Marmaris Yacht Marina - last few days

08 October

At last time to go home and I did not think I would write any more on my blog as the last few days were only going to be about cleaning and clearing up jobs and who wants to know but..............

had a great evening on Sunday night at the end of Summer party where we possibly had a little too much wine but also lots of dancing (my husband (aka the Captain) in his enthusiasm to rock 'n roll faster than anyone, and believe me because of the average age of the other dancers they all knew how to rock 'n roll, managed to bruise my right hand quite badly - I thought he had broken my finger!).

When we took Sequel back to the UK in 2005 there were quite stringent safety rules in place (probably still are) and requirements for all sorts of safety equipment, including a life raft (of course).  Our life raft, in a bag of its own, was put at the bottom of a very deep locker at the stern of the boat and over the years has had many things placed on top of it, including the outboard motor.  We decided it was time to get the life raft out in order to free up some space (absolutely nothing to do with being able to use it in an emergency or that it should be checked every three years to make sure it works).  Anyway, could we get it out?  No way - we pulled as hard as we could; I got in the locker and tried to push from underneath and we managed to get it about half way up inside the locker - it is a deep locker. At one stage I panicked as I thought I was going to be stuck in there too.  And then in his attempts to pull the by now ******* thing out, the Captain decided to pull a rope which was poking out of the side of the bag - this rope was the 'painter' for the life raft.  This painter is used in an emergency and when the life raft is thrown overboard it is held on to and therefore when it is pulled it triggers off a gas cylinder which then inflates thee raft Another OMG moment.  The whole thing exploded in the locker - the Captain dashed down the side of the boat to get away from it and I rushed downstairs into the boat while the life raft proceeded to inflate inside the locker!  When we both reappeared to see the damage I am afraid to say I thought it was absolutely hilarious and fortunately the Captain did too.  No serious damage was done other than a bit of wood was splintered around the edge of the locker and we were then able to get it out and into a shopping trolley on the pontoon. Top of the shopping list for next year is a new life raft which can be placed in a basket of its own at the back of the boat and which will be easily accessible.

Sequel came out of the water yesterday and the only damage sustained in our last adventure was to the stabliliser on the port side which can fairly easily be repaired.  Since then we have been cleaning the boat - although I am not entirely sure why as we are in the middle of a massive yard which is absolutely filthy and with the winter rains and winds will soon become a muddy puddle - Peppa would love it.

Soon be home!

Twenty Two Fathom Cove, Gocek to Marmaris Yacht Marina

01 October 

For the first time in many weeks in Turkey (apart from a poor start to the day on 02 June) the sky was completely overcast and the temperature had dropped by a few degrees.  There is not much to do anchored in a bay on a boat when the weather is miserable except endlessly checking that the anchor is holding and I have driven myself almost insane trying to do super fiendish Suduko. We do have books to read as well but sometimes a little variation helps.  We did go across the bay in the dinghy to buy bread as we had missed my favourite breadboy in his pink speed boat earlier in the morning. As the day wore on the wind picked up quite considerably but we were able to see that the anchor was holding well despite some strong gusts.  And as the night fell a storm began and then torrential rain.  We were also treated to a pyrotechnic display of unremitting lightning for at least three hours.

02 October

Actually managed to sleep despite another storm in the night and thankfully it was neither raining nor windy when the Captain took the shore lines off at 6.30 a.m the next day and we left TTFC to return to Marmaris on the only day that was forecast NOT to be windy until Monday 07 October. The whole trip lasted about six hours and we have had worse ones.  We watched yet another storm travel along the coast but we just caught the rain which was again torrential and the visibility very poor - the sky seemed to blend into the sea.  I have complained bitterly about Marmaris in the past but I have never been so pleased to arrive here despite the fact that our departure date is not until Wednesday 09.

Daybreak

Sunrise

Again MYM was full on our arrival and again there was no space for us on Juliet pontoon (the motor boats usually moor on Juliet) but the marineros found a place on Hotel which was barely wide enough for us. Somehow the Captain squeezed us in and we will stay here until we are taken out of the water for the winter on Tuesday 08.

04 October

As predicted the wind really got going yesterday and we are grateful to be facing into it so we can at least sit on deck.  It is still, however, sunny with blue skies although this morning the thermostat was reading 15 degrees - I am not complaining - a fact only.  It is funny to see everyone scurrying around in fleeces and jeans.  I am still holding out in my shorts but had to put a cardigan on earlier to go shopping in Marmaris.  We have some jobs to do before Tuesday and even a party to go to on Sunday night - an 'End of the Summer' party so the time will soon pass before we are on our way to Dalaman airport and home.