Cruising in Turkiye and Season Finale

After sailing through the Meltemi winds in the Cyclades, it was a real treat to find the perfect sailing sea breezes in Turkiye. It changes everything - from your sailing enjoyment and safety, to your sleep and mood. We checked in at Bodrum on the 16th of July assisted by our very helpful agent Huseyin from Mono Yachting. It’s always a bit tricky going stern to in a wharf situation with big ships and ferries coming and going, but the customs lads, along with Huseyin and his team, helped us in expertly. We were thrilled to find a well-stocked duty free store built into the shed where passports are stamped as we were getting dangerously low on supplies.

As soon as we’d completed all the formalities to enter Turkiye, we headed out and anchored in a bay west of the Castle of St. Peter, also known as Bodrum Castle. This anchor spot, and another one just underneath the Castle, would become regular stopping points for us on our journeys to and from the places we sailed through over our two months here. Bodrum is also a good pick up/drop off point for guests and has everything you need to stock up and/or fix your boat, not to mention some nice frock shops and restaurants. Within the castle there is an excellent museum - Bodrum’s Museum of Underwater Archaeology - where you can see amazingly preserved/restored wrecks of old ships and artefacts dating from14th century BC through to 16th century AD. The day we visited it was 40 degrees outside and another plus is that the facility is fully air-conditioned. The mosque(s) in Bodrum sound the call to prayer five times a day which is beguiling listening, not so much the thumping nightclub music that goes on in this town until the wee hours of the morning.

Bodrum puts on an excellent fresh market on Thursdays and we were excited to visit. While there, happily provisioning the boat from an outstanding selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, we had a simultaneous epiphany. It was super crowded and we could hear lots of sneezing and coughing going on. We looked at each other and expressed the same thought in the same moment - that we should have been wearing masks. We had come out of the habit of it as Greece had just dropped all mask requirements when we arrived in May. Long story short, Gavin became ill within a few days followed by me a few days later. Thankfully our friends Anna and Hamish on Aratui gave us some of their rapid antigen test kits which confirmed our Covid diagnosis. I won’t dwell on this bleak period of the trip except to say it knocked us hard, but me in particular, and I wonder if it was divine punishment for my teasing Gavin mercilessly about how much better an immune system I have to his. Never again, I am humbled! We did lose some time with this, two weeks in all, and were ever so grateful to be fully vaccinated and have a well-stocked medicine kit onboard.

We began our exploration of Turkiye sailing in tandem with Hamish and Anna on Aratui southeast along the Carian Coast. There were many amazing anchorages and special places we visited together. The style of anchoring here is nearly always done in the ‘stern-to’ fashion where you are dropping your anchor in deep water, say 20+ metres, reversing back to shore and taking lines ashore (both starboard and port side), via paddle board, to tie off to rocks. This is easy when there’s no wind, and when the bay is not crowded. However, it can be challenging in a breeze, even a small one, and especially a breeze that blows from the side. Initially we struggled with it, feared it, resisted it, but we got better as time went on. On more than one occasion the very kind and helpful Hamish proved a godsend when seeing us entering a bay, he’d paddle over and take and tie our ropes off. We enjoyed the luxury of his assistance for a few anchors, also noticing others in the bay asking for his help, which he gave gladly. We finally decided to harden up, bite the bullet and just do it - and in the end it became pretty easy for the two of us, although we’d be lying if we said that we don’t prefer free anchoring.

Knidos was one of the earliest bays we visited and it ticked all our ‘happy cruiser’ boxes; free anchor with clean water, nice walking ashore, ancient ruins and a pretty good restaurant. However it must be noted, it is a crowded bay/destination for obvious reasons. The scattered ruins of the ancient town (circa 4th century BC) are in fairly good condition and seen easily from your boat- even better when you enter the site on foot. The sunset view from the ruins is a popular tourist gig costing 25 TL, (about NZ$2.50) and it was heaving with them on both our visits. The Gulets fang into the bay on day trips pouring hundreds of local and international visitors in for a quick swim and ruin tour, and they’re gone again. Our first attempt at anchor here was pretty tight and strong gusts were coming into the bay making it take a few go’s to get it down. An added (and unwelcome) drama occurred when a particularly strong gust caused one arm of the anchor bridle to snap. It needed work so we took a second night in Knidos and tied off at the wharf which costs little and relies on you eating in the restaurant, which we did gladly.

