CAPTAIN'S LOG
SEA DATE 24 AUGUST 2011
Turkey. Greece. Anchoring in a Meltimi (Turkish for big windy pops).
Late Feb. Perhaps early March. Most likely 2011
One does lose track of time.
Dear all,
Finally back on the boat in Marmaris, Turkey. Bloody raining but I am on my own - which I do really enjoy.
Get lots of work done and just hang out with myself. I find I don't argue with me and I don't tell me what to do. I am never wrong - always right.
Mind you, I do have to drink for both of us.
Sometimes.
That being said, I miss the good Lady.
Soooooo, completed most of work to do on the boat. Moved the following items from my “To Do” list to my “Been Dones” list: Remove and repair water heater, wire up new electric dunny, replumb electric and hand operated dunnies, remove all the stanchions (stainless steel stanchions set inside and aluminium base - duh, the aluminium rots) and replace the aluminium bases, fit new autohelm course computer (old one is now the spare), varnish new wakeboard made by brilliant Kiwi (from Timaru and Nelson) boat builder (he is the Capt of Storm Vogel of Dead Calm fame, at age of 26) - thanks bro, repair watermaker, remove for repair the air conditioning compressor, repair windlass - ended replacing the damn thing as it was munted, new dan buoy strobe light, run new cable for outside vhf mic, service three engines, re-galvanise anchor chain, remove oven and add new shelf over, and a bunch of smaller stuff. ..........
Work work work. Never stops. It really IS tough out here.
Back to Octoberish 2010
Anyway, to complete the last part of our trip through the Greek waters and also complete the end of my earlier epistle ......... We called at the island Filos, but the Greek call it Sifnos. This is the middle of the Cyclades. Named for good reason. It always blows. We anchored in a (sort of) quiet inlet and it blew, and it blew, and it blew. We stayed about 5 nights weighting - as it were - for options of wind to drop. Forecast for all this time was 25 - 30 knots of breeze. If it stayed at 25 - 30 it would be reasonably acceptable. But in the Med, if they say 25 - 30, we know it will be 35 gusting 40 plus. Our preference is for a 15 - 20 or 20 - 25 knot wind window. Maximum. Main problem is the seas build up very quickly. The seas are also very steep. Considered putting crampons on the hull at times.
We have a series of shortish hops from island to island. Between 50 and 70 miles apart. On the fifth evening the barometer jumps 4 points. We study the weather grib files and figure we have a reasonably good weather window so head out just before sparrow fart the next morning. We make it to Antipasta (the Greeks affectionately call it Astapalaia), an 80 mile run in 11 hours. Average wind 17 to 20 knots so very happy with or first days run.
Our next few days are shortish runs, generally with winds around 20 - 25 knots. The weather report is for 20 - 25 knots for a few days. Right behind this lot are slightly bigger winds. 25 - 30 knots. Our aim is to keep ahead of the big puffy stuff so will be jumping from Island to Island. Essentially we drop into an Island in the afternoon, drop the anchor, and then pick up first thing in the morning and we are on our way again.
A couple of times did a little filming with my camera to show the nasty seas. Finally arrived at Marmaris, Turkey where we will be in a marina for the winter.
We head back to Poole in the UK for family time. Most enjoyable. Then finally back to Vancouver to spend some prime time with our kids Amy and Edwin. Rented a place up at Whistler for a week. Amy and Edwin joined us and also hooked up with some of their friends up there.
Jane and I spent 5 days test driving different skis. This stuff is the latest generation so we had a lot of fun. My favourite was the Atomic D2. 174 cm long and a racing giant slalom ski. Just beautiful. Excellent on all terrain. Fantastic on GS turns - felt like I was on rails. But, you can’t snooze on them or you are dead. We tried two different sets of ski’s each day. One in the morning and another in the afternoon. Cheaper than renting. Splashed out the previous year and grabbed a pair of Nordica boots. Only problem is they don’t hurt. Not used to that. Finally threw out my 30 year old Lange boots. Next year I may throw out my 32 years old ski outfit. The kids reckon I am old skool. What ever that means.
