Prologue:

Despite our 2006 end-of-season Turkish cruise not being an overwhelming success (at least the second part), we were very taken by the country, the scenery, the people, the food. So we decided to return, but this time starting from Bodrum (which in fact turned out to be Turgutreis) and exploring the Datca and Bozburun peninsulas. Both of these lay roughly W-E, and as plans advanced, it seemed that finding shelter from prevailing northwesterlies might be something of a challenge, at least 50% of the time. Oh well, forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

Saturday, October 13 Brussels-Turgutreis

Not the best start ever to our autumn cruise : 4th member dropped out at the last minute, with a slipped disc, family farewell supper the night before got extended to include a bunch of friends, including one back from Venezuela for a few days, and we had to be up at 3:30 for our flight. The weather, which had been warm and calm all summer and autumn was now threatening storms.

So it was a reduced and knackered crew of three who landed at Bodrum at 10:15. Hair-raising taxi ride to D Marin at Turgutreis, where we took possession of "Apetitus", a 2 year old Bav 38. The check in was done by a very nubile young lady, who was not immune to the charms of our youngest crew member, Raph, brother of our son-in law. Stumbled into the resto nearest the marina, where we were royally ripped off for pasta and a bottle of wine, then after a nap, off to the nearby supermarket for vital provisions (beer, wine and some water), followed by another rip-off meal at a waterside resto. Seems we have "gullible tourist" written on our foreheads.

Realised I'd left my jacket at home, so obliged to splash out on a new one. Actually quite pleased, the new one is much better than the old one, and not even too expensive. Consider it as "insurance", now that I have a good jacket, it won't rain.

Sunday, October 14 Turgutreis-Knidos

Woken at 06:00 by thunderstorm, and the sound of hail pelting the boat. Turned over and slept on until the sun came out. Pottered around in the morning, marked anchor chain, distributed and tested safety equipment.

Slipped at noon, and immediately noticed the speedo was not working, not a big surprise. A nice force 4 reach, on an even keel with just the (small) genoa. Attempts with the mainsail not conclusive, since it took all the wind from the genoa. Debate about goose winging. Decided against. A couple of isolated showers - so much for the "insurance" provided by new jacket. Alongside the pontoon at Knidos by 17:30.

Knidos is magnificent - once a very important city, now in ruins, but one can easily imagine what it must have been like. Dinner at the pontoon resto - once again no printed menu, but no qualms about asking the price of everything, even going as far as having a lobster-type beastie weighed and priced, before declining it.

Monday, October 14 - Knidos

Sail plan gives us a day of R+R in Knidos. Just as well since the forecast is NW 6/7, and I don't do 7. Started off by taming the GPS (winsome young girl had sworn blind that it didn't have charts), removing and cleaning the speedo, followed by a visit of Knidos. Dinner in same resto (the only one in this part of the Datca peninsula): by keeping off the fish and the wine, we got the bill down to reasonable proportions. Raph was adopted by a friendly feline, whom he nicknamed "Aphrodite".(after the much-copied sculpture, originally found here)

Tuesday October 15 Knidos- Dat�a

Forecast NW 5, locally 6. I didn't used to do 6, but Knidos has revealed all its charms, so we leave at 10:00, having had a scary moment with the engine refusing to start - problem with the gear lever, which Popeye diagnosed and fixed. Nice sail, bright sunshine, stern to the quay in Datca at 15:30, anchor dug in at first attempt! Datca is a bit like St Trop 30+ years ago - fishing harbour, the inevitable gulets and a few visiting boats. Dinner at "Maradonna's place"- the owner did indeed look like the footballer. His wife Sylvia is Dutch, and very friendly.

Wednesday October 17 Dat�a-Ciftlik

Started the day with Sylvia's English breakfast, OK except the sausages and the beans were Turkish, and the price, not cheap at 12 YTL didn't include juice, coffee, toast! Stroll into Datca to get cash, meat for tonight's meal.Left at noon, after a couple of small incidents retrieving the anchor -the chain piles itself up in the locker then jams, and twice the chain jumped off its ratchet, requiring a deftly placed (well shod) foot on the gypsy to avoid paying out 50m of chain. 2 hours motor-sailing later, we anchor in Ciftlik bay at the 3rd attempt. Was fairly wary of going to Ciftlik, same name as the bay near Marmaris where we had such a bad time last year. Lazy afternoon swimming, fishing, putting out the lobster pot, and general farniente. Supper of steak / meatballs/potatoes/salad on board. No restrictions on the vino this time!

