That time again folks, Merebah from Turkey. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere lucky you, unless you are suffering the climes of England, Scotland or Ireland, and if you are in the Southern Hemisphere commiserations to you. Here in Turkey we are prone from time to time to complain about the heat which is a bit shameful really.
We left home 10 days ago, at this moment in my first blog, had a good trip over having one night in Istanbul before flying down to Dalaman and then a 1.5 hr taxi ride to Marmaris Yacht Marine. We chose to take the marina apartment for two nights, a first for us, gave a little more freedom without the usual chaos throughout the boat unpacking and making a complete muddle of the small space available in the saloon of a 37 ft yacht. Next priority was to check out on the status of Wrighteau. First hurdle was that she was not where we left her, which we thought was as far out the back as she could be put, but alas, no, they found a space even further out, right beside 3 containers housing 6 little units occupied by folk of dubious appearance, and to think that in NZ there was an outcry when it was suggested that some of the prisons be built using some swept up containers, I would think a lot more salubrious than these were. Our first priority was to look at the damage to the batteries, as we were conned into disconnecting them so we expected to come back to very flat batteries, but we were delighted that the batteries our little French electrician in Greece sold us at huge expense were perfectly charged. But that is when the joy was wrenched away from us, as we climbed the companionway to spot the gaping hole over the goalposts, and the realization that the wires had been snipped and our solar panels whipped off the boat. A lot of consternation and meetings ensued, and in a landmark decision, the yard agreed to pay half the cost of a new pair. Meanwhile I lost the key on our second day to the apartment, for a whole day they were lost, then the thought occurred to me at 4am that someone might have found the key, stolen our pouch with a couple of thousand euros, and our passports before suddenly remembering I put the key in the pouch and putting all of them into the chart table. Suddenly the third day spirits started to lift.
And on the third day we got away from the industrial and cheap housing corner and went back into the water. They put us out in the backwaters a bit, which was wonderful, as out there we could swim off the boat, we felt like we were finally really on holiday as we slowly got sails back on and restoring Wrighteau to a operating yacht. In the meantime we were going to happy hours most nights, getting to know lots of people and learning plenty. One night in fact there were 9 of us sitting around a table from NZ, from 4 different yachts, 6 of us from Tauranga. On the last night after having happy hour with Bridget Ormond and her son Charles from Havelock North, and David from Greenwood Park, we were leaving and the large table of regulars next door gave us a rapturous farewell, which was quite warming.
So finally all ready to sail, we cast off and sloped out of the marina and down the track, 19 miles to Ekincik, we had a really good sail, always a bonus over here. We were researching the idea of a trip up the Dalyan river with the Connollys, ate in the extravagant restaurant, vowing that that might be the last time, but we do get a free berth for the night.
Then on down to Gocek Lamani, our favorite area, 30 miles, and again lucky enough to get a good 15 knot breeze to help us most of the way down. We pulled into 22 fathom bay where there is now a floating restaurant secured to the corner, with lazy lines going in bows to to the shore, as the bottom comes up pretty shallow. The proprietor, Ragup, greeted us, one of life’s real characters, then more started to come in. Beside us we met Yvonne and Mike, on their last day of their week’s charter, then beyond them came the melody from a Swedish yacht playing a piano accordion. It was sounding quite Swiss, Yvonne soon labeled them as the Von Trapp family, as it transpired, we all ate dinner with the waves lapping at our feet, that they were all very musical. The wee one, I think her name was Lora, sang a lovely little song, then her older sister followed, and her mother was a famous singer and actor in Sweden, and of course grand dad on the accordion, playing by ear. We had a most beautiful meal of wild boar casserole, and some delectable mezes on the side, with a cheeky little red to wash it down, and much merriment and frivolity. I have no idea what time was bed time, such was all the distraction of the night.
We woke to breakfast in bed. Knock knock knock on the bow of the boat, and when I popped my head out the hatch, Regup had pancakes for us, so I put some jam on and we scoffed down our pancake in bed.
Slowly we collected ourselves together and dropped the mooring lines and sauntered around to Deep Bay, only about 3 miles away at most, picked up a buoy and spent the day reading and swimming. This is a real holiday now.
We have had two very very lazy days, tomorrow there will be some action around the place. Tomorrow we collect the Connollys from Gocek, so there will HAVE to be some progress somewhere along the way.
So until next time…..
p.s. Small facts, most days between 34 and 40 degrees, water today recorded 31 degrees.
