Atlantic Crossing Costs - Canaries to Caribbean

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by conachair

(...) And atlantic Morocco is one big lee shore (...)

Well, like any other coast, it may become lee coast at times.

However, dominant winds are NE and so the Morocco coast is oftentimes visited on the run from Gibraltar to here.

Cheers,
b.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by yeloya

(...) the wind is almost always from 160 to 180 degrees (...)

;-)

Well, the wind is almost always from WHERE YOU KEEP IT ... isn't it?

Sailing a series of broad reach zig-zags (wind app 135-150) is not all that much slower either. In fact, at times, it is faster. It is also the more comfortable option for some boats.

Cheers,
b.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Well, like any other coast, it may become lee coast at times.

However, dominant winds are NE and so the Morocco coast is oftentimes visited on the run from Gibraltar to here.

Cheers,
b.

I've had a great run down to asilah in a hefty NE before, great out of the swell of the straits. But still a place to be a bit wary of, if it gets really bad it'll probably be a low coming in off the atlantic with wind from the west and there's hardly anywhere to run to. That's what i meant by lee shore.

Nice country though. Perfect place to stock up on spices.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by conachair

(...) it'll probably be a low coming in off the atlantic with wind from the west and there's hardly anywhere to run to (...)

Bang on, master: a bad low is a bad thing.

Atlantic lows hardly ever stray that way. But a continental low may come to live over N Maroc and in such a case a boat sailing to its S may get exposed to not only less than nice conditions but also plenty of dust onboard and very poor visibility.

The good news is their harbours are not on the rivers hence they are relatively safer to enter in iffy conditions than places e.g. along the Portuguese Atlantic coast.

I live very close to Morocco but visited only once and not planning to return. Places where my first mate cannot walk where she wants and where tourists get bombed are out of our cruising list.

Cheers,
b.