SV Joana Blog

We are now on the island of Lanzarote, in the red circle on this map. It also shows our next planned hops to Las Palmas and then Santa Cruz, where will will sit for 3 months before heading west across the Atlantic Ocean, closing the loop on our long, slow circumnavigation.

We picked up a crew member while still in La Linea. Bastian has an interesting story, starting with his departure, just in his swim trunks, from his small town in Germany. He speaks German, Spanish and English. For his project RESET, he has set goals of skydiving (done), sailing to the Canary Islands (underway) and seeing the Northern Lights in Norway (his next step).

After a four day motor sail in very light winds, we made landfall at Puerto Calero Marina on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. While underway, Bastian keeps a close eye on our mainsail.

Lanzarote is the fourth-largest island in the archipelago and home to over 163,000 residents, with its capital city, Arrecife, anchoring the eastern coast. Roughly 24.5% of the permanent population consists of foreign residents, with the largest communities arriving from Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Italy. Because of its unique, delicate ecosystem and commitment to sustainable development, the entire island was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993.

This is proof positive there there are trees on the island!

After arrival, I changed the engine oil, but strangely, the engine did not want to start. It was obviously an electrical issue of some kind and I traced it to the start relay. I simply took the relay out, cleaned the contacts, and covered them in a carbon paste. The engine then started up fine.

The island is globally renowned for its dramatic, otherworldly volcanic topography, which resembles a lunar landscape. This distinct appearance was largely shaped by a series of catastrophic volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736 that blanketed nearly a third of the island in lava and black ash.

Today, this geological legacy is preserved within Timanfaya National Park, where visitors can explore multi-coloured lava fields and craters that still emit immense underground geothermal heat. Despite the arid terrain and minimal rainfall, local farmers have developed an ingenious architectural method of digging semi-circular stone holes in the volcanic ash to cultivate vibrant vineyards, most notably in the famous La Geria wine-growing region.

Lanzarote’s modern identity and aesthetic appeal are deeply intertwined with the legacy of the local artist and architect César Manrique, who successfully advocated for strict environmental and building regulations to prevent unchecked mass tourism. Thanks to his vision, this island of over 300 volcanoes maintains a cohesive visual style characterized by low-rise, whitewashed houses accented with uniform green, blue, or brown shutters and doors. Manrique seamlessly integrated art with the island’s natural features to create iconic cultural spaces like Jameos del Agua—a restaurant and concert hall built inside a volcanic cave network—and the spectacular Mirador del Río panoramic viewpoint. This harmonious blend of striking nature, historical architecture, and year-round spring-like weather makes Lanzarote a premier destination for travellers, hikers, and water sports enthusiasts alike.

We visited the afore mentioned Jameos del Agua – a famous volcanic cave and cultural centre. The site was transformed by César Manrique in the 1960s and 1970s to blend nature with art. The cavern is part of a 6-kilometer-long lava tube formed thousands of years ago by the Volcán de la Corona. It features a natural underground salt lake connected to the Atlantic Ocean. This underground lake is home to Munidopsis polymorpha, a tiny, rare, blind, white crab species endemic exclusively to this cave.

We also drove to the Jardín de Cactus, a former quarry for volcanic material transformed into a garden where thousands of cacti from five continents occupy terraces that preserve the shape of the excavation. Prickly pear cacti and cochineal production link the Centre to the area’s agricultural history. It was quite an interesting place to visit.

We also visited the Salinas de Janubio salt flats. In 1730, lava from volcano eruptions formed the walls of a natural lagoon creating a lake from the captured seawater. The salt flats were then first created in 1895 by an entrepreneur. The waters from the naturally formed lagoon are pumped up to terraces, initially using wind power, but nowadays – using electric pumps. The water is simply evaporated by the sun to yield the salt. Up to 2,000-15,000 tons of salt per year can be extracted from the salt flats.

The salt that came from the salt flats has been used to preserve fish, and to make dyes that local artists use, especially for decorations used in the annual Corpus Christi festival. A number of migratory birds visit the salt flats, including pink flamingos that visit in June, July and August.

We also visited the César Manrique House Museum, located in a handsome palm grove, where the artist found the quiet and harmony with nature that he had always pursued. In early 1986, he began to build his new home, re-using and adapting a run-down farmhouse sited on farmland he had purchased in the nineteen seventies. Manrique revisited the language of traditional architecture with a modern vision governed by aesthetics and comfort. He lived here until his death in 1992. In 2013 the house was opened to the public as a home and museum. Visitors are afforded a view of the rooms and the studio where the painter worked and lived during the last few years of his life.

His studio is in a separate building where he painted daily, surrounded by oils, tables laden with drawings, easels and unfinished paintings. It has been conserved just as he left it when he died.

In the national volcano park, we walked in (over a very rough path) to see one of the calderas formed during the last eruptions in 1730-1736. Here, Diane is standing just at the entrance, and then we took a selfie.

On the way back out, we met a Spanish speaking couple walking with their dog, a traditional Canary Islands hunting dog. The Canary Islands, by the way, got their name NOT from Canary birds, but from the latin word for dogs – a large number of which were found by newly arriving settlers (there were indigenous people living there as well).

Bastian is enthralled with our can crusher!

These are typical views of Lanzarote, with white, low profile villages and stone walls made out of lava rock.

This post would be inadequate if I did not mention the significance of Picón (also called rofe), a small porous, black or red volcanic lapilli or gravel left by the 18th-century eruptions on Lanzarote. It acts as a natural sponge, absorbing humidity, morning dew, and the island’s rare rainfall, then slowly releasing it into the soil below. The gravel layer blocks the sun from baking the underlying earth, keeping moisture trapped in a very dry climate. It stops weeds from taking root and shields the topsoil from being blown away by strong Atlantic winds. It warms up during the daytime sun and holds onto that heat to protect plant roots at night.

Here in Lanzarote, we reunited with our friends Paul and Andy Atkinson, whom we first met in Bonaire circa 2014, again in Curacao, and again in NZ. We followed similar paths westward with them onboard their Jeanneau 57 TALULAH RUBY III and us aboard JOANA. They have actually circumnavigated twice, both times starting and finishing with Lanzarote. We have a great deal of respect for these two friends.

As I post this blog, all our known boat jobs are done, and we are ready for departure. Now, it’s just a matter of waiting for the right weather window. This drone photo was provided to our neighbour Tom a few weeks ago.

