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Cruising Notes

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Spurn Bight, River Humber

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Bcoast of Jersey. ouley Bay is a popular anchorage nestled under the cliffs on the north The wide bay is easy to

enter; a tidal harbour with deep water moorings. Holding is good on sand

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Essaouira is an ancient town, full
of activity, with plenty to do and see.
There are many traditional and
excellent Moroccan restaurants, and
local shops sell everything from
hand-carved wooden ornaments to
carpets and musical instruments.
Additionally, this is the place for
outdoor enthusiasts: kitesurfi ng,
horse riding, surfi ng and quad
biking are just some of the sports
on offer. Or simply sit in your cockpit
and watch the constant spectacle
provided by the activity of
Essaouira’s fi shing harbour!
Our fi nal port was Agadir, a
modern town situated behind a
large beach. The marina is new and
very attractive, offering excellent
shelter. There is also security and
Wi-Fi in the offi ce, and plenty of
restaurants in the marina complex
and along the beachfront. The only
issue was the state of the showers,
which were being used as some
sort of storage facility while we were
there. The coast to the north of
Agadir offers some of Morocco’s
best surfi ng, and it is a popular
departure point for the Canaries:
Lanzarote is 220 miles away.
It is necessary to clear in and out
of every port. In some places, like
Rabat, the process is quick and
effi cient. All the necessary offi cials –
police, customs and immigration,
and the marina staff – board the
boat and will happily enjoy a chat
with you as you fi ll in the paperwork.
However, some patience and a
good sense of humour is required
for other ports, and although the
vast majority of offi cials are friendly
and helpful, the process may still
take longer than you expect.
The cost of cruising in Morocco
is, unsurprisingly, cheaper than
Europe. Our marina fees varied
between 200-240 dirhams
(£12-£14 at the current exchange
rate) per night. Occasionally –
as in Mohammedia – there was
an additional port fee of 120
dirhams (£8).
Unique perspective
Exploring the Moroccan culture is
one of the delights of cruising this
coast, and as a cruiser you will have
a unique perspective. Because you
will likely be away from the major
tourist centres, it may be diffi cult to
fi nd people who speak English,
even in marinas or customs.
French is widely spoken.
Baksheesh (tipping) is occasionally
requested. When the owner of the
Bénéteau First in Essaouira helped
us with our lines and kept an eye
on the boat while we were off
exploring the surrounding area,
a bottle of wine and a few beers
were gratefully received.
Sailing the Atlantic coast of
Morocco was at times challenging:
the lack of infrastructure for
yachts and the additional level
of bureaucracy we had to deal
with was, at times, frustrating or
confusing. However, it was an
incredibly rewarding experience
to explore this fascinating and
friendly country, and I truly hope
that more yachts consider
making the effort to discover
this unique cruising ground.
A
good anchorage can
be found in the north
channel of the River
Humber, inside Spurn Head,
offering shelter in northerly
and easterly winds. It is
uncomfortable in strong
north-westerly winds,
particularly on a spring ebb.
The Cruising Almanac 2016,
compiled by the Cruising
Association and published by
Imray, recommends anchoring
in 1-3.5m, opposite the
lighthouse off the brickyard
chimney, north of the pilot boat
station. The clay bottom gives
good holding but the ebb can
be strong.
According to the Associated
British Ports website (www.
humber.com), safe anchoring
can be found in the Spurn
Bight, where a yacht buoy is
available for mooring purposes.
Care must be taken not to
interfere with pilot-launch
operations. Anchoring is also
possible close to the north bank
near Hawkins Point. This is the
only area on the Lower Humber
where protection can be gained
from north-westerly winds.
Safe anchorage can be found
close inshore between North
Killingholme and Skitter Haven
when strong winds are blowing
from a direction between west
and south-west. The brickyard
chimney provides a useful
landmark. The area close
inshore at Paull offers shelter
from winds coming from a
northerly direction.
Rabat kasbah as seen from our yacht as we approached
Agadir Marina is ‘new and very attractive, offering excellent shelter’
Skitter
Haven
North
Killingholme
Spurn Head
Hawkins
Point

• 
  


• Paull

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Spurn Head is the promontory guarding the mouth of the River Humber
Tony Kirkwan