As planned Chris, Stuart and Jan-Willem joined in the afternoon of Saturday and Steve joined late that evening. By chance Steve was the only passenger in his airport transfer and, as a consequence, arrived 90 minutes ahead of schedule to find an empty boat! We were all ashore having an evening meal in Ilyada, one of the waterfront restaurants; good food and 10% discount card available if you press them!
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| Kalkan Harbour |
Our first destination was the bay on
the east side of Kotu Burun, a relatively open bay and mostly too
deep to anchor; however, there is a small shallow patch in the NNW
corner where anchoring without a line ashore is possible, (beware of
snagging your anchor cable on underwater rocks). We anchored here for
lunch and a swim. Thereafter we set off for the anchorage at Gemiller
Adasi where we planned to spend the night; we arrived at 1800, just
before sunset. A long day but worthwhile as it allowed us to make a
first passage with Stuart, our novice sailor onboard, in benign
conditions. We had sailed about half of the 30 mile passage and
motored the rest.
The anchorage in the NW corner of
Gemiller Adasi is one of my favourites, listed by Rod Heikell as fair
weather only but in fact good in all winds except those between SW
and E. The holding is good and suitable tie backs are easy to find.
The advantage of his qualified recommendation is that few people use
it! We were able to get the prime spot and decided to stay two nights
in this idyllic environment. The boat selling local produce duly came
and we were able to top up with fresh fruit and “village bread”,
at a price, but the bread is truly delicious.
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| Steve's promotion celebration... |
He remembered
Kurukulla from last year and seemed genuinely pleased to see us again
(we must have paid too much!). It was also here that Steve heard that
he had been promoted at work and so a celebration ensued, helped by
the fact that he had arrived with two bottles of champagne in his bag
(in preparation for this or a later event).
Two days later we set off again,
sailing off the anchor and bound for Fethiye Korfezi and Skopea
Limani. These are wonderful cruising grounds and full of beautiful
anchorages. Our passage west was less than comfortable with contrary
winds in excess of 20 kts but I need not have worried the entire crew
weathered the passage without problem, despite the discomfort. We
initially entered the southern arm of the anchorge at Kizilkuyruk
Koyu where we were able to have lunch and a swim but it rapidly
became evident that this was not going to be sheltered enough for the
night, hence we motored the four miles round to Seagull Cove and
started looking for a suitably protected anchorage in the boisterous
conditions, by now winds gusting, mostly from the west, up to 35 kts
(top F7).
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| Anchorage at the entrance to Wall Bay |
After a fruitless tour of Seagull Bay and Fathom Cove we
decided to opt for Wall Bay but on entering we noticed a small cove
on the NE side of the entrance which was empty and looked ideal. We
took it. Anchor down in 10m, we tied back and settled for the night.
It was of course this night that the
new anchor decided not to hold first time; fortunately it held well
second time, an hour later, so not ideal holding but good once in.
The only downside was that Steve had a rather cold swim, whilst
holding the stern lines in place, whilst the rest of us motored out
and reset the anchor. Just as well we had found a well protected
anchorage and now had the anchor well dug in as there followed a
major thunder storm that night with all the unpredictable wind
strengths and directions associated with it!
We survived the lot but next morning
the rain continued and so we spent the morning idling our time away.
By afternoon the weather had improved to that of a good summers day
and hence we decided to spend much of the rest of the day here;
amazing how much fun you can have using the spinnaker halyard as a
jumping/diving rope!
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| Boynuz Buku at sunset |
Ultimately we left in time to get Jan-Willem to
Boynuz Buku to have a final meal that evening and ready for his 0500
taxi departure next day. Dinner was plain but adequate food; made up
for by it's convenience to Dalaman Airport (80YTL ~ £27 taxi ride).
Following J-W's departure (in fact some
hours later) we sailed off the marina berth, much to the surprise of
our neighbours (well it was downwind), and set off for one of the
bays back at the southern end of Skopea Limani; in the event we
spotted a superb, deserted, cove on the north side of the entrance to
Sarsila Koyu where we were soon anchored in the centre of the cove
and tied back to the bollards on shore.
