2009 Cruisin', Boozin' n Snoozin' ..... Apr - Sept 2009

View Balvenies 2009 Voyage in a larger map

A final get together with Ascension, Djarrka,
Stardust and Gone with the Wind

12 April - 28 September 2009

When we pulled out of Netsel Marina, our home for winter 2008 - 2009 the days were clear and we were well into spring.  Balvenie was all ready for another summer season, or so we thought.  Then during a couple of nights at anchor in Marmaris Bay a few little niggles popped up and delayed our departure a little longer but it also gave us a chance for more farewell dinners.

Our plan for the beginning of season was to make our way up through the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea, alternating with anchorages on the Turkish Coast to Ayvalik where we would marina Balvenie and travel by car to the battlefields of Gallipoli.  Then we hoped to island hop our way back down the Greek Islands and head out of the Aegean Sea before the infamous meltimi started blowing, around mid June.  So - off we went!! 



In the crater at Nissyros

The first event of the season was sharing Easter celebrations at the lovely Greek Island of Symi with White Rose and Gone with the Wind enjoying the spring sunshine on Easter Sunday with a very long lazy Greek lunch of Roast Lamb on a spit. 



Time to part company with our friends for now, off we went and explored the small volcanic island of Nissyros where we hired a moped and putted slowly up to the top of the volcano then hiked down into it's steamy and bubbling belly.   Back across to Turkey - a couple of nights in touristy Bodrum was enough for us so another Greek Island was sought out and we headed to a peaceful spot on Kalymnos.  

Gordon and Mark overlooking
 Patmos Harbour



We nibbled away at the miles, heading a little further north each time, stopping at some ramshackle spots where it looked like the locals just left town and headed for the big city - never to return. Then there was lovely Patmos, the economy injected with a steady flow of tourist euros as the cruise ships came and went.  We caught up with our good Canadian friends Gordon and Ginny on Ascension here, it will be a long time before we see them again, as they are heading for the Caribbean this season.  



Days passed, as did the miles north.  The white sugar cube Greek houses were left behind as we headed back to the Turkish coastline enjoying often deserted anchorages, one where we soaked in bubbling hot baths from Roman times.  We took inland excursions past fields of spring flowers to ancient cities and well preserved ruins, all the time appreciating the beautiful late spring days and settled weather.

At anchor off Anzac Cove, Gallipoli



 We changed our plans in Ayvalik, the weather was to be settled a tad longer, just long enough for us to sail to Gallipoli. Although neither of us lost relatives in the long battles during the First World War at Gallipoli, it is a huge part of our history,  the opportunity of taking Balvenie and anchoring her off Anzac Cove was one we wouldn't pass up.  Spending three days in the area and taking in hours of walking around the battlefields, climbing through the trenches, strolling through some of the thousands of gravestones amongst the fields of blood red poppies in flower, reading the history of the tragic event at the museum, it all gave us a better understanding of what happened, but it can never really answer WHY?

Back to Greece


We finally said our farewells to Turkey and headed back to Greece, out to Limnos in the Northern Aegean.  It was the end of May - the days were getting longer, the temperatures rising and the sun shone every day.  The Greek Islands have a myriad of cosy coves with cute white washed villages, brightly coloured bourgainvillea exploding in all directions, fishing nets lie in bundles along the quaysides, cats lounge about awaiting the catch of the day, calamari hang drying in the sun, elderly widows really do sit on chairs outside their front doors dressed only in black -  yes you really can find all those scenes from Hollywood blockbusters in most of the small Greek Islands, it's their everyday life.



We sailed from island to island, from tiny quiet Evstratios with not a tourist in sight to Mykonos the party island, where scantily clad "go go dancers" strutted their stuff on table tops, and overcooked tourists laid back drinking cocktails and shooters  in the late afternoon sun.  The Greek Islands sure do cater for every taste!! 

Balvenie at Santorini,
it doesn't get much better than this

We were moving south through the island chain, and another weather window presented itself as chance no 2 to go somewhere on the "must see list".  The amazing island of Thira, much better known as Santorini, is the absolute jewel in the crown of all the Greek Islands.  We could not miss this opportunity and set sail south from Paros, arriving late afternoon inside the crater walls of this stunning submerged volcano.  It is difficult for me to describe the beauty of Santorini, it is a living canvas.  From the boat by day we stared at the stark volcanic walls, soil lines recording its explosive history.  By night we watched the full moon rise, the stark white sugar cube houses glowing in its reflection a truly magical vista.  The villages lie perched high above the sheer cliffs, tiny white houses cling to the cliff sides, sometimes it seems that the creeping plants are all that is attaching them.  The beautiful "med blue" church domes mirror the water shades, everywhere you look the scene is perfect, it is full of moments and images that will be remembered always.



Transiting the Corinth Canal

 Summer was on our doorstep, bringing with it the strong northerly meltimi winds, we grabbed another reasonable weather window and headed northwest, the last few islands all seemed to have the same names as they passed by in a dazed blur.  We made it out of the Aegean mid June as planned, and spent some time in the sheltered waters of the Saronic Gulf, relaxing in the lovely spots of Poros and Aegina.  We visited Athens by ferry, it was a second visit for us so we crammed revisiting all the city sights into a day and left exhausted.



Next we moved west and through the Corinth Canal, a short, expensive but very convenient option and popped out the other side into the Gulf of Patras.  We had a lovely time in this area, tying up to towns quays and unfinished frees marinas along the way.  Galaxidi was a gem of a spot, a cute little town, and a bus ride away from the ancient city of Delphi - just so much history in these places.  From Messalongi  we took in more history at the ancient site of Olympia, where we crouched on the starting line and imagined the crowds of toga clad  Greeks cheering us on.

On the starting blocks at Olympia



We moved out into the Ionian, but the tales we had of picturesque islands, warm clear water, gentle breezes, idyllic coves just never quite materialized for us.  The winds were often unfavourable, the anchorages overcrowded but it was now July so everyone was out on the water enjoying themselves .  We did manage to catch up with friends on Samsara and then Aliesha, after cruising all of the season alone it was great to see some familiar faces.  We stopped for a few days in Preveza, happily tying up in another unfinished free marina.  We hired a car and had another inland excursion, enjoying northern Greece - the remote areas close to the Albanian boarder, the mountain region and across to Meteroa where still inhabited ancient monasteries perch high atop sheer stone peaks. 



