Some days are diamonds - some days are just horrible ... August 2008

***Bread delivery in Kekova Roads, looks like a tough job!!!*** *** Balvenie tucked up in Kalkan***

01 August 2008

July was great, but August has not got off to such a good start. We left Yesilkoy Liman reasonably early as the cruising guide states that when the prevailing westerly wind builds there can be a nasty chop as there is a strong current running the other direction. Things started ok, but it turned into one of those days when sailing is just no fun at all. Leave anchorage in 10knots - all sails up, near first headland gusting 25knots - put reef in main, clear headland nice breeze 15 knots - main back up, wind comes round on nose start aiming for Libya, tack back into shore wind comes around with us and builds - reef back in ...... this coastline has 7 headlands so the above scenerio just kept happening over and over again, I suppose 7 times. We finally approached the last headland which we needed to clear to get into Fethiye Bay, but do you think we could get around it, tacking in and out and going nowhere, I was well past my use by date and declared to Skipper that if we did not make it on the next tack I was jumping overboard. I actually thought he might be pleased with this suggestion and just keep tacking all afternoon!!!! but maybe he had just had enough too and the engine came on and we motorsailed round the final cape, expecting a nice beam reach once around and up to Fethiye across the bay.

Once around the cape the wind died to 5 knots but we had a 2 1/2 metre slop, couldn't even really call it a swell as it just came in from all directions tossing us around like a cork. Our first option of heading for Fethiye was abandoned in favour of a closer anchorage in Gemiler Bay and after a very uncomfortable motorsail we finally got into some flatter water and anchored the evening in Karacaoren Buku. The local restaurant has laid some moorings and assists in attaching to them, but we had heard that dinner was a set menu of 30Lira pp which for Turkey is quite expensive so just anchored a little further out. The whole bay was affected by the swell coming in and we had the rolliest night we can remember for a couple of years.

Anchorage info: 36.32.47 29.03.19 in 16m holding ok, very rolly but sheltered

We left early the following morning, the swell was still there but had died down somewhat and we had a reasonably pleasant motor around into Fethiye where we have anchored just outside the marina in mud which is rumoured to set like superglue.

We have met up with old friends here and made some new, the social scene has been rather hectic with outings to the movies ("Wanted" - not recommended!!), dinner at the Fish Market where you buy your fresh fish from the vendors then take it to the nearby restaurants for cooking, Happy Hours (nights) aboard Gone with the Wind that ended with the guitars out and a sing along, and several other excursions. We have certainly slipped into Med time, with dinner after dark around 9pm, off to bed around midnight and a somewhat slow start each morning. Its hitting 40degrees now each day, today the wind is very hot also, but it's August and we did expect it, so we are taking it easy.

Anchorage info: apprx 36.37.46N 29.05.82E 13m mainly mud with some think spots of weed. The anchorage is comfortable, a slight chop in the afternoon sea breeze but generally calm at night. You need to keep clear of the small 'Sunsail' dock (especially with the charter boats returning in a strong seabreeze and backing in!!!!) and also there is a coastguard jetty to be aware of. Try and anchor between Coastguard and the main marina to keep out of the Coastguard ships way. Every now and then they ask yachts to move. Dinghy tie up in the marina and generally access to wifi although it comes and goes a little (I have an external aerial). Wifi code changes every two weeks, on counter in marina office is yellow leaflet advertising Levante Restaurant. Wifi code is on this leaflet.

We are waiting now for a part for our watermaker, it deserves its own blog really but I won't bore you. I will just say that we started trying to source this part from Katadyn in Switerland when we arrived in Cyprus. It finally left Zurich yesterday, it is a 25SFR round piece of plastic that weighs around 100grams, the DHL courier charge to Turkey is 194SFR. (I suspect we may have got a return flight cheaper and gone and collected it) This morning I checked the tracking to see where it was and it is having a problem being cleared by Turkey Customs, they didn't call us so I'm not sure how long it would have sat there, so we called DHL Istanbul who have told us we need to go to Istanbul (it's only 600 miles away) to clear it. We have told them that because it is valued at under 100Euro's it doesn't need customs clearance, they are DHL, shouldn't they know this? Meanwhile the debate is going on ................. and we wait!!!!!!!!!

No idle hands though, the ensuite sink blocked last night, and the good ole rubber plunger just didn't clear it so this morning Mark has taken all the hosing off underneath it and found the culprit. A little plastic cap had fallen down the plug hole and was a perfect fit to block it completely, oh well the pipes and cupboard have had a good clean.