October 11 – 14, 2024 — Sailing the 30 miles from Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco sounds like a simple, short day. Not so! The Strait of Gibraltar is a tricky beast! There are very strong currents that run into and out of the Med through that small opening between Spain and Morocco pushing a lot of water. Not only that, but there are multiple currents moving at different speeds and direction, depending where you are within the Strait. Bob spent hours studying charts of the timing of tides at each area of the Strait and we both studied the weather and winds for each of several days before deciding our route and timing.
After walking to the Customs office on the Spain/Gibraltar border to stamp out of Spain the evening before we were leaving, we actually left at 8 am to sail directly across the Strait to Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the northeast corner of Morocco. Why an L-shape route instead of a straight rhumb line route? It’s all about the currents. We reached Ceuta and dropped the anchor for four hours then, with the current in our favor, sailed on to Tangier. Crossing the Strait is a challenge and really takes both of us to manage it. 300 ships per day pass through there and we were trying to go between them as they came at us from the right and left. It reminded us of the amusement park ride of bumper cars, minus the contact part! The ships we were watching on our AIS (Automated Information System) that identifies oncoming ships with info on their name, size, direction, closest point of approach, etc, and destination helps immensely. It is also fascinating to see where the ships are headed to. We saw, Egypt, Turkey, the Suez Canal, US, France, UK, and many other countries. As we got closer to Tangier, we had wind and seas in opposite directions which really slowed us down and turned the seas into a washing machine. That gets old fast.
At 9 pm with darkness settling in, we radioed the Tangier Marina and Customs that we were entering the harbor. We had heard and read mixed reviews on the checking in process in Morocco and that it could take up to a full day with official all wanting paperwork, boarding the boat for inspections, etc. As we motored up to the Customs Dock a single man was standing there, hands at his side, just watching us. With no knowledge of Arabic, as we approached him, ready to throw him the lines, I just said “hi”. His response, in perfect English, with his arms out, was “HI, welcome to Morocco. We have been expecting you”. WOW! And it only went up from there. The welcome we received was warm and friendly, the paperwork not unlike any other country, and when three officials came to inspect the boat and we asked them to please remove their shoes, they did so pleasantly. Two questions: do you have a drone? They seize and hold the drone until you leave the country. Second: do you have firearms? Answered both no and we were done. It was now about 10:30 and we were probable visibly tired. They suggested we stay on the Customs dock for the night and move to our slip in the morning, and then recommended some restaurants in the marina to get a quick dinner. Our entire check-in experience and first impression of Morocco could not have been more positive
We had one full day before our friends John and Eileen were arriving to spend the next two weeks touring the interior of Morocco together so decided to get the lay of the land in Tangier before their arrival.
One of the first things we learned from the locals, and which they are very proud to share, is the relationship between Morocco and the US. Back in 1777, when the US was a start-up nation and Morocco had a new, Sultan Sid Muhammad Ben Abdullah, wanted to establish peaceful relations with the Christian powers and develop trade as a source of revenue. He issued a declaration that all vessels sailing under the American flag could freely enter Moroccan ports. That put the US on equal footing with all other nations with which the Sultan had treaties. By issuing the declaration, Morocco became the first states to acknowledge publicly the independence of the American Republic. What is now the Tangier American Legation Museum was the first piece of real estate abroad, as well as the only US National Historical Landmark on foreign soil. In an elegant old mansion, it is a must see.
Tangier is the most western city in Morocco and has long had a reputation for novelists and artists, especially in the early 20th century that included Hemmingway and Matisse. Several cafes feature photos of the artists hanging out there. Of course we checked them out.
The city is a contrast of new with high rise glass buildings and modern parks in contrast to the traditional medina and Kasbah (fortressed area). The new marina is part of a $5 Billion construction program directed by the King and a real boost to the city.