The planned route south to the Canary Islands is just under 600nm. We always “plan” for 120nm per day, which means this trip should take us “about 5 days”. The landfall anchorage is “to be determined” and will be a function of what the wind conditions are like at the end, and what time of day we may expect to arrive. If it is late at night, in darkness, we can either “heave to”, basically stalling for boat for several hours, or push on for another 40-50 nm to the next anchorage. To be determined. At the moment, we are watching for just the right weather for A. our escape out of the Gibraltor Straits (here we need light easterly winds, no wind, or even light westerly winds) and B. Our sail south to the Canaries (here we look for medium strength N, NE or even NW winds).

I can report on a few more things we have checked off the list while here. The first was the acquisition of new eBikes. The battery on Diane’s eBike died, and a replacement cost over 400 euros, nearly the price of a new bike. We visited the local Decathalon store, looked at their inventory, and bought two new HillMiles Mile2 eBikes online. They are lovely to ride, very comfortable – but regrettably much heavier than expected, and we will probably have to stow them “on deck” covered in tarps. Oh well.

Since we have a new Highfield Classic 310 hypalon dinghy, we contracted with Gregory Arnold at Cardinal to get new chaps made. In only two weeks, they had made up a very nice set of chaps for us. These are very good people to work with. They communicate well, are very timely and produce excellent products.

Making these dinghy chaps involved two stages – first preparing templates.

Secondly fitting the chaps, and securing them to the dinghy.

Here is the final product.

We also contracted with Cardinal to do a “rig survey”, giving us piece of mind that our standing and running rigging was fit for the upcoming ocean passage. Here, Juan climbed the mast, crawling over all the components – and then later producing a very well documented report with dozens of photos.

A few days later, we followed up with one issue, and sent Juan up the mast again to attend to the ends of our spreaders, and spreader boots. He re-attached SS seizing wire to fix the standing rigging in place with the spreader ends, and then re-attached the spreader boots to protect a sail, should it make contact.

Following up the issue I had with “stale gasoline”(requiring an expensive repair), I purchased some gasoline stabilizer additive (and added it to the fuel tank and the jerry can) and installed a fuel/water separator, in accordance with the suggestions of the Suzuki manufacturer.

Also, I changed another two solar panels.

In 2009, I installed two 130W panels in parallel, while we were in Beaufort. These panels have served us well over the past 17 years, and as you can see from this chart: gave us a maximum power of 209W and a maximum yield of 660Wh.

Basically, in the same “footprint”, I was able to install two 210W bi-facial panels, in series – and these are giving us a maximum power of 361W and a maximum yield of 1390Whr. These numbers will increase even more in the summertime. Our total solar installed wattage went from 1840W to an even 2000W.

Another unplanned but “nice to have” improvement involved the outboard motor hoist. Our routine is that I am in the dinghy installing or removing the motor, and Diane is on deck operating the actual lift. Normally, this isn’t too hard because we use a “block and tackle” system so the load is not too much, but, when we changed to the Suzuki outboard two years ago – we got an outboard that was just a little bit longer, and a little bit heavier than the previous one. We have used this system many times over the past month, and finally took the time to consider and execute an improvement. The upper lift point of the system was where it is attached to this outboard motor “crane”.

I considered that the simplest solution involved A. increasing the size of the double block and B. raising the lift point. Again, Cardinal came to the rescue and cut a triangular chainplate and welded it to the crane. Problem solved. The outboard motor is now much easier to hoist over the rail.

In the last days, I pulled out our bag of “jacklines” (safety lines run aft to bow along the deck). It has been 6 years since we last had these lines on our deck, and removed them after arriving in Turkey, in June 2020.

Now – we are waiting for our weather window and stocking up with groceries.

Our time at anchor was short, only a few days. We discovered that our Suzuki 20HP 4 stroke outboard (bought in Aug 2024) would not start. My bad. I have always known that 2-stroke engines were very vulnerable to “old fuel”. So, in the past, our routine has always been to “get rid” of “old gas”, often by giving it away (early) or dumping it into a rental car. It also helps to buy hi-octane gasoline. However, I was also under the impression that 4 stroke motors were much more tolerant of old gas, so I was lazy in this regard. After only about 20 hours of operation in the summer of 2024, I put the outboard “on the rail”, flushed it with fresh water and ran it out of gas – all good. Our 5 gallon jerry can was empty, and the outboard motor fuel tank was only about 1/2 full. Normally, this is all you have to do. However, in the summer of 2025, we sailed over a few weeks from Cartagena Spain to Tangiers Morocco and “never used the dinghy or outboard”, primarily because the dinghy was leaking (water coming in) and there weren’t many anchorages. So, the outboard ended up being unused for two full years. Fast forward to early July 2026, and we now had a new Highfield dinghy, and once we got to the anchorage, we were keen to use it. I foolishly used the outboard gas tank (that had gasoline in it, that is tough to drain out) and poured in some new gasoline that I just bought. The resulting mixture was apparently enough to foul the engine. After trying to start it for a few hours, we eventually gave it up to a contractor (Nautica Promina) who was able to work on it. Since we really could not stay on anchor without a working outboard, we decided to come back into the marina for a month, and eventually bought a second month to be sure this was taken care of. After 6 weeks, the outboard was repaired, and this required cleaning the fuel lines and injectors and replacing the fuel pump (which was a surprisingly expensive part at 500 euros). The timing was also influenced by holiday season and a slow supply chain.

In the end, the outboard is back and running, and we are finally getting around to following through with the last adjustments. We have adjusted the stern lifting points so that the dinghy hangs from the davits correctly, as seen here.

We also adjusted the 3-point lift so that with the motor installed, it hangs alongside as well.

The bow lift point for the dinghy is a 4mm cable that passes through the hawse pipe fitting, and is well attached to a chainplate welded to the hull.

Inside the bow locker, you can see this cable.

Along the way, we have done other things as well. We made a bike circumnavigation of Gibraltor, and we passed something that I found astounding – a waterfall on the backside of Gibraltor. 100% of the freshwater consumed in Gibraltor comes from a desalination plant. This waterfall in Gibraltar is known as Europa Waterfall. It is a man-made waterfall built as an innovative engineering demonstration for modern desalination technology, safely managing and showcasing the outflow (reject water) of the region’s freshwater production. I thought it was interesting.

With our Atlantic crossing and return to the Eastern Caribbean coming up this winter, I finally bought a small gas powered generator, as a backup to our wind and solar. Running downwind, I know that the wind generator will be completely useless. Normally our solar production alone will meet our requirements, but as we head into the winter months, this has yet to be tested.

One day, looking for something to do, I decided to relocate our shore power bulkhead input cables. Originally, I placed them in the forward part of the cockpit, but over the years, this seemed to be not as good an idea as I had originally thought. When dockside, it was always a nuisance to sit with your back to the plugs.

Now, I have relocated the sockets to the rear part of the cockpit. They are still high and dry, out of the elements and not at risk of getting splashed with seawater. This, is a much better location.