So now we are both back in Marmaris (for March and April 2011) completing work on the boat. The boating community here is excellent. A lot of Kiwis and a few Aussies. Got into trouble a couple of time with the Kiwis - of course. All their fault as they seem to lead me astray. Numerous bbq’s at the marinas (there are two marinas, Yat Marine and Net Sel) as well as on the back of boats (the bbq’s, not the marinas.) Boaters are not allowed to bbq on the back of a boat anywhere in Turkey so I can’t tell that story. Curiously, the Turks all light fires on the beaches and bbq themselves. Well, not really themselves although they used to burn people at the stake. Mind you, so did the Brits. Guess this is how bbq’s were invented and modified by the Brits when they moved down under a hundred or so years ago.
The boats from NZ have some pretty interesting names. Jane has a few problems wrapping her tongue around the Maori names. Awaroa, Awatea, and others. Perhaps the best was a boat called Cutty Hunk. Have to be really careful saying that one on the VHF radio .....
We eventually leave the dock at Net Sel and anchor near the marina of Yat Marine.
Windlass packs a sad so have it repaired - twice - until finally deciding to throw on a new one. This one is a beauty. In fact I was going to have one put on after crossiing back to the Caribbean. It is an Italian, a Lofrans Falkon. Just like Gina Lolobrigida (spelling?) - drop dead gorgeous. Once I ordered it, I checked out the price in the US and it is a lot cheaper here in Turkey. I do use the word cheaper rather loosely. Let’s just say, not nearly as expensive. It is a lot easier and safer to use than the old one. In fact the old one was a little under powered for this boat. Could hardly pull the skin off a rice pudding. Cost quite a few boat units. The windlass, not the rice pudding.
Left Marmaris and worked our way around the corner (or two) to Bodrum. I was fortunate to be able to make a few more “investments” into the boat. Repair of fridge. New wind ananometer at the top of the mast (just a big word for a spinny thing that works like a rev counter, but counts wind stuff, not dissimilar to a fart gauge). 9 new gel batteries - quite a few boat units for that lot. Was not able to get the battery of my choice though which is AGM = absorbed glass mat.
All that said, we are on the hard at Bodrum, Turkey. As I mentioned during our phone call, we ran over a bloody line when reversing in to pick up a line for Medaterainiane (bugger - speel chek isnt wrokging) mooring. To dock stern to, you reverse in and pick up a bow line that is fixed to a big chain a long way off the dock, and then tie the stern back to the dock. Ran over the line, wrapped it around the prop, and the starboard engine ran out of went.
HOWEVER, we met a Kiwi from Wellington called Rick and he told me to call a marina that could lift us out. Bearing in mind we are 24 feet wide, so not many marinas can lift us. We were plucked out after a mechanic came down to listen to the engine not working in forward or reverse while in the water...... then they pulled out the stern drive thingie that the propellor is attached to (bit like an outboard motor with a big water seal around the leg part) and checked everything over and it is now done. More boat units finally sunk.
Had some guests on board. Their arrival was very interesting. I was heading in on the dinghy to pick them up and noticed a big black cloud on the hills and heading our way. Wondered if I could get them back on board before it hit us. Wrong. Picked up Mum, Dad, and two kids and three big bags of luggage. Girl aged 10, lad (somewhat autistic) aged 12. The wind hit us on the way back and the waves picked up big time. We took quite a few over the bow, and a few more over the side. Just enough to wet everyone. All had grins from ear to ear. Half way back to the boat I told them it was lucky the were British. Gave them all a good laugh. I was also talking up our anchoring system and that we never drag. Famous last words. An Aussie boat beside us dragged their anchor when we were on our way back in the dinghy. Just missed us. But of course, their anchor grabbed our chain and picked us up with them. Ta-b had moved quite a way by the time we arrived back on board. By this time the Aussies had gone. So we now have to move because we are too close to some other bigger boats. Of course our anchor is now on top of one of their chains. Took 20 minutes or so to free ourselves, and this time it is just pouring down. Our guests are now unpacking and changing out of their wet clothes, and fortunately - keeping out of our way.
