Footloose-on-TwoLoose

22 September 2016
SPOT link for Gibralter to Carribbean
18 September 2016
Underway for Gibraltar
12 September 2016 | Almerimar, Spain
Getting Down to the Wire
04 September 2016 | Almerimar, Spain
Plenty of Do-It-Yourself Projects
30 August 2016 | Almerimar, SP
TwoLoose Splashes in Almerimar, SP
11 August 2016
A Slightly New Look to the Almerimar Waterfront
05 August 2016 | Almerimar, Spain
Reunited with Rio Luna
19 July 2016 | Almerimar, Spain
Almerimar, Spain second time around
10 July 2016
Sicily to Almerimar Spain - worst transit ever!
05 May 2016
Buona Sera MdR
24 April 2016
Arrived Porto Turistico, Marina di Ragusa, Sicily IT
12 July 2015 | Thira Is., (Santorini) GR
Santorini’s Shallow Spot
11 July 2015 | Thira Is., (Santorini) GR
Surging in Santorini
10 July 2015 | Thira Is., (Santorini) GR
Touring the Town
10 July 2015 | Thira Is., (Santorini) GR
Santorini Shuffle
29 June 2015 | Thira Island, Greece
Arrival Thira Is. / Santorini Is.
29 June 2015 | Astipalaia, GR
(No Title)
14 June 2015 | Astipalaia Is., GR
Relaxing at Anchor
13 June 2015 | Astipalaia Is., GR
Satisfying Day of Sailing
12 June 2015 | Kamares Bay, Kos Is., GR
More Boat Chores at Anchor

Queen of the Sea

21 April 2019 | English Harbour, Antigua, West Indies
Annette Brown
This unknown (to us anyway) beauty appeared to be the self-proclaimed Queen of the Sea for the Classic Yacht Parade of Ships.

Columbia – a Gloucester fishing schooner

21 April 2019 | English Harbour, Antigua, West Indies
Annette Brown
As the lead in the Antigua Classics Parade of ships, Columbia (141" long), hailing from Panama City, FL USA passes us by as we watched from an Italian restaurant in English Harbour.

Antigua Yacht Club (AYC)

19 April 2019 | English Harbour, Antigua, West Indies
Annette Brown
After watching the classic yachts race from on high, we went down into English Harbour to the AYC to have lunch and to walk the docks to see these monster ships close up.

Here is one of the medium sized classic participants - the 103' staysail schooner EROS built in 1939.

32nd Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta

19 April 2019 | English Harbour, Antigua, West Indies
Annette Brown
See more photos under the gallery section which will be under construction for a few days.

Here is the tall ship Rhea and tall ship Chronos, both 156’ long and both with wishbone sails going neck and neck.

We had a great view of the racing from high up above English Harbour on Shirley Heights.

TwoLoose on the hard - again!

18 April 2019 | Jolly Harbor Marina Antigua, West Indies
Annette Brown
It was a long day, the Thursday before Easter and we were glad to have it behind us.

Up around 0500, onto the boat in her berth for last minute preps, off to the marina office to pay our bill and finally the transit to the fuel pier where we topped off the tank.

Although we were scheduled for a 1330 pull, the travel lift had earlier ruptured a hydraulic hose, so we were delayed (in the very hot sun) in the lift process until about 1500.

Afterwards we returned to the villa we’d rented and crashed – sleeping almost non-stop for 10 hours!

