Atlantic blog: Strait of Gibraltar

14/11 position: 35°33´14"N 06°08´79"W

After refueling and saying goodbye to Gibraltar, we meander past the bay's anchored oil tankers into open water. It's time to get out through the Strait of Gibraltar. The water here is incredibly current and we stay close to the coast of Europe so as not to be affected too much. So what's causing the resistance and why doesn't the water flow out of the Mediterranean instead of in? Well, the Mediterranean Sea is saltier than the Atlantic Ocean. Saltier water is heavier than fresh water, which means that the Mediterranean water sinks below the Atlantic water, giving the flowing effect to the east. However, this force is said to be less on the sides and, if you are lucky, you can even get the current with you if the ebb and flow decide to cooperate.

When we start to cross the strait, which we eventually have to do, we reach a counter current of three knots. With 12-13 seconds behind us, the More55 makes a steady 10-11 knots through the water with only the mainsail up. To get the speed over ground, the speed of the countercurrent is not included, which means that we only make 7-8 knots towards Las Palmas. The waves are getting bigger and bigger and so are the steering wheel movements to keep the boat on course. It is completely dark, the adrenaline is pumping, if you lose concentration at this speed, it can mean an unpredictable gybe that can end badly. The hours fly by and we have a lot of fun! Into the night we set off along the coast of Africa!

Mathias

(Photo by: Mathias Edberg)