With the Africa Twin on the way to Brazil and the Access headed the other way to Poland, we were left without wheels and a little lonely… We’re in ‘backpacker mode’ now, relying solely on trains, buses and taxis. It’s definitely a bigger strain on the budget and a lot more restrictive!

We were still keen to hitch a ride across the Atlantic on a sail boat, so immediately began our search in the port of Casablanca. Unfortunately, the new marina is under consruction and won’t be finished until 2011. One of the guards at the port directed us to an alterntive marina 30km north of Casablanca, at the town of Mohammedia. Sure enough we found the marina, but after a few days of waiting it was apparent that the port does not see a lot of traffic from Europe and our chances of finding something were slim. More detective work indicated that the best port from which to catch a ride across to the Canary Islands (the jumping off point for all west bound trans-atlantic boats), is Agadir - 500km to the south of Casablanca. We decided to give it a go.

In Agadir things didn’t start off well. The first guy at the port said the ‘best’ place to find a boat would be in Casablanca!! Arghh!! ‘Could this be happening?’ - we thought… Luckily, it turned out the guy didn’t know what he’s talking about (not uncommon). A kilometer up the road we found a marina which sees a lot traffic to the Canary Islands. We began asking around the docks and it wasn’t long before we ‘bumped’ into Regine and Frederic. A 60 year old brother/sister combination sailing around the world in their Dehler41 (12 meter) sailing boat called “TAGOMAGO”. They had been in Agadir for a month but were leaving in 3 days and agreed to take us on as crew. Perfect!!

The voyage from Agadir to the first of the Canary Islands - Il Graciosas - took around 33 hours, at an average of 6knots (10km/hr). We sailed non-stop (even during the night) taking turns at keeping watch for sudden wind changes and other boats. It was something totally new for us and although it took a while to get used to life on a constantly rocking boat, we loved every minute of it…

Like surrogate parents Regine and Frederic were fantastic! They gave valuable lessons on sailing and daily life on a boat. Having sailed since they were kids, they know what they’re talking about… THANKS GUYS!!!

After a rest day on Il Gaciosas (spent swimming, eating and lounging around), we sailed for a further 7 hours and reached Puerto Calero on the island of Lanzarote. Here, we bid farewell to Regine and Frederic, and organised transport (via ferry) to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, from where we’ll try and hitch our next ride. We could get lucky and find something within a few days, but there’s also the possibility that it could take a while as most boats wait for more favourable winds (known as Trade Winds) starting at the end of November. Time will tell…

In reaching the Canary Islands, we’ve officially entered Europe! The islands make up part of Spain, even though they lie a few tousand kilomters away. The landscape is of coarse more African than European, but everything else screams of Europe. From the perfectly groomed gardens and luxury boutiques to the official currency (Euro) and spotless bathrooms (all with proper toiet seats!! ). It’s a nice change but somehow lacks the authenticity and ‘heartbeat’ of Africa. We miss it already…

An update on the whereabouts of the Africa Twin:
- The ship carrying ‘our’ Africa is due to arrive at Rio de Janeiro within the next few days. With us still on the other side of the Atlantic, clearance of the bike through customs would be a nightmare if not impossible. Not to mention the high port storage fees at Rio. Luckily a fan of our trip has come to our rescue! Manuel has been following our trip for some time and being from Brazil, offered his help in organising transport/storage of the bike until we come and pick it up. Manuel, thank you for all your help so far!!