Another great spot we visited was Serce Limani, where initially Aratui and Waiata undertook stern-to anchors in a bay full of all kinds of boats (but mainly Gulets) and we started getting hammered by side winds. Aratui bailed first and went deep into the bay to find a mooring. We knew these moorings existed but hadn’t taken the option first up for what reason I do not know. We ended up following suit and both our boats were tied up here for the night. The rules are you eat at the restaurant for the comfort of the mooring, in this case, Captain Nemo’s Farm and it was excellent.

Heading to Maramis we were treated to an exquisite sail in the lovely sea breeze that is so common in Turkiye. It was blowing 8-12 knots and both Aratui and Waiata were cranking along for most of the day. We had a two-day stop in Marmaris anchoring on the outskirts initially before moving closer to the town in order to provision, get fuel and a ‘pump out’. In Turkiye there is a rule that yachts must have their black water tanks sucked out periodically vs discharging into the deep sea. The aim is to reduce waste in the ocean, but some think it’s just another revenue generating tax. In any case, it’s always best to obey the rules of the country you’re in so we dutifully had our pump outs done at the minimum requirement which is once every two weeks. Sometimes when the fuel stations are busy and you request a pump out, they’ll simply stamp your card saying you’ve had one, (when you haven’t) you pay them the money (cash) and off you go.

We had some great meals out and stunning anchors in Marmaris area and surrounds. We did learn after a few dining out experiences, that having the traditional Turkish Mezze platter before your main meal is way too much food!

Gocek, of all the towns we visited and/or anchored outside of in Turkiye is my favourite. This is because I really like the size/layout of the town, the many compelling shops, (marine and frocks) and they even have an excellent gourmet food store. We had a couple of nights in the Gocek Marina in order to give us time to search out and purchase a new anchor. We’d made a decision that the Rocna 33 anchor that Waiata was initially fitted with, although a very good brand, was simply not heavy or big enough for our boat. We had our sights set on the Ultra anchor which is manufactured in Turkiye and highly lauded. We chose an Ultra 45 which is a big step up and I confess to having felt very much safer since Gavin installed it. It would only get better (this feeling of being totally secure at anchor) when later in Bodrum we splashed out and bought 100 metres of new stainless steel anchor chain. Although we didn’t know exactly how many metres of chain we had on Waiata, we knew we were light. We discovered, at this point of changing out the chain, that we’d only ever had 65 metres and that explains some of the difficulty we’d been having anchoring in deeper water.

The anchorages and experiences in Fethiye Bay were some of the best places we visited and the most beautiful water to swim in and also provided Gavin time to practice his foiling behind the dinghy. Highlights included Kucuk Kuyruk and Kizilkuyrat Koye, (yes, how to pronounce?) on the outside of Gocek. Both of these would prove our favourites, but the latter allows boaties to hike into the ancient Roman ruin of the city of Lydae, and because this is only accessible via sea, it’s pretty special and free of crowds. In fact the day Gavin and I walked in, (to be fair, quite early in the morning), we saw no other person, and even better, not a speck of rubbish on the well-groomed track. This is well worth a visit to cruisers in the area and a marvel in its relatively good condition from 1st century AD.

A decision was made between Waiata and Aratui that we’d head to Ekincik Bay which is where cruisers can access the Dalyan Peninsula and take in a very cool river cruise. Gavin and I had done this trip eight years ago when we chartered a catamaran out of Gocek and we knew it was an exceptional experience. Gulets large and small take tourists on an excursion that includes, but is not limited to, a visit to a turtle farm, a walk around the ruins of Kaunos, a close look at the stunning, ancient Lycien tombs that appear on the surrounding cliffs, and, as you go further up the river, there are gorgeous restaurants lining the shore. You can also take in mud baths and/or a visit to the big lake at the end. Only licensed operators can access this area, so it’s the only way to go.

We tied up on the jetty in Ekincik and very soon the delightful Freddy and his 9-year old daughter Hedia approached us offering their services. The tour would cost 180 euro for the four of us and take in most of the day. The next day we boarded Freddy’s Gulet for our ‘big day out’ and were super excited, but it was especially fun for Hamish and Gavin, skippers full time on their own boats, being skippered by Freddy on his. No stress or responsibility, only pleasure. While we didn’t take in the mud baths, we did have a swim in the lake, (warm!) and have lunch at a charming restaurant, La Boheme afterwards. From visiting this tourist attraction eight years ago, Gavin and I noticed a huge increase in the number of Gulets coming up and down the river channel (all flying massive Turkish flags) touring hundreds upon hundreds of people. On some level it was good to see tourism in action again after the pandemic, but it was also unsettling, particularly watching the Gulets jockeying for position to show their guests the turtles, it just didn’t seem particularly nice for them.