Thursday October 18 Ciftlik - Marti Marina

Hauled up the lobster pot - surprise - no lobster, just these horrible centipede-type creatures. Upped anchor at 11:00. Practically no wind so mostly motored to Marti, trying a spot of fishing on the way. Captain Popeye called for nibbles and an apéro at 12:30. Last year we had Tant-Anne on board who takes pleasure in all things domestic. In the absence of an inflatable version packed in our bags, domestic chores fall to me. Beginning to feel like a Harry Potter house elf (boat elf?). In which case, I'm Kreacher the grumpy one. Considered a picnic stop at Bencik, but the bottom seemed to be weed everywhere, so gave up. Arrived Marti 15:45. This was supposed to our ultimate objective last year, the lure of softly lit pool, palm trees, open air lounges was the incentive to get our non-sailing kids on board. Sadly, we didn't make it then, and I felt a bit guilty about being there now. Moored miles away from the sanitaries. Reasonable pizza/pide in the marina restaurant.

Nice enough place, but at 32 EUR a night, wouldn't necessarily make a detour to go back.

Friday October 19 Marti - Dirsek

Left Marti at 11:30, and pottered up to the head of the bay - pretty if somewhat touristy. Hoisted both sails, and noticed a split seam on the genoa's UV strip. Attempt at anchoring off Koca island. Just the time for Kreacher to serve up lunch, then we realised the anchor was dragging. World record picnic stop. Arrived at Dirsek at 15:45, restaurant pontoon with lazy lines. Quite a few other boats already there, seem like regulars - good sign.

The friendly and efficient marinero transformed into head waiter for the evening.

We started off with a mezze buffet at 10YTL each - and what a buffet! My mouth waters even now, just thinking about it. We followed on with lamb and meatballs, and even splashed out on a bottle of wine.

Our best stopover of the whole cruise up to now. Shame for Raph that the population was fairly geriatric.

Saturday October 20 Dirsek-Bozburun

Weather: SSE4 soon locally 5, later 5/6, thunderstorms.
Restaurant staff spend the morning waterproofing their terrace - involves spreading a plastic sheet across the straw roof, and covering that with a Sunsail cruising chute - left over from a shipwreck?

Bought "village bread" cooked that morning in the wood stove outside the resto - delicious. Left (reluctantly) at 11, and mostly motored over to Bozburun, where we anchored stern to the quay, with some difficulty, as the wind was gusting us off our straight line. Definitely a far west feel to the town.

After a fairly ordinary dinner, got back to the boat to realise that the anchor was dragging, and that we were in danger of being blown onto the quay. Panic to disconnect the power supply, remove the gang plank, warn the neighbouring gulet of our intentions to re-anchor. Hectic 15 minutes trying to align Appetitus up between 2 gulets and the neighbouring small boat. Assistance provided by crew from port gulet. Finally secured, and bottle of vino delivered to helpful crew as thanks. Brings back memories of Preveza this spring - minus disco music.

Sunday October 21 Bozburun - Selimiye

Weather: SE6, locally 7, thunderstorms. Outlook: gales and strong gales

So, are we doomed to disaster once again for our second week? Will suggest to Turkish tourist office that they pay me not to go back. The original plan for today was to anchor at Sogut, but the holding is reported as patchy, and the shelter no good for southerlies, so weren't keen on riding out a gale there.

Staying in Bozburun was not appealing either, so after a spot of shopping including Parma ham, we slipped at 11:40 and enjoyed a gentle sail, including fresh attempts at fishing and a beautifully served lunch of melon and ham, en route for Selimiye. The day was only marred by an incident with the furlex, and a close call with a Sunsail boat which crossed our bows without seeing us, only to turn round and wave after!

Having inspected the bay for anchoring possibilities (and bearing in mind the gale warning) we took a lazy line at the Aurora restaurant, where we were welcomed by the very professional Suzannah, half Turkish, half Swedish.

No charge was made for the pontoon (which had electricity, water and hot showers), and the restaurant came out at a very reasonable 110 YTL, which included delicious mezze, main course and wine. A certain Swedish influence was detectable in the décor- sort of Turkish Ikea style.

Woken at 1:30 by rustling from the galley - a black and white cat is stealing the remainder of Popeye's salami. Another cat spends the night with Raph.

Monday October 22 - Selimiye

Weather: SSE 8, locally 9 - eeek!
So we wisely decide to stay put. Explored the village a bit and generally pottered around. Raph finally caught his fish - well, when diving, he found a fishing lure on the seabed. Excitement when the dinghy, which was attached on the foredeck, but at a 45° angle, made a bid for freedom. Wind increasing all the time - this is "sheltered"? Suzannah squeezes in two more boats, pontoon now full, and has everyone attach bowlines, across the whole raft. Around 17:30, 3 Sunsailers arrive with badly furled genoas, mainsails not quite contained in lazy jacks, towing dinghies which leap all over the place, overturn.Suzannah suggests, over the loudhailer, that they might be better off in Marti marina, some 6 miles away. Suggestion not accepted, since we later saw them rafted in the gulet area. Off to dinner with the wind still blowing hard, but by the time we left at 21:00, had completely dropped.

