We are tied up to the filthiest dock we have ever seen. It is the inside of the southern breakwater and was obviously designed to be or maybe even is used as a ferry terminal, for the ro-ro boats. But where we are is covered in very smelly gull guano. And what gulls! These are the biggest b---rs either of us has seen anywhere - including the back of Preston Street in Brighton. Not particularly aggressive, fortunately, but everywhere.

Al Hoce�ma has a reputation of being the least welcoming port to yachts in Morocco. We haven't been to them all (this is our fourth), but it certainly sustains that record. Sharp whistles (a favoured tactic for guiding yachts in this country) finally made it clear that, yes, we were to come over to this quay. The only things to tie to here are a ladder and very large yellow ships bollards. They are a long way apart, and spaced around the very solid permanent rubber fenders that the ferries use. Which are much too solid for us, and too small for us to use as a dock substitute. So we are fitted in between two of them, with two lines trailing alongside this disgusting wharf.

Even before we'd tied up, two sets of policemen turned up. They came aboard and worked their way through the usual questions. (Why are they so interested in what our professions are?) One of them did a cursory search, checking the fore and aft cabins. Clearly, it is only people they are worried about, rather than anything smaller.

We both had to go ashore and wait while they stamped our passports. This was a bit of trial as this is not an easy quay for those of us with short legs. But we got there eventually.

We climbed up into the town, and it is a long way. Al Hoce�ma is a resort town, beloved apparently of ex-pats coming back from the Netherlands and Belgium. Many have built property here and the town sprawls over the hills. The headland itself, pictured above, is magnificent, and we did see kayakers exploring it. The town itself was packed, with a big stage up in the main square, complete with at least four pictures of the king. People everywhere, including a substantial proportion of women in western dress. We even found several cyber caf�s, but hadn't put this blog onto a stick or anything, so posting will wait to we get to Mellila.

We will leave tomorrow. The forecast is again easterlies (there's a surprise, with no mention of anything else till Sunday. But the smell of the dock would drive us away unless we faced a gale!