There is no conflict now.

The galley sink has become another win. About five years ago, it developed a very small “pinhole” sized leak, which I fixed with a small dab of JB Weld epoxy, from the underside.

It was impossible to source a perfect replacement, so I just postponed the project. A few weeks ago, this failed again, and I immediately patched the underside, and the topside, with a view to replacement.

That sink, while it fit wonderfully in the space, was surprisingly thin SS304 – which seems to be the standard. So, we decided it was time to put more effort into getting a new sink.

The metal frame of the garbage can (a treasured Lee Valley item) has rusted over the years, so this gave me an opportunity to repaint it with Owatrol rust paint, primer and an oil based finish. It will outlive me! With the new sink, the drain lines were completely different, forcing a relocation of the garbage can anyway.

It proved impossible to find either the same sink (double sink, one large, one small) so we had to settle on one that simply fit into the space. Personally, I find plumbing to be one of the least desirable jobs on the boat, partly due to the myriad of sizes and choices, but exasperated by travelling internationally and seeing an even greater selection and incompatibility with North America. I hired a plumber! Ando and his apprentice came to the boat, took measurements and recommended a replacement. Ten days later and they returned to do the install.

The job was cheap enough, and I compared it to the cost of simply renting a car and going to the hardware store for the parts. This was the best way to do it. Diane is very pleased with our new sink.

One of the tasks to complete in this timeframe was to recommission the water maker, another system that has not been in use for two years. I had to replace several nylon fittings that had simply cracked due to heat and age, and ultimately the water maker was working again producing good fresh water. I am flushing it once a week, while we are dockside to maintain the freshness of the membrane.

We had a visit from Christian Bugnard (on Swiss MV TIMOUAN). We first met Christian in Cartagena Spain, and then again in Rota Spain this past winter. Christian was passing through on his way to Cartagena and stayed at the marina for several nights.

Here is something interesting. We have a Victron BMV-712 monitor, many Victron solar charge controllers, and Victron chargers for the bow battery and the engine starting battery. Victron continues to upgrade both the phone app and the firmware in the devices. A few days ago, I exported this cool screen shot that shows very well our 12V DC consumption and solar production over a 24 hour period.

We also met friends from Finland, Tessa and Lasse, sailing on their boat, and berthed on the same dock. For our 25th wedding anniversary, they treated us to dinner!

Finally, as I write this blog, we are waiting for our new E-bikes to arrive. We bought BISON E-bikes four years ago, but Diane’s battery just died. A new battery is 400 euros plus (if you can get one), and a new, better E-bike (not rusty) is only 659 euros from Decathalon – but I’ll save that for the next blog.

As I post this blog, we have just finished our work period, and returned to the anchorage at La Linea, adjacent to Gibraltor. We are now peacefully resting, and relaxing on anchor.

To be honest, personally, I had been dreading this haul out. As I get older, climbing up and down the ladder and working on scaffolding gets tiring and the risk of accidents increases – thankfully, nothing untoward happened. We had forecasted 2 weeks, but it blossomed into 6 weeks, less a day. That often happens, because indeterminate things come up. The shaft was shipped to us (no issues with Customs), but the shipping company was quite tardy about delivery, taking two weeks rather than the contracted one week (about 1500km). The shipment lingered in Jerez, under 200km away, just waiting there for no good reason.

Once the shaft was here, the yard had it sent off to the machine shop within an hour. They delivered it back (after machining to fit our propeller and shaft coupling) 7 days later. The next day, our new cutlass bearing came in (as ordered by the yard), and they installed it for me with their hydraulic press.

In the meantime, we were also kept busy with small improvements to our new Highfield dinghy. We had to setup a two point lift, so that the dinghy would be balanced at the stern when lifted in the davits. We also had to setup a 3 point lift, so that it could be hoisted alongside with the motor. With the gas tank mounted forward in the bow locker, we had to run the fuel line under the floor so nobody steps on it. Finally, I cut a hole in the bow locker and setup a very heavy SS chain passing through a custom hawse pipe. This is the Eastern Caribbean standard for securing your dinghy!

We also named the dinghy LIL JON, just like our last one – this time using an Edding 950 permanent marker. This Edding brand of marker is unknown in Canada, but in common use in Europe. The 950 version lays down a layer of paint, and yes – it is permanent and easy to use.

The touch-up paint of our green topsides was a big success, and it was nice to be able to do that work from scaffolding rather than hang upside down from the deck. Diane and I put the new shaft in ourselves, using copious amounts of dish soap, and the sliding hammer for the last bit. We both worked the shaft up 80% of the way by hand, and once it entered the engine room and had to be fitted through the remaining components – I went inside. Here, the shaft is just poking into the engine room.

Here, Diane poses with the sliding hammer, that she used to whack it up the last two feet.

Once it was in it’s final position, we measured what sticks out at the bottom (before the propeller and rope cutter are fitted) – 25cm.

Inside the engine room, I bolted tight the bottom end of the flexible coupling, tightened down the thrust bearing and fitted the Tides Marine lip seal, and the carrier with the spare seal.

The propeller, shaft and rope cutter were given two coats of white primer (as shown here) and then three coats of International Trilux 33 (which then made it all bright blue).

For those that are curious what our yard bill cost, I will detail it below:

Lift: 276 € Launch: 276 €
Pressure Wash: 248 € (4 hours, very detailed)
42 days on the hard: 1555.68 €
Shoring/Blocking: 154 €
Waste Management: 330 €
Water and Electricity (17.49 per day): 734.58 €
Welding of my sliding hammer (supplying and welding a nut): 62 €
Scaffolding Rental for 13 days on the hard: 130 €
Security (coming in on a Saturday): 60 €
Welding contractor: 640 €
Machining of new shaft: 756 €
New cutlass bearing: 172.15 €
Fitting of new cutlass bearing: 62 €
Two litres of epoxy primer: 261.92 €
Two metre length of gasoline hose for dinghy: 15.93 €
Yard total: 5735.26
21% VAT: 1204.40

Also, I supplied these items:
New shaft: 1,371,60 €
One litre of Coppercoat anti-fouling and 2L of epoxy primer: 283.16 €
New Tides marine shaft seal and spare (on hand in my spares, $650 USD?)

All together, this comes out to 8594.42 €, and when converted to Canadian dollars $13,962.63. This doesn’t include the hotel stay (55 € per night, changing to 65 € in high season) It sounds worse than it was. Most people haul out every year, but we haven’t need to lift since 2020. Also, we did almost all the work ourselves. Many yards don’t permit this.

We are now looking forward to a relaxing holiday on anchor, without the requirement to climb up and down the ladder twenty times a day. The next steps will be to finish making adjustments to our dinghy lift, and to commission the water maker, which has been pickled for the past two years.

