Life is always better with family and friends!

Hello, welcome, come aboard. What a month or so we’ve had! When we left you with our last post we were on our way to Fethiye where we would rendezvous with Ray and Ali of SV Chill and then we would all go ontonto Göcek, where we would pick up Ned.

Our trip across the Big Blue Wobbly from Northern Cyprus to Tϋrkiye was uneventful except for a swell coming out of the marina, that while not huge, made us sit up and remember we’re sailors. Or, perhaps that was the 14 knots of wind on the beam that had us scrambling to put up our sails; and then as Ian likes to say “toot, toot! We were a sailboat”. It didn’t last and soon we were back to motoring. A highlight for me was a midnight visit from a dolphin.

Normally dolphins announce themselves by joining the boat either from the stern or beam (side) and then while we point and  scream like little kiddies they dash to the bow of the boat and we rush to follow and watch the dolphins play. We have a strict rule on our boat, however, that you can’t go forward at night unless both of us are on deck and the person going forward has donned at least their life jacket and if the weather warrants hooked onto the life line. As Ian was asleep and there’s no way to tell how long the dolphins will stay, I didn’t want to wake him. So I called out to the dolphin that I couldn’t come out to watch them play (yes I really called out as loudly as I could over the sound of the engine but not so loudly to wake Ian). Unbelievably the dolphin sat off the beam of the boat where I could see her for several minutes broaching every few seconds so I could watch. I called out a heartfelt thank you and the dolphin disappeared into the night.

We planned to check into Tϋrkiye at Finike; where we had wintered in 2022/2023. Tϋrkiye insists you use an agent to complete the bureaucratic processes (visits to port police, customs and the harbour master – for passport stamps, boat clearance ect) and we had a trusted agent there that we had used before. However, the weather along the coast of Tϋrkiye was brisk and we weren’t convinced of the holding (how well the anchor will bite into the bottom) in Finike would be good enough for an overnight stay. Consequently, we went to plan B. Like most sailors we usually prepare to Plan E and will then discover Plan F along the way as the weather conditions change unexpectedly. Plan B had us stopping in a lovely little bay just short of Finike for the night. I hoisted the Quarantine flag to indicate we were a boat in transit, with no plans to go to shore and then we settled in for the night. Next morning’s assessment had us changing to Plan C  which meant we would skip Finike altogether and ‘transit’ along the coast for about 100nm to Fethiye to check-in.

This was to be another overnighter however, again, weather prevented a direct sail to our destination. I can’t say I was heart broken when we stopped into a favourite anchorage called Powerline Bay for a nap. Our “Q” flag was still flying as we sat at anchor for a couple of days before a night time sail up to Fethiye. The Coast Guard (CG) popped into say hi and check our papers while we were at anchor. They were unconcerned about us having not checked in. We, also, had another late night caller during a sail up to Fethiye. This time at 3 am and again I was on watch. Unlike the dolphin’s gentle approach the CG rib which did not appear on radar or AIS, let me know they were coming alongside by flashing the brightest white light into the cockpit of the boat I have ever experienced! I honestly felt we were being visited by aliens coming to beam us up for a serious probing. My squeal of alarm woke Ian who had been asleep and he, conducted his captainly duties by going out (with no lifejacket!) to greet our visitors. The CG asked Ian a couple of questions, mainly about how many people were on board and, believe it or not he asked us what we were doing! Ian has more restraint than I do and didn’t respond with “Sailing, dumbass”. Thankfully he didn’t ask for our papers as the idea of handing our documents over to another boat at night in a following swell had me worried.

Check-in to Fethiye was uneventful. Though it was a stark reminder of how the Turkish economy is suffering at the moment. The cost of our agent fees had almost doubled from when we checked out last year.

We hung out in Fethiye for a few days while we waited for Ray and Ali to find a weather window for their first solo sail on SV Chill. While bumming around we met Trevor and Amanda on SV Soultrain, surrogate Aussies originally hailing from New Zealand. Meeting and making new friends is one of the best things about our life. We have yet to meet anyone living on a boat in the Med who isn’t grateful for our lifestyle and happy to share a story, beer and a meal.

Not long after Ali and Ray arrived safe and sound and tried their hand at anchoring for the first time, doing an admirable job (we know ‘cause they didn’t float away). We’ve spent a bit of time in Fethiye so Ray and Ali could attend to some important boat jobs like arranging for their new arch to be installed. This arch will mean they can instal some much needed solar panels and accommodate a proper sized dinghy and motor. Their current dinghy reminds me of the toy dinghy we bought for Charlie on his visit last year. SV Chill’s dinghy is bigger but since Ray lost one of the two oars and their motor is prone to breaking down, it definitely doesn’t go any faster than Charlie Love’s little boat, which we never put into the water preferring to use it as a bath on board Longo. Our aptly named “Grand Petit Bateau” (GPB) has been doing double duty while Ray and Ali have been sourcing their own grown up boat and an arch to carry it.

