Sundowner II log – 2010 update 34 – Turkey
October 2010

Well doesn't time fly a year has passed, we are now making plans to return to Sundowner who has spent many months ashore in a boatyard in Bodrum, just a little down the coast from where we arrived in Bitez a year ago.
Bitez was a welcome anchorage just off the beach, which had access to all the facilities to resupply and watch footie and was safe even when it cut up rough and some of the local boats dragged their moorings.

It was nice to see Kate and Davide arrive, we had last seen them back in the Cyclades and they were a great source of information having spent the previous winter nearby. With documents and visas to process we double anchored Sundowner and took the bus to Bodrum. The visas and transit log take the best part of a day walking around visiting about seven offices but done in the right spirit can be fun and no real hassle.
We moved around and anchored off the beach in Bodrum with it’s Knights of St John castle and in total contrast bars and nightclubs.

Making many friends mainly in the Deja Vu bar where the Turkish honesty showed itself when Sandra left her purse in the bar and it was returned intact the next day, the young lad had run the length of the beachfront in search of us not realising we had left by dinghy. Around two in the morning the DJ at the huge open air Halicarnassus nightclub would dedicate a song for us but by then we were well tucked up rocking asleep. Time was also spent trying to source a new motor for the windlass in the nearby industrial area with all it’s amazing small workshops where they will make just about anything to a high quality and reasonable price. The bountiful fresh Veg was also welcome.

At anchor we met a remarkable American family of seven aboard a medium sized catamaran the newest arrival was a bit confused and was under the impression she was still in Costa Rica where she had been born the previous year.
Serkan arrived at the beach and it was an emotional reunion after last seeing him back in Gaeta four years previous, then more of the same with Ahmet and his wife before we all got together for a quiet evening.

With hangovers it was midday before we set off along the beautiful nature reserve coast exploring bays eventually finding shelter anchored tucked up with a rope to the rocks ashore, in the corner of Cokertme (Chur-ket-mee) bay. After a failed attempt to leave the next day we tied up to the jetty off one of the beachside restaurant/bars while a spell of rough weather passed.

Cokertme Hotel is such a chill out place the only signs of the outside world being Wi-fi access. Also we became good friends of a chilled out expat resident Ray who was a great help and still is.

We crossed the bay southeast to check out first the infamous English Harbour and then anchoring in Karacasogut bay for a couple of days then two more on the Village wooden jetty, all proceeds go to the local community which is nice. Everything looked just perfect.

We took the local school bus to Marmaris the contrast made us dizzy so we booked our wooden berth for the winter. We had a good sail even changing Perkins engine oil on the way and returned via Cokertme to Bitez to meet an old friend of Dennis', they hadn't met for 35 years, Cas was on holiday and a special time was had.

With more time anchored off the beach in Bodrum we once again said farewell to all our friends and set off up the bay, but after a few miles had to stop under a headland for shelter. Tashan Bu had sparkling blue water and spectacular scenery making for a quiet content night. Breaking up the forty-mile trip with another couple of days at Cokertme we then spent a magical night alone in the small inlet of English Harbour.

Berthing in Karacasogut was amusing as we didn't want to leave any rusty chain on deck guessing the 60 meter length we laid out the anchor and chain as we reversed but came up short to the amusement of Ferhat the Bar owner and Gin Kadir a local boat owner waiting to take our ropes. At the second attempt the chain was bridled at the bitter end perfectly.

1st of November and we were finally settled for the winter the weather still pleasant and the friendly locals stocking up bringing in logs aboard their fishing boat, the bees hibernating and the ones not making it back to the hive at night being dissected alive by wasps something we had never witnessed before and we had to clear the decks each morning of countless bees heads and tails quite macabre. The bees also had to be avoided on the forest pathways when taking a pleasant walk around the coast.

Bread and milk was supplied in either of the small local shops or a van would pass each morning with a warm Pide, a type of breakfast pizza bread topped with herbs and rolled up, if you thought you might miss him you could hang a bag from a tree branch with the money in and he would fill it. Veg we got by taking a knife into the farmers field and cutting whatever we needed and paying a couple lire as we left, on the way home there was always the chance you would be handed from over a garden wall a bag of oranges or tomatoes by another friendly local. Spuds we did buy at the local shop not having a spade.
For luxuries we had to take the school bus early in the morning to the big town of Marmaris 40 minutes away, this we seldom did. On one trip we met some friends who came over from the marina for an early coffee which led to a beer then more and before we knew it we were running to catch the 6 0’clock bus, heads full of laughter and bellies full of beer with all the shopping money spent.
One day a small fishing boat tied up alongside and the young couple immediately invited us aboard for breakfast, which turned out the majority came from the forest, herbs, leaves, honey, eggs and jam.

