Morocco

Marina Smir for Tetouan and Chefchauen.

Tangier new Marina.

Essouria for crazy boat building and beach.

Agadir for western style resort but with Moroccan panache.

Rabat for old town.

Safi for......well because it's there.

:encouragement:
 
Rabat. Great marina and location. Rabat and Sale superb. Train to Marrakech, bus to Essaouira, train to Casablanca, hire car to Atlas Mtns, Ouarzazate and Er Rachidia - check blog www.sailblogs.com/member/philandnorma Morocco is a must visit.

+1 A highlight of our passage south & west in 2012/13, with perhaps the exception of Casablanca, IMO that's one of the world's great sh1tholes; to be fair it's 'fame' stems from the Bogart/Bergman film and they never ventured east of Hollywood in making that.
The Moroccan trains through were ridiculously cheap and superb and Sale/Rabat are the system's hub, we used them to visit Marrakech/Casablanca then Fez & Meknes too; that said and perhaps because they're the least touristed, our favourites were Rabat & Sale themselves.
 
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Good luck with the 3 hour check in experience into the marina in Tangier. Plus customs refusing to deboot before walking over my yacht. Can't say I'm bothered about returning, but dirt cheap at 15 quid for 12m in the summer. And don't forget to take your own toilet roll with you to the heads . . .
 
Good luck with the 3 hour check in experience into the marina in Tangier. Plus customs refusing to deboot before walking over my yacht. Can't say I'm bothered about returning, but dirt cheap at 15 quid for 12m in the summer. And don't forget to take your own toilet roll with you to the heads . . .

Do you know of any other custom or police who take they boots off , as I don't ,
We love North Africa , so different to Europe main land even if you have to take your own toilet paper .
As you say it cheap , where else can you get fuel at 44 cent a lts or a haulout for 80 euros .
 
The time it takes to clear in or out is part of the journey. If it takes three hours or more, so what? Are we in a hurry? Anyone in a hurry shouldn't be cruising. If there are reams of paper to fill in and you end up supplying the same info to port authority, customs and immigration - so what? Their country and their laws (albeit clearance procedures are often inherited from former colonial powers - experience clearance in Mauritius for a very extreme example) be delighted to have the opportunity to visit - we are very priveleged people to be able to live this life. Don't moan about clearance.
 
The time it takes to clear in or out is part of the journey. If it takes three hours or more, so what? Are we in a hurry? Anyone in a hurry shouldn't be cruising. If there are reams of paper to fill in and you end up supplying the same info to port authority, customs and immigration - so what? Their country and their laws (albeit clearance procedures are often inherited from former colonial powers - experience clearance in Mauritius for a very extreme example) be delighted to have the opportunity to visit - we are very priveleged people to be able to live this life. Don't moan about clearance.
There was a time when we all had to clear in and out in every country we entered , and it may be that time will come again , so people should just get use to it ,
 
The time it takes to clear in or out is part of the journey. If it takes three hours or more, so what? Are we in a hurry? Anyone in a hurry shouldn't be cruising. If there are reams of paper to fill in and you end up supplying the same info to port authority, customs and immigration - so what? Their country and their laws (albeit clearance procedures are often inherited from former colonial powers - experience clearance in Mauritius for a very extreme example) be delighted to have the opportunity to visit - we are very priveleged people to be able to live this life. Don't moan about clearance.

Not liveaboard yet, but fully agree!
 
+1 for Agadir

We only stayed 3 days but it was so inexpensive as to be considered free. Nice safe spot with good restaurants around the harbor. The souk didn't really excite us as most of the stuff seemed like junk.
 
The time it takes to clear in or out is part of the journey. If it takes three hours or more, so what? Are we in a hurry? Anyone in a hurry shouldn't be cruising. If there are reams of paper to fill in and you end up supplying the same info to port authority, customs and immigration - so what? Their country and their laws (albeit clearance procedures are often inherited from former colonial powers - experience clearance in Mauritius for a very extreme example) be delighted to have the opportunity to visit - we are very priveleged people to be able to live this life. Don't moan about clearance.

As much as I agree with most of what you are saying, I reckon it's good to spare a thought for pro skippers running deliveries or charters to whom time is often pressing. And there are a lot of them about. I've been lucky enough to not only cruise but run deliveries and charters too. It can be a little testing sometimes when you need to crack on but are in a long clearance queue. I've noticed that not all are blessed with patience!
 
Good luck with the 3 hour check in experience into the marina in Tangier. Plus customs refusing to deboot before walking over my yacht. Can't say I'm bothered about returning, but dirt cheap at 15 quid for 12m in the summer. And don't forget to take your own toilet roll with you to the heads . . .

Those nice little felt slip on booties .. .. .. SIBS is a good example
 
I can only comment on my experience in North African countrys , but telling a police or customs officers to re move their boots not only wouldn't get you any where other then a long and deep search of the boat . :)
 
Good luck with the 3 hour check in experience into the marina in Tangier. Plus customs refusing to deboot before walking over my yacht. Can't say I'm bothered about returning, but dirt cheap at 15 quid for 12m in the summer. And don't forget to take your own toilet roll with you to the heads . . .

I'm kinda flabbergasted by this. Are you seriously dismissing exploring a fascinating country because of a couple of hours of beaurocracy and some official got a bit of dirt on your shiny decks? As for the toilet paper, no, don't take your own if the loos are not designed to be used with toilet paper! Do what the locals do.
 
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