Under-way for 2012

Departing Yacht Marin (in background), Marmaris

I finally managed to leave Marmaris just one day late; this was due to a problem with the fitting of the new alternator. TMS staff insisted that I needed a new intelligent regulator to go with the new alternator, the only problem was they sacked the electrician doing the job halfway through (personal clash with management, nothing to do with Kurukulla); the result was more time spent trying to decide what had been done and how! Not clever.

In the clear blue skies of Friday 4^th of May, at 1600, we set off for the anchorage at Gerbekse to pass a couple of days sorting out and shaking down. Nothing like getting away from the dockyard to really find out what works and what does not! The first thing that did not work was the Sterling regulator. It tripped out after 30 minutes on a high battery temperature trip. A quick check of the batteries disproved that but the regulator steadfastly refused to reset. After a few minutes head scratching I identified the problem, the wiring to the battery temperature sensor and the alternator temperature sensor had been crossed resulting in the alternator temperature, normally very much higher than the batteries, tripping the battery temperature trip. This resolved we got under-way again, by now it was getting towards dusk.

Gerbekse anchorage

Arrival in the anchorage was simple but there were several other boats there too and insufficient room left to swing at anchor. The only solution was to drop the anchor in the middle, back up to the rocks and swim a line ashore. It was a brief and invigorating late evening skinny dip, much to the amusement of the young, partying, UK holidaymakers on an adjacent gullet. Despite their shouts of encouragement I still did not get invited to swim over for a drink! Can't think why!

Next morning I had a good session washing down the decks and getting rid of as much of the sanding dust as possible, clearing the scupper drains, all interspersed with the odd swim and washing down of the hull. By the end things were looking much better. The weather was ideal, sunshine, light breeze and complete calm inside the anchorage. So much so that I decided to continue working on Kurukulla and stay another night.

Kizil Adasi anchorage

The following morning the wind was starting to build early and so after a swim to free the stern line we set off west towards Bozburum and to take leave of Turkey. The wind was, as predicted, on the nose until the turn north 16 miles down the coast. This equated to three hours motoring but on the plus side another chance to test the alternator. Once heading north towards Bozburum it was a fantastic beam reach in light winds for the next two and a half hours before anchoring a mile and a half short of the harbour on the east side of the island of Kizil Adasi; a splendid, secluded anchorage with only goats and sheep for company. I anchored close in to the beach, in 7m of water but it was so clear the bottom looked as though you could reach out and touch it! The first night of real peace and solitude.

Embarking dinner

Next morning I pottered around the boat giving it another scrub down and sorted out a few more of the minor defects on the list. A local fisherman/goatherd arrived shouting at the top of his voice, interested I watched with fascination as all the goats gathered on the foreshore to meet him. They were obviously used to him arriving with some food, choosing his passengers for the return journey and heading back. This time he embarked a nanny goat but her kid had not appeared. Some minutes later he was spotted watching proceedings from afar and after another brief stop against the rocks he too was embarked, tonight's meal I rather suspect! After lunch I set off to enter the harbour at Bozburun and do battle with bureaucracy; I was not to be disappointed!

Bozburun High Street

After entering the port I berthed in virtually the same spot as that which I had occupied some 6 months before when re-entering Turkey. First things first, a brief trip to the supermarket to get some victuals followed by the trip to the harbourmaster's office. Here I was greeted with a locked door, the immigration police officer informed me that the harbourmaster was away and would I come back tomorrow. Having explained that tomorrow I was not planning to be in Turkey he relented and assured me that if I came back in an hour the harbourmaster would have returned. Sure enough he did, only to inform me that I was not now allowed to organise my own departure, I needed to employ an “Agent”! Where was that helpful official of last October? Apparently any vessel over 10 tons net (Kurukulla is not but he would not accept that as the registration certificate says 0.0 Net tons!) has to use an agent at a cost of 30€. The only alternative was to go to the bank myself and pay 9.30TL into the correct account and return with the receipt; the only problem was it had to be paid into a branch of Garanti Bank and the nearest branch was in Marmaris! The next bus was tomorrow and it takes 2 hours! The debate lasted 20 minutes by the end of which I was getting no where and so I decided his friend, the agent, was probably worth his 30€ just to avoid me loosing my patience. I found the Atlas Agency, in town, and employed him for the purpose of getting my clearance; it took 30 minutes and one visit to the harbourmaster! He has internet banking with Garanti Bank!

By 1830 it was all finished and I exited the harbour to go to anchor at the north end of the same island as the night before, ready to escape northwards through the Kizil Adasi Channel and head directly for Simi the next day.

