Uh, Fairies, maybe.

Well, hugging the African coast is a little different then sailing west across the Atlantic.
Yes, hugging the coast is more dangerous because that’s where the rocks and shoals are. In fact going between the Canaries and the African coast is one of the most dangerous places in the world to sail due to currents which push ships onto the shores of the desert. Cape Bojador I think.
And Thor Heyerdahl sailed across the Atlantic in one of his impressive little rafts, the Ra II (The Ra I sank).