Rural scene in Montenegro

 We hit Corfu mid July, but the Corfu we saw was nothing like the one I remember from my backpacking days there over 20 years ago.  The old town was beautiful, with little twisting lanes, laundry hanging out windows, window boxes with blooming flowers cascading, a grassy village green - complete with regular cricket fixtures!  The anchorage was ok, close to town and we enjoyed a few days here to finish off our Greek experience.  Greece is a diverse cruising destination with many options - island groups in two different seas, the huge  Peloponnese peninsular and of course the mainland.  We had a few ups and downs along the way but all in all wouldn't have missed any of it.



Mljet National Park, super spot

Mid July saw us head north for our first overnighter of the season, passing by Albania and heading to the tiny country of Montenegro, formerly part of Yugoslavia.  There is a very limited cruising ground here that comprises of a small inland fjord like waterway, it seemed a shame to sail on by so we checked in and checked it out.  We were extremely lucky to get a free berth at the excellent Porto Montenegro Marina.  It is a brand new facility still in the finishing stages so they weren't charging, a bonus for us.  It's in a great spot right in the small local town of Tivat so we based ourselves there for 10 nights and explored Montenegro by bus and hire car and really enjoyed this beautiful mountainous country. 

Next was Croatia, all advice had been "don't go in August - it's very busy", and here we were, checking into Cavtat in Southern Croatia on the 28th of July - oh well, what can you do???  Croatia had some real highlights, it was beautiful and green, some of the National Park anchorages reminding us of home.  The walled towns ashore were stunning, when you consider the very recent devastation of war endured by most of this country it was truly amazing to see how well the population has come together again, rebuilt their lives and their surroundings and carried on with their life.  

A classic scene in Croatia



Sadly there were several negative aspects to our cruising here - the grossly overcrowded anchorages, the wind bullets that shot through most nights creating havoc with yachts dragging just when we wanted to go ashore, the poor anchoring techniques of a huge percentage of the charter boat fleet and the totally inconsistent and erratic requirement to pay to anchor in many of the bays, having already paid a substantial fee for a cruising permit.    

However we have very fonds memories of Croatia also, particularly Trogir, Split, Hvar and Korcula for their enchanting walled old towns - nowhere else we have seen can compare. We will remember too the many wonderful free concerts we attended, under starlit skies, in ancient open air theatres - truly magical.

In the end the crowds got to us and we aborted plans to continue north through Croatia and onto Venice. We arranged a rendezvous with several friends, had a big reunion and some fun for a few days then headed south, checked out of Croatia and did an overnight passage across the Ionian and arrived in Brindisi, Italy.

Patron Saint week in Brindisi

Oh what a breath of fresh air, the Italians are such a vibrant, bubbly, alive race of people and it just rubs off. We loved Brindisi - another free town quay, the pasta, pizzas, gelato, wine, language, crumbling buildings, art, ancient history - the list just goes on. Our friends on Destiny and Argos were there too, it's always great to have company. After being in the Med for 16 months and having visited 4 countries on its shores, we finally felt we were in Europe and soaked it all up.


Cruising this part of Italy sure isn't easy though, September was upon us and summer was finished - the weather had changed. We tiptoed our way down to Siracusa in Sicily, having some pretty sporty sails enroute.  The southern coast of Italy is a challenging coastline with few safe harbours but we we covered the miles! The anchorage in Siracusa did not treat us so kindly either with several hiccups to keep us on our toes, the storms just kept on coming through.

Mount Etna huffing and puffing away


Ah - but the town was wonderful, the open air morning market one of the best anywhere and our inland trip to steaming Mt Etna and getting lost inland was unforgettable. We were entertained daily while sitting at side walk cafes sipping on our lattes, watching men in dark suits, with slicked back hair and designer sunglasses, hug each other before getting into dark cars with tinted windows - we felt we were on the set of "The Godfather" every day!! We were in love with Italy!! Sadly there is not a well protected marina here as it would be a great place to winter over, so we had to move on.

Our original plan for wintering over was Cagliari in southern Sardinia, but it was still a few hundred miles away and the stormy weather just kept rolling on through. We took advantage of a lull, and motored all day in calm seas and sunny skies through to the tiny island of Malta. As we entered Valletta Harbour late in the day we were awestruck by the incredible harbour fortifications, we had reached another location with a long long history spanning thousands of years. We had timed our arrival perfectly and squeezed onto the visitors berth at Msida Marina,  - where we were to spend 7 months over the winter of 2009 - 2010.

Phil and Mark on their guitars in Brindisi 

IN A NUTSHELL ....
Countries visited - 6 Turkey, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, Italy and Malta,
Nautical Miles travelled - 2364
Nights at sea - 3 Greece - Montenegro, Croatia - Italy, Italy -Sicily
Nights tied up for free at a dock - 44 of which 40 were in Greece, we love the free docks in Greece

Nights tied up in Pay Marinas - 16 of which 6 were in Cannakale and 5 in Brindisi sitting out strong weather

Nights we paid to anchor - 3   2 in National Parks and we only paid once in Croatia, possibly a cruiser record!

Different Anchorages visisted - 85
Strongest winds - 42 knots tied up in Greece, 30 knots at sea across the sole of Italy
Fastest speed - 9.9 knots flying out of the Bospherous leaving Turkey but current assisted. 9.2 knots across the instep of Italy, no current just plenty of wind!
Sleepless nights - 2 Both with unforecast storm cells turning our cosy anchorages into lee shores. One in Greece and one in Croatia, both times we lifted anchor and got out!
Rainy days - Not too many until September then things started to get a little soggy
How much did it cost? - Done all the numbers and it averaged out at 320€ per week (this season was 24 weeks). That includes stocking up the food supplies in Turkey before we left there, and starting/finishing with full diesel tanks. Our biggest expense was eating/drinking onboard 1,700€, diesel was 1,354€, next came eating/drinking ashore 1,200€, sightseeing/local transport 905€, Marinas and Corinth Transit 914€, repairs/maintenance/spares 750€, cruising permits for Montenegro and Croatia 460€, phone/internet 300€, the rest is made up of odds and ends - souvenirs, clothing, laundry etc

AND THAT WAS THE SUMMER OF 2009

Headıng North through Greece ... May 2009

26Apr - 03May

***Lookıng thru the monasteries ancient doorway down onto Skala Harbour*** Mark & Gord stop to take ın the view wıth the Monastery and Hora Village high on the hilltop***A snapshot of the anchorge ın Patmos - fıshıng boats, Balvenie, Cruıse shıp, town, monastery and hılltop village***Insıde the monastery on Patmos***

Time to leave Turkey for a while, our plan is to thread our way north through the Dodecanese and Eastern Sporades, trying to zig-zag our way up depending on the winds. Good plan, just not always so easy to put into practice as the wind gods always have the last laugh!