Our beef salad at the marina was $11NZ and the fancy salmon at Pineapple Restaurant was also $11NZ
We left home 10 days ago, at this moment in my first blog, had a good trip over having one night in Istanbul before flying down to Dalaman and then a 1.5 hr taxi ride to Marmaris Yacht Marine. We chose to take the marina apartment for two nights, a first for us, gave a little more freedom without the usual chaos throughout the boat unpacking and making a complete muddle of the small space available in the saloon of a 37 ft yacht. Next priority was to check out on the status of Wrighteau. First hurdle was that she was not where we left her, which we thought was as far out the back as she could be put, but alas, no, they found a space even further out, right beside 3 containers housing 6 little units occupied by folk of dubious appearance, and to think that in NZ there was an outcry when it was suggested that some of the prisons be built using some swept up containers, I would think a lot more salubrious than these were. Our first priority was to look at the damage to the batteries, as we were conned into disconnecting them so we expected to come back to very flat batteries, but we were delighted that the batteries our little French electrician in Greece sold us at huge expense were perfectly charged. But that is when the joy was wrenched away from us, as we climbed the companionway to spot the gaping hole over the goalposts, and the realization that the wires had been snipped and our solar panels whipped off the boat. A lot of consternation and meetings ensued, and in a landmark decision, the yard agreed to pay half the cost of a new pair. Meanwhile I lost the key on our second day to the apartment, for a whole day they were lost, then the thought occurred to me at 4am that someone might have found the key, stolen our pouch with a couple of thousand euros, and our passports before suddenly remembering I put the key in the pouch and putting all of them into the chart table. Suddenly the third day spirits started to lift.
And on the third day we got away from the industrial and cheap housing corner and went back into the water. They put us out in the backwaters a bit, which was wonderful, as out there we could swim off the boat, we felt like we were finally really on holiday as we slowly got sails back on and restoring Wrighteau to a operating yacht. In the meantime we were going to happy hours most nights, getting to know lots of people and learning plenty. One night in fact there were 9 of us sitting around a table from NZ, from 4 different yachts, 6 of us from Tauranga. On the last night after having happy hour with Bridget Ormond and her son Charles from Havelock North, and David from Greenwood Park, we were leaving and the large table of regulars next door gave us a rapturous farewell, which was quite warming.
So finally all ready to sail, we cast off and sloped out of the marina and down the track, 19 miles to Ekincik, we had a really good sail, always a bonus over here. We were researching the idea of a trip up the Dalyan river with the Connollys, ate in the extravagant restaurant, vowing that that might be the last time, but we do get a free berth for the night.
Then on down to Gocek Lamani, our favorite area, 30 miles, and again lucky enough to get a good 15 knot breeze to help us most of the way down. We pulled into 22 fathom bay where there is now a floating restaurant secured to the corner, with lazy lines going in bows to to the shore, as the bottom comes up pretty shallow. The proprietor, Ragup, greeted us, one of life’s real characters, then more started to come in. Beside us we met Yvonne and Mike, on their last day of their week’s charter, then beyond them came the melody from a Swedish yacht playing a piano accordion. It was sounding quite Swiss, Yvonne soon labeled them as the Von Trapp family, as it transpired, we all ate dinner with the waves lapping at our feet, that they were all very musical. The wee one, I think her name was Lora, sang a lovely little song, then her older sister followed, and her mother was a famous singer and actor in Sweden, and of course grand dad on the accordion, playing by ear. We had a most beautiful meal of wild boar casserole, and some delectable mezes on the side, with a cheeky little red to wash it down, and much merriment and frivolity. I have no idea what time was bed time, such was all the distraction of the night.
We woke to breakfast in bed. Knock knock knock on the bow of the boat, and when I popped my head out the hatch, Regup had pancakes for us, so I put some jam on and we scoffed down our pancake in bed.
Slowly we collected ourselves together and dropped the mooring lines and sauntered around to Deep Bay, only about 3 miles away at most, picked up a buoy and spent the day reading and swimming. This is a real holiday now.
We have had two very very lazy days, tomorrow there will be some action around the place. Tomorrow we collect the Connollys from Gocek, so there will HAVE to be some progress somewhere along the way.
So until next time…..
p.s. Small facts, most days between 34 and 40 degrees, water today recorded 31 degrees.
Our beef salad at the marina was $11NZ and the fancy salmon at Pineapple Restaurant was also $11NZ