Treated to a spectacular electric storm behind the mountains - wouldn't like to be in Marmaris tonight.

Tuesday October 23 Selimiye - Dat�a

Weather: SSW 5, locally 6
Reluctant to leave, but have to be back in Turgutreis by Saturday. Are waved off by Hussein, ringing a hand bell and wishing us Merry Christmas! When we first met him, thought he'd been at the raki, but no, he's just a bit of a personality!

Once out of Selimiye bay, we put most of the canvas to work, and soon reach 6, 5 knots, close hauled and heeling enough for me to go pale. The men thought it was a cracking sail. Even after reefing down to 1/2 genoa and main, were still doing over 6. Further problems with the furlex. Some logistical problems when Popeye needed to pee, and could not entrust the helm to anyone else in those conditions. Luckily, we always keep a stock of empty water bottles, useful for funnels, candle holders, anti-rat device on warps. Hacked one about and filed the rough edges to produce a urinal. Could earn me a Girl Guide badge. Kreacher also managed to produce cheese sandwiches and a glass of wine for the guys, not an easy feat in a lateral galley, heeled.

After 6 hours, we arrive in what's left of Dat�a. The previous day's storm ripped out much of the wooden quay, leaving only a reduced stone quay, already quite full. One Russian boat had put springs all over the place, effectively taking 3 mooring spaces. Lost count of the attempts to anchor and go stern-to. The anchor didn't set, we didn't have enough chain, we picked up someone else's chain, the wind was gusting hard. And then after another aborted attempt, I wind the anchor in, and find it hooked onto a mighty bit of rope, belonging to one of the gulets using half a dozen anchors. Call back to Raph to give a hand. No help forthcoming. Call again, muttering about mutiny. Then I understand why he didn't hear - we'd also picked up the same or similar around the prop, so Popeye had ordered Raph to dive and free it! When he'd finished with that, he calmly swam round to the bow, and freed the anchor. Finally happy about the anchor towards 17:00. Raph dives again to check it, and gives us the OK. Greatly impresses statuesque German neighbour (ageing) who gives him a "wunderbar".

Neighbours have doubts about anchors - some are nearly on the quay. Brisk business for local divers who set extra anchors on several boats.

Call to base manager re furlex - they promise to send an engineer out from Marmaris tomorrow. Quote from base manager "So you need a man for a screw"!!!!

Dinner on board, no desire to visit destroyed Dat�a.

Wednesday October 24 Dat�a - Knidos

Didn't really intend to revisit places, but the distances and the southerlies don't give us much choice. Consider and reject Palamut, and opt for Knidos Long wait for engineer. Finally ascertain at 11:20 that first service car had had an accident, and that second car had just set off. No desire to hang around here, so appointment made for Knidos after 16:00.

Drew a "grumpy" in the log book for today, so it was not one of my favourites. Seemed we spent lots of time unfurling / furling the main, which became more recalcitrant as the day wore on. Finally resorted to harnesses and winching at the mast. Arrived at fairly full Knidos at 16:30, and rafted up to Fair Lady. The pontoon has already been winterised - T pontoon dismantled, water and electricity out of action. Yet they still charged 25YTL for a pontoon berth (same as before, with facilities), and 10 for us, rafted up! Besides yesterday's Russians, there were two Russian catamarans and a Russian gin palace. Worst restaurant experience yet - slow, surly, no more calamari, noisy Russians. At least the engineer turned up and fixed the furlex.

Neighbours inform us they will be leaving "at first light".

Thursday October 25 Knidos - Kormen

Up at 7:00 - no sign of neighbours, but evidence of a good party - empty bottles + cans! Off at 8:20, after another fright with the motor - maybe it doesn't like Knidos? Seems to lack compression.

Original plan was to sail 35 m to Amazon Creek, but after 3 hours, and only 10 miles behind us, we decided that Kormen by day would be preferable to Amazon Creek by night. This would also shorten the passage tomorrow.

Arrived Kormen 12:30, got the anchor to set at the second go. Kormen is the ultimate no-horse town - a small car ferry, which runs a couple of times a week, a few fishing boats and a taverna. Oh, and a stone breakwater inhabited by 35 cats.
The water was the cleanest I've seen in a port, so Raph and I swam, and Raph caught an octpus
He considered selling it to the restaurant, but having played together, he put it back in the water.
Dinner at the resto - once again good mezze. Will buy some to take out for lunch tomorrow.

