We collectively reassess our situation. The main sail is completely shredded and with little confidence in the thirty-five year old Renault, we can't go on without it. We're stuck here, but I still reckon that this is the best thing that could have happened, in so far as that the previously high risk of being lost at sea is almost wholly removed.
By some fortuitous chance, the fisherman who helped us last night knows where we can get the the sail repaired, so off it comes and off it goes, into town, with Thomas, Jean-Pierre, and our fisherman friend.
Given our insecure alongside-mooring, someone has to be aboard all day, so it's not until the afternoon that David and I get onto dry land. After a long walk through the intensely pungent fishing harbour-come-port, we make our way into Tangier town centre. Overall, I'd say it's a truly miserable little recess of the world. It's dirty and there isn't a lick of alcohol to be had.
To be honest, I'll be surprised if the sail can be repaired here. In fact, given all the repairs that I suspect are necessary, I'm reckoning that this is 'game over' for us. I can't imagine how we could continue as we are, on the other hand, we can't leave Valentina here. If the engine holds, maybe we could get back up to Spain or Gibraltar - if.
That said, whilst in town, anticipating my death, I manage to work around the French keyboard to email a pre-emptive Mayday to Dug, Vidal and Rich:
"...The boat - yacht valentina - is a death trap. we left barbate, but have crash landed in tanger, morroco after wind shredded the main sail. the engine, like the boat, is 35 years old and both water pumps and the fuel pump have been repaired with scotch tape. theres very little safety equipment - no jackstays, no flares, unsure about quality of life jackets. so far, mostly the water stays on the outside of the boat, mostly.
We are currently rafted up to a fishing vessel. if the sail is repaired today we will leave and hope to reach gran canaria in 6-11 days.
So if i dont return communication after that, i have probably died. I can only tell my family as much the timeline- mother would be too horrified by the reality. i am horrified by the reality.
boat owner is a german, Thomas EXXXXXX <t.exxxxxx@gmx.net>, and is with us - french skipper/1 swiss/1 austrian/2 german/me
yacht Valentina, registered in Hamburg, Germany
if Im in trouble and you cant get hold of liam neeson, the germans might arrange a search. "
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