The Pasteiners in Turkey

Saturday 24

The Pasteiners arrived last night having had a good journey and tucked into a chicken sandwich and a bottle of wine before bed - early for them late for us.  At last time to set sail but not before the Captain had his first challenge of getting out of a very awkward space as by now hemmed in by a large boat on our port side and two catamarans on our starboard side and various lines in the water waiting to be caught on the stabilizers.  But we had plenty of help and at least four people waving us off from the pontoon which was lovely.

We headed for our first night stop - a beautiful day and no wind to bother us initially.  It took four hours to get to Bozuk Buku, a large bay with the ruins of ancient Loryma and an ancient citadel. We tied up on a rickety old pontoon with Ali Baba's restaurant at the end, went for a swim and then later climbed up to explore the citadel and finally ate dinner in the restaurant. A very full first day and so far so good.  The wind did pick up but nothing too alarming.

Sequel from the citadel and Ali Baba's restaurant

Greta and Rob

Sunday 25

A short trip round the headland to Sogut Limani where we tied up on another pontoon, lolled about most of the afternoon and another swim in the sea before dinner at the Octopus Yacht Club (the restaurant which owned the pontoon) and included in the price of dinner was our overnight stay as well as electricity and water. 

Monday 26

An even short trip round the corner to Bozburun and despite being advised that the harbour is very small we went in and tied up against the town quay without any problems.  It was more or less empty when we arrived at 1 p.m. but by the evening we had been joined by many other boats and the harbour was almost full - still early in the season here.  Greta & Rob are intrepid swimmers and they went off in the afternoon to find somewhere to swim.  Dinner at Osmans.

Tuesday 27

Market day but disappointingly nothing like as good as others we have been to but managed to stock up on fruit and vegetables as planning to have a couple of nights at anchor. Found our way to a bay recommended by Bula known as Kucuven Burnu but now renamed Geoff's Bay.  More swimming, more book club after lunch and a lovely evening at anchor.

Wednesday 28

Finally chose to anchor in Keci Buku after examing a couple of other spots first.  Appalled by amount of rubbish along the sides of one bay and evidence of camp sites so anchored in a lovely spot only to spend the afternoon being irritated by personal watercraft buzzing about and gulets coming in playing loud music but by the evening they had all gone away and Rob declared this his favourite place. Again Greta & Rob went swimming and Rob climbed up to the ruins of another fortress on a small island close by.  As someone said to us a while ago now 'another pile of old rocks' but thought to have ancient foundations. Another evening on the boat but supplies running low now and beginning to feel like we are on some kind of slimming kick.

Early evening in Keci Buku

Thursday 29

A seven hour trip back to Marmaris Yacht marina but a beautiful day and lovely sitting on the back of the boat in the sunshine.  By the time we got back to the marina,  however, the sky was beginning to take on a dodgy shade of grey.  Our last night with the Pasteiners at our usual restaurant - have had a brilliant week - they are excellent guests and we are still speaking. At least we are to them!

Early morning in Keci Buku

Friday 30

Heavy rain overnight and a grey day - Greta and Rob left us at 10.30 a.m. for their flight home and we set to tidying up but getting ready for our next adventure and a week on shore but first - drinks on board with all those boats still here: Breakaway, Seductress, Freya of Lerwick  - are they ever going to leave?

Another week

Saturday 17

Waited until after lunch for arrival of replacement dinghy only to find that it had an identical tear. Fortunately the young man who delivered it had suggested we check the replacement before he left - the only drawback was that he could only get one dinghy in his van and we still had to hold on to one. This involved wheeling it on a pilfered supermarket trolley backwards and forwards to the main gate.  For anyone who does not have a business on site or works on site, 20 euros has to be paid to get through the main gate. Third time lucky the new dinghy was finally delivered but too late to start getting it on to the boat's bathing platform underneath the passarelle.

Sunday 18

First trip this season to Marmaris fruit and vegetable market - this time we knew the way and didn't walk round in ever decreasing circles in blazing sunshine looking for it.  The produce displayed and sold is incredible and very cheap. 