Friday October 26 Kormen - Bodrum

Weather: NW 4/5 soon 5/6 - and the direction we were going was...NNW!
Splendid morning, rattling along close-hauled at 5 knots, on a long tack, barely having to touch the sails or the helm, Raph sunbathing on the foredeck.
Popeye had originally suggested going to Orak island, but not very sheltered from northerlies, and rumoured to have big bold rats. We also thought of End Bay on Karaada, but when we looked in it was full of tripper boats. What clinched it was the critical state of the liquid assets. So called Bodrum marina to reserve a place, and at 16:00, were escorted to a tight-ish place alongside which Popeye got us into with all the skill of a skipper who appreciates being called "sir" by the plentiful marina staff. Raph and I are now obliged to address him as "Sir Popeye". Berth is right in front of showers and marina office. Bit expensive at 71 YTL (gulp!), but this is only the second marina in 2 weeks after all. Excursion into town to buy vino and ingredients for supper, quiet evening on board, in charming feline company.
Around 22:00, there was a big band concert in the yacht club - quite appreciated by the men, but I had already crashed (with cat). Woken in the small hours by the very same disco tune heard in Preveza in May - fortunately further away this time.

Saturday October 27 Bodrum - Turgutreis

Adopted small bold cat thanks me for the hospitality by peeing in a corner of the cockpit. At least she had the decency to try to cover it, but not much luck with GRP and teak. Bucket of sea water got rid of the pee and the cat.

Just a quick hop round the corner today, first SW then N. Weather N + NW 4/6. The SW bit was magic - genoa, fishing lines, drinks, nibbles, sunbathing, jokes.Around 11:00 the wind dropped away to nothing, then came in with a vengeance. Away with the fishing tackle, on with the harnesses, and soon we're cracking on at 7, 5 knots! A couple of reefs, and then we're close hauled, tacking like a race crew, and still making 6 knots. Sir Popeye is extremely happy! Two hours of this until our arrival at Turgutreis. This is the first time I've come close to enjoying "sport" sailing - progress at last. Quick stop at the fuel pontoon - the good news that we've only used 1, 56 litres per hour (27 hours motor), the bad news is that fuel is 1, 39 EUR / lit - then tied up at the pontoon by 14:15.

Cursory check out of the boat (nubile young lady tried to charge us for the worn out genoa!) then the men remember they haven't had lunch, so Kreacher legs it to the supermarket for bread and stuff, while Raph reveals a closely guarded secret - he makes a mean tuna salad. And it's after 2 weeks that I find out! Intended to visit the weekly market this afternoon, but too knackered.

Order pizza to be delivered to the boat and drink far too much wine.

Sunday October 28

Hired a "car" (well it had four wheels and an engine) for the day, with drop off at airport, costing less than the taxi from the airport to the marina. Visited the underwater city of Myndos at Gumusluk (well Raph visited the underwater part). Felt strange to be earthlings again, mixing with Turkish families out for a stroll on the beach, and a sea side lunch.

Went the long way round to a shopping centre in Bodrum (needed a few presents for home), which was extremely disappointing. So drove back out to Turgutreis, where we found a bazaar selling all we needed, and more. Supper in a non-seafront restaurant costing less than half the price we paid on day one. They even offered full English breakfast (with juice etc) for 4 YTL, compared to 12 we paid in Datca. Another lesson learned.

At airport for 21:00, flight at 23:00, packed with the kind of package holiday tourist that does Turkey. Memo to self - fly Captain Cook, not Thomas Cook in future. Son n° 2 waiting for us at airport at 02:00, bless him.

Epilogue

Turkey: been there, done that, don't have the T shirt. Nice place, great people, but the non-availability of salami is a problem for Popeye, and the price of wine, over 6 EUR a litre for rough stuff, prices it out of the market compared to Greece.

Sailing: only once did I think that buying Sirius was not a good idea, and only once did I consider cancelling my dazed skipper course next spring. And I actually enjoyed the energetic sailing on the last day.

The crew: Popeye has a bit of a reputation for mixing up tone and decibels, and does tend to bark at his crew. This can sometimes upset new crew. Raph, whose dad can be rather grumpy at times, was not at all fazed, and showed the best promise of any novice crew we've ever had on board. In the Popeye ranking of crew / passenger / cargo / dangerous cargo, Raph was quickly promoted to crew. My role this time was more galley slave, but then someone had to do it.