Soon it was time to zip across Fethiye Bay to Kapi Koyu where we took lines ashore in the shade of a beautiful pine forest right next to a Roman Wall that ends at the water’s edge. Kapi Koyu is just a short walk from the ruins of ancient Hamam (bath house). Happily, SV Chill came along as well and SV Soultrain was already enjoying the Spring air. We all enjoyed the lovely clear water and the stunning pine forest while I not-so patiently tapped my foot waiting for our next and most important visitor.

Finally the day came and Ian hoped in GPB and drove the eight minutes around the headland into the next bay where he collected Ned from the wooden jetty there. Ned had caught a taxi from the local airport after his rather long flights from Canberra. It’s been over 12 months since we had last seen our youngest son, so you can imagine our excitement at his arrival. Unfortunately his lovely Bride-to-Be, Georgia Girl, couldn’t come along this trip so we are waiting for the time when we get to share this adventure with her as well.

Having visitors, especially our kids come and stay with us is the absolute highlight of our adventures. Being able to share this wonderful life means so much to us! Choosing to share this part of the Turkish Coast with Ned, just as we did this time last year with our friends Charlie and Megs, will give you an idea about just how much we love this region.

After a lovely afternoon and evening catching up on the gossip from home and an early night for Ned, we woke to a lovely day and decided to go exploring. Kapi Koyu and the surrounding bays and coves are a popular destination for boats of all varieties with day-trippers, charter boats and live-aboards, like us, all vying for space. It’s hard to describe the dichotomy of tranquil landscapes featuring pine trees and wizened olive groves, craggy cliffs and of course the crystal clear turquoise water this region is famous for with the sound of windlasses working over time (the motor that drops and lowers anchors) the rev of dinghies shooting past and the cacophony of competing music. Still that is what the bays sound like during the height of the season (June, July, August). Being here earlier in the year means that there is less of the noise and more of the … “ah the serenity”.

A highlight of this area is the Hamam ruins that are just a ten minute walk from where we had anchored. Early one morning we formed an excursion party (SV Longo Maï, SV Chill and SV Soultrain) and strolled around the Roman Wall and over the hill to see what all the fuss was about. The ruins are impressive as they lie in the clear water close enough to land that you can step across and view the baths from above. I guess some would call these ruins “just more old rocks” or “another ruin” but what makes them so special is the legend that accompanies them. You see these ruins are said to be the remains of the Hamam that Marc Antony built for Cleopatra as a love gift. The area is known for its hot springs and these baths utilised these springs and cool clear water of bay as the foundation for a luxurious spa that Cleopatra undoubtedly expected. I’d like to think that it was here that she also had her milk baths (we saw donkeys most days), perhaps followed by a rub down with oil from the local olive trees. I’ve tried to do a more in depth dive into the history of the place however other than there being mention of a major port town at the end of the larger bay, there is very little else to be said. Sceptics might suggest this legend is a very clever marketing ploy by the local tour guides.

However, what is known is that in 41BCE, Mark Anonty summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus near modern day Mersin, some 830km south of Cleopatra’s Hamam. While the bath by land is further away from Alexandria, it is only 353 nautical miles across the Big Blue Wobbly, just two and a half days sails for our Longo (doing 6.5 nm). So who knows? Their romance is legendary and I say why not! I don’t believe our ancient forebearers treated distance with the same petulance that we have now that we can travel faster than a fast thing with Ever Ready Batteries.

After a couple of lovely days at Kapi Koyu, we upped anchor (I love using such maritime sayings makes me feel very sailor-girl!) and headed back to Fethiye to visit the markets and do some much needed provisioning. I’m not suggesting Ned eats like a power lifter prepping for his next comp but Ned is a power lifter and had just deadlifted his PB of 310kg. So we had to be back in Fethiye in time for the local markets. Imagine the 2 x football field sized covered area packed with seasonal fruit and vegetables. At the moment there’s load of pomegranates, morel mushrooms, curly chillis and there’s even a goats cheese that has been made inside a goat hide for 2 years. No I did not taste this, but Ray did and he tells us it was very “goatee” in flavour! And of course there are olives and olive products galore. Alongside this market there is another football field of tacky tourist stalls selling “fake, original bags and shoes”, reasonably cheap summer clothing, and other such paraphernalia. Then further afield there are stalls of beautiful hand made crocheted bags, and beaded jewellery. It is a sight to behold. Ian strives to get me through all the shiny bibs and bobs as quickly as my over-sized feet will take me. It’s a moment of pride for me to get into the fresh food market without having succumbed to cheery hails and rosy cheeks of the glitzy stall owners.

Once we finished up with our provisions, we took the next weather window and went to one of my favourite places in Tϋrkiye, Gemiler Adasi, but that’s a story for our next post. In the meantime fair winds and a dearth of sea monsters.