Canary passage and Western Sahara: Strong katabatic winds

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Canary passage and Western Sahara: how the place works

Between Gibraltar and the Canaries the northeast trade accelerates along the African coast, and the Canary Current sets the same way. Off Cape Juby and the Western Sahara a high following sea builds in a sustained northeasterly, plus Saharan haze that cuts visibility to a few miles.

Canary passage and Western Sahara: what breaks there

This leg is the classic run before the Atlantic crossing, and the damage is that of a long downwind passage: furling gear, vang, main on the boom, autopilot. Anyone collecting it here repairs in the Canaries under time pressure before the start.

Canary passage and Western Sahara: what this means for your policy

For this passage two points are worth checking: whether the cruising range includes the African coast, and whether an Atlantic crossing needs a separate agreement. Both belong settled before departure, not in Las Palmas.

Cruising range

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