From Bodrum we cleared the south western tip of Turkey and stuck our bow out into the South Aegean Sea. The Aegean has a nasty reputation, especially over summer, with the "meltemi" winds building most afternoons, sometimes nonstop for days and nights, whipping its way south and churning the seas with a mean standup wave, oh so reminisent of travelling up the northern Red Sea and Gulf of Suez. Even this time of year, if the wind is strong from the north the seas build very quickly. Day 1 was not too bad, from the north but about 15knots and we managed on a very tight reach to arrive into the lovely little bay of Atki on Kalymnos. There is nothing there except a few fish farms and goats climbing the cliffs, their bell collars clanging every step they take. The next day was forecast to be stronger winds so we stayed the day and went for a long scenic walk around to the next bay and village of Vathi and back. The conditions out at sea looked to be perfect from our view high above the bay, oh well. With winds forecast to ease we left the following day, yuk, should have gone yesterday. We had very strong north-easterlies and a big sea quickly developed. We shortened sail and ended up motor sailing through it to calmer waters on the east coast of Leros and anchored in the large sheltered bay of Lakki. Unfortunately our wind instruments did not cope well with falling off some of the waves and the constant variation of wind speed this brings and have died on us, they have done this before and required new parts, heres hoping this time it will be an easier fix.


We dinghied ashore in Lakki and tied up at the town quay, called a marina which charged €18 (not for the dinghy!!). Lakki Town is a somewhat ramshakle place, built by the Italians in the 1940's along with a naval base. It probably looked beautiful in its heyday, but now has somewhat fallen into a state of total disrepair. It reminded us both of the bombed out and crumbling Italian buildings in Massawa, Eritrea. Probably not a fair comparison but certainly the same feel to it. Still, it had a few shops, bank with ATM, internet cafe and a few cafes.

Another day, another island - next stop was Patmos. We had light winds and flat seas, sailing when we could then motoring the rest. The main harbour of Skala on the east coast is a cute little place, dominated by the Monastery set high above in fortress like surroundings. We anchored the first night at the head of the bay. Things ashore were busy with two cruise ships in, all the little shops and cafes open and peddling their wares. The next day we moved onto the town quay as our Canadian friends Gord and Ginny arrived on their yacht Ascension and tied up too. It's great to be tied up, so convenient just to be able to jump on and off to go ashore, especially with friends there, not having to dinghy backwards and forwards. We split our time between boat jobs and having fun. The repair of the wind instruments saw Mark dangling at the top of the mast removing bits and pieces for much longer than he cared for, unfortunately we still have no wind instrutments, emails have been sent requesting help!!!


On a beautiful clear and sunny afternoon, with the med looking its postcard perfect blue, the 4 of us had an excellent afternoons excercise and excursion walking up the hill to the Hora (the village atop the hill and the main Ayiou Ioannoa Theologou Monastery. Just on halfway (time for a much needed breather!) is the Monastery of Apokalypsis built around the grotto of St John the Evangelist (St John the Divine) where John supposedly heard the voice of God, and he wrote the Book of Revealations for the New Testament and also his Gospel, circa 95AD. Then for the final push up to the main monastery, with a magnificent old church covered inside with frescoes, a prominent bell tower, several terraces, covered walkways and the original kitchen with a petrified wood hollowed out tree trunk used for kneading dough for the bread. Outside the monastery the narrow alleys of the Hora are a delight to spend some time getting lost in, peaks of the sea, whitewashed buildings with blue shutters, wildflowers growing everywhere, cats lazing in the sun - unforgettable images of Greece.


After 4 nights in Patmos and with a good weather forecast we left Gord and Ginny. They plan to cross to the Caribbean later this year so we might not catch up with them again, for a while anyway. We have known them since July 2006 when we did the Darwin - Kupang rally together, the definate downside of cruising is the goodbyes when you stop going the same direction or at the same pace, still the reunions are great, hopefully we will find Ascension at anchor in an idilyc Caribbean anchorage one day, good luck guys, we will miss you!

After an excellent sail in a steady light breeze with flat water we arrived back in Turkey on the southern Cesme peninsular in the large bay of Agriler Liman, it was a big day 65 miles and 11 hours, due north and taking a big chunk out of our journey. The following day dawned clear and bright yet again, still with a definate chill in the air, and light winds. We left early and had another excellent sail in the sheltered waters between the Cesme Peninsular, Turkey and the Greek Island of Khios (Hios, Chios). We have now left the Dodecanse Group and entered the Eastern Aegean Island Group called the Sporades.

We stopped at a tiny island just north of Khios called Oinoussa (Inousses). We tied to the wall in the little shallow harbour along with another couple of yachts, had a walk through the almost deserted town that tumbles down a small hillside and pretty much saw it all in about 30 minutes! The claim to fame for this tiny island is that it has produced most of Greeces wealthiest shipping magnets, it was very sleepy, I suspect they have all left town for the bright lights!!
After quite a windy night, and on receipt of conflicting weather reports we left the harbour to continue north. One weather report said 15-20knots Northwest, the other 25-30 Northeast, we shouldn't probably have left in either but there was an anchorage back on the Turkish mainland just 8miles away if conditions weren't good so we gave it a go and made excellent progress in flat seas for the first couple of hours heading Northeast to Lesvos.