On 19 May, as planned, we sailed out of Tangiers after being there for nearly a full year. We enjoyed our time in Tangiers, made several friends – and made many trips both within the country, and outside (to Canada and Europe). It was time to leave for the Gibraltor area.

We initially stayed in the anchorage at La Linea for a few nights, then moved over to Alcaidesa Marina where we received our new dinghy, a Highfield CL310 (in hypalon) – and then on 26 May were hauled at Varadero Isla Verde at Algeciras (just across the the bay, on the west side). All three of these places are indicated with a white star in this image.

A year ago, we had left Cartagena Spain, annoyed that the boatyard there could not fulfill a booked haul-out (made nearly 10 months earlier with a reservation) – and now we were hauling out to address the same problems. Primarily, it was because the shaft seal was leaking, and some spots on the hull needed paint touch-up that were difficult to do “in water”.

Most working yards in Spain, for insurance and security reasons – will not permit anyone to live onboard while the boat is hauled. We were permitted to work ourselves on the boat (also not permitted in many other yards), and cook meals – but not to use any LPG (we only cook with electricity anyway), shower, use the toilets or sleep on board. So, we opted to stay at the Hotel Marina Victoria, a well kept 2 star hotel about a 10 minute bike ride from the yard. This hotel worked out very well for us, because it was located just at the edge of the city centre, close to many restaurants and services.

Within 24 hours of being hauled, with a bit of help from Diane – I had the shaft out. This, in my opinion, was quite an accomplishment. Primarily, this was due to a large sliding hammer I had bought in Canada nearly a year earlier, in anticipation of this job.

This was no small feat, and in the past it has taken much longer. Once the shaft was on the ground, it was time to assess it’s condition.

The Tides Marine lip seal had worn a serious groove in the SS316L shaft. Normally, the seal can be moved a little up or down the shaft, in order to offset this wear – but I had already done that. In fact, it had already been welded, and repaired in this area when we were in Malaysia in 2017.

The first machine shop to come and visit said that they could not repair the shaft (which normally involves welding, turning and straightening), as it seemed to be beyond his comfort zone. He proposed a new SS316L 1 3/4” shaft (from Barcelona) at a finished cost of 4,900 euros. I found this to be incredibly expensive, no doubt a result of the Barcelona supplier who thought he was sitting on a “gold mine” with an Imperial dimension shaft. Alternatively, he proposed changing entirely from a 1 3/4” shaft (44.45mm) to a metric standard of 45mm, for only 1,900 euros. However, this would have meant that I would have had to also change two cutlass bearings, a shaft seal and bearing, a thrust bearing and a transmission coupling. All of this would cost much more money and time, and only to bring the whole propulsion system to metric standard. Why, I asked – when the boat is returning to the Caribbean next year?

So, the hunt was on for a new shaft. I quickly sourced a UK supplier (lots or imperial shafts in use in the UK) and they proposed a superior product called DUPLEX F51, which is harder, stronger and more corrosion resistant than SS316L. Hardness, for me, is an important quality as it would make the shaft more resistant to seal wear. A few days later, much to my surprise, I readily found a French supplier, Maucour – who could provide the shaft in imperial dimensions, 1 3/4” in TEMET 25, an even better material. Standard SS316L is relatively soft and prone to surface galling during installation or rotation. The harder surface of TEMET 25 maintains its integrity under high friction. A harder, smoother surface finish prevents the propeller shaft from wearing down at the exact point where lip seal rides, reducing the risk of water leaking into the boat. To my knowledge, none of these fancy metallurgical shafts were commonly available in 1999 when I had the first shaft built and fitted. I quickly gravitated to this French supplier, primarily to avoid the nightmare of navigating the importation to Spain. France and Spain, of course – are both part of the European Union.

We are still waiting on the shaft to arrive from France, but it will be here in a few days. In the meantime, I’m working on some rust spots on the hull (only a couple) and toe rail. I’m trying out some new primer for the first time: Owatrol High Strength Corrosion Inhibiting Primer (CIP). I met a Dutch steel boat owner last year in Morocco (on his way to the Canary Islands), and he swore by this product.

At my request, the yard brought in a welding contractor, and for a few hours, they worked on two cracked welds that have annoyed me for a few years. This one is at the stern, just above the waterline – a nuisance to repair and paint, so it’s best to tackle it when on the hard.

I also bought one litre of Coppercoat, the hard antifouling that we put on (4 coats) in October 2020. At that time, we applied 23 litres of Coppercoat, in 4+ coats. This single litre was only to touch up a few spots on the hull, and provide an extra layer at heavy wear points. In these photos, you can see that I’ve been working on touching up some spots on the toe rail, hull (green area) and below waterline (brown).

We cannot work on the boat on Sundays, it’s simply not permitted. So, that means Sunday we go to the laundromat, and walk the streets looking for a new and interesting restaurant. It’s quite pretty here, in most places, and we definitely find it appealing.

We found the local market, just a short walk from our hotel in the city centre, open 6 days a week – not on Sundays.

This is another thing that I like, how they deal with their trash in the city centre. People bring their trash to these receptacles, and then the trucks come by at different times and empty them. They extend under the ground.

Finally, the last thing that I noticed here which is new for me are these metal bars, attached to storefronts – so that you can tie up your dog if going inside for a few minutes. Dogs are mostly welcome in restaurants, but in grocery stores and supermarkets, most people leave them outside tied up like this. I consider this similar to the way that cowboys tied their horses up outside the saloon, in western movies.

A few weeks ago, we took a day trip to visit the nearby city of Chefchaouen, or “the Blue City” as it is affectionately known. It is situated in a mountainous region, about 2.5 hours drive from Tangiers, in northern Morocco, between Tétouan and Ouazzane.

The city of Chefchaouen is located at about 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level in the foothills of the Kaʻala mountain in the western part of the Rif mountain range, in northwestern Morocco. The city consists of a Medina, the historical walled town, and a new town that has grown outside the former city walls.

Chefchaouen was founded in 1471 by the Moulay Ali Ben Rachid, a distant descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. The original settlement consisted of just a small fortress, now referred to as Chefchaouen’s Kasbah. The fortress was erected to help defend the area from potential attacks by Portuguese invaders; at the time, Portugal was launching attacks against northern cities and towns in Morocco. This, is the Chefchaouen Kasbah.

This is the city’s main mosque and minaret.

Agriculture is said to be an important sector of the economy in the Chefchaouen area, where traditional subsistence agriculture is practiced on the hillsides and in the valleys – olives being the main crop. Other traditional crops such as grape vines, almonds and figs are still cultivated, although cannabis monoculture has become more profitable than these due to an increased influx of tourists in recent decades. A lot of these crops were offered by “street side” vendors, in what seemed to be a long, never ending narrow souk.

