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. 

Gocek Bay and back to TTFC

September 28

We left Twenty Two Fathom Cove on Saturday morning for the short trip to Gocek at D-Marin which took about an hour and for the first time we were put on 'H' pontoon which is the breakwater of the marina because allegedly the marina was full inside.  We didn't mind too much as mooring on the inside of the pontoon and stern to gave us fantastic views of the whole of Gocek bay. When we arrived the pontoon was very busy as it was obviously change over day for the charter boats, which were all in the process of being cleaned for the new guests, but by the evening most of the boats had gone and our view was completely uninterrupted.  What we hadn't realised was how far it was to anywhere in the marina from where we were although we did need the exercise. And on Sunday we got out the bikes again to visit Gocek market.

We were surprised to see another Dutch steel boat (different make) which we had trampled over once at the Southampton Boat Show just along from us and by Sunday night another different Dutchtime steel boat arrived alongside us.  

View from 'H' pontoon - D-Marin Marina, Gocek

September 30

Laundry all done and shopping completed so time to move on. Just when I thought we had got this boating lark more or less sorted out the Captain decided to make it all a little more exciting. We planned to investigate three bays, all of which had been recommended to us earlier in the year, the first being more a group of small islands than a bay, Yassica Adalari, and the chart showed the depth to be fairly shallow in places.  Maybe you have guessed it already? Yup - we went aground. OMG! The Captain tried reversing - it didnt make the slightest difference. As is usual, I stripped off and got in the water to investigate but apart from the fact that I could stand up easily I couldn't really see under the boat to see what was going on.  Meanwhile all around us were boats happily moored, basking in the sunshine, not taking the slightest bit of notice - almost as if we had just decided to stop there.I haven't snorkelled for years and it really isn't my strong point and where was my snorkelling daughter-in-law when I needed her? But there was nothing else for it and I went for it - only to hear the Captain yelling that a young Turkish man had turned up in a dinghy and was offering to help. And he did it - he obviously knew exactly what was going on underneath us and he somehow managed to swivel the boat out of the really shallow part.  The Captain was most impressed and very, very grateful.  We have only been able to see so far that the port stabiliser is showing some steel on the back edge but we headed out of Yassica Adalari as fast as we decently could, hugely relieved and quite embarrassed.

We investigated two other bays but our hearts weren't in and we returned to TTFC where there are not many other boats today and we had plenty of room to swing about on the anchor while the Captain tied us with two lines to the shore without causing any other entertainment for anyone watching.

View from starboard side of TTFC

Kas to Gocek via Kalkan

26 September

We set the alarm for 6.30 a.m. in order to leave Kas marina by 7 a.m. the time at which the sun is rising and the forecast was for a very settled day. We left exactly on the dot of 7 a.m. and made good progress along the coast back to Gocek.  We were passing Kalkan when the Captain, in the process of downloading his Guardian, heard on the radio a Turkish warship telling another boat to turn back to either Kalkan or Kas as the Turkish Navy were practising live firing all the way to Gocek until 7 p.m. that evening.  We listened for a while still heading in that direction and watching the Turkish warship scurrying around telling all the boats in its path to turn back.  Finally the Captain radioed the warship to be absolutely sure we couldn't proceed and we too turned back.  The Captain was not happy in view of the very settled weather conditions and a possible missed opportunity of an easy passage.  We headed towards a bay, Yesilkoy Limani, close to Kalkan, which other boats were in the process of leaving.  By this time it was still only just after 9 a.m. and we found plenty of room for us to anchor and we settled down to enjoy a peaceful day on the boat in the sunshine.  Before too long we were surrounded by other boats which presumably had suffered the same experience and had to find somewhere to stay for the day and night.