Ole Huey must have decided we had been having too many good days of sailing and it was time to put an end to our fun so sent down the 25-30 Notheasterly to sort us out. It just amazes us how quickly the sea state changes around these parts once the wind starts building, and heading to Lesvos was really no longer an option without falling off waves which is not one of our favorite pastimes. Back out with the Turkish Cruising Guide and a change of course to a more comfortable due east heading and a couple of hours we arrived into the sheltered waters of Eski Foca, Turkey.

Cruising Info:
Anchorages
Atki Liman - East Coast of Kalymnos. 36 57.51N 27 01.96E 16m Very clear water, could have gone closer in. Good holding, beautiful spot
Lakki Harbour - West Coast of Leros. 37 07.59N 26 50.82E 10m Outside wall used for ferries so keep well enough clear
Skala Harbour - East Coast of Patmos. Anchored one night 37 19.70N 26 32.74E 10m good holding not much swinging room. Then 3 nights on the wall side tied, 3.5m. Did not check in with harbour master, no charges collected
Agriler Liman - Cesme Peninsular. 38 15.24N 26 23.41E 8m good holding, also marina there. Beware charted shallows on way in on port, no danger marks on them
Mandhraki Harbour - Southern Coast of Oinoussa. Side tied on wall 38 30.85N 26 12.98E only 2.4m, nudged bottom on way out. Asked to check in with port police in morning and asked to leave for Chios or Lesvos to check into Greece (we had done well getting this far unchecked)
Money - Saw ATM's on Leros and Patmos
Provisions - Leros had a few small stores. Patmos good selection of meats, groceries and alcohol. Oinoussa had a small supermarket and veg shop up the hill but were closed. Bread had to be ordered in advance
Sightseeing - Patmos Monasteries well worth it, free entry
Internet - Leros, internet cafe on shorefront 1€ for 20minutes!! Patmos, got wifi on boat. Nothing at the others

Nisyros - The Volcano Island ... Apr 2009

21-23 April 2009

After an enjoyable, if somewhat noisy, weekend of Easter celebrations in Symi it was time to leave this postcard perfect island for the last time and start heading out into the Aegean Sea and commence this seasons cruising, exploring new places and leaving much enjoyed ones behind.

We made the most of little winds and calm seas and motored due west to the island of Nisyros (Nisiros, Nissyros). Lying in the southern Dodecanese chain between its better known neighbours of Kos and Rhodes, the almost round island of Nisyros's claim to fame is that it has two bubbling volcanic craters at its heart and a 7th century BC castle that has undergone partial restoration.
We headed for the small harbour of Pali (Palli) on the northern coast just a couple of miles east of the main harbour of Mandhraki and carefully made our way into the shallow waters and got straight into the swing of things "Greek sytle" and went stern-to against the harbour wall on the northern side. It's a small, shallow (we had 3m) but functional harbour and they have changed the breakwater entrance to be east facing instead of north, affording much better coverage from the prevailing northwesterly winds.

With Balvenie tied up snugly we spent the afternoon and following day exploring the island. We hired a little motor scooter from Captains Place at Pali for €8 for a day. We went up and up, unsure of whether the scooter would make it!! to the crater rim and then down onto the valley floor. There is a large area (free entry when we visited) easy to walk around to access both the volcanos, which you can actually desend right down into and walk around. We listened to the steam bubbling away inside the earths crust and saw familiar boiling mud pools, just like at home, it even smelt like New Zealands' Rotorua. We spent a couple of hours exploring the area, no fenced off areas or warning signs, definately not like home!!! Back down to the sea and into Mandhraki for lunch. A quick reminder of the fact that we were now in "Euroland" and no longer Turkey, no 2Lira Chicken Doners to be found here, but we will soon get used to the prices, grin and bear it and hope the New Zealand Dollar (fondly known as the Pacific Peso) exchange rate keeps improving against the rest of the worlds currencies!!!!

Then it was time to explore the nearby 14th century Knights Castle and the Panayia Spilani Monastery, (couldn't enter inside). Next up to the 7th century BC Paleokastro (Castle). Again we were free to wander aimlesly around this magnificent ruin, which has undergone partial restoration recently and has excellent drawings and explanations in English of the structures. One can only imagine at how it must have been to live somewhere so isolated, and that they had fleets of ships plying these waters many hundreds of years ago. They sure knew how to chose the spots with the best views!! I must also mention the wildflowers at the moment, spring is truly here and both on Symi and Nisyros the hills are dancing in the wind with the sway of wild daisies and poppies, just beautiful. We zoomed around on our little scooter, there arent many roads and very little traffic, so we mangaed to see most of the island and filled up for just €3 so an excellent days outing. Back in Pali there is a tiny Greek Orthadox church, just by the harbour wall, it is freshly painted on the outside and a must see inside if its open, the paintings/murals covered the inside walls and ceilings entirely, we could find no information at all about it but it is an absolute gem.

Mark had an extra trip into Mandhraki on the scooter, helping out Nina onboard a sailing school yacht, she had arrived in Greece 4 days previously for her weeks sailing school holiday but unfortunately her bag didn't come with her and had been chasing her around Greek Islands by ferry since!!! Rumor had it that it was definately on the 6pm ferry into Mandhraki, happily for Nina it was and their trip to the ferry was rewarded with her pack, at last.

Next stop back to Turkey to visit Bodrum

Cruising Info:
Anchorage - Pali, Entry in breakwater now faces due east, we stern-tied to Northern wall in 3m, some side tied. Bollard rusty and started wearing through our mooring line. New south wall in good condition, 4 yachts stern-tied, unsure of depth over there. No charges made while we were there in April. There were power boxes and water that all looked new but didn't yet work. Mandhraki also looked fine, shelter not as good as Pali but quite large, ferries go in there.
Money - Didn't find ATM machine. Is supposed to be one in town and one at Mandhraki harbour but didn't see them
Provisions - Fuel Station on road to Mandhraki. A few small grocery/fruit-veg and bakeries in Mandhraki. Bakery in Pali a little way out on the road east along the beachSightseeing - easy to do everything in a day by scooter. There is a walking path to the volcano, around 9kms each way, it would be a long, hard day
Internet - No wifi signals at all and didn't even see internet cafes anywhere

The Season ends ... Oct 2008

25-31 Oct 2008

***Looking down from the citadel ruins into Bozuk Buku, Balvenie lies at the top of the bay***Mark is King of the Castle at the excellent ruins at Bozuk Buku***

