The first in our Atlantic Ocean crossing series. A light airs start from Las Palmas following the Moroccan coastline proved interesting when we were approached by a Moroccan patrol boat. We suspect they were looking for smugglers (drugs/people) as they asked us to report to them if we saw any suspicious activity. As we are heading south during the winter months we had trouble with shaded solar panels and low power levels. As a result, we had to run the engine to charge batteries which is always a disappointment for us as we try to avoid engines or generators if we can. Fortunately we run a gas/induction combo hob so we could still cook our meals without using battery power this meant we could conserve it for running navigation systems. It was interesting to watch the kids and their reactions to our Trans Atlantic experience. Certainly Olly was in his element but Ayden was definitely nervous at times. The good news was that by the end of the crossing all of us had grown in confidence both in ourselves and in Paikea