I thought this creek flowing from the mountainside looked pretty.

The city sees a considerable influx of Moroccan and foreign tourists, attracted by its natural landscapes and historical monuments. Tourism is largely seasonal, with 200 hotels in the province catering to an influx of European tourists in the summer. Some of the city’s tourism was also linked to the availability of good-quality, low-cost cannabis produced in the region.

Chefchaouen’s blue walls are a popular subject of interest. There are several theories as to why the walls were painted blue. One popular theory is that the blue keeps mosquitos away. The blue is said to symbolize the sky and heaven and serve as a reminder to lead a spiritual life. However, according to locals, the walls were mandated to be painted blue in the 1970s just to attract tourists.

Here in Morocco, Ramadan is obviously a big deal. This is not the first Muslim country we have been to, nor is it the first one that we have stayed in during Ramadan, but I thought I should write about it for the blog. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Since it follows the lunar cycle, it begins approximately 11 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar, meaning it rotates through all seasons over time.

At its core, Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual discipline, self-reflection, and heightened devotion for Muslims worldwide. It commemorates the first revelation of the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad.

The Core Practices of Ramadan

1. Fasting:
   The most visible practice is fasting from sunrise to sunset. During these hours, Muslims abstain from:

• All food and drink (including water)
• Smoking
• Sexual relations

This fast is not just about physical abstinence. It’s a holistic practice that requires a heightened consciousness of God. Muslims are also expected to refrain from:

• Negative thoughts and actions (gossip, lying, anger, arguing)
• Cultivating patience, humility, and empathy

The pre-dawn meal is called Suhoor, and the meal to break the fast at sunset is called Iftar. It is traditional to break the daily fast initially with dates and water, following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad.

2. Increased Prayer and Quranic Recitation: Special nightly prayers are held at mosques, during which long portions of the Quran are recited. The goal is to complete the entire Quran in prayer over the course of the month.
   
3. Charity:
   Charity is a major focus. Muslims are required to pay Zakat al-Mal (an annual 2.5% wealth tax on savings) during this time, as it is a pillar of Islam. Additionally, they are encouraged to give abundant voluntary charity to help those in need, ensuring that everyone can partake in the blessings of the month and the coming Eid.
   
4. Community and Family:
   Ramadan has a powerful communal aspect. Families gather each evening for Iftar, mosques are full for prayers, and there is a collective sense of striving and support. It’s a time of increased hospitality, inviting others to share in the breaking of the fast.

Now, we are getting to the core of this post.

At the end of Ramadan comes: Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr, which translates to “the Festival of Breaking the Fast,” marks the end of Ramadan. It is one of the two major holidays in Islam (the other being Eid al-Adha).

The arrival of Eid is announced by the sighting of the new crescent moon. The celebration lasts for one to three days, depending on the country and cultural tradition.

Before the Eid prayer, every Muslim who has the means is required to give a specific amount of food to charity. In the grocery stores in Tangiers, we saw food baskets ready for purchase, with this intent – ensuring that the poor and needy can also join in the celebrations of Eid.

The first day of Eid begins with a special congregational prayer held in large open grounds or large mosques. The prayer is performed shortly after sunrise. I walked a few blocks with Reda and his father and brother to the nearby mosque (it was raining, so this congregational prayer had to be held in the mosque). Here, people are expected to attend in one’s best clothes. In addition, men had “fresh” haircuts, only a few hours ago.

In essence, the spirit of Ramadan is meant to continue throughout the year: the heightened God-consciousness, the empathy for the poor, the commitment to prayer, and the sense of community are all gifts that the month cultivates, and Eid is the joyful culmination and celebration of that spiritual renewal.

We have made close and lasting friendship with our Moroccan friends Reda and Jasmine. In fact, we were in the hospital with them when they welcomed their first child only 6 weeks ago. With this background, they invited us to join them in the travel south to the city of Agadir approximately 800km to the south, even further than Marrakesh.

In Agadir, we were hosted by Reda’s mother and father in their four level home. Each level had a toilet and shower, comfortable bedrooms and nearby kitchen/salon. His father has spent most of his life working on this home, one level at a time, and is finally on the top floor with the “man cave”.

In Agadir, we were introduced to the Argan tree. It is an ancient, resilient species endemic to southwestern Morocco, forming a unique forest—the Arganeraie—around Agadir that is recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System for its role in preventing desertification and supporting a distinctive agro-sylvo-pastoral ecosystem.

Revered as the “Tree of Life,” it is central to local culture and the economy, primarily through the production of highly prized argan oil, which is traditionally crafted by a network of women’s cooperatives that have become powerful engines for economic independence and social empowerment. The region is also home to ingenious traditional water management systems, such as the matifiya underground reservoirs, further illustrating the deep, sustainable connection between the people, their heritage, and this extraordinary tree. Here, Reda and his father Abdul illustrate a close up of the tree and it’s fruit.

We drove down on Thursday, and returned Monday, about 10 hours each way over excellent national toll highways. Jasmine and Lujain are sleeping in the back seat of the car.

The countryside is beautiful and recent winter rainfalls contributed to the green trees and abundant wild flowers.

On the first day of Eid, we went with Reda’s family to visit with his father’s brothers and sisters at the home of one brother. Here, we ate tajine, a quintessential Moroccan dish named after the distinctive conical clay pot in which it is slow-cooked, with the pot’s unique design allowing steam to circulate and condense, creating a self-basting effect that produces tender, deeply flavourful results with minimal liquid.

The stew typically combines meat such as lamb, chicken, or beef with vegetables, dried fruits like apricots or prunes, nuts, and a warm blend of spices including cumin, ginger, saffron, and cinnamon, often balancing savoury and sweet flavours in a single dish. Beyond its culinary significance, tajine embodies Moroccan culture as a symbol of hospitality and communal eating, traditionally served directly from the pot and shared at the centre of the table using bread as the utensil.

Later in the afternoon, we visited with Jasmine’s family, in another area.

The next day, we took the opportunity to visit the International marina, right downtown at the waterfront and beach. Although there are many restaurants and shops, making it an excellent destination – sadly, we found the marina infrastructure to be lacking (in poor repair). The floating docks have holes, a lack of cleats, and there is a fair bit of swell entering the marina with boats often moving with the current.

Sadly, there were 6-8 abandoned foreign sailboats tied to the precious few docks, making the appeal even less. In our experience, this phenomenon happens worldwide, and speaks to the legal challenges of marina operators to get paid for dockage, once the owner has left the country.