Back to the boat exhausted by our efforts and then played around getting the dinghy on board - not quite sure how it will be as the new one has a fibre glass hull and therefore heavier and some adjustments to previous system needed.

Drinks on Breakway but dinner on board.

Monday 19

We are no longer referred to as Bruce and Fran but by the name of the boat.  So Breakway and Bula left on a two day road trip and Sandpiper actually set sail this morning.  Very quiet without them all but when we went for dinner in the restaurant, thinking we would be alone, we met Freya of Lerwick and Growl Tiger. 

Tuesday 20

Trip into Marmaris as going a little stir crazy at the marina.  We catch a bus (dolmus) from the marina gates which run every 20 minutes and take approximately 20 minutes into town at just less than £1 each, each way.  A little bit of shopping in chandlers, a visit to Niaile to arrange a new winter cover for the new roof, and fresh orange juice and lunch in town along the quayside.

Back to Marmaris in the evening with Growl Tiger and Seductress (aka Ducky??) to join in a happy hour at Netsel Marina in a restaurant called Pineapple.  The idea is to meet fellow cruisers and new friends but like most of these occasions we sat with the people we knew although it did make a nice change from the restaurant at our own marina.

Wednesday 21

The weather has really picked up and now approximately 30 degrees but with enough of a breeze to stop us boiling over and still quite cool in the evenings.  We have taken to walking around the pontoons to the furthest one away in an attempt to get some exercise. As the marina is vast this is a reasonable walk and we gawp at all the massive boats which are moored on the outside pontoons.

Thursday 22

Another trip to Maramaris market to stock up for the arrival of Greta and Rob on Friday. Thursday's market is even bigger than Sunday's and I get completely bamboozled by the variety and cant make up my mind which stall to shop at - the Captain gets a little impatient. By now Breakaway (I keep wanting to break into Beach Boys song) and Bula have returned and drinks this evening on Freya. Freya's Captain pours the strongest G&Ts ever and we all fell off the boat three hours after arriving and as they had supplied endless nibbles we rolled back to our berths skipping dinner.

Friday 23

Newly designed fittings for dinghy on to bathing platform have not been made and Captain now scratching his head and changing his design frantically before Greta & Rob's arrival later today - typical.  If it wasnt for the last minute...................... but otherwise inside of boat all ready and stocked up.  Still have to wash the boat as well but looking forward to leaving the marina with them tomorrow and actually going sailing. But guess what? Its going to be windy!

Getting on with jobs

Monday 12

Sun shining at last and time to start sorting things out.  The top part of the boat was polished by 6.30 p.m. and the new dinghy arrived during the course of the afternoon - so felt we had made a start.

Tuesday 13

Time to get the old cover off the variotop (a little like a softtop roof on a car) - and it took all day. It was by now, slightly alarmingly, torn all over. The lining had completely rotted and was like soot, which went everywhere. Fortunately we had had another cover over the roof all winter and although rain water had got inside the boat it caused little, if any, damage and my washing basket had been placed strategically under the worst part to catch the drips.

Ripped roof

Helping to undo all the screws around the edge

We had been watching the forecast and no rain until Thursday so not too concerned about rain overnight and only having the inside lining of the roof in place.

Yet another drinks party on Seductress  this time and dinner after, of course.

Wednesday 14

Optimistically thought we were going to get the new roof in place today but another day passed and not much I could do to help as all the holes on the leading edge of the new roof didn't quite match up with the existing holes and the Captain had to drill and tap another 38 all the way around.

Our first night in - I had to cook!

Thursday 15

Finally - but not until 4.30 ish - the new roof in place and out to Cruising Association dinner (41 members at dinner and others turned away as not enough room for more). By now very familiar with menu and going through the dishes we like for at least the second time.

