Ken’s friend Mohammed had arranged for a driver to Marrakesh …. and the driver was still waiting in Safi. Skipped most of the paperwork and off to Marrahesh. Mo had also arranged a Riad or private house that was rented out to guests. Finally at two in the morning the crew was asleep in the souks of Marrahesh. Mo had arranged a guide and three day tour of the sights, sounds and snakes of Marrahesh than back to Safi for the sail to Las Palmas.
After a two layover of instrument issues and repairs in Gibraltar the Grateful Red was ready for the first leg of the ocean crossing back to Western Hemisphere and the Caribbean —- Gibraltar to Las Palmas in the Gran Canaries ….. with a stop in Safi, Morocco to Marrakesh. Matt, Gordie and Paul arrived ready to sail. Gibraltar to Safi is a 500 mile run. The initial winds were terrific and the Grateful Red was blasting so much that Ken lost track of fuel consumption. Soon the wind died, than we ran out of fuel and finally the fog rolled in. Did I mention the “fog”, visibility was zero. We more or less drifted in to Safi port, we could hear the waves crashing on the rocks but couldn’t see the rock – 100 {e5b62957b3804ab7f47eece8c936dd4b822dafb6efd3f6ca02827a1c1cc3266f} by the chart no visuals. At eleven in the evening we tied off to a work ship in Safi harbor – the harbor had only commercial boats and the Grateful Red.
Most of the Copa del Rey crew along with Niki, Mark and Bridgette sailed the overnight to Barcelona, Spain and spent a couple of nights partying, and being victim of a camera heist by a flower vendor. Kristine, Ken, Mark and Bridgette sailed on, along the Spanish coast, across the Golfe de Lion, spent a great night on the hook in the Porquerolles and then back to St-Tropez.
See you on the Water