This long dock offered some promise, but some of the floating sections were broken away, there were no cleats, water or electrical outlets.

We then proceeded to the hilltop fort in Agadir, the Kasbah of Agadir Oufla. The three Arabic words written in white stones on the hillside are “God, Country, King” (in Arabic: Allah, Al-Watan, Al-Malik) . This phrase serves as an unofficial motto of Morocco, symbolizing the foundational pillars of the nation: faith, patriotism, and loyalty to the monarchy . This large inscription is a prominent feature of the city’s skyline, visible from miles away and illuminated at night, making it an iconic landmark of Agadir.

The Kasbah’s strategic origin dates to the 16th century when the Saadian Sultan Muhammad al-Shaykh constructed it in 1540 to besiege and expel Portuguese forces from their coastal stronghold.

The fortress’s significance lies in its role as a symbol of Moroccan resistance and sovereignty, as well as its long history as the heart of the old city, housing a vibrant community with a mosque, a Jewish quarter (Mellah), and various sanctuaries until it was largely destroyed by the devastating 1960 Agadir earthquake. Today, the site’s restored ramparts and monumental gate—bearing a historic Dutch inscription—stand as a poignant memorial and the city’s most visited monument, offering panoramic views that connect the modern, rebuilt city to its deep and resilient heritage.

We were told that Agadir has the best beaches in all of Morocco, and it’s very early in the season.

The city is large, mostly flat, clean, and with orderly streets.

On the second day of Eid, more relatives came to Reda’s family home for more food and family gathering. This meal was double broiled chicken, and I was able to capture an overhead view illustrating how Moroccans would eat from the same, central dish – with bread, no utensils. Lots of tea, no alcohol – no problem.

On the way home, at a highway rest stop – I captured this photo of an electric vehicle charging station. There are an increasing number of these stations.

In summary, Diane and I greatly enjoyed our celebration of Eid with Reda, Jasmine and their families. We met far too many people and it is difficult to list them here in this blog. We were made to feel very welcome in their homes, and felt like we were part of their large extended family. Thank you.

During the drive, we had many interesting conversations, and one was concerning SMIG (Guaranteed Interprofessional Minimum Wage). For the private non-agricultural sector in Morocco, SMIG is set to 17.92 MAD per hour. For a standard full-time employee working 191.33 hours per month, this calculates to a gross monthly salary of approximately 3,422.72 MAD. To get a rough idea of these salaries in euros, simply divide by 10.

Up until very recently, our Internet on the boat has largely come from wifi signals (often a marina wifi network) grabbed by either our Ubiquiti Bullet (circa 2010) or  MikroTik Groove (circa 2017).  A few posts ago, I lamented over the extremely poor marina wifi here in Tangiers. Not only has the network administrator found a way to bump wifi amplifiers (like mine) off the network, but they decided that they would limit wifi connections (leases) to only 30 minutes! Supposedly “like in the airport”. This is very bad. Both my former Groove and Bullet were due for a technology upgrade, so I replaced them with two new MikroTik Metal 52ac – which is essentially the newest version of the Groove. 

As a point of interest, I have read that the number of different configurations possible with a MikroTik Groove, which runs the full-featured RouterOS software, is virtually unlimited. The device is a fully programmable router that can be configured for a vast array of networking tasks, and is not a device with a fixed number of settings. 

These possibilities stem from: 

Diverse Functionality: RouterOS supports an extensive range of network functions, including complex firewall rules, routing protocols (MPLS, BGP, etc.), VPNs (IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard), DHCP, QoS, VLANs, and more.

Programmability: The device can be configured using a powerful command-line interface (CLI), a graphical utility called WinBox (which I used extensively), a web interface (WebFig), or an API for custom applications, allowing for intricate and highly specific setups.

Combinatorial Complexity: The number of combinations of settings, rules, and parameters across all the available features is immense. For example, a user can create countless different firewall rules, assign an almost infinite number of possible IP addresses, configure numerous virtual interfaces, and combine these features in countless ways.

Flexible Deployment Modes: The Groove can be configured in various default modes like a CPE (Client Premises Equipment) router, an AP (Access Point) router, a point-to-point bridge, or a WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider) bridge, each serving as a starting point for further customization. The basic configuration that I had success with was as a CPE + router. I also tried bridge and pseudo-bridge, but was unsuccessful. 

In essence, while the physical hardware has limits (one Ethernet port, one wireless interface), the software configuration options provided by RouterOS are so extensive and flexible that there is no practical limit to the number of unique configurations a user can create.

With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that most (yes, most) cruisers feel that programming and operating one of these things may well be beyond their skillset. In truth, the first two devices that I had delivered (in 2010 and 2017) arrived pre-configured for the purpose I had in mind (to fetch remote wifi signals and push the Internet data to my onboard network router). However, it is getting more difficult to find people that are trained and experienced to do these configurations. Therefore, I went out on a limb and bought two new ones (made in Latvia and sold on Amazon) a few weeks ago and set out to configure them myself. Given the lack of accurate reference material, I’m not ashamed to admit that I had the assistance of AI tools, namely: ChatGPT, Grok and Deepseek. I found the Chinese developed Deepseek to be the most effective tool, as it had the best understanding of the windows, tabs and firmware features necessary to set the device up. I would not be exaggerating if I said it took me approximately 60 hours of time for the first one, and yet only 2 hours for the second one. The user interface is the most complicated one I have ever seen. However, now that they are both configured (same job, just one is a spare), it is a fairly simple matter to change the Internet source (10 minutes). These two new Grooves are now on the stern, with one configured to catch Internet from our Moroccan Orange mifi (mobile wifi) device. 

So, my STARLINK mini install is also finished. This device is both a satellite transceiver and wifi router built into one. As you can see from this photo, I’ve mounted it on the stern, port side of the solar panels. 

For the power supply, I tapped into an available 12V circuit and connected through a switch, 10A fuse and 12V-48V converter. The provided wire is very thin, and although some say that it will run on 12V, that’s not quite true. It depends on the cable length and voltage at source. The 220V converter provided with the equipment puts out a 30VDC signal. On the Internet, I have read that some people used a 12V-24V converter to bump up the voltage, but with any higher voltage, the current will be lower — so I erred on the low current side with a 48V converter, as used by some. 

The STARLINK mini is right next to both Grooves, so there should be no problem getting a connection on either 2.4 or 5GHz, when I do that. At the moment, both networks are available inside the boat (below the steel deck), although the 2.4GHz network has a stronger signal. As measure, the STARLINK mini actual current draw, is only about 2A @ 13.2V. This is what my network looks like, with the STARLINK, mifi, Groove(s) and “inside the boat wifi network”.