We left Khalki with 2 reefs in the main and the headsail reefed and poked our nose out and had an excellent sail with 20knots on the beam headed northeast towards the southern coast of Symi. Plan A for the day was to anchor in Pedhi for the night and we made great time up in solid winds until we closed in on Symi. The winds died, the seas calmed down, the reefs were taken out and we pottered along for awhile. When we got into Symi straight it all livened up again to keep us on our toes with up to 25knots on a very tight reach, full sail up in flat water. Balvenie and skipper were very much enjoying stretching their legs, the admiral, well she wasn't minding it too much either!! We decided that Plan A may just have to wait another day and we thought the anchorage in Pedhi might be just too gusty with these winds so we bore away and had a great beam reach sail across to Bozburun, always nice to return to a familiar anchorage after a day at sea. We met up with English friends Jo and Dennis onboard Aurora, and also Peter and Brigette onboard White Rose, great to see some familiar faces again. We had a couple of nights in Bozburun while the winds kept blowing, then had a pleasant sail back across to Symi for a night to alcohol, pork and fuel up for winter.

Our cruising season was drawing to its end. If we were in New Zealand with this weather we would never be heading for a marina, the days are still brilliant with blue skies, still no less than 18c overnight and around 25c during the day and even the admiral has been in swimming again (by choice!!!), but we are constantly watching the weather now and everyone says we have had a good October, the storms will come soon.

So we say goodbye to Greece for the year and head from Symi back across to the bottom of the Datca Peninsular and have a very gentle sail downwind across to Bozuk Buku, a beautiful big sheltered bay overlooked by the ruins of an impressive citadel, it was a fitting site for our last night at anchor for 2008. We enjoyed a big walk and climb through the ruins the following morning and got in one last swim for the season before we up-anchored and had another very unpredictable sail with winds from all directions and from 5-25knots, keeping us on our toes until the end!! We are now at Netsel Marina in Marmaris, home until mid April 2009.

Anchorage info:
Bozburun and Pedhi same as before.
Bozuk Buku 36 34.44N 28 00.65E 12m swinging, three restaurant docks stern tie with bow lines, but plenty of room for several boats to swing at anchor also. No wifi signals, impressive citadel ruins ashore to explore

Fuel info for Symi Island - you can side tie up to the dock in Pedhi (rough concrete dock, nasty big black tires for fenders) and walk up to the fuel station on the road that heads for the hill (about 5 minutes walk). They have a little tanker truck and will come to the dock. Cost was 1.29Euro per litre. Credit card accepted. They are closed between 1pm and 4.30pm. They had run out of diesel when we were there so the other option is you can go round to Symi town and as you enter the harbour on the left is the fuel station and dock, nice clean big orange fenders and they throw you mooring lines, didn't look very deep by wall but ok for us, water is just so clear is looks shallower. Cost was 1.15Euro per litre (much better), credit card accepted. Only negative about here is if a ferry comes in while you are tied up, the wake is dreadful as they go by.

Dodecanese Islands of Greece ... Oct 2008

18-25 Oct 2008

***Balvenie at anchor in front of the big monestary at Panormitis, on the Southwest corner of Symi***Morning light on the harbour at Khalki***

We had a couple of plans of what to do once Lesley left us to fill the time before our marina booking from 01 November, however like with most plans sailing you have several back ups. We stayed a few days in Bozburun, Turkey as there were very strong winds forecast for the Southern Aegean. Then we ventured out and started by having a great sail pointing towards southern Symi, until the wind died and the motor came on. We had a night in the sheltered enclosed harbour at Panormitis, and went for a big walk along to the monestary and all the way around to the windmill at the harbour entrance.

The following day we hoped to head for Kos, but plan B came into place when there was no wind at all and very confused seas. We headed back to Turkey and had a couple of nights up in Datca. Yesterday we tried to go to the Greek Island of Tilos, but messy seas and 20knots right on the nose put plan C into place and we bore away for a more comfortable ride an headed down to Khalki (Chalki, Halki - the Greeks seem to have 3 names for everything). We are tucked up in the small harbour here, just with one other yacht, its a cute little place but almost closed up for winter. The skies are still blue each day and its only just under 20degrees at night so still very nice. Tommorow (25th Oct) we will start heading back towards Marmaris.
Anchorage info:
Panormitis 36 33.07N 27 50.75E 7.2m swinging, excellent shelter better than it looked in guide book, could get possible roll, entrance straight forward but if strong winds seas may build outside, could be very lumpy. Monestry, small store and taverna ashore. Irregular bus to Symi town. No wifi
Khalki 36 13.35N 27 36.91E 14m swinging. Very good shelter, slight roll came in. Stay as close to shore as possible, we were asked to move after dark when very big inter-island ferry came in. In summer there is apparantley a swim platform that you can stern tie to, it had been removed for winter. Two reasonable stores, a few bars and cafes ashore. Small sleepy place. Bus service to beaches and monestry during summer (stopped now). Reasonable unlocked wifi

Datca Peninsular & Symi ... Oct 2008

11-17 Oct 2008

***The ruins at Knidos***Pedhi houses and harbour***Lesley - flat out on Monday morning*** The ancient sundial at Knidos***Pedhi on Symi, this one looks like a "do-up"***The cats of Symi with Balvenie at anchor in Pedhi in the background***

Lesley has arrived (see Dalaman Airport info below). Her flight was delayed so we didn't get back to Balvenie until 2.30am so we had a very slow start and cruisy day with some afternoon exercise kayaking to the head of the bay to Orhaniye, there are a few restaurants with docks up this end of the bay and the small Sunsail Charter base dock. Another blow was forecast for the night so we were very happy to stay put in our sheltered spot in Keci Buku. (anchorage details on previous posting). Sunday dawned bright and sunny again and we had escaped the wind so headed out and tacked along the peninsular in very light winds to the small town of Datca. There doesn't seem to be much in Datca, its a sleepy fishing village with a few day trip boats as well, a pleasant town quay and a few restaurants crying out for the tourist lira. We had a walk round town, lovely dinner ashore, a pleasant quiet night and pulled out the next morning.