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| Cove on the north side of the entrance to Sarsila Koyu |
In this area the shoreline is
littered with bollards to tie up to; it is illegal to tie boats back
to trees on the shoreline thereby avoiding damage to their bark and
ultimately killing them. It had been another glorious day!
By now we were in need of more victuals
and so, early in the afternoon of the following day, we sailed north
to the Skopea Marina at Gocek; €20 for four hours alongside saw us
re-victualled and watered and heading south again for another night
in Boynuz Buku, this time anchoring in the shallows on the
north-eastern side of the head of the bay.
Next day we headed south again and
entered Tomb Bay, mooring in the very northern tip of the bay, off
the beach. Whilst here Steve heard that he had become an Uncle for
the first time, his brother and sister in law, living in Melbourne,
Australia, had produced! Another celebration, but we had already
consumed all the champagne! Later in the day we decided to head north
and go to Yassica Adalari. The weather gods were against us. By the
time we arrived the wind had set in from the north making the
normally tranquil anchorage untenable, hence we bailed out and headed
for the peace of Boynuz Buku yet again, this time anchoring and tying
back at the head of the bay, on the south side, opposite the
restaurant moorings. A peaceful place to spend the night.
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| View north across the lagoon at Yassica Adalari |
Sunday morning dawned windless and so
we decided to give Kizilkuyruk Koyu another try, this time we were
able to secure the small cove on the NE side of the bay for ourselves
and spent a wonderful day swimming and sunning ourselves, at the end
of which we set off for the anchorage at Yassica Adalari again, a
fabulous ten mile passage, on a beam reach and this time the lagoon
was deserted and tranquil. Another great anchorage for the night.
Monday dawned clear and bright as
expected, hence we stayed in the lagoon for the forenoon and had a
leisurely lunch before departing for a short but enjoyable sail
across to Boynuz Buku, again. It was from here that Chris and Stuart
were to depart early that evening.
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| Chris and Stuart's pre departure meal at Boynuz Buku |
The sail was a close fetch in a
steady wind and for them it was a fitting way to end a sailing
holiday. We berthed stern to the pontoon and ordered a table for an
early dinner, in order to eat before their departure. By 1830 they
had headed to the airport leaving Steve and I to debate where next! A
German group, in two boats, adjacent to us were also debating the
same subject and we decided to join forces in Fethiye the next
evening, in order to dine at the fish market (On which more later).
At 1000 we motored off the pontoon and
headed slowly towards Fethiye, stopping for a morning swim and lunch
in the anchorage on the west side of Yassica Adalari. Excellent
moorings available in this anchorage. Shortly before our departure we
noticed another yacht slowly negotiate the narrow passage through
between Yassica Adalari and the very small island to the south of it.
There are two islands to the south, the channel between the two is
rock bound and impassable but that between the main island of Yassica
and the eastern of the two small islands is passable, with care, in
fair weather; minimum 3.5m recorded. All adds to the excitement!
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| The central island at Fethiye fish market |
From here we sailed over to Fethiye
Adasi where we anchored for a swim in the cool spring waters which
rise to the surface in this bay. Finally we sailed off the anchor and
headed into the large anchorage opposite the marina in Fethiye where
we anchored and set up for the night. Two hours and a large G&T
later we were heading ashore in the dinghy to buy some provisions in
the marina supermarket and then to leave them in the dinghy and head
for the fish market. The fish market is a great find and well worth
visiting. The centre is filled with a large island formed of several
fish mongers all selling fresh fish of all descriptions. You purchase
what takes your fancy and then take it to any of the restaurants on
the perimeter who will then cook and serve it for you for the
princely sum of 6YTL (£2). We opted for a small (whole) tuna for a
main course with some red snapper as a starter along with some fish
mezze purchased from the restaurant. All that combined with a bottle
of very drinkable wine came to 125YTL (£42) in total, split between
two of us. A delightful way to eat fish al fresco!