The weather was extremely hot during August, late 30’s and often 40 degrees at times during the day; it was punishing. We decided to take a few nights in the Yacht Classic Marina in Fethiye where they have a pool, a spa and a great restaurant. Their offer is compelling too, 135 euro per night, (includes water and electricity, the latter vital for running the air conditioning) and if you dine at the marina restaurant, it’s 50% off your berth rental. It was easy for us to say yes to this! In addition, we had a problem with our generator that needed fixing and the crew at the marina were able to do it. One day during our 4-night stay there we did a day trip (by bus) with Hamish and Anna to Babadag mountain, a paragliding hotspot in high elevation that offers the most stunning views. While we didn’t partake in the paragliding ourselves, it was fascinating to watch hundreds upon hundreds of men and women, often with a passenger in tow, launch themselves off a cliff face. After taking the gondola to the top and watching the spectacle for an hour or so, we then walked a further 45 minutes, UP, to reach the summit and gaze upon the incredible views and the biggest Turkish flag we’d yet seen, and we’d seen a lot!

We also ran into a bunch of fellow New Zealanders here in the Yacht Classic Marina and of course, being Kiwis we knew friends in common. Among those we met, we dined and with Skipper Nicola and her crew, Pete and Biddie from Lake Taupo and Hawke’s Bay.

We farewelled Hamish and Anna in Fethiye as we were heading back up to Bodrum for a couple of reasons. One, we had friends arriving from Melbourne and were collecting them there. But also Bodrum was where we were getting our new anchor chain and we wanted it fitted before bringing them onboard. We sailed to weather most days as we headed north, which was not ideal. However, Waiata still performs well in those circumstances and we had some excellent sailing. It took a few days to get back to Bodrum but we enjoyed some special anchors along the way, including a re-visit to our old favourite, Knidos.

Back in Bodrum, once the chain was purchased and installed, we headed out of the close environs of the city to where we could enjoy clean water and miss the nightly thumping disco music while awaiting our friends arrival. The bay we chose is called the Aquarium, and it’s known for having clear water that is perfect for snorkelling. We arrived around 10am and were one of just three boats stern-to anchored in the tiny bay, but within an hour, there were close to twenty. It turns out this bay is a popular day trip destination for the Gulets and as it was high season, there were loads of them circling about finding their own special spot. The rules around anchoring here are quite different to New Zealand, no one cares about space or accidentally tapping one another. Fenders are always left out, almost as if they expect to be hit. We were just metres away from the boats on our port and starboard sides and also in front of us. At first we were amused in a ‘whoa, check this out!’ sort of way. Then we got hit by a Gulet and Gav had to fend it off. There was not one word of apology from their crew or even a ‘whoopsie daisy’, they just carried on, business as usual and tapped a few other boats as they went on their way. It was a week later when our friend Matt was swimming around the boat that he saw the hole on the port side they’d left. Thankfully we’d taken pictures of the Gulet that hit us, and our man Huseyin from Mono Yachting organised them to pay for the repair.

We had a fun five days with Matt and Mish on board. Our sail plan was to explore the Gulf of Korfezi, also sometimes referred to as the ‘mouth of the crocodile’ as it looks like that on the map. We had some fantastic sailing in brisk sea breezes on flat seas, pristine anchor spots and wonderful meals including a very special one on shore at Cokertm. We also sailed to Castle Island which has the famous Cleopatra Beach. The story goes that Cleopatra shipped in tons of sand from Africa and created a beach for Marc Antony to sunbathe on. Tourists are not permitted to set foot on the beach fearing they will steal or damage the sand. It’s roped off and there’s a slide and compulsory pre and post-swim shower on the northern end to allow access to the sea. I thought from reading about this prior that it would be a long strip of beach but in fact it’s tiny and while we did have our togs on, we chose not to swim. Instead we toured the ruins that surround it which was really cool. While Matt and Mish were on board we had some of our best sailing of the trip and even flew the silver fern spinnaker for the first time!

