Whether you’ve never stepped foot on a boat or like us you’re avid sailors we have the ultimate sailing adventure for you. This is a three legged trip – a choose your own adventure. You can come and join us for leg one, leg two, leg three, mix and match or join us for all of it!

Sometimes sailing is purely about relaxing and exploring with the focus on wining, dining and a little sailing between destinations. This trip however focuses more on sailing and adventure and is generally suited to those who have sailed previously. You will be expected to be an active participant in all areas of sailing and keeping the vessel in good condition, as well as cooking and cleaning. Of course once when we finish sailing each day, we will revert to our modus operandi of focusing on wining and dining.

Starting from Tenerife, we’ll sail around the magnificent Canary Islands, stopping overnight in Lanzarote before making our way to the Portuguese island of Madeira, where we will spend a full day and 2 evenings. We then set sail into the open Atlantic with an epic 600nm passage to Tangiers in Northern Morocco before sailing across the Strait of Gibraltar to the Rock.

Itinerary

Day 0 – Prep Day – Tenerife

Arrive into sunny Tenerife on Friday 6th March, a welcome sight from the grey skies you’ll have left behind in the UK. Gather at the marina, where you’ll meet your crewmates and skipper, get to know one another and provision the boat. Your skipper will undertake a myriad of safety checks for the boat and brief the crew about protocols, including Man Overboard and night sailing. Nothing is left to chance and having an RYA instructor means we can delve into aspects of safety and sailing as taught by RYA approved sailing schools. We’ll end the first day getting to know one another whilst enjoying the delicious Canarian cuisine.

Waking for our first day at sea, we’ll meet at the Marina of the Tenerife fishing village of Las Galletas and familiarise ourselves with the yacht. Your skipper will run through the safety brief and we’ll take to the seas around 3:00pm for our first overnight sail of approx. 150nm sailing to the northern tip of the island of Lanzarote.

We arrive in the morning into the newest Canary island, La Graciosa. Enjoy exploring the empty beaches and amazing landscapes on either side of us, on the island that was said to have inspired Treasure Island. We’ll anchor in the Port of Caleta de Sebo, the most enchanting and peaceful town with its whitewashed houses and pale sandy streets, here we’ll bed down here for the night.

After some exploration ashore on the magnificent island of La Graciosa, we set sail around midday for our 2 day, 2 night 250nm adventure to the Portuguese island of Madeira. Located in the Atlantic ocean, 310 miles from. Africa, Madeira is stepped in history with its first settlers discovering the island in 1419. Six years later, King John I of Portugal ordered the colonisation of the island, so Madeira’s first inhabitants made their way from the Algarve to this new exotic island they’d soon be calling home.

This adventure is not for the faint hearted, so hold on tight fellow sailors as we set sail for 2 days in the open ocean. You will learn all aspects of offshore sailing including night shifts, navigation and general survival at sea. Your lead skipper will reinforce protocols around sailing keeping safe throughout the journey before setting off. We expect to arrive in Madeira around midday on Day 5, arriving into the town of Funchal. We’ll have a quick debrief and celebratory drink for mastering your first major overnight passage. Spend the rest of the day as you wish, chilling on board or exploring the town of Funchal. Take the cable car along the old steam train railway line for the most impressive views.

Explore the island in the morning, take a trip out east to the impressive natural wonder, Ponta de São Lourenço or wander the streets of Funchal, whilst the skipper provisions the boat ahead of our epic sail. We start after lunch setting sail from Madeira to Northern Morocco. This passage represents an epic 600nm journey where we will be at sea continuously for 4 days and 4 nights. You will experience the magic of helming a yacht at night in the Atlantic ocean with just the stars and your crew members for company. Expect to witness pods of dolphins and other sea life. This time is the perfect chance to gain valuable experience as skipper, whilst some of the crew practise astro navigation as part of their Yachtmaster ocean qualifications.

Land ahoy! After 4 days and nights at sea, we shall spot the coast of Africa then head into the Gibraltar Straits. One of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, we will navigate during daylight hours into the bustling Moroccan port, the gateway to Africa, the town of Tangier.
Tangier. A favourite with artists and notables such as the likes of Mick Jagger and Henri Matisse, popular with surfers and recently dubbed Morocco’s Saint Tropez, Tangier’s chilled arty vibes. Customs and immigration checks before we head ashore to experience the sounds, smells and sights Morocco is famous for. We’ll toast our incredible crossing with a typically Moroccan tagine for supper in a wonderful local restaurant.

Enjoy a day on dry land visiting the souks in the old town, hike up to the Kasbah for the best views out to both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, sip on Moroccan mint tea in a café in the medina as you people watch to your hearts content. Late afternoon we will depart for a quick sail across the Strait of Gibraltar. Imagine sailing from one continent to the another.

Waking up in the rock of Gibraltar. An imposing location as we say goodbye to our leg 1 sailors, take stock of an amazing journey and welcome those joining us for Leg 2. If your legs will carry you, no trip to Gibraltar is complete without a walk up the rock – look out from the top and back at the epic trip we’ll have just completed. If that doesn’t make you feel on top of the world, I don’t know what will!