Some people are bound to ask: “since the STARLINK mini already has a built-in router, broadcasting from the dish, why bother with another inside the boat network”? The rationale for this is that we have a metal boat with a metal deck, which can, and does produce obstacles to wifi distribution. After installation, I did test the mini, which produces both a 2.4GHz and a 5GHz network, and the lower frequency seems to promulgate throughout most of the boat. However, I’m concerned with best propagation, and we have a lot of devices: two MacBook Airs, two iPads, two iPhones, two Kindles, a navigation/desktop computer, a network printer, a WYZE network camera and finally several SMART plugs. With a separate boat network, we have redundancy and the best propagation to all devices, in all areas of the boat. 

I am very pleased with the installation, but we’re not using it yet, not just yet. Although the download speed is very solid at 100Mbps plus, noticeably higher than our 4G cellular mifi device at only 5-10 Mbps, our mifi device actually barely meets our needs and is cheaper at only 30 euros per month (no data limit). The best roam plan for our STARLINK mini is only 78 euros per month (no data limit). However, the problem is that we are currently physically located in Morocco, a country that does not yet have contracted service. Yes, the satellites cover the area, but there is no legal service. Therefore, whatever we have, can be turned off on short notice. Therefore, we are postponing changing our service plan from standby (0.5Mbps) and only 5 euros per month – for a few months, until we set out for Spain again. 

We are suffering through the worst winter we have experienced in a long, long time. Since arriving in Turkey in June 2020, we have had five winters: Turkey (3), then Tunisia and Spain. This, our sixth winter in “the Med area” is the worst because of a never ending series of storms that have been bashing the area in January and now the early part of February. It is not just Morocco, or even the Atlantic coast of Spain, but it appears to be most of Europe. We had hail here several times, with a daytime temperature of 14C and night temperatures of 10C. 

The last thing I did was to remove a Chinese LiFePO4 60A battery charger (bought in 2019). Over a few weeks, it started to give wonky outputs, and finally it just didn’t work any longer. I did take it apart, and scavenged some parts, but it couldn’t be repaired. I simply replaced it with a different model 60A charger, from AliExpress. For convenience, I mounted it upside down next to the house bank. The display is a little awkward to read, but it’s not something you need to look at anyway. 

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to experience something different. I went to a professional football match, a very special one. For months, we have noticed that there are posters all around Tangiers for the Africa Cup of Nations, commonly abbreviated as AFCON. This is the main biennial international men’s association football competition in Africa, first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been held every two years, and is expected to become a quadrennial event, taking place in leap years from 2028.

With the first tournament in 1957, there were only three participating nations: Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia. South Africa was originally scheduled to join, but was disqualified due to the apartheid policies of the government then in power. Since then, the tournament has expanded to 24 teams. Egypt is the most successful nation in the cup’s history, winning the tournament seven times, with Cameroon winning five times and Ghana four times.

Morocco is hosting the 2025 Africa Cup in six cities: Casablanca, Rabat, Tanger, Fez, Agadir and Marrakech. It’s a big deal in Morocco, bringing in thousands of fans from around the world. While chatting with our friends Reda and Jasmine a few weeks ago, I wondered about the possibility of going to one of the games. In the end, Reda arranged to get the tickets (online) and for a mere 15 euros per seat – we went to a game!

For convenience, we picked a game that was actually in Tangiers/Tanger, in the 1/8 finals (for economy, as the prices rise as you get closer to the finals). The match was held in the Grand Stadium of Tanger, a recently expanded venue that holds about 75,000 fans. The playing surface is grass, real grass, not artificial turf – with very good drainage.

We selected the match between Senegal and Sudan. On game day, Reda parked the car a few blocks away, and we entered the stadium grounds.

As we were walking in, and next to the stadium, we walked by a smaller Futsal stadium, and I asked Reda – what is Futsal?

For clarification, “soccer” or “football” is an outdoor game while Futsal is an indoor game. Soccer has 11 players while Futsal is played with 5 players. In a game of soccer, three substitutions are allowed while there are unlimited substitutions in a game of Futsal. The half time in Soccer is 45 minutes while it is only 20 minutes in Futsal.

When entering the stadium, our e-tickets were checked 8 times (I counted) and we were bodily frisked 3 times. Our seats were dry (it was a rainy/misty night) and there was very good overhead cover over most of the stadium. This was my first view inside the stadium, walking in at about 1705, daylight.

Once inside the stadium, my impression was that the environment was a bit loud, and dominated by the music/drumming of the Senegal fans – marked in green/yellow and red.

They had a very well practiced rhythm/drum show that increased in tempo as Senegal got the ball and moved towards the Sudan goal line. It was a lot like being front and centre in a Hollywood filming of a King Kong movie! At half time, the jumbo screen showed that there were 30,045 fans in attendance. Not full, but still – a lot of people. (there was no “half time” show by the way)

In the end, Senegal defeated Sudan 3:1 and moved forward in the series.

The stadium was very clean, with no sign of litter. The seats were surprisingly comfortable, just plastic with no cushion – but it was fine. I never noticed any “No Smoking” signs, but there was none going on. Fans were very respectful of the rules. This was the nighttime view of the interior.

When exiting, we walked by several concession stands. It appeared that they did not sell any hot or prepared foods, just pre-packaged snacks and drinks. None of which I saw in the stands.

It has been a long time since I went to any event with so many people in attendance. At one point during the game, thousands of fans held up their cell phones with a flashlight app – something that years ago used to be done with a BIC lighter! I also made a comparison to watching an ice hockey game, something I’m very familiar with. With this football match, we were sitting quite far away, yet could easily follow the play: slow moving players, white ball on a green surface. Compare this to a hockey game, where the players move extremely quickly with skates on an ice surface, and the puck is a small distant black object.

There were many female fans, but Diane chose not to go with us. It was a boys night out. In the end, I was very grateful for the experience, and thanked my friend Reda for making it happen.

The weeks are flying by, and it’s time for another post. This time, there are many different subjects. In chronological order:

When we arrived here in Tangiers on 27 May 2025, we had a significant Volvo engine oil leak, one that was particularly difficult to diagnose while underway – and repair. Well, in truth I didn’t have any hope in repairing it because I had no idea where it was leaking! Way back in June, I had the good fortune to come across a very good mechanic by the name of Abdelwahid (WhatsApp number +212 661-204886. He was quite busy, both in his mechanic job, and personally , but one day he helped me for 15 minutes to simply find the leak. He wedged himself into a tight spot in the engine room and videoed the oil cooler housing as I increased the engine rpm. At 900rpm, there was no leak, but as the pressure increased at 1500rpm, it started to leak. I was unable to setup a date for him to attend to the repair until we returned from Canada and Marrakesh more than 3 months later.