We couldn’t leave Turkiye until September 13th, earliest, as we’d burned up 69 of our 90 days Schengen visa allowance in Greece already. For those unfamiliar with this, it is a tourist visa rule that if you’re a non EU passport holder, you only have 90 days where you can stay in an EU country. So escaping to Turkiye for a spell makes perfect sense (as it’s not EU and has some of the best cruising/sailing in the world) but because we got there later than we’d hoped, (due to various factors, strong Meltemi winds in the Cyclades included), and our flight out from Athens was on October 3rd, we had to remain there to keep us under the threshold and allow us time to get out of Greece without incurring a heavy (and expensive) penalty. This is an annoying issue for many cruisers in the Med, and one we hope to work our way out of next season.

Our Auckland mates David and Pip were sailing with family (David is Anna’s brother) on Aratui in Fethiye and we organised for them to join us on the 13th with the objective of helping us sail back across to Greece. As you may recall from earlier blog posts, I made a firm rule that I’d never cross the Cyclades again with just Gavin and I on board, (fearing the Meltemi winds) and as David is an experienced sailor, this was the perfect plan. They joined us at the Didim Marina where we stayed for a few nights getting ready. We had a full day before we would set sail (waiting for the wind) so we decided to take a taxi to some local ruins, specifically Miletus, Priene and Didyma. Each of these sites is pretty spectacular and while it’s easy to experience ‘ancient ruin fatigue’ here, (just because there are so many sites), I consider these places amongst the best we visited. In the stone work we saw our NZ Koru design as well as dragons, just saying…this from 3rd century BC, well ahead of their time.

We left Turkiye on the 14th of September, at dawn, with initially light sea breezes but very soon it filled in and was blowing a classic Meltimi northerly of 18-20 knots with the odd gust up to 30. We had two reefs in and were honking along at 8-10 knots which meant our passage to Patmos took only four hours. Checking back in to Greece at Patmos took ages (three hours, nearly as long as it took to sail there!) and involved visits to various official places for stamps. As we were in a bit of a hurry to get to Paros (picking up another crew member, David) we didn’t take time to explore this island, but left before dawn the next day. The forecast was for lighter winds which we’d hoped would still allow for some brisk sailing especially as we had a long day in front of us. While we did have some good sailing this day, the wind died in the afternoon making our goal destination of Paros impossible. Stopping on the island of Naxos for the night made sense and we enjoyed a great anchor and walks onshore, including the visit to the iconic Temple of Apollo.

Our sail to Paros was kind of crazy with the wind all over the place, really strong at times, only to completely die a minute later. It was also mostly forward of the beam which meant some tacking. But we got there in time to welcome aboard David Cochrane, aka Team, who arrived from Geneva that evening. Team had been at university with Pip and they hadn’t seen one another since then so there was fun celebrations reuniting these old friends. Team was to sail with us in the final leg across to the Argolic Gulf once we farewelled Pip and David, so the five of us whooped it up and explored Paros together before we had to bid farewell. Pip and David caught their ferry in Paros on the 17th and we were suddenly a team of three.

Team, Gavin and I departed mid morning on the 18th of September on our 100 nautical mile journey to the Argolic Gulf. We made a stop on Serifos for one night and then the next day sailed in a 15-knot northerly with flat seas across to the western side of Hydra. It’s always a treat to score a solos position at anchor and we did this Kavouri Bay on Hydra, super special for our second to last night with Team and as you can imagine, we made the most of it.

It was back to Porto Heli the next day, a place which feels like home to us in a way. It featured big on the start of our 2022 season and we got to know people in the marina and the shops. It’s always sad to farewell our visitors on Waiata and so it was a bit of a blue day, (and also the first time we had seen clouds and a bit of rain the whole trip) when we said bye to Team in Porto Heli where he caught his ferry to Athens.

All good things come to an end and the season was over for us. When Team left us we took two nights in the Porto Heli Marina to begin the job of cleaning and closing down the boat for her winter hibernation. Then we set sail for Kilada which is the small town and bay that Basimakopoulus, our haul out boat yard, is located in. On the 27th of September the very capable and caring team at this yard hauled Waiata out. We have great position right by the marina office and have engaged a few contractors to do jobs over the winter.

I apologise for the length of this post, but we got distracted in Turkiye with the heat, LOL! That’s all from us for this season, to those who made it through reading this, bravo, and thank you. Until next year, all best from Gavin and I.