Heading South to Essaouira Monday December 1,08
This morning dawned bright and sunny with the sea settling down to a steady groudswell from the North West.
Had a really good breakfast this morning, nothing fancy but it sure
tasted good, amazing what a couple of days of bad weather does for the appetite. The diesel galley stove refused to light during the gale so today is the first day that it has worked since the day after Thanksgiving.
Working in the galley, our watch cleans it after supper each day, when they were trying to light the stove really did a number on my stomach. Enclosed spaces, diesel fumes and big seas are a bad combination. This morning all is well and I was famished by the time I heard those delightful words “Watch below” 
We should be in Essaouira Morocco by this evening. The Captain will then decide if we can anchor or if we will have to stand off till the swell subsides.
With luck I will be able to let everything dry out, including me, before I have to go on watch again this evening.
We arrived in Essaouria around 3:00 this afternoon after motoring in as the wind had dropped away to almost nothing. Still pretty big swell running though. This is a pretty exposed anchorage but it looks like we should be OK as long as the wind doesn’t pick up from the West.
Lots of fortifications here, mostly built by the Portugese I believe.
Should be a cool place to explore.
Thanks for reading
K
December 1st, 2008 at 10:56 pm
ahoy matey, glad to hear you made it ok through your first gale storm. High seas test your navy legs and stomach that’s for sure. Hope you have a chance to experience a bit of Morocco, perhaps a guided visit into one of the old medinas to see if you can barter for exotic treasures at the market? just remember if you hear them yell PALAK (donkey), to clear the aisle ASAP as there’s a big load coming thru. take care! Jan Jenkins