More light winds with a very pleasant but slow sail along to our next stop at Kalaboshi. Lesley enjoyed the calm conditions to lie on the foredeck and top up her tan before that long English winter! The days are cooler now, even we are enjoying the suns warmth after years of escaping it in the shade. Winter is coming. Kalaboshi is a tiny cove tucked into the southern peninsular with a little pebble beach, a couple of restaurants and backpackers accommodations, very low key and a good stop for the night. We went ashore for a walk and happy hour but had dinner onboard. We heard Oguns did 60 for dinner though, all from yachts on the dock, it may be the end of the season but there are still quite a few of us out here. They have a good reputation.

Another day of light winds so we had to motor some of the way to the ancient city of Knidos on the end of peninsular. These Dorian ruins date from around 400BC. It was a thriving city in its time as it is an excellent spot to wait for favorable weather before stepping out into the Aegean. The ruins are spread over several kilometres and are great to rummage around in, with so many artifacts just "lying around". There has been some work excavating the ampitheatre and buildings and although they are not the best ruins we have seen we certainly enjoyed our time there. Entrance was free, we maybe just got lucky as we had heard it was 10Lira. There is a restaurant with a somewhat drunk owner ashore, he may be the reason the dock was empty!!

Just as we were supping on nightcaps we started to notice lightening in the distance, and sat and watched as it got closer, and closer. We, like all yachties hate lightening. A nearby strike can cause absolute havoc to the boats electrics, in some cases wiping out all electrics, navigational equipment, radars - the lot. We put what we can remove into the oven and microwave then cross our fingers and toes. It came closer and closer to the east of us and at one stage we saw 4 forks coming down at once. We had another long night on anchor watch, the winds in the end didn't exceed 25knots, but a couple of yachts dragged and some were way to close to each other. We are never comfortable enough just to go below to sleep in these situations, better to know whats happening. We have now done more anchor watches in Turkey/Greece than in our previous 4 years. Not so much because of the wind strengths but because of bad holding, too many yachts close by and other less experienced sailors who don't anchor well enough for the conditions.

So time again for a dip into Greece. We were looking forward to a great downwind sail back to Pedhi on Symi. The forecast had shown wind for the day but it must have been what came through in the night. There was much disappointment when we had to motor the 25miles back to Symi, with very grey skies and even a little drizzle at times, out came the sweat shirts - a first during the day for a very very long time!!! The skies did start to clear as we approached Symi, and by the time we anchored the world was looking a brighter place and it was even starting to warm up again. We got the small local bus over to Symi town. Everywhere was so much quieter than when we were there 10 days ago, the town quay was almost empty, some restaurants have already closed for the season and the last bus home is now 10pm. We had a lovely wander through the streets, it is such a quaint place, the postcard images of a perfect Greek Island. We completed it all with a fine Greek salad, souvlaki and mousakka before getting the last bus home, another peaceful night. We had a big walk around Pedhi in the morning in glorious sunshine yet again, while hoping and waiting for some wind to fill in.

Eventually we had enough puff to make our way back across to Turkey and have ended up at Bozburun, another well protected anchorage at the head of a bay, with a small quay (heard its 35Euros a night) a small town with a few restaurants and stores and a dolmus (minibus) service to Marmaris. We found a great fish restaurant ashore for Lesley's last night with us. Bozburun is famous for its boat building yards, and although we went for a big walk in search, so far we have only found gulets afloat and a couple of abandoned projects on shore, we are definitely missing something so further excursions will need to be made!! Sadly it is time for Lesley to leave so we get the dolmus to Marmaris (7Lira pp ow) where we have organised a transfer for her to Dalaman (see details below). We have had a great week with her exploring new territory and fitting in a return to delightful Symi.

Now we just have a couple of weeks before we are due into Netsel Marina for winter and we have to decide what to do, where to go. The weather is looking a bit blowy for a few days so we have finally decided to stay tucked up here then make a run out into the Aegean and visit a few more of the Dodecanese Islands in the Southern Aegean, like always that is plan A, stay tuned!!!

Anchorage info:
Datca 36 43.20N 27 41.38E mud 8.5m Good protection from N and W. Ample room to swing. Took dinghy into town dock. Wifi good signal but needed codes
Kalaboshi 36 41.00N 27 34.43E dropped 14m stern tied to rock wall (may be turned into dock by 2009) Restaurant dock was busy, room to swing anchor for one or two boats only and more exposed, bottom mix of weed and sand, very clear water. Oguns Restaurant good wifi, got password from bar. Also got water from them.
Knidos 36 40.99N 27 22.52E 10m think hard sand, swinging. 2 attempts to get anchor set. About 12 yachts & 2 gulets and still plenty room. Dock was empty despite attempts by staff to fill it, don't know why. Good shelter, had 20knots for a while during the night, 1 boat dragged
****The above 3 can be rolly we have been told if the meltemi is blowing, we had very settled conditions except for Knidos where we had an electrical storm during the night****
Pedhi 36 36.82N 27 51.49E dropped 12m settled 17m, swinging. Opposite side to where we anchored last time, holding seemed better and larger shallow area. Also picked up wifi at random to check emails. Fuel info - see "The season ends... 25-31Oct"
Bozburun 36 41.42N 28 02.46E 14m mud outside the town quay just to the west. Beware of the shallows further west which are easy to see in good light only. Good shelter from all but south. Several wifi-one unlocked, or have drink at Gordons Restaurant and ask for their code

Dalaman Airport Info:
To/from Keci Buku (Marti Marina)
We hired a car from the marina travel office from 2pm till 9am for 100Lira (120Lira for 24hours) and needed 50Lira fuel for the trip to Dalaman and back. Airport car parking was 9Lira. Keci Buku is 30mins from Marmaris on the Bozburun Road
To/from Bozburun
We caught the last dolmus into Marmaris at 5pm, takes 1 hour and is 7Lira. We walked to Netsel Marina and connected with a transfer from Yacht Marine (shared with 7 others and booked by phone earlier) at 6.50pm for Lesley which was 30Lira. The last dolmus back is at 6.30pm so we negotiated a taxi back to Bozburun for 100Lira, took about 50-55minutes.

