Turkey IX - The Carian Coast III, Bodrum to Marmaris

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Turkey VIII - The Carian Coast, Marmaris to Bodrum.

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Turkey X - The Lycian Coast, Marmaris to Fethiye.

Log Entry Sunday 1st July - Arriving back in Marmaris, 15 hours from Knidos.

We awake in one of our favourite anchorages, a beautiful quiet morning, a couple of boats had left earlier, even before dark. Most of the activity was the local fishermen getting ready to go about their business.

This, in previous log entries had been the anchorage to keep one's mind busy, always plenty going on! Our beliefs were proven again, a new arrival (Australian flagged) tried twice to drop his anchor, both times in a position not suitable for either himself or a fellow boater? The second time as he lifted his anchor to move, he also picked up another's anchor, instead of stopping his vessel to rectify his problem he kept his vessel moving forward, pulling the vessel belonging to the "other anchor" along with him. When finally he realised what had happened he stopped but, unfortunately the wind took the two "now joined" vessels into a Greek flagged vessel also at anchor? There was now three vessels involved within the tangle, we drank two cups of coffee in the time it took them to sort it out! Then, the Greek vessel left and the Australian vessel dropped his anchor along side us - he was too close for comfort but we were leaving soon so no real problem.

As Ann kept her self busy on deck she saw the arrival of a large, powerful power boat, must of cost a fortune to run alone with today's price of fuel? One of the unfortunate crew members jumped into the dinghy to tie the vessel back to the old harbour wall. Well, the owner must have plenty of cash for fuel but not enough to have fixed a hole in the rib, one side was completely flat? The problem was obviously known about as they had a foot pump in the dinghy ready to re-inflate it - it all happens here at Knidos?

Within half an hour a large British flagged vessel arrived, he dropped his anchor and sat behind us, we got talking to the skipper, on his way to Kos to pick up his "Big Boss". I have finished the engine, ran it up to temperature, all was good to go. I explained to the skipper that I believed he was sitting over our anchor chain. Within minutes he was in the water and confirmed my belief, he would move a soon as we were ready, he was just going to have his lunch, then they were leaving anyway. We decided to let them have there lunch as we thought we might miss something interesting in the anchorage if we left too early? As it turned out we did not, the skipper finished his lunch, rounded up his fellow crew waved goodbye and left, we followed them out of the anchorage.

Winds were very light, the Greek islands ahead of us hidden in the mist, we made way under power hoping for wind ahead. Our chosen route, will take us into Greek waters and along the south coast of the Greek island "Nisis Simi" saving us quite some time rather than around the north of the island remaining in Turkish waters.

As we got further from the coastline light winds did appear from the south, up went our sails and off with the engine. Our progress was slow, only 2-3 knots but at least they were silent. It is hard to explain the peace felt went that engine goes silent? The islands began to clear through the mist, as did the heavy commercial traffic ahead.

The wind changed constantly so our focus was on our canvas and keeping us moving, the island of Nisis Simi now clear in our sights. We were to travel along the south coast and rejoin the Turkish coast to the east of the island. We were not the only vessels using that route, obviously a favourite route with the empty gullets, saving fuel as apposed to the longer route to the north and down the east of the island?

We dropped our Turkish courtesy flag and replaced it with our Greek, not sure if the gullets even bothered with the nautical courtesy?

Our engine was on and off as the wind came and went, different sail combinations used to keep us moving forward.

As we arrived off the south of Nisis Simi the available wind was so light it was of no use to us, we had chosen to use a deep channel called "Stenón Seskli" separating "Nisis Seskli" from the mainland of the island. This would further reduce the length of our journey. The sun set as we entered the channel, the channel being almost one mile wide at times gave us no issues. Our journey continued through the night rejoining the Turkish coast at "Karaburun" on the peninsular to the south east of Marmaris. We worked local, available winds with our sails but the last twenty miles or so was completed totally under engine power with our mainsail to complement the engines effort. We rounded "Kádirga" and it's reef about 3am and turned north towards "Marmaris Limani". We had seen no other vessels since the commercial traffic to the south of "Nisis Simi" now there were a couple of vessels joining us, moving into the Limani from the east, numerous small fishing craft were busy around, most totally unlit? As we traveled through "Sark Bögazi", the channel into the Limani we were approached by a large gullet displaying no navigation lights at all, an interesting section of our journey. As day light was breaking about ten, fully dressed tourists could be seen sleeping in different groups the beech, a few were having an early paddle on their way home from their night out. Unfortunately we were also subjected to foul language and arguing as a group of four young English men had some sort of disagreement walking back to their beds completely sober of coarse? We eventually dropped anchor about 0530, made Sailaway secure, switched on our anchor lights and retired for a few hours of well earned rest, we had only been able to catch an hour or so's sleep during the trip predominantly due to the noise and heat from the engine.

