Cruising Info for Rabat, Morocco Sept-Oct 2011
34 01N 06 49W
Before arriving The marina sits on the northern shores of the Bouregreg River, about a mile inland from the river entrance. The entrance has a bar across it between the outer (new) breakwater and inner (old and partly submerged) breakwater. The marina should be contacted on VHF 10 about 5 miles out to advise your arrival and then again when 1 mile out. If conditions are ok they will then send out the marina boat to the entrance to escort you over the bar and up to the Customs Dock. If conditions are not good enough for crossing the bar they will either advise to standoff until the tide rises/swell drops or if the harbour entrance is closed suggest you continue to Mohammedia (apprx 30 miles south) which can be entered in most conditions.
Therefore you need to time your arrival accordingly. It seems they bring in boats from around 3 hours before high tide until 3 hours after high tide, however on the outgoing tide the bar can get more unruly so try to time arrival just before high tide. It is also very important to watch the swell forecast. http://www.windguru.cz/ is one site that has the wind and swell forecast for Rabat. It is unlikely that the harbour will be open if the swell/wave height is over 6 feet, if over 5 feet it will depend on the conditions but expect an exciting ride in – with the possibility of turning the boat so the bow rides the breaking surf!!! We came in with a 3 foot swell and very little wind and all was fine.
The marina staff seem to use only handheld vhf’s so can be hard to hear, also only a couple of staff speak English (all speak French), however they monitor 24 hours and escort boats in 24 hours. If you can’t raise the marina staff call for any boat in the marina to relay, most boats keep channel 10 on.
Once in the river
The marina pilot boat will escort you to the customs arrival dock (North side of river) approx 1 mile inside the entrance. Generally a port side tie up. All arrival paperwork is taken care of there, it takes about an hour or so. They also board the boat and have a good look through, some boats had a sniffer dog, we didn’t. Everything was undertaken in a professional way. There are no charges.
Bouregreg Marina
You can walk across to view the berths once you have finished customs/immigration. The berths in the marina are all finger berths with very short fingers that don’t have cleats. Its rather an interesting challenge to tie up. There are clean showers and toilets and a token operated (50 dirhams approx €4.50) washing machine. Security is excellent. Wifi is free and is quite good. Cellphone Our http://www.gymsim.com/ simcard is working well here for calls and text messaging. Fuel Dock is on the right as you enter the marina, Diesel is 7.21Dirham per litre (approx €0.65c - cheap cheap!!) Gas Bottles European Camping Gaz bottles cost 11.00Dirham to exchange (yes approx €1.00!!) bottles are somewhat rusty though but cheap to get the bottle too. Can't fill NZ/USA/Australian bottles but we have all syphoned from Camping Gaz. There is a door hinge/knob shop that sells all the gas fittings to make a hose. Directions to follow. Alcohol Bring your own!!! Don't know of anywhere yet to buy any and hardly anywhere serves it (its detox time after all that cheap Spanish and Portugese)
More to come as we explore the surrounds.
34 01N 06 49W
Before arriving The marina sits on the northern shores of the Bouregreg River, about a mile inland from the river entrance. The entrance has a bar across it between the outer (new) breakwater and inner (old and partly submerged) breakwater. The marina should be contacted on VHF 10 about 5 miles out to advise your arrival and then again when 1 mile out. If conditions are ok they will then send out the marina boat to the entrance to escort you over the bar and up to the Customs Dock. If conditions are not good enough for crossing the bar they will either advise to standoff until the tide rises/swell drops or if the harbour entrance is closed suggest you continue to Mohammedia (apprx 30 miles south) which can be entered in most conditions.
Therefore you need to time your arrival accordingly. It seems they bring in boats from around 3 hours before high tide until 3 hours after high tide, however on the outgoing tide the bar can get more unruly so try to time arrival just before high tide. It is also very important to watch the swell forecast. http://www.windguru.cz/ is one site that has the wind and swell forecast for Rabat. It is unlikely that the harbour will be open if the swell/wave height is over 6 feet, if over 5 feet it will depend on the conditions but expect an exciting ride in – with the possibility of turning the boat so the bow rides the breaking surf!!! We came in with a 3 foot swell and very little wind and all was fine.
The marina staff seem to use only handheld vhf’s so can be hard to hear, also only a couple of staff speak English (all speak French), however they monitor 24 hours and escort boats in 24 hours. If you can’t raise the marina staff call for any boat in the marina to relay, most boats keep channel 10 on.
Once in the river
The marina pilot boat will escort you to the customs arrival dock (North side of river) approx 1 mile inside the entrance. Generally a port side tie up. All arrival paperwork is taken care of there, it takes about an hour or so. They also board the boat and have a good look through, some boats had a sniffer dog, we didn’t. Everything was undertaken in a professional way. There are no charges.
Bouregreg Marina
You can walk across to view the berths once you have finished customs/immigration. The berths in the marina are all finger berths with very short fingers that don’t have cleats. Its rather an interesting challenge to tie up. There are clean showers and toilets and a token operated (50 dirhams approx €4.50) washing machine. Security is excellent. Wifi is free and is quite good. Cellphone Our http://www.gymsim.com/ simcard is working well here for calls and text messaging. Fuel Dock is on the right as you enter the marina, Diesel is 7.21Dirham per litre (approx €0.65c - cheap cheap!!) Gas Bottles European Camping Gaz bottles cost 11.00Dirham to exchange (yes approx €1.00!!) bottles are somewhat rusty though but cheap to get the bottle too. Can't fill NZ/USA/Australian bottles but we have all syphoned from Camping Gaz. There is a door hinge/knob shop that sells all the gas fittings to make a hose. Directions to follow. Alcohol Bring your own!!! Don't know of anywhere yet to buy any and hardly anywhere serves it (its detox time after all that cheap Spanish and Portugese)
More to come as we explore the surrounds.