Then a few days later, we wrap the line around our prop and are down to one engine. Luckily they thoroughly enjoyed there time on board. We taught them a few knots, some safety, alpha bravo alphabet, had them snorkeling every day, towed the kids behind the dinghy on a tube, and fed them three cooked meals a day. Jim the Dad told me it vastly exceeded his expectations and the kids said it was the best holiday they had ever had.
For me, the most special part was with the young lad - autistic. At the start of the trip he wouldn’t look us in the eye when we were talking. At the end of the ten days though, he was looking me straight in the eye. Something he doesn’t even do to his teachers. Bit of a feel good feeling for me there.
Cruised out of Bodrum. Boat full of food. Always good. Markets are wonderful as all the veges and fruit are fresh and grown properly. Now anchored down the way - about 20 miles East of Bodrum - in a quiet little cove but plenty of boats though. Mind you, it’s now 0800 hrs and half of them have gone. We will stay here today and float away later on or perhaps on the morrow. Just feel like having some time with Jane. Been on the go too long. A couple of days ago spent the day on a dock outside a delightful restaurant (dock is free if we have supper there) helping a Kiwi buddy change his back stay. He had just put in a ham radio and needed to put in two insulators in his back stay to make an aerial. He was off this morning at 0530 hrs. Gave him a wave as he set fifth. He is back to Bodrum to pick up some friends.
Have just sailed south west for 5 miles to a place called the aquarium so named because the snorkeling is supposed to be very good. Out here that is pretty well open to discussion. Not exactly an abundance of fish as the med has been pretty well fished out. No such thing as a size limit. They fish with nets where the mesh is very small. There are a lot of small fishing boats doing it as well. Average size is probably 6 inches. The bigger stuff perhaps 8. Very little big stuff around. I would give the med 10 years or so, then there will be less than bugger all to feed the people. The word sustainable springs to mind. Perhaps it isn’t in their vocabulary.
As I said in previous words we have popped over to Greece. Primary reason - to renew our visa’s. Secondary reason’s, get cheaper diesel and booze. We tend to buy in bulk. Both items. Diesel in not exactly inexpensive in this neck of the woods. Our tanks hold 400 litres and we carry another 120 in jerry cans in our lazaret. Took on 320 litres and saved 60 Euro. Also purchased 40 litres of wine as well as a couple of bottles of rum and canadian whiskey. What we do to save money.
Stayed at Kos, Greece for 4 days and then popped back to Bodrum, Turkey. Now up a wee bit further North by about 60 miles and in the middle of a meltimi. Think that is how it is spelt. A meltimi is a big Turkish blow. Have had gusts to 35 knots. Average wind around 20 - 30 knots. Drops down to 15 - 20 for a few hours and then picks up again. These things last 3 to 4 days or so. Last night we had a cocoa night with maximum wind in the early 30’s. Anchor holds very well. Our Rocna anchor really Rocks. Decent size at 40 kg, with 12 mm chain. Very very secure so we are most happy. I can proudly say that I have a good sized tackle. Perhaps this is why us Kiwi’s have cockatoo smugglers, and the Aussies have budgie smugglers. (Please see previous epistle).
The biggest problem out here is not ourselves (well - that could be another story in its self) but other boats. We are pretty good at anchoring, even if you say so myself. I used to be a very nervous anchorer. Not any more. I can go into a spot and after a wee look around for weed or sand/mud, I can drop the anchor and pull back on the rode and secure ourselves. We are well dug in. Jane swims out with snorkel and fins to check the anchor. It is buried. Wonderful. I say she swims out to check the anchor. She always checks the water temperature on our instruments - if it is too cold, I have to do the job. Just can’t get decent staff at all these days.