Simi waterfront

The following morning dawned clear and bright but without a breath of wind. It was a two and a half hour motor to Simi and even at the start of the afternoon, when the wind usually sets in, it was still oily calm. I arrived in Simi at 1300 to be greeted by a very friendly Port Police official who took my lines and invited me to set about the “Merry Go Round” of entering Greece. First Port Police, then Immigration Police, then Customs and finally back to Harbour master/Coast Guard to pay! All went well until I got back to the Harbour Master's office where I was second in line to a French skipper who was having a very similar discussion to mine of the day before. Being strongly European he was having none of this “stupid Greek bureaucracy” and telling the young girl behind the desk so in no uncertain terms; needless to say she, being the one in uniform, dug her heels in and eventually he paid (having borrowed some change from me, Greek Authorities never have change). I tried my best to be polite and co-operative and 20€ and several minutes later walked out without hassle, having been complimented with “how much more co-operative the British are”; it never pays to upset officialdom in Mediterranean countries, no matter how young and inexperienced they look; sometimes, however, it is difficult not to! On my return to the boat the French skipper was in the waterside bar, at the stern of Kurukulla, waiting for me and wishing to repay the debt; the interest amounted to him buying me a Mythos, local beer, as well!

Next it was off to the mobile phone shop to organise internet connectivity, but not so fast; the restaurants are open but normal shops are closed, today is a public holiday (Tuesday!) to commemorate the independence of the Dodecanese islands from the Italians? British?, no one seemed quite sure but they were happy to have a day off anyway. That being the case it was an evening alongside in Simi and wait for tomorrow when the shop will be open at 0900.

Church guarding Nimos Passage, Simi

The berthing in Simi is stern to the quay as normal, but that means that you are exposed to the constant noise of passing traffic; not that there is a vast quantity on an island as small as this but Greek youths are equally prone to massive sound systems in their cars and “tweaking” the silencers on their motorbikes as are the British: they then drive around late into the night! Not exactly conducive to a good night's sleep!

Departing Livadhia, Tilos

Next morning it was off at 0900, back to the only mobile phone shop in town; at 0930 the owner also deigned to arrive despite his sign giving 0900 as the opening time! Within 20 minutes I was sorted out with a Cosmote SIM card for the dongle, €40 for 1 month and 5Gb, something else that is much cheaper in Turkey! Back to the boat and away. We set sail through the Nimos Passage and away to the south west; minor problem, no wind! Four hours of motoring later we arrived in Livadhia on the island of Tilos, a beautiful bay, suitable for anchoring in the early season, before the Meltemi (N winds) starts, and as tranquil as you could wish. A swim, a sunbathe and supper, what more could a man want? Next day it was off to the island of Nisiros to pick up my nephew, Simon, who was joining for 5 days. One strange fact. The promenade at Livadhia is little more than a track along the waterfront of a sparsely inhabited island but it has streetlights! Loads of them and on all night. With a population of 200 it must be cheaper to provide each inhabitant with a torch, that way they can even use it to defend themselves if attacked in the night!

Distant view of Nisiros

One reef and well heeled

After a couple of hours sorting Kurukulla out we got under-way at 1100 and set off for Nisiros. Initially the wind was variable and light so the trip was part under sail and part engine. By 1530 the wind had fillled in and we entered the narrows between Nisiros and the western islands of Pakhia and Periousa with a reef in and well heeled. On the basis that I did not want to spend the night in Mandraki harbour on Nisiros in such conditions, I headed for the anchorage at Periousa for the night. A good decision, as I sailed towards the bay on the eastern side I set about getting ready to anchor, genoa rolled up, tack for the beach, start engine, start engine...... not very keen! Change of plan, anchor under sail and then sort out why the engine won't start! Safely anchored I then started investigating the problem. Seemed like fuel starvation. After working my way back from the fuel lift pump to the fuel tank via filters, separators etc. I finally discovered that the fuel suction from the tank was blocked! Disconnected, and following a hearty blow down the pipe, it cleared, but for how long? Next morning I sailed across to Mandraki to pick up Simon but I was still dubious about the engines reliability, it started perfectly for the berthing manoeuvre but....... when might it next decide not to co-operate. A helpful port policeman indicated the berth he wanted me to take and invited me to go up to the office and present my papers, again..... every port you enter needs a copy of all your papers, how else will they keep the masses employed and the waste paper merchants busy!

Waterfront at Mandraki, Nisiros. Kurukulla nearest.

Simon arrived on the ferry from Kos half an hour later and, having got him settled onboard, we set off to do some victualling in the town and stopped for a brief beer on the way back to the boat. All this done we sailed off the berth and back to the anchorage at Periousa where we again anchored under sail. Here we spent the evening, concocting a version of jambalaya and sampling the newly acquired Greek wines.

Morning bath and dhobi

Next morning dawned grey and with slight drizzle. We decided to stay put for a few hours and I decided to investigate the interior of the fuel tank. With the inspection hatch open I recruited Simon's assistance to hoover out the gunge in the bottom of the tank, not very much but some bits of debris big enough to have caused the problem. That done the tank was closed up again; confidence restored in the engine.

After lunch we sailed off the anchor and across to Kamares in Kos where we anchored between three other boats on the southern side of the jetty. It is a small holiday town with not a lot to recommend it other than an anchorage with good holding and a few shops and tavernas.

More once we are in Kos town....................