Dipping into Greece again - Symi ... Oct 2008

02 - 04 October 2008

***View ashore from the anchorage at Pedhi on Symi***Symi town leads steeply up the hill from the harbour***Walking around the harbour in Symi***

We had very calm seas for our short trip across from Turkey to the Greek island of Symi. Symi Town is at the northern most part of the island and is a busy harbour with many yachts, gulets, superyachts, fishing boats and ferries all wanting to tie up to the town quay. It is also an offical port of entry for Greece and a bustling little place. We decided to anchor in the next bay/harbour around on the eastern side called Pedhi, its alot quieter and you can just swing on the anchor - if you can find a spot. Like so many of the anchorages of late there is very deep water until quite close inshore but we managed to nestle in, in the far right corner and set our anchor. The difference between the Greek and Turkish architecture is so pronounced, there is no way of mistaking what country you are currently in!!

We caught the local bus across to Symi town, it leaves hourly at half past and is 1Euro. The view from the top of the hill before you drop down into Symi town is spectacular, oh so postcard perfect Greece. I closed my eyes as the bus made the final approach downhill along the one lane right on the edge of the water, it realy didn't look like we were goin to fit, but I guess he has done it before!!! We had a big walk wandering along the very busy town quay and right around the other side of the quaint harbour. Then time to relax with a cold Greek beer and people watch. We were joined by friends Robin and Marion off Simba who were tied to the town quay and we had a lovely evening with them and a great dinner out. We caught the bus home again, in this direction it goes on the hour until 11pm.

Everything was perfect, but that never lasts long and an unforecast blow came up about 1am, together with just enough rain to collect dust enroute to earth and make a right mess all over the boat, again. The anchorage was very busy and the wind direction put us much closer to the shore than we were happy with so we maintained yet another anchor watch until things settled down after sunrise. There was plenty to watch, a couple of boats dragged on the other side of the harbour, the water tanker left the town quay then another large cement freighter arrived, never a dull moment.

Wanting to add yet another country to his ever growing list of "Maintainence in Exotic Places" skipper needed to address a newly discovered problem of our leaking raw water pump. This was the same culprit that caused us to postpone our departure from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, many moons ago, so we had a rebuild kit and a replacement pump onboard. After a few hours and not TOO much swearing the new pump was installed, the engine going and no leaks. We are not altogether happy with the replacment hosing that needed to be added but can save that for another day. We stayed another night, did a trip ashore to stock up on a few goodies not available in Turkey, mainly pork products. There is a small deli/supermarket right at the end of the pier, not a huge selection but adequate and their is a fuel station only a couple of minutes walk away for much cheaper diesel and petrol than Turkey.

Anchorage info:

Pedhi 36 36.94N 27 51.42E dropped in 12.8 settled in 5.5m. Larger shallow area on left side of jetty but too busy. Keep well clear of the jetty and allow turning space for reasonable sized freighters to come and go - all hours. Some yachts tied to left (south) side of jetty, ones on north side told to leave.

Town quay in Symi - drop anchor and back into concrete quay, imagine underwater looks like spiders web. Will be instructed where to go by harbourmaster. Standard Charge for any size seems to be 8Euros per night including power (maybe water too?). Lots of surge/roll from the endless traffic. Maybe asked for Greek papers, maybe not, may also have to show proof of insurance, maybe not. We decided Pedhi was a better option for us for a short stay.

Off to Rhodes ... Sept 2008

06 Sept 2008

***Neil, Barbara & Mark on one of the old town walls in Rhodes with the med in the background***Well they did order 2 large beers!!!!***Checking out the boutiques in Rhodes old town***Neil and Barbara in the main square***

With Neil and Barbara having been in Turkey now for 2 nights we decided they needed a change of culture so time for a quick dip into Greece with a trip down to Rhodes. It’s less than 30 miles south of Marmaris so makes for a good spot to top up on all those yummy Greek delicacies, pork products and much much cheaper alcohol. We left with light winds and motored further west along the Turkish coastline in flat seas until the wind started to pick up. We then headed south towards Rhodes at a slightly kinder angle but still had the strengthening afternoon meltimi pretty much on the nose for most of the trip but with seas under 1m so comfortable enough. Down came the Turkish flag as we closed in on Rhodes and up went the Greek one. Because this was a one night stopover we stayed outside the main harbour areas and anchored off a small beach just 20 minutes walk from Rhodes Old Town.

Again we had the anchorage to ourselves, it was a short dinghy ride ashore and we left the dinghy safely on the beach while we set off to explore.
The walk into town went through the “car repairs” area and we started to question if this had been a good idea. Once we hit the main harbour area – jam packed with 4 cruise ships and found an entrance through the old city walls a new world opened up in front of us. Rhodes town has been around since 408BC, with plenty of wars and sieges to add colour to its history.

The magnificent walled old town has been beautifully restored and is very well maintained. The shopping/eating area is a “cruise ship passengers” emporium of upmarket ‘designer label’ boutiques, craft shops, galleries, duty free shops, restaurants and cafes, and with the passengers of 4 cruise ships packed onto the narrow streets it was very very busy, but this didn’t detract at all from its charm. We had a great walk around through the alleys and around the wall then stopped for a drink on a roof top terrace where the boys had a foot of beer each at inflated cruise ship prices (or are we just used to Turkish prices now).

We enjoyed a traditional mix of Greek food in a lovely courtyard setting for dinner and ambled back through the rather seedy car repairs area to Balvenie. We never really like leaving her in an anchorage alone with the dinghy on the beach, but both were just where they should be when we got back. Back onboard we cracked open a bottle of Balvenie Doublewood 15 year old Scotch, that Neil and Barbara had spotted ashore and kindly bought for us and ended the excellent evening with a nightcap.
Anchorage info: 36.25.60N 28.14.20E 6m shallows up slowly, sandy bottom off beach. Possiblity of anchoring inside breakwater (unfinished marina?) just north. Over 20knts daytime, around 15knts overnight but comfortable and calm water. Bali Hai advised ok snorkelling off shoal area by breakwater but we didn't investigate

Yesterday Greece - Today Turkey again ... end July 2008

***Mark outside one of the many rug shops in Kas***Welcome to Greece, Balvenie on the wall at Kastellorizo***Kastellorizo Harbour from the other side Mark with small fishing boat*** Balvenie in tiny Kalkan harbour***

26 - 31 July 2008
We are having a truly wonderful time moving west along the south Turkish coast from Finike. We have been overwhelmed by the amount of stunning spots, tiny villages, tourists towns, excellent ruins and great anchorages we have discovered so far, and everyone keeps saying it is better further west. Today we are in the small harbour of Kalkan which is probably the cutest little "tourist town" we have ever come across. It is very steep and the small lanes head skywards, there are very tasteful shops, hundreds of restaurants all with bourganvillia covered roof terraces affording a spectacular view out over the med, the whole place has a very nice atmosphere.