So we are currently at a delightful small harbour called Gumusluk. This is where we are holed up for the windy stuff. This is a shortened version of what I have put in the log, It has been very interesting. Bear in mind that many boats leave an anchorage and book into a marina. We don’t do marinas. They cost too much to start with, but as you know, when cruising, we all cruise to spend time on the water - not in a bloody marina:
1000 hrs
Sunsail boat (charter boat) as well as a 40 foot sloop had dragged. Both boats departed for other pastures.
A catamaran tied with her stern to the shore dragged anchor and departed.
Another catamaran tied to the dock dragged anchor and departed. (Heads up here - they anchor mediterranean style. Not side to the dock, but with the bum (or stern for the technically minded) to the dock. This is done by dropping the anchor a few boat lengths - again for the technically minded, about 4 boat lengths - from the dock and then reversing in to the dock. The blunt end of the boat (okay transom or stern for the techno’s) is then tied to the dock.
So far the wind has not exceeded 20 knots.
1130 hrs
50 foot sloop beside us leaves the anchorage. Presumably off to a marina.
1145 hrs
60 foot power boat tied back to the shore opposite us has broken her shore line and buggered off - again I am guessing - to a marina.
Funnily enough , when I saw his system I thought to myself - I would put on a second stern line ..... he was side on to the wind. Not a good place to be.
1230 hrs
A sloop called Tim San dragged her anchor. The owner lives on board and works at a local restaurant. He was not on board and was anchored in the weed. Not good. Nearly hit the power boat in front of us. I saw the boat drifting down on him and gave 3 sets of 3 toots on our fog horn. He came rushing out and fended off. Then jumped in his dinghy and put a line to the bow of the Tim San. I put out several calls to the Coastguard. No response. Then a couple of Maydays requesting relays. Nothing. Short story, he held the boat with his dinghy, called the owner who came out in his dinghy, jumped on board and re-anchored. Three attempts at re-anchoring as he went up to the head of the bay where all the weed is. Stupid bugger.
1500 hrs
50 foot power boat left the dock and anchored two boats in front of us.
1700 hrs
Sloop (about 35 feet long) called Halki leaves the dock because it is not a good place to be. Halki is pretty run down - looking well munted. A fixer-uperer.
Halki tries to find a spot. Drops pick - not quite the right place - drags her anchor onto another boats anchor chain. Swings around and hits the other boat at anchor. (They are on our port side). He frees himself from the boat and all of his anchoring tackle at the same time. Not a good sign. No anchor or chain as he has dropped the lot. Bugger.
His engine is also smoking a lot and he has very little power. Nearly goes on rocks. He is rescued by another dinghy. The other boat tows him with his dinghy to safety and ties him on to the stern of his own boat - right in front of us. With the wind now at 25 knots plus, I am not too chuffed. Finally he moves, they cast him off and he motors (well, sort of shuffles really) across in front of us and hits the boat on the starboard (right) side of us. His mid ships hits the guys bow. He ties along side and 2 hours later, someone lends him another anchor and a long piece of string and casts him off. He now anchors and is okay for the next few days.
We do a cocoa night until 0230 hrs when the wind drops to 15 - 25 knots. We get some sleep.
0730 hrs
Wind picks up with a bit of a vengence. (spelling?).
All boats appear to be okay EXCEPT ...
A 50 foot sloop called Blue Gold to our port now looks as if it has dragged a boat length.
The power boat (called Breth) that earlier left the dock and is now two boats in front of us now looks to have dragged 2 to 3 boat lengths.
(Yes, I keep and eye on these things).
1100 hrs
Breth pulls up anchor and tries to get back into the dock. She is a good sized boat and has what I call “the beautiful people” on board. They all dress in their whites. He has his shirt undone to his waist. A bit of a bronzed tim bradley. Please note the lower case ..... They parp their horn at the dock for half an hour. No response. Perhaps they are not wanted.