They are part of the local fishing cooperative where they all share in the profits from the catches and are a very nice couple too. They had a unique way of trawling a long line for fish which involved hundreds of small hooks which took a lot of sorting and baiting, they told us how in folklore the story goes this method was invented by a fisherman’s wife who had a lover and while her husband spent all night out fishing with his hundreds of fiddly hooks she had plenty of time to spare.

Serkan made the long trip down from above Bodrum for Dennis’ birthday, which was nice and good fun, he knew the locals from his numerous visits whilst working aboard boats in the past. Gin Kadir as his name implies likes a drop or two especially in his early morning coffee. We became friendly and he invited us for a weekend aboard his boat, what we didn’t realise was in fact we would be in control while he and his girlfriend enjoyed the view and drank Raki which was ok and rather fun and we had Cleopatra’s beach and island all to ourselves for a night. Anchoring was highly amusing due to the fact he had limited English and his windlass was wired the wrong way round so when the anchor needed dropping in a hurry he was shouting “up up” which was what he understood to be down because it said so on the control and in the confusion Dennis ignored him and pressed the down button which of course brought the anchor up jamming it in the bow roller.
With barely a month passed we had to return to England but Sundowner would be ok left in the capable hands of the locals and a particular friend Byram. To fly home we had to take the four hour coach trip to Izmir, Gin Kadir’s home town. He had promised to drive us but it didn’t happen and we were left having to organise transport on a public holiday but we made it with the help of our friends in the village and took up his offer to stay the night for the flight the next day. Obviously nothing could be simple and he had organised a night out with his friends in a small fishing harbour 60 kilometres up the coast by car a trip that involved seeing hundreds of tethered goats bleeding to death as is the ritual of this particular holiday. The friends were nice and in the holiday atmosphere of the busy harbour we actually ate some fresh fish, halfway through the meal Kadir asked if it was ok for Dennis to drive home even though Dennis had drunk a fair amount we felt this was the safer option and agreed. On the way home after a nice evening Kadir fell asleep and awoke as we drove into the city of Izmir and went into a panic and then we realised he was lost in his own city he then directed us left straight into the very busy bus terminus and while we were getting beeped by frustrated bus drivers as we were holding them up he was asking them where his house was, we did eventually find his street as we knew it was near the seafront which we headed for. Just as funny the next day after breakfast and a bar visit he drove us to the taxi office, thinking he was going to get a taxi for us we were surprised when he returned with a driver who drove Kadir’s car to the airport via the off licence – mad but genuinely a nice bloke.
Back in England we had a relaxed xmas, and snow

and another of natures wonders a bouncing baby grand daughter Casey with proud parents Tania and Alex

It was rather bizarre returning through Istanbul at the beginning of February where they had to de-ice the plane wings before we could leave. It was also a surprise to be met at the Bodrum airport by Ahmet and Serkan, which was very fortunate, as we had no idea what we were to do once we landed late at night with Sundowner the other side of the gulf.

After an enjoyable couple of days as guests at the home of Ahmet with his wife Zuhra’s excellent cuisine it was time to return to Sundowner by coach. With a mixture of days of sun and some rain, the evenings were cold and it was all too soon before we had to be on the move again taking Sundowner back up to Bodrum to be lifted out while once again we went in search of work this time hoping for more success in the summer months.
There was time for some fun though, as a local seal would use our Dinghy/passarelle to rest in the early hours. The first time was a bit of a shock when we woke to a loud snoring and large head outside the small window at the foot of the bed. Badem (Almond) was rescued as an injured pup and has become a bit of a national celebrity and now weighing nearly 600 kilos, which stretched the bottom of the dinghy, he would also sometimes nudge the air valve causing one side to slowly deflate and a few hours later he would fall out leaving behind some rather smelly digested squid, he would then join in the cleaning process enjoying the splashing hose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B47M3bYAw4w
Our friends Tom and Ann invited us to stay overnight on their boat down in the Marmaris marina, which meant Dennis could have some Dental treatment, the local dentist being very professional and a third of the cost back in the UK.
With a lucky break in the weather we made our run to Bodrum, having a last magical night at anchor in Tashan Bu around the corner from the boatyard in Icmeler. The next day making the most of the quiet weather all sails were hoisted for the short trip and with hardly any wind we spent a few hours drifting over to the island of Karada then back to the boatyard for our lift.