Breakfast with Team Flinke Fenners

The day began peacefully with a relaxed breakfast shared with Team Flinke Fenneks. It was a nice moment of calm before another long drive south. After packing up, we left the riad and set off toward Dakhla, with a short detour planned for a local market.

A Morning Market in Boujdour

On the way, we stopped in Boujdour to visit a small street market. We quickly became something of an attraction — apparently the only foreigners in sight — but as always, the atmosphere was friendly and welcoming. We managed to buy two large scarves for the upcoming desert stages (perfect for wrapping around our heads and faces) and picked up a few fresh avocados and kiwis before continuing.

The Coastal Shipwreck

Further south, we stopped at a small seaside location where a shipwreck lies stranded in the sand, clearly visible from the cliffs above. A narrow side road led down closer to the beach, followed by a short walk — a great moment to stretch our legs and enjoy the rugged Atlantic coastline.

Before exploring the wreck on foot, we also used the opportunity to drive briefly into the sand dunes with our Land Rover Discovery. We parked the car on firm ground and prepared for a short walk — not knowing yet that this spot would soon test our nerves.

A Mechanical Problem in the Sand

Before we started to walk towards the beach, we wanted to move the car a bit furthere, but when Pooh started to drive, the car suddenly stopped. The vehicle wouldn’t roll, and the electronic parking brake seemed to be stuck. Although the system indicated that it was released, the rear wheels remained locked. Several attempts to reset it didn’t help, and eventually the smell of overheated clutch became noticeable — time to stop trying.

We decided to investigate manually. Since the parking brake locks only the rear wheels, we lifted the front end slightly to confirm whether the front wheels could turn freely — they could. But our jack was missing one of its rods, making the lifting process slow and awkward.

Meanwhile, other rally teams who had also stopped at the shipwreck came over to help — with advice, jokes, and good spirits. Even Mr. B‑Bear commented on the situation from inside the car but showed little enthusiasm for actual physical work.

Rescue from the Rally Service

Eventually, one of the rally service teams arrived. They connected a diagnostic tool, reset the parking brake system, and helped us pull the emergency release cable further using a special hook‑tool. Combined with removing the fuse of the parking brake (to avoid automatic re‑activation), this seemed to do the trick.

Now all that remained was to free the Discovery from the sand. With three people pushing, rocking, and shaking the vehicle, we managed to lift it just enough to get traction. Slowly but surely, the wheels turned — and we were out.

The clutch smelled awful, but the car drove normally afterwards. We’re hopeful that no serious damage occurred; some of the lingering smell might simply be stuck in the filters or underbody.

All in all, the incident cost us over two hours, but we were incredibly relieved to be moving again.

The Long Road to Dakhla

With the mechanical issue resolved, we continued south. The road toward Dakhla is long and remote, cutting through a landscape that becomes more desert‑like with every kilometer. At one point, we even had to slow down as a small group of camels crossed the road — a beautiful and unexpected highlight of the day.

We eventually reached a small hotel outside Dakhla, where we reunited with the team we had breakfast with. Together, we went into town for dinner at a rustic local restaurant recommended by other participants. The food was excellent, the atmosphere warm, and — of course — we finished the evening with a photo together.

Ending the Day

It was late when we finally returned to the hotel. After such a long and eventful day, we were more than ready to fall into bed.

Tomorrow we continue toward the Mauritanian border, marking the next major milestone of the rally.