Time zone UTC + 0.00
Local hour + 1.00
10.00 - Departure from Bouregreg Marina in Rabat
Coordinates 34.º01’742N 006.º49’280W
Heading: 260 degrees
Wind speed: Force 1
Wind direction: North West
Water temp: 23.2 C
Cloud coverage: High-level haze
Visibility: Good
Sea state: Swell
We moved to the departure/police dock when the scheduled time arrived and after permission requested. Went to the office to check out and then had to wait for 30 minutes for the K9 unit. They did a very quick inspection, the dog didn’t board The Dream and the officers were afraid of Ella so super fast.
We waited for the pilot boat and left.
As we were passing the outer breakwater the engine choked a bit but we managed to exit through the swell without much trouble. The harbour had been closed until 1 hour before due to more than 2 meters swell.
10.35 - Hoisted Mainsail and Genoa
Coordinates 34.º02’758N 006.º52’480W
Heading: 262 degrees
Wind speed: Force 4
Wind direction: North
Water temp: 21.4 C
Cloud coverage: High-level haze
Visibility: Good
Sea state: Swell
We hoisted the sails pretty quick but as we were doing it I (Ana) heard the catamaran that had moved to the departure/police dock after we departed, screaming for help over the VHF in French. Not sure what happened but for sure they had problems on the river entrance with the swell and the breakwaters, or maybe they got caught by a fishing net laid at the mouth of the river.
Pilot boat was trying to help them.
14.00 - 1 Reef on the Mainsail and the Genoa
Coordinates 34.º00’554N 007.º25’005W
Heading: 265 degrees
Wind speed: Force 5
Wind direction: North
Water temp: 20.5 C
Cloud coverage: High-level haze
Visibility: Good
Sea state: Big Swell
2.5-3 meter waves were the forecast but this is more like 3-3.5 meter waves
15.15 - 2 reef on the Mainsail and the Genoa
Coordinates 33.º59’340N 007.º36’333W
Heading: 265 degrees
Wind speed: Force 5
Wind direction: North
Water temp: 23.1 C
Cloud coverage: Haze
Visibility: Good
Sea state: Big Swell
08.00 - 2 reef on the Mainsail and the Genoa
Coordinates 33.º59’340N 007.º36’333W
Heading: 265 degrees
Wind speed: Force 6
Wind direction: North
Water temp: 23.1 C
Cloud coverage: Haze
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Big Swell
15.45 - Turned engine on for power
Coordinates 33.º28’169N 011.º22’269W
Heading: 265 degrees
Wind speed: Force 6
Wind direction: North
Water temp: 22.6 C
Cloud coverage: Clear
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Big Swell
Turn the engine on for 1.30h to recharge batteries, we left the radar on since the day before and solar didn’t manage to recharge beyond 80%.
21.00 - Adjust course to avoid 2 cargo ships
Coordinates 33.º24’390N 012.º10’571W
Heading: 265 degrees
Wind speed: Force 6
Wind direction: North
Water temp: 22.7 C
Cloud coverage: Clear
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Large Swell
We had to adjust our course to avoid 2 cargo ships, one of them started by saying that they could see us and then that they couldn’t so we changed our course while they speed away.
There are some strange small lights in the water sometimes, think they are a deep depth net?! but not sure. very subtle blue lights and occasionally a red. Nothing marked on charts.
At some point, we're doing 10-12 knots SOG and we still have 2 reefs on both Mainsail and Genoa.
10.00 - Shake a reef both Mainsail and Genoa
Coordinates 33.º07’975N 014.º02’429W
Heading: 265 degrees
Wind speed: Force 5-6
Wind direction: North East
Water temp: 22.9 C
Cloud coverage: Clear
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Choppy Swell
Changed from 2 reefs both on Mainsail and Genoa to 1 reef in both sails.
11.00 - Dolphins!!!!
Coordinates 33.º06’063N 014.º11’327W
Heading: 210 degrees
Wind speed: Force 5-6
Wind direction: North East
Water temp: 22.9 C
Cloud coverage: Clear
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Choppy Swell
Surrounded by a pod of dolphins, 8 of them really close.
14.30 - Drop Mainsail
Coordinates 33.º00’041N 014.º35’176W
Heading: 260 degrees
Wind speed: Force 6
Wind direction: North East
Water temp: 23.2 C
Cloud coverage: Clear
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Choppy Swell
We’re going way to fast, at this rate we’re going to arrive in the middle of the night so we’re going to drop the mainsail to slow us down.
08.00 - Land Oh! Porto Santo and Deserted Islands
Coordinates 32.º40’980N 016.º33’365W
Heading: 270 degrees
Wind speed: Force 5
Wind direction: North East
Water temp: 23.3 C
Cloud coverage: Patchy high level
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Confused
09.45 - Arrival to Quinta do Lorde Marina Madeira Island
Coordinates 33.º043’932N 016.º42’330W
Heading: 295 degrees
Wind speed: Force 5
Wind direction: North East
Water temp: 23.8 C
Cloud coverage: Patchy high level
Visibility: Clear
Sea state: Calm
Total hours of the trip: 72h
Total hours sailing: 68.30h
Total hours motoring: 3.30h
Distance: 488nm
***In the spirit of sharing our dreams and experiences we have shared this blog post in the NOFOREIGNLAND.COM website sailors community.