Book Club

September 27
Again we set the alarm for 6.30 a.m. but this time the Captain had to rescue the shore line and re-attach the dinghy to the back of the boat.  All went well and we were off again by 7 a.m.  But not an original idea at all - practically all the other yachts in the bay were either leaving or had already gone - a lot of them flying the good old red ensign.  We have sailed up and down this particularly part of the coast line a number of times now and on the whole we hardly see many other boats.  This time there was an armada.  We counted at least fifteen yachts and two or three gulets all heading in the same direction.  The Captain's fears of not such a calm day were not realised and we had a good trip back to our favourite Twenty two fathom cove, about an hour away from Gocek,  where we spent quite a few days earlier in the year. We then spent some time finding a good place to drop the anchor and take a line ashore.  We were disappointed that the mooring buoys which had been here earlier in the year seem to have disappeared.  We did, however, provide endless amusement for some fellow Brits on a yacht who watched our endeavours and we are now (we hope) secured for the night  It has not helped that we still only have one rowlock on the dinghy (the other one remains at home in Bruce's briefcase - it did make its way home from Tubecraft but not as far as Turkey) and the outboard has decided to play up and I am not experienced enough to know how to cope with it.  Tomorrow we go to Gocek marina for a couple of nights to visit the lovely laundry and stock up with everything for the last week which we plan to spend in the surrounding bays before heading back to Marmaris when the weather permits.  Hopefully it will permit us to stay for as long as possible away from Marmaris.

Yesilkoy Limani, near Kalkan

Kas - still

21 September

The forecast for today was very strong winds from the south west and the Captain decided we needed some exercise.  So out came the bikes and we set off to cycle round the long peninsula which divides the bay in which the marina lies and Kas town.  It is a fifteen minute walk into the town from the marina across the foot of the peninsula but it would take at least an hour or possibly two to sail around it to the town.  The peninsula is also very hilly - as we found out.  To start with there was little or no wind and we thought maybe the forecast was wrong and we spent more time pushing the bikes than riding them. At the head of the peninsula the road divided in two in order to circle it: the head of the peninsula has a large amount of holiday villas and hotels, some of which looked very inviting and others which seemed to have fallen into complete disrepair, but all with spectacular views out to the Aegean and the Greek island of Meis within easy reach.  We found somewhere to stop for a fresh orange juice and to recover a little from all those hills before setting back.  By this time the wind had kicked in and the sea now had many white horses.  We set off again at the same time as a young woman hiked past us, foolishly we thought we would be long gone only to have her march past us as we pushed our bikes up the next hill - so embarrassing. After that we kept stopping to watch the wind and waves but leaping on our bikes every time the walker came in sight and fortunately most of the rest of the way was downhill - this is definitely a plus but I am not very brave and go down the hills with my hands firmly on the brakes.

Panoramic view - almost at the head of the peninsula

By the time we got back to the marina there were waves coming in and the wind strong enough for us not to be able to sit out on deck. So we sat inside and made a start on those plums - or at least some of them. (And, yes, Cindy, they have the same effect on me!)

White horses in Bucak Deniz 

22nd September

Can't remember.

23rd September

We have now had four nights in Kas marina and despite deciding last night to leave for Kekova Roads for two nights at anchor, we woke up in a state of complete lethargy and decided to stay here until Thursday when the forecast looks ideal for a return to Gocek. Have had a lovely day sitting by the pool and the Captain has enjoyed himself trying to iron out* the dents in the cabin floor as he unfortunately dropped down the stairs one of the director's chairs that we use on deck - so glad it wasnt me although it was my fault because I had put the outside cushions in the wrong place to stop them blowing off the boat when it was windy. *He saw this done in Maasbracht by one of the boatyard staff eight years ago when 'someone' accidently  dented one of the cupboard tops.

Marmaris to Gocek and on to Kas

17 September

After a false start we finally left Marmaris Yat Marin (MYM) for Gocek.  We were all ready to go at approximately 07.30 a.m. feeling that frisson of anticipation (nerves/fright) that comes when you haven't used the boat for three months, only to discover the radio wasn't working. The 'frisson of excitement' was soon replaced of one of irritation bordering on despair at the idea of another day in Marmaris.  The Captain had taken the radio back to the UK to have a new cable fixed to the handset as it had been hanging on by the wires. The marine electronics shop in Lymington had very fortunately been able to come up with a replacement cable for a radio that is now eight years old and, needless to say, no longer exists. The cost of a new radio would make anyone's eyes water. Neither the marine electronics shop or the Captain had actually tested the handset to see if it was working. Fortunately the Captain is extremely versatile and within a reasonable amount of time had re -soldered said wires on to the PCB and it worked!  We could have used a mobile phone to call up the marina for permission to leave (seriously we have to do this) but it would have been unsafe to rely on phones for communication for a seven hour trip to Gocek.