After the fish market we returned
onboard, via the dinghy, taking with us one of our new found German
friends. He decided that the offer of a whisky onboard Kurukulla was
too good to miss. The result was several whiskies in Kurukulla, some
late night boating in the dinghy (to get him back to his boat) and
sore heads all round next morning. The joys of sailing.....!
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| Departing Kizilkuyruk Koyu |
After another trip ashore next morning,
to get yet more victuals and some spare parts, we set off for a final
visit to the anchorage at Kizilkuyruk Koyu which is the best placed
anchorage for our departure west the next day. A slightly frustrating
beat to windward in frequently shifting winds but fun all the same.
We arrived just before sunset to find that this normally tranquil
anchorage was crowded and although we were able to secure a good spot
to anchor and tie back in, it was not the tranquil spot we were
expecting. C'est la vie. It was only for one night and the majority
left early next morning, unlike us who delayed to enjoy the
anchorage. Our departure was even further delayed by a last minute
request from an adjacent boat to charge his laptop onboard Kurukulla;
his inverter (to provide 240v from the 12v ship's battery) had
failed. One beer later, and with his laptop half charged; he and we
finally departed at 1530, just in time to get to the next anchorage,
at Baba Adasi, by sunset. Baba Adasi is an anchorage between the
mainland and the island, very easy to enter and normally very
tenable.
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| Self at sunset, Baba Adasi |
We sailed in, dropped the anchor well clear of the others,
and settled down to watch the manoeuvres of those who arrived later
than us and insisted on pushing in amongst the crowd; one of the joys
of sailing, watching others conducting unaccustomed berthing
manoeuvres!
By the time we woke in the morning
almost all the others had departed. We again waited for the afternoon
breeze to set in, notwithstanding it was a contrary wind and
therefore would require us to beat westwards, preferring this to
motoring in a still calm. In the event the wind got up about 1400 and
was at times more boisterous than we had anticipated. It still led to
a good beat to windward to Ekincik where we decided to anchor in the
large bay on the west side of Koycegiz Koyu just north of Kizil
Burun. The bay is open to the east but provides a good anchorage in
most conditions; that is if you can tolerate the large population of
biting flies and wasps that seem to inhabit it.
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| Arriving off Marmaris |
By mid day the next
day we had been bitten enough; we decided to sail off the anchor and
make the short beat into Ekincik itself where we could anchor for the
next night and made a trip ashore for essentials the next morning.
Next morning became the next afternoon and finally we decided to stay
put for the night and sail for Marmaris early the next day. The wind
was forecast to be northerly guaranteeing a fast and smooth passage.
At 2000 we took the dinghy ashore and toured the “town” (a large,
partly (10%) finished, hotel with two restaurants and a small general
store – that was it!). We chose the easterly restaurant, had it
entirely to ourselves (slightly worrying but then the others were
empty as well!) and enjoyed a very good meal despite the lack of
company.
Monday morning dawned clear and bright
so we sailed off the anchor at 0815, just as the sun crept over the
surrounding hills. Sailed out of the bay and made steady progress
towards Marmaris.
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| The view from the top |
By 1200 the wind had dropped to nothing and so we
decided to drift for a bit and have a scrambled egg and smoked salmon
brunch whilst we waited for the onshore breeze to start. Sure enough
by 1330 it filled in and we sailed into the bay at Marmaris. First
stop was Netsel Marina to refuel, (always best to leave the tank full
for the winter, stops problems of condensation collecting in the
tank) and then it was onwards under engine to Yacht Marine and into
an afloat berth to await lifting out in 7 days time.
Taking advantage
of Steve's presence I completed the end of season mast inspection
before his departure,
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| See you next year |
(much easier to have someone to wind you up the
mast!). After that, all that is left for this year is cleaning and
preserving! Steve's taxi arrived at the appointed 1720 to take him to
Dalaman Airport and I set about putting Kurukulla to bed.
More in April next year when, all
things being equal, she goes back in the water again........
