July 15, 2006
Hi from Tapestry,
The harbor at Symi, our last port in Greece, is horseshoe shaped and
the town surrounds it completely, hence boats tie up all along its shore.
Because the harbor is narrow, anchor chains sometimes cross and tangle. Sailors
call it anchor chain macrome (sp?) Special devices are sold to help lift heavy
chains off one's anchor when it is retrieved. It is not a laughing matter, but
one that Europeans roll with. Fortunately, we had no such problems.
The sail to Turkey was only about 36 miles so, with our early start, we
planned to be in in time for lunch. The sail was easy. Light tail winds pushed
us gently along with only a small jib unfurled and the engine running; that is
until Julie and I decided to duck inside a small island instead of going
seaward. Whoosh! Winds gusted to near thirty off the mountain. We shut down
the engine and splashed through white caps until we were a bit further off shore
when winds again died.
Along the way we began to see more and more "gullets". These are
Turkish schooners built of wood. Many of them are huge, from 60 to 200 feet,
and used for charter. Some are built as luxurious private yachts. They all
have the same look. The bow has great flare with a long bowsprit, and a
sweeping deck curves aft. The cabin structure is squared off and built of
varnished wood. Ports are square with sliding glass windows. There is a
covered helm station and a large flush cockpit aft. It is possible to charter
one in spring for eight to sixteen people for about $350 per day, and that
includes a captain (according to our guide book)
As we got closer to Marmaris, we found many little bays tucked into the
shoreline. Boats were anchored here and there and people were swimming and
generally enjoying the water. It looked like an idyllic cruising ground. Before
long we entered the huge bay at Marmaris and saw several forests of masts. From
the chart we determined which was Yacht Marine, and approached. When we gave
them a call on the radio, the reply was in English but barely intelligible for
me. A boat came out to greet us and escort us to our slips. There was a lazy
line and we went "bow to" . The docks were floating concrete, perhaps
20 feet wide and busy with motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians.. Along with
numerous megayachts, there were even mothballed military vessels draped in
canvas at the marina. That was a new one for me. There were 400 slips and room
for 1000 yachts in hard storage. The whole place was brand new. In fact the
restaurant will be dedicated with a big party this evening. It is "smart
casual" which means long pants. There will be live music and wine will be
served.
When we went to check in, we went through three elegant offices to the customs
agent. One hires an agent here to deal with "formalities."
Unfortunately, he was not in the office. Tumay, an attractive young lady in the
office, told us to come back at 5:30. We could not officially check into the
marina until we had our cruising log and had paid our port fees.
Food was reasonably priced and good; the restaurant elegant and air
conditioned, something we had not experienced in the Med.
It took five trips to customs to secure our visas and transit log, but finally
we got the job done and negotiated our contract. The boat will come out of the
water this Friday, the 20th, we will leave for Istambul on the 21st, and fly for
Tampa on the 25th. It will be relaunched on April 16th, 2007.
Every morning there is a cruiser's net at the three marinas in the area.
General announcements are made, the weather is transmitted, and people arriving
and leaving have a chance to say who they are. We introduced ourselves and we
heard another boat, "Onset," with Bun and Bill Bailey. I attended
sail school with Bunny in the 50's at Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club. What a
coincidence. They have lived here on and off for several years. Yesterday they
took us to town and showed us Marmaris. We took the Domish, a little bus, on
the half-hour ride. In town there are chandleries all over as well as a huge
bazzar where you can purchase designer clothing or knock off's, jewelry, rugs,
you name it. People are friendly, if a bit aggressive, speak English, and will
negotiate the price of anything. We had lunch at a cafeteria for seven million
lira per couple. (Since the devaluation they call it seven lira.) That is
about six dollars. We had chicken and potatoes, stuffed peppers, and a cold
salad; drank ayt, which is yogurt mixed with water and salt. It tastes somewhat
like buttermilk, and as Bill says, is an acquired taste. The lunch was simple
and good, a touch of local color. The restaurant is associated with the Mosque
so no alcohol is sold there.
We are thinking of joining the EMYR next year. That is the Eastern
Mediterranean Yacht Rally. It goes from Istanbul across Turkey to Syria,
Lebanon, Israel Egypt and Cyprus and takes about six weeks. Of course it all
depends on the political situation, which we recognize is not the best right
now. Bill and Bun have just finished their second EMYR, and their comments are
nothing but positive. We will see.
So, we are very comfortable here at Marmaris. There is wireless internet, a
marvelous pool and tomorrow there will be offshore hydroplane races right by our
dock. They will race 225 horse outboard, enclosed cockpit boats. Warm ups are
this afternoon. If we get tired of watching the race boats, we can turn around
and watch the 330 ton travel lift, the biggest vehicle I have ever seen, as it
picks up huge yachts and trundles them off to a spot in the yard. Believe it or
not, as of today, the marina is full. We just made it.
Though it may sound like a life of ease, this week's highlights will include
changing oil in three engines, pickling the watermaker, heavy duty cleaning
inside and out and stripping the rig, something we began early this morning by
washing, lowering folding and stowing the jib. All of this in one hundred
degree heat. We look forward to seeing all of you soon. Al the best, Hank and
Julie