Castaways Sunset w Buddha

14 April 2019
Annette Brown
Taking a break from our work schedule to enjoy probably our last dinner at Castaways for this season anyway. Genie & John of Island Time joined us.
Vessel Name: TwoLoose
Vessel Make/Model: IP45
Hailing Port: Everett, WA, USA
Crew: Captain Pete Cisek & Wife/Navigator Annette Brown
About:
Both of us are retired US Navy. Upon retirement 1/2006 we moved aboard our second TwoLoose (TL) - living aboard & cruising full time for the next 11 years. [...]
Extra:
This is the third sailboat "TwoLoose" we have owned; having purchased her in 2008. These are her specifics: Make/Model: Island Packet 45 (IP45) Year: 1998 (Hull #28) Length Over All (LOA) 45'3"/13.8m Length of Waterline (LWL) 37'3"/11.3m Beam: 13'4"/4m Draft: 5.2"/1.6m Height of Mast: [...]
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TwoLoose's Photos - Ankara & Beyond... among the Hittites
Photos 1 to 47 of 47 | Main
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15 Apr 14: First stop in Ankara was to the Ataturk Mausoleum - final resting place of Turkey
At the age of 54, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died too young for too many Turks. Not only a military hero, he forced several social changes designed to bring his country into the modern world. These reforms included the emancipation of women, the abolition of all Islamic institutions and the introduction of Western legal codes, dress, calendar and alphabet, replacing the Arabic script with a Latin one. Abroad he pursued a policy of neutrality, establishing friendly relations with Turkey
AB standing between 2 of the most striking Mausoleum guards - handsome sailors - of course!
Evil Eye anyone? These talisman have been around since classical times and are intended to reflect the evil intent back onto the onlooker. For full protective effect, they must be presented as a gift.
16 Apr 14: We traveled to Hattusa, the ancient capital of the ancient civilization called the Hittite Empire (c. 1600 BC–c. 1178 BC). The Hittite Empire, ca. 1400 BC (shown in
Here our knowledgeable & fun tour guide "Tas" shows one of our fellow tourists his "favorite rock" in Hattusa! "The green square stone in front of the Great Temple is considered a wedding gift of Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II." Virtual Tourist
Among the ruins of Hattusa, is the original structure of a tunnel which we all traveled through.
"Near the Sphinx Gate in the walls of Hattusa is a small gate to allow those in the city to make forays outside the walls or allow people in without using a more vulnerable main gate during times of attack. It is nicely intact and very impressive, a long, stone-lined tunnel through the base of the stone ramparts under the visible walls." Virtual Tourist
"One of the most significant sites in Hattusa is the Lion Gate. This gate is still partly intact and flanked by its two large carved lion statues, although the arch over the top has gone." Virtual Tourist
"Yazılıkaya was a sanctuary of Hattusa, the capital city of the Hittite Empire, today in the Çorum Province, Turkey. This was a holy site for the Hittites, located within walking distance of the gates of the city of Hattusa." Wikipedia
A drawing of the "Great King" atop the "Main Scene" help us to identify these same drawings in the rock...
The "Great King"
The "Main Scene"
"On this wall is carved a line of gods of the Underworld. They wear shirts, belts, short skirts and shoes curling up at the toe. They each carry a crescent-shaped sword flung over the shoulder, and the horned pointed hats that identify them as (Hittite) divinities." Virtual Tourist
Having a little fun with our fellow and sister travelers!
Alacahoyuk: "an important city in pre-Hittite times, but after the Hittite conquest it remained in the shadow of the nearby capital Hattuša. The most important findings of the location are the artifacts from the pre-Hittite royal tombs dating from about 2500 BCE. Most of the standing monuments are from the Hittite period. The southern gateway was guarded by two great sphinxes. There are replicas of the two 13 foot high monoliths which were carved to create 7 foot high sphinxes. Most of the reliefs and sphinxes date to 14th century BC." Wikipedia
The Sphinx Gate
...and another tunnel which only the most spry and limber among us traveled...
A local woman knits away as we drive on to the next stop on our tour - the Corum Museum.
Corum Museum
In the lobby of our hotel in Amaysa (The Apple Palace Hotel) stands this striking evil eye tree.
17 Apr 14: The Castle of Amaysa was first on our tour of this beautiful, river side (river "Iris") town with strong reminders of their Ottoman past.
Thank Goodness - after climbing to the top of the castle, there was a nicely situated café which offered traditional Turkish tea served from a traditional tea cooker - seen all over Turkey - even in the parks where the locals like to picnic.
