Sail to Morocco?
“Were you safe?” several people asked when we sailed to Morocco a few years ago.
For a month we sailed in the North African country and moored among others, in industrial ports and small fishing villages.
The fishermen took their catch ashore over our boat when they moored on our side.
We saw sheep get slaughtered in the streets, we shared our food with poor children and we shopped in noisy markets.
Up in the town we met the fishermen from the harbor again, and it was always a happy reunion even though we often had no common language.
But the first few weeks were constantly out of the comfort zone, and culturally the North African country is really different from Scandinavia. When we moored as the fourth boat on the side of three fishing boats we were thrown straight into the local life without the security of a hotel to retreat to.
Many boats pass Morocco on the way from Europe to the Canary Islands. Maybe because when it looks different, it also seems like it is dangerous? Maybe because it is a challenge with the different cultures?
For us, Morocco was one of the countries that provided the greatest experiences. It was wonderful to moor the boat in areas we would otherwise never have the opportunity to get to. We met people who were incredibly friendly and helpful.
But of course it wasn’t always easy, and my wife Margareta in particular had some challenges as a female sailor.
In this video you can see a few of the good experiences you can get in Morocco and why it is a shame to not stop there.
You can also see why, as a woman, sailing in Morocco is not so different after all than it is in Scandinavia.