19 September

We had two nights in Gocek before heading for Kas - another seven hour trip, preceded by a fuel top up of 1000 litres (and the tank is still only three quarters full) and an emptying of the black tank.  Another good, uneventul trip, and I even managed to move around the boat once or twice, although still had to have coffee and lunch made for me.

20 September

Love Kas marina. It is so beautifully kept and very clean and the people actually smile at you. Still have to pay 25TL(£8) to use the swimming pool and the facilities there but that does include lunch up to that amount.  Market day as well this morning so trundled off there and bought loads of fruit and vegetables.  Really not sure when we are going to eat a kilo of plums but it seemed like a good idea at the time and spent princely sum of £6 for a bag of stuff we had to carry between us.

Kas Marina

Market shopping

Off into Kas town this evening which has loads of lovely restaurants and the best Turkish towel shop (and a shoe shop across from it - but shhhhhh! dont tell the Captain).

Wednesday, 11 September

Back to Sequel

Had a good journey to Gatwick, hoping to enjoy lunch at the airport and a bit of shopping before flight to Dalaman, only to spend a very stressful hour and a quarter dropping our luggage and getting through security. The queues were endless and one official told us it was due to too many people going on holiday now the schools are back.  All the desks were manned, he said. Huh! When we finally managed to shuffle our way close enough only three of the six security stations were in use. And to add insult we both had to have our hand luggage checked again; Bruce's because he had a tool for tightening cable ties (as you do) which looks a little like a gun - so understandable perhaps - and amazingly they didn't  confiscate it.

Flight was like any other EasyJet flight and actually arrived on time, followed by a hair-raising taxi drive back to Marmaris. Every time we do this journey I wonder if we are going to survive it - cant help thinking we are pushing our luck each time and that the next one is going to be the final one.  I find it hard to understand why any one is frightened of flying after being driven by a Turkish taxi driver.

Thursday 12

After a very warm night we had a call at 9 a.m. (7 UK time) to say we needed to get to the Cruise Port to see a customs official  regarding the new roof for Sequel  which had arrived over the summer from the Netherlands.  It was quite a struggle to get cracking and get to the bus before he left at 11 a.m. but we made it and then a walk into Marmaris to sort out our telecommunications for the next four weeks.

I had to succumb to a little zzzzzz this afternoon to recover from all the excitement of the last day and now looking forward to our first dinner out. My son will tell you that I don't sleep during the day.

Saturday 14

We had a vague plan to leave today for Goçek but at about 6 p.m last night having pumped up  the dinghy, struggled to get the outboard out of the locker on board and ashore on to the back of it, very sweaty and probably a little smelly, we had an email from our friends Mustafa and Sevgi (with whom we stayed in 2006 on a week's holiday in a villa in the mountains above Turunç) suggesting we got the water taxi from Marmaris to Turunc - an hour away by boat - for  a bbq and to stay the night.  So off we went - very adventuresome - now paying the price as usual as the wind has begun to blow and we think we will at the very least be here until Monday, probably Tuesday.  

Sunday 15

We  caught the dolmus into Marmaris to visit the Sunday fruit and vegetable market and then proceeded to walk around in circles trying to remember the instructions we had been given yesterday - we found it eventually and were rewarded with a fantastic array of fruit and vegetables at ridiculous prices.

Decided this afternoon that it was time to stop skulking behind the sun shade and top up our supplies of vitamin D.  The temperature has dropped today by about 4 degrees - now 5.30 p.m. and 30 degrees.  Forecast is still strong winds for Monday but hoping to move to Goçek on Tuesday before we loose the will to go anywhere.  But the Captain is working on his LEDs again - and has now changed about 60 light fittings - while I have been fighting a loosing battle with uploading photos with Google+ - hence no photos and because Apple 

(the evil  empire according to the Captain - or one of them anyway) doesn't allow me to upload from my ipad to an account which has nothing to do with Apple - what I need is a device that will properly let me use IoS and  android together - cant finish this properly  as frigging ipad wont let me or google not sure which = do they both know what I am doing?????