Eventually they bugger off.
1130 hrs
Blue Gold -see above - pulls up anchor. They realize that they have dragged and there is a sort of rocky landing behind them. Not good news.
He does rather well when picking up his anchor. Even better, he has another chain wrapped around his anchor. Most likely from the sloop that is now anchored with someone else’s tackle.
As it were.
Aforementioned dinghy goes to rescue and helps them get the chain off their anchor.
Blue Gold then anchors a long way in front of us. In the weed. They drag. Their boat is now over the top of where our anchor is.
Bugger.
She bumps into the other power boat in front of us. He then picks up his anchor and drops it again.
In the middle of all this, I have pulled all the connections off our batteries as we are having battery life problems. I think they are munted (knackered) so am testing them. As I disconnect all the cables I think to myself - if something is going to happen that requires me to start the engines, it will happen now.
Soooooo, they are now dragging on top of us - possibly requiring me to start up said engines.
Mumbling to myself “sooth sooth sooth” as I feel a bit like a soothsayer.
I quickly jump back down into my engine compartment (in fact it’s not often that I am allowed out) and reconnect all cables.
Of course now that I have reconnected them all, I won’t need them.
I now know that my batteries are totally munted (that is Kiwi speak for knackered). We slide back to Bodrum where I have the fortunate opportunity to invest several boat units in a new set of Gel batteries. This being done, we set forth from Bodrum and spend the evening at the “aquarium” before setting fifth for the northern parts of Turkey and Greece.
We sail straight past Gumisluk (I think that is how it is spelt) and around the corner. One small stop enroute and to a wee island we found. In a rather big bight opposite the Greek Island of Lipsos. Stayed on the pick for 4 nights and met some wonderful Turkish people. The guy looks after a lovely big house, lives downstairs with his wife. The owner of the house also owns a big power boat that this guy is the captain of. He leads a pretty good life. Free use of the downstairs of the house and captain of a big power boat. Not too dodgy. He invited us up for drinks and food, taught us Turkish dancing and Jane and I taught them the waltz. In the meantime, Jane and I had be-friended another couple that also sailed a catamaran - we had had them on board for drinks the previous evening. They were also invited up to the house. When we left, the wife gave us a beautiful big flattish ceramic bowl - about 20 inches diameter and 4 inches high - that now takes up pride of place in the center of the saloon table. It was made by her Mum and is about 40 years old. The bowl that is, not the Mum.
On the second day at “his” anchorage, he and friends were on his small fishing boat and heading to the town on the mainland. Asked if we wanted anything. Jane said yes to some bread. On their return, they just threw us the bread and would not take any money. We are hoping to pop in to say hi on our way back down through the Greek Islands. It will mean taking a small detour into Turkish waters......
Our next stop was at a place called Koyu Kiyikisl. A very old old town. Up on the hill beside the town is on old Byzantine fort. We spent a day wandering around the area. There were several large barreled vaulted buildings as well. Mostly outside the fort itself. Made of rock, and just large individual stand alone buildings. Three walls, and open at the front. I was wondering if the front wall had fallen down in each case, but this appears too much of a coincidence. Not sure what they were used for.
Most interesting though was a village down below the fort. Three different eras. Started off in the bronze age, then Byzantine, then Roman. All the different buildings (now mostly fallen down except a Roman theatre) show the different use of construction. I estimated that about 8 feet of dust and topsoil had blown in on top. We are continually washing the boat down from all the dust that blows up from North Africa, so I am not surprised at how quickly an area gets covered and hidden.
In fact, at our last town where we were tied up to the dock, we had both water and electricity. We stayed 7 days and washed the boat down three times. I found that when I walked about the boat early morning after a big dew drop - I was leaving dirty foot prints all around the boat. So you can imagine how much collects after a week.
