it's easy to weed them out.

Originally Posted by Mark Thurlow

We are also doing the ARC this year. We are in the Med already. I am considering doing some coastal hops in Morocco as we transit Gib to Canaries in Sep. Has anyone done that?

We like Rabat from where you can visit the whole country cheaply by train. (Recommended). But you can only get over the bar of the river when waves are under 2 meters at sea. You have to radio for them to come pick you up outside of the bar and then they guide you in. Staying behind them, we measured depths of at least 3 m everywhere at low tide. They will board you and bring a dog on deck to sniff through the hatches. It’s all very professional. The marina is very well guarded and has good showers. The tram stops nearby.

Originally Posted by Sojourner

any advice from Gib to Cape Verde? As far as I can tell, the only good port of refuge in W Morocco in all weather is Mohammedia, and possibly Agadir because of the geography..... Strategy? Wait for weather westerlies and hour before slack tide to leave Gib, got that far But from there, stay well off and accept there ain't no place to run if we get caught on the way to the Canaries?

If the weather is too bad to get into Rabat you can go to Mohamedania 60 miles south, which you can enter in any weather. However they suffered severe damage last winter so it is essential to figure out how far they are with repairs and whether they might be able to take your boat.

Agadir is nice in the trades but open to southerly storms during which many mooring lines have snapped. It is a very touristy place but already in the nice warm winter climate. Rabat and Mohamedania get chill. From Agadir or Mohamedania you can also visit the rest of the country by train. Rabat is by far the cheapest marina and the only one I’ve visited. (The rest of the info comes from my research into Morocco.)

There are more places along the way to stop at. Check out noonsite.com. It is possible to hop down to the Canaries along the Moroccan coast and I know a singlehanded charterfleet owner who mostly chooses that option. You don’t have to sail from Gib in one go.

Also important to know is that it is forbidden to anchor in Moroccan waters.

[shoej]

Originally Posted by fieldtrip400

What's the best way to secure a couple of people who have a lot more experience with watches Etc to join us? Anyone you would recommend?

In addition to Crewbay & Findacrew that 2big2small already listed, another good one to look at is oceancrewlink.com. It is run by the same WCC folks who run the ARC events, and is focused on ocean sailing and passages, mostly the ARC events.

[Nelsons]

Coming back to the first question I would strongly recommend to sail via Madeira to the Canaries. I sailed from Gib down the Moroccan coast, my worst sailing ever. With short handed crew it’s very exhausting. A lot of tiny fishing boats with no lights and hard to see on radar during night require a attentive watch. They are far out and do not care about vessels. However we caught a net in big sea. Big waves all the way down. Never again, next time it’s Madeira.

[boatman61]

Before Tarifa takes one across the TSS.. even the ferries to Tangier dont go across but enter at the end/start Gib side and the Tarifa_Tangier ferries go W till they are clear before heading to their destinations.
Be aware there is a 1million euro fine for violating TSS Rules in the Straits..
Past Tarifa takes you clear and head SW before turning S for the Canaries.. no point suffering the swell if your not stopping along the way.. 50nm or more is best I find.

[Malfoi]

I want to go as crew from Canary to Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida. Let me know if somebody wants to do such ride.