Enjoying Turkish tea high above Amasya and the Iris River.
Leslie using her head scarf to shade from the sun - not just to show respect when entering a mosque.
"Amasya was a great center of learning and trained scientists, artists, poets and even the Sultan`s sons. Even today, you can see the Theology schools that were built during the time of Sultan Bayezid Kulliye. The building is an example of the sideways residential mosque architecture popular in the later 14th Century. The Haliliye Theology School and the Kapi Aga Theology School are the other important Theology schools in Amasya." Wikipedia
Inside the madrasah where young male students study the Quran.
The 14th century Ilhanli Bimarhane Mental Hospital.
One of our guides for the hospital.
"With its Ottoman-period wooden houses and the tombs of the Pontus kings carved into the cliffs overhead, Amasya is attractive to visitors. It is also the location of an important moment in the life of Ataturk when, in June 1919, he issued the Amasya Circular, declaring the independence of the country to be in danger." Wikipedia
Fran and Tom holding hands as they walk through old Amaysa.
18 Apr 14: Our tour guide Tas speaking with the Mullah of a very old mosque - one which was built without the benefit of nails.
Some of us looking on as the Mullah welcomes us, describes some of the painted inscriptions on the ceiling and walls. He also hoped we would all meet again in "Paradise".
19 Apr 14: Sinop, TR: This statue recognizes Diogenes, an infamous Greek philosopher, as having come from Sinop. He was a controversial figure. His father minted coins for a living, and when Diogenes took to debasement of currency, he was banished from Sinop. After being exiled, he moved to Athens to debunk cultural conventions. Diogenes believed that virtue was better revealed in action than in theory. He used his simple lifestyle and behaviour to criticise the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt society. Diogenes made a virtue of poverty. He begged for a living and slept in a large ceramic jar in the marketplace. He became notorious for his philosophical stunts such as carrying a lamp in the daytime, claiming to be looking for an honest man. He embarrassed Plato, disputed his interpretation of Socrates and sabotaged his lectures. Diogenes was also responsible for publicly mocking Alexander the Great." Wikipedia
"Sinop Fortress Prison was a state prison situated in the inside of the Sinop Fortress. As one of the oldest prisons of Turkey, it was established in 1887 within the inner fortress of the centuries-old fortification located on the northwestern part of Cape Sinop. The prison was closed down in 1997 and the inmates were transferred to a modern prison." Wikipedia
Sinop
Excellent example of columnar jointed basalt on our transit between Sinop and Safranbolu.
20 Apr 14: Yörük Köyü, a smaller version of Safranbolu, with its superb 16C Ottoman houses, has a truly authentic and faded appearance which makes it a delight to visit. Some of its buildings are a little run down, but this only adds to its nostalgic charm. The most beautiful house in the village, Sipahioglu Konagi, is open to the public and is home to a charming small museum which, although modest in style, is nonetheless interesting.
Inside Sipahioglu Konagi, we sit in the reception room, protecting the rugs and floors by wearing blue plastic covers on our shoes.
Here AB poses with the Lady of the Sipahioglu Konagi House after she kindly added a few "extras" to the goods AB had purchased from her.
"Safranbolu is the best preserved town in Anatolia. This is how an Ottoman town looked 200 years ago. Safranbolu, with its little-changed cobbled pavements and authentic marketplace is a virtual open-air museum." Wikipedia
"The site of Safranbolu has been occupied by human settlements since prehistory, as evidenced by rock-cut tombs. The Turks conquered the town in the 11th century and in the 13th century it became an important caravan station on the main east-west trade route." Wikipedia... and here you see members of our group experiencing the market streets...
21 Apr 14 The highlight of the day was our scrumptious lunch at the Hasim Restaurant & Culinary Academy (established in 1938). Here is a photo of the elaborate presentation for Turkish coffee as presented to one of our travelers, Gloria.
Our Tour Guide with the Chefs of Hasim.
Here we are at one of the 2 lakes we visited on our last day of the tour as we headed to Ankara to catch a flight to Bodrum. From there we took a 2.5 hour bus ride to Marmaris; arriving around 2330. Great Group. LOTS of history to absorb but well worth the time.
 
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About Us

Who: Captain Pete Cisek & Wife/Navigator Annette Brown
Port: Everett, WA, USA