Series 9 of Distant Shores follows Paul and Sheryl Shard on a diverse voyage from England through the inland waterways of France to the Mediterranean Sea, an Atlantic crossing, and island-hopping in the Caribbean aboard their 49-foot sailboat, Distant Shores II. When they travel through France to arrive in the Med they sail to Gibraltar. From Gibraltar they enter the Atlantic Ocean stopping at the exotic port of Rabat on the west coast of Morocco, then head offshore to explore the Canary Islands before joining the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) in Las Palmas for a 2,800 mile trans-atlantic passage to the Caribbean for Christmas celebrations.