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The Straits Sailing Handbook 2008 - Now Available...
 The
Straits Sailing Handbook was originally intended as an aid for students
undertaking sailing courses with Straits Sailing here in Gibraltar. The
Handbook has, within a very short space of time become an accepted pilot
book and source of reference material for both local and visiting sailors.
The book is presented in three parts...
Part I
Explanatory notes relating to the area's unique tides,
currents and weather patterns.
Part II
Reference data providing times and heights of high
and low water at Gibraltar, Cadiz and Lisbon including tidal graphs
and tidal difference tables and for ports within the area. Twelve-hourly
surface-flow chart showing rate and direction of both tide and current
through the Strait based upon times of High Water at Gibraltar with
an interpolation table for intermediate states of tide.
Part III
Passage notes detailing location of known dangers,
such as military firing and exercise areas, as well as the positions
of tuna fishing nets. Up to date information for ports covered in the
book from Chipiona in the west to Benalmadena in the east including
Ceuta and Marinasmir in Morocco.
 "The
Mediterranean sea represents about one-fortieth of the surface area of
the world's oceans but only about one three hundred and fortieth of its
volume. It is therefore a relatively shallow sea and the region's high
temperatures cause considerable evaporation.
Rainfall and the various rivers that flow into it replace less than a
third of this surface evaporation. This leaves a considerable shortfall
to be made up by water flowing into the Mediterranean from the Atlantic
through the Strait of Gibraltar. There exists about a 1.4 meters difference
in sea level between the Atlantic end of the Strait and the Mediterranean
side. With an average width of approximately 7NM and an average easterly
flowing current of about 1 knot down to depth of 150 meters or so , there
is approximately a million cubic meters of water per second flowing through
the Strait into the Mediterranean."
Approach Notes
 The
only danger in the approach to Ceuta is the reef running out from the
north of Mt Hermina, although with a minimum depth of 3.7m this should
not be a problem to most sailing yachts in anything but really heavy
weather especially with strong tides running. As you enter the main harbour
steer approximately 222º, keeping the military Muelle de España
on your starboard side. In 1999 a new port office was under construction
at the end of the Muella de Espana and it is a distinctive tapering
shape - keep this to starboard. The entrance to the ferry terminal is
immediately to the right and you should not enter here. It is not uncommon
to encounter large, high speed ferries in the entrance and it is best
to keep well to the sides as you enter.
There is a round store tower with a small white painted post next to it
which marks the port hand side of the marina. When entering the marina
visitors are usually directed to pantalon (pier) G which is the furthest
to the east, next to the fishing quay. Berthing is on finger pontoons,
bow or stern to.
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