The Moroccan coast is a wispy twist of land on the horizon when the sky goes dark. The wind picks up, whipping my hair and roaring in my ears. The waves, moments before a clear blue, turn grey with great white crests and crash alarmingly close to the deck, soaking our yacht in a spray of water.

“Two weeks of the best Atlantic weather I’ve ever seen and we hit a Mediterranean winter storm!” Mossie shouts above the upcoming storm as she moves to the upper deck to talk to ...