Finally, he arrived, removed the oil cooler, and took it away to his shop for repair.

He returned a week later, installed it – but discovered it was now leaking in a different place.

He removed it again, and took it back to his shop, returned a week later, and this time it wasn’t leaking, not at all. In the end, I was very pleased with the quality and timeliness of his work, and we were not inconvenienced by the time it took. We were sitting at dock anyway.

While back in Canada this past summer, we discovered that Diane needed some surgery (female anatomy). It was simply not possible to schedule this while we were home, so we postponed it until we returned to Morocco. In summary, Diane discovered an English speaking female gynaecologist and had the surgery in a private hospital within a week after our return. We paid upfront for the surgery, and do not carry any medical insurance. As we have found in many other countries (Wade had knee replacement surgery in both India and Turkey), the private medical system here in Morocco is both affordable and of high quality.

A few weeks ago, over a two day period, we took one of these red hop-on, hop-off bus tours so we could quickly see the sights of Tangiers. Our normal weekly activities take us to shopping malls, supermarkets and hardware stores, but this was a tourist activity. There are actually two separate routes, and one ticket gets you entry onto both (which we did over a two day period).

The first, and longer tour is the Grottes D’Hercule tour. One of the stops was Cape Spartel. This site is just west of the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km West of Tangier. Below the cape are the “Caves of Hercules”. The cape rises to a height of 326m. at the top of Jebel Quebir where there is a tower. There is another tower nearer to the end of the cape which serves as a lighthouse.

We drove by the Socco Alto Mall, probably the newest and nicest mall in Tangiers (and there are plenty). We drove by Marshan Palace, repurposed in 1957 as a property of the Monarchy, and later became known as the Maison de Tanger (“House of Tangier”).

On that west end tour, we also drove by some evidently affluent neighbourhoods.

The second, and shorter tour is called the Tanger Ville Tour. It starts off by driving right through the centre of the Medina (old city). This view is just opposite the old port, where the cruise ships come in. Notice the pedestrian crossing. The way it works in Morocco is that cars stop for pedestrians crossing the street in those striped areas. However, you need to be actually walking, across the stripes – and eyeballing each car. They will drive in front of, and behind you – but it is safe.

We also drove by the Tangier Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (also called the Spanish Cathedral), the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tangier in Morocco,. It is a striking modern building known for its angular nave and bell tower, and serving as a significant landmark in Tangier’s skyline, and a symbol of the city’s diverse cultural past. 

The remaining city tour started by driving right through the middle of the Medina.

The tour continued to rumble through city streets displaying the European influence on building and commerce.

Our young friends Reda and his wife Jasmine came by for a visit (lunch and afternoon tea). They are our best source of information as to Moroccan culture and history. They come from Agadir (in the south of Morocco) and have lived in Tangiers for about a year.

A few weeks ago, we had a toilet plumbing discharge line “issue” and Reda came to help out (he was on a statutory holiday, so he had the day off). A few years ago, Reda actually worked as a plumber’s assistant, and the fact that he is smaller and more flexible than me made the job much quicker. While building JOANA, our son Jonathan was only 9-12 years old, and perfectly fit in one very tight space. Here, Reda shows that he too, can fit in that space under the microwave convection oven.

Since returning from Canada at the end of September, we have experienced quite a bit of frustration with the marina wifi. In truth, it used to be very good, fast and reliable. Suddenly, two months ago it became very poor. The marina blamed it on expansion efforts, but there is more going on than meets the eye. I see now that there are actually 9 Access Points where the marina wifi is broadcast on 2.4 and 5GHz networks. I have been using a Ubiquiti Bullet since 2011 to capture remote 2.4GHz networks. While in New Zealand in 2017, I augmented this with an additional MikroTik Groove for both 2.4 and 5 GHz networks. For the most part, one or the other of these devices has worked very well to bring in marina wifi, or even distant wifi signals over either 2.4 or 5 GHz band over the past 14 years. A few weeks ago, when troubleshooting this poor marina wifi connection, I uploaded a firmware upgrade to our Groove. Shortly afterwards, I realized that this firmware was not compatible with this hardware version of the Groove, and could not operate. I found it very strange that the device actually permitted the uploading of software that was incompatible with the hardware, but, nonetheless, it did. Then, the only option remaining was to take the Groove apart.

The reset button was broken (common fault), so my only remaining option was to buy a TTL-USB converter, and attach four tiny alligator clip leads to four very tiny gold pads – and try to upload a downgraded firmware version through PuTTy on my boat navigation PC.

Despite dogged determination by both me and Grok, this procedure ultimately failed. My fallback is to simply buy a new MikroTik Groove and replace the device – not easily possible in Morocco.

What I see happening now in Tanja Bay Marina is that the Network Administrator has cleverly found a way to bump off these type of devices (amplifiers to bring in remote wifi signals). Their unexplained, and likely rationale is that the high power amplifiers like these can dominate the channels, making access for the ordinary user difficult. From my perspective, I can get a good marina wifi signal in the cockpit, but definitely not inside our boat. Why? Because we live inside a metal boat. Every boater who lives inside a steel or aluminum boat experiences the same issue. We have come to rely on our equipment to grab these signals and pass them to a router inside the boat, broadcasting our JOANA wifi. I have spoken with Marina Management about this many times, and gotten nowhere. It was time to take a different approach.

Therefore, we bought a MIFI “puck” or mobile Internet router from Orange, a large provider here in Morocco. For less than 30 euros a month (pay as you go, not on a contract), we can have 4G wifi at speeds that we find are adequate – and can support two users. So, we connect this little puck directly into our boat router, and presto, we have a JOANA wifi network again, throughout the boat.

To “hedge our bets” and setup for the future, we have also bought a STARLINK mini, but more about that in a future post.

A few weeks ago, we made an interesting observation. There were no dock ladders on our dock, M-dock. Very strange. I asked management how they expected an adult, let alone a child, to get out of the water if they fell in. The docks are floating and more than a metre above the water. The Marina answered, “Oh, they haven’t gotten around to installing those yet”. Well, I found it pretty shocking that M dock has been in use for more than a year and nobody bothered to install these ladders! Anyway, after a week, we suddenly inherited two dock ladders, most certainly robbed from another dock. It is at least somewhat comforting to know that the marina management takes safety seriously, at least after some prodding.

Finally, just before writing this blog post, yesterday we hosted Reda and Jasmine for another visit aboard JOANA, this time they brought his mother, her mother and his niece – all from Agadir. I would be remise if I neglected to mention that again, they brought some very good homemade pastries, cooked up by Jasmine only an hour before. They had travelled to visit Tangiers, and bring family closeness as Jasmine approaches her “due date”.