Further little aside, when at the afore mentioned town of afore mentioned Island Lesbos (or Lesvos), I popped up the mast to clean the sail track down. We had had problems pulling up the mainsail so figured that the track was dirty. We also gave the ball bearing cars (same as mainsail sliders that go up the track on the mast, but run a lot better) a big blast with the hose. Both sides of the mast. Did that twice. Now the main goes up very easily.
First time we have ever had to do that. I can also tell you, it is a long way up a 70 foot mast. Pretty close to 70 odd feet. Fortunately Jane didn’t let go of the main halyard that I was tied to. Nor did she let go of the spinnaker halyard that I had on as a safety. I live to tell the tale.
Onward and onward. Headed west to our next stop, the Island Samos. Delightful town. Many boats tied up to the town dock. Our preference is to anchor. Fortunately there is a protected area just out of the harbour where dropped the pick for three nights. A bit of a piss off is the Greek requirement to check into every island we visit in Greece. Mind you, the port police are totally slack and we only do it when we feel it is necessary. All sailors do the same. This being a biggish island, we considered it necessary to check in. When we checked out, we were hit with a bill for 5 Euro. Not a bank breaker, but a friend with a catamaran only had to pay 1 euro three weeks earlier. I guess it depends on how flush the guy behind the desk is ….
Headed north around the east side of the island, and turned left. Bugger all wind so motored most of the day (early start as in for a 50 mile haul) and popped over to the Turkish side. At this point the two countries are about 5 miles apart, and the easiest route is getting close to Turkey. We sort of snuck into a little anchorage with only three boats in it. They were all day cruisers so we ended up with our own quiet little spot.
What I find very surprising is the number of fish everywhere. Or should I say, lack thereof. We usually only see smaller fish - 3 to 4 inches long. Sometimes we see one of the few surviving larger ones. But if it is 12 inches it’s a biggie. And STILL the locals drop there nets and scoop up everything they can.
It will be the dead sea soon as there will be bugger all living in it.
Stayed two nights in Turkey and headed out - to the west. Next island is Khios. Interesting story here. Pulled into a tiny wee bay with a small fishing village at the end. Town called Emborios. I figured that there was only enough room for one boat. We arrived, so I thought that would be it. Half an hour later, a sail boat with NZ on the bow pulls in right behind us. I asked the obvious and they were - most likely still are. I told them I would pull forward and to drop their pick right under our stern. Turns out I motored quite a long way forward, and when I dived our anchor, I found their anchor under our bows.
Later on a german charter boat nervously anchored just off the town dock and settled back to a couple of boat lengths in front of us. If the wind had changed, he could have tied up to the fishing boats on the dock.
On to the interesting story. The guy was from Waimate. Didn’t go to Timaru Boys School. Nope. Said that he went to Christ’s College. His age? 62. Hells bloody bells I shout, do you know Gus Milsom? I had done a few searches on the internet for Gus, all to no avail. Yes, his wife says, in fact it looks like he is on his computer right now as it shows he has his Skype on. (Skype being an internet telephone system).
She called Gus and lo and behold he answers. I dive straight off the back of our boat, climb onto their boat and chat with Gus - supplied with a glass of wine as well. The couple then joined us for drinks on our boat with some nibblets later on.
A very small world. Gus and I are now exchanging life stories.
Next stop is an island called millionaires island. There are more Greek shipping tycoons on this island than anywhere else in Greece. We stopped at a quiet anchorage with only ourselves, avoided the town as we thought it would be too expensive.
From there we headed north to the Island of Lesbos where we are currently cruising. We will stay here for about a week then head slowly south. Very pleased to get up here as all the winds are from the NE to NW, and we have been heading north. It will be all down hill from here on.
The sail we had to Lesbos was a good ‘un. 25 knots plus with wind aft of the beam. Averaged 9 knots and very stable.
A goodly trip and now ready to sign off.
I will plop this into the internet system and see if it makes it’s way down under.
Signing off
Her Jane
Me Russell