We woke a little late, about 9am as one would expect, Marmaris already in full swing!

Log Entry Saturday 29th June - We leave noisy Bodrum, heading back towards Marmaris.

We had just sat out two days and nights of gales, the howling wind combined with the loud nearby disco music until 3am each morning was enough to set us on our way. The forecast, for what it is worth was no more than a F6 today and through the night, good for us to go! We had not been ashore for over two days, mainly due to the fact that we would be drenched during the dinghy trips as the resulting waves in the bay due to the winds had at time been over a metre high. Consequently, we had a lot of garbage, two black bags full, to dispose of before we leave, that we do so. By 1100 hours our engine is started, we are ready to leave, Ann lifts our anchor, we say farewell to Bodrum. I have a hospital appointment in Marmaris, depending on the winds we may make the eighteen hour trip in one, or, we may stop on the way?

We left in a calm but ahead we could see a gullet making way under sail, so there is definitely wind out there to be utilised? We are not too confident, as, in the Med. it is very much "feast, or famine" when it comes to wind strength!

In less than an hour our engine is off and our sails up - perfect! Our speed and coarse is good, over 7 knots in the correct direction, now that is good.

The wind begins to stiffen, soon Sailaway is carrying too much canvas, adjustments are no longer enough to keep her stable, especially in the strong gusts. We reduce first our mainsail, then in time our headsail, keeping our speed to a maximum with as little strain on Sailaway as possible. We were able to sail at speed for a good three hours, the journey a wet but fast one as the waves build quickly and break over the beam into the cockpit, we duck behind the canopy as we see them coming - passes the time anyway? Then, as quite often is the norm in the Mediterranean, the wind literally disappears without warning, on goes our engine and we motor sail hoping for wind ahead?

As we reach the centre of Gokova Körfezi, to the east of the Greek island of Kos, we are approached by a pod of dolphins, they stay for only a short time, get bored and leave, heading east up the bay.

We were now motoring along side a busy shipping route, a constant train of freighters in both directions, in a short time we approach "Deveboynu Br" we make the decision to spent the night at Knidos, hopefully picking up some more wind in the morning?

The trip becomes very boring to us with the engine running, we wander around doing "bits and pieces" to keep the mind occupied. We round the lighthouse on Deveboynu Br. this is one of our favourite places to live on land should we have to - getting the shopping up there may be an issue as there are no roads?

We round the point and make our way into the anchorage at Knidos, fortunately not too busy we pick our spot and drop our anchor and settle down for the evening. Our plan was to go ashore to the restaurant but before I decide to go in the water for a swim about, I chokingly tell Ann that I am to look for the anchor, not sure why it is always at the end of the chain? We were pleased that I did this time as the anchor was not correctly set, it was in fact, lying on it's side, the chain had become trapped under the corner of a large rock giving us the impression that it had dug in? I swam back to Sailaway and explained the situation to Ann, to complicate things the wind was now getting up. It was an hour or so before we were happy with our position in this small anchorage relative to other vessels, and, by the time I had swam out and checked it again, this time, perfect it was too late to go ashore to eat.

As we sat in our cockpit a "super yacht" came in, approximately 35 metres long, it even had a small support, 10 metre power boat with it - "cash gone silly?", a very impractical combination for many reasons? The vessel obviously "dwarfed" Sailaway, he pushed his way in and then left? I must confess both Ann and I agreed that if it had been a gullet of similar size, the skipper would have got it in with room to spare!

We watched the sun go down, with a now strong breeze, gusting even higher, the wind eventually dropped off about midnight.