Happily almost done

A few wrinkles to sort out and a change of colour for the Mediterranean

Friday 16

The new dinghy had been left languishing on the pontoon while the roof was sorted out so the Captain decided to get it on to the back of the boat only to find it had a tear (approx 50 ml long) in the side.  Managed to organise for chandler in town to collect and replace but not until tomorrow. In the meantime two more friends from the UK had returned to the marina and some confusion on which boat to have celebratory drinks.  We were due to host drinks on Saturday but decided to move it forward to tonight so slight panic to tidy everything up (tools everywhere, bimini and sides still to be put in place, booze to be purchased etc) but made it with time to spare for the Captain to have a little sleep - he was worn out from his roofing experience. If anyone ever needs help to replace a cover on a Linssen 500 Variotop they know who to contact.

Yacht Marina Marmaris

Sunday 11 May 2014

Wednesday 07 May

We arrived at the Marina late on Wednesday night after a mind numbing journey from home via Gatwick, and a delay of approximately an hour on the 'plane while airport staff removed the luggage of two passengers who had decided not to fly anyway, and possibly the most civilized, and hopefully the last, taxi ride from Dalaman Airport. 

As the 'yard' where Sequel has been all winter is flood lit like a massive football pitch we were able to see even at 11.30 p.m. that the work had been completed. 

Thursday 08

Up and about as things to do before a return to the water on Friday morning. The Captain disappeared to visit various people he had to see but within a very short space of time I received a message that he was having coffee on Bula (Geoff & Anne's boat) - great start to our plan to get things done - but I was down the ladder in no time at all to join the coffee party. We did set to in the afternoon, however, as we had to get the winter cover off and the anchor chain, all 100 metres of it and very heavy, back on board and in its locker.  I was also keen to mark the chain at intervals so that I have little more than a vague idea of how much I let out every time we drop it.  I have tried a sort of counting technique but actually I have absolutely no idea. So we laid it out and sprayed black paint at 10 metre intervals and then had a cup of tea. By this time there were some very threatening black clouds accumulating and we had to scurry to then get the chain aboard.  The distance from the ground to the front locker is about 3 metres, So the Captain stood on board with the anchor winch and I lifted up the chain as best as I could and it worked well until we got to the anchor itself which I could not begin to pick up.  A very nice chap who was working on his boat next to us came to our rescue and with one arm picked up the anchor - I felt quite inadequate but the job was done - and then the heavens opened and it rained for at least two hours with the usual display of lightning and thunder, the novelty of which wears off after a while. And the yard after the rain was a large grey muddy puddle - the dust being a little like concrete dust and the result a horrible mess.

After (see previous post for Before (Surrounded)

Friday 09

Back into the water quite early and what a relief after the concrete swamp. Forecast was for rain all day but we were lucky, and it didnt rain all day although no sign of the sun.  We have not experienced a May quite like this one in the Med or Turkey in the last four or so years. We were taken by the marineros to Juliet pontoon which was exactly where we wanted to go (and where there are at least two other boats we know) but into a very tight spot and for the first time out in over 7 months the Captain was a-maz-ing.  We had a moment or two of anxiety over another line getting caught in the starboard stabilizer but managed to avoid it and we were soon having coffee again on Bula. 

Saturday 10

Time for a quick trip into Marmaris to sort out our wi-fi and a trip to West Marine chandlers for some chairs for the deck.  We took home the covers of our directors' chairs when we popped over in April and they are sitting, beautifully clean, in a cupboard somewhere in Willowtree. My turn for a senior moment - my husband having had a bad one before we left home looking for a CD (with the engine manual on it) which he had packed carefully in an accompanying booklet and packed in his bag - we found it after we got here having turned his study upside down just before we left.

Sunday 11

After a beautiful, very promising, start to the day I am now writing this inside the boat as it tips down with rain again - the Captain is reading the paper asleep - very clever - upstairs by the helm position. It does look like the weather is improving over the next week and the boat is to have its top half cleaned and polished and a few other things sorted out before our first guests arrive on 23 May. We are looking forward to piping them aboard.

I am very pleased to report that we have a new liferaft in place already and a new dinghy arriving tomorrow - along with the deck chairs. Tonight is the beginning of summer (?!) party at the Marina  - we are already on notice to have the equivalent of a towel ready to bags our seats at a table for about 13 of us at 6.30 p.m. I am already a little worried if there is any blood left in my alcohol system.

Rain on its way again

Still raining........................