Yesterday morning we left Kastellorizo which is a Greek Island about 15 miles east of here. We anchored stern to in the harbour in front of all the small cafes and bars, it was another amazing spot which we loved. So all in all life is good at the moment, the sun shines every day, it is getting a little hotter but still manageable and the tourist season has certainly kicked in, charter boats abound but it all makes for great entertainment - always something to watch. Will update more when we get wifi again.

Now we are in Fethiye, getting up to date again. We left Kekova Roads and sailed to windward along the coast, it's what you have to do here as all the prevailing winds at this time of year are from the west, or northwest, which ofcourse is always where we want to go. We have certainly honed our tacking skills and are happy to sail when we have enough wind, but tacking with light winds is soul destroying for at times you really do feel you are just going back where you came from. My soul has been destroyed a few times along this coast but in fairness we have, for the most part, enjoyed the sailing so far.

Our next stop was Kas, the small harbour in Kas is mainly for fishing boats, gulets and small local tour boats and at 70 Lira a night isn't such an attractive option so we anchored in a bay about 1 mile south called Bayindir Liman which is mostly around 20 metres deep. We stayed a couple of nights and had a few hours ashore in Kas which is a lovely town. We had been here before when we came by hire car but enjoyed spending some more time, its quite touristy but is quite upmarket and has some lovely little lanes, cafes and rug shops.
Anchorage info: 36.10.67N 29.38.58E about 22m , some boats anchored stern to.

From Kas it was time to put the Turkish flag and Liras away for a couple of day and it was back out with the Euro (left over from Cyprus) and hoist our new Greek flag. Yes we were off to Greece, and it was only 3 miles away!!!

There is the small Greek Island of Kastellorizo just off the coast here, 70 miles from its closest Greek neighbour of Rhodes and it is a popular spot for those wanting a quick change of country. We had been advised by other cruisers not to anchor in the main harbour but to go to the next bay called Mandraki which we did. The holding isn't too good in there, there is a thick layer of weed, but found a little spot and settled in. The wind picked up during the afternoon so we decided to stay onboard until it dropped, as it's a small bay with lots of big crunchy rocks around the edge. We had a nice swim and leisurely afternoon, but as the afternoon progressed the winds increased and by 8pm we had over 25knots so decided to up anchor and either try to anchor in the main harbour or follow our track back to Kas before dark. We entered the main harbour and we are still not sure if the wind just stopped or if it was much more sheltered but calmness overcame us and we tucked up next to a couple of other anchored yachts and wondered why we hadn't done this a few hours ago.
Anchorage info: 1)Mandraki 36.09.08N 29.36.07E about 18m, loads of weed spots so poor holding. There is another bay to the east but we found poor holding in there also.
2)Co-ordinates not recorded for anchorage in main harbour but just tucked up in the far right corner as far as we could in 10 metres. They do have cruise ships and the Rhodes ferry come into the harbour so not sure how long you could anchor in here. We had no problem overnight

This is now a tiny settlement which has had way more than its far share of tragedies over the years, severely bombed during the world wars, devastated by fire that wiped out over 2/3rds of the houses and most of those still standing then turned to rubble in an earthquake. There is no water on the island and apparantely it is almost a ghost town during winter. However during summer it has been revitalized by many expat Greeks that went to live in Australia and have now come back and bought little waterfront cottages to spend their summers (Australia's winters) . It is slowly being turned into a place definately worth stopping at. There are some good restaurants along the waterfront and we went ashore and sampled our first Greek dinner at the Olive Garden which was excellent. Next morning we up anchored and went stern-to on the harbour wall which was free as long as you ate ashore, not a hardship!! There is a very good little museum here and also a mosque which has the history of Kastellorizo well displayed, they also have a 20 minute video on at 12noon which was excellent. It showed photos of the harbour in the early 1900's and then now. It is not many places that were booming then and empty now, but this is one. This was an excellent stopover, no issue at all of checking in/out, just change courtesy flags.

We left the harbour at Kastellorizo and went down the eastern shoreline and around the bottom for a little tikitour and to find the "grotto" which is reported to be very good but were unsuccessful in spotting it so we set sail westwards to Kalkan and had an ok sail with not too many tacks. The closest sheltered anchorage is 2 miles away which is really too far in the dinghy for us so we looked at anchoring outside the breakwater where a couple of other boats were, although the depth was ok it is very exposed if any wind comes up and it was also quite rolly. So still feeling confident from our Greek Med mooring we decided to get some more practice in and entered the small harbour and "parked" where directed by the harbourmaster. We timed it quite well, about half an hour later it was like Picadilly Circus with yachts, gulets, fishing boats and tour boats arriving at once. It seemed quite full, but they just kept on coming and no one was turned away, it was tight but ok. We decided not to plug into shore power, a smart move as we later noticed smoke coming out of the dockside power unit. The 3 boats plugged in all had small fires onboard as a result, not a good thing - they were all charter boats so weren't so worried, they were more concerned about would the hair dryer, toaster and fan still work! The harbour fee including water was 60 Lira for us, expensive but we could not have come in here otherwise and Kalkan by night is a true delight.

As I have already said above in the first paragraph we thought this was one of the cutest little tourist towns we have been to, its attractive by day and vibrant at night. We would have liked to have stayed longer but its a little too expensive for us, so next day after a morning walk around we left the harbour and went the 2 miles to Yesilkoy Liman, a lovely sheltered bay just to the west of Kalkan. This was the first night since our arrival in to Turkey that we had wind during the night, not much but we have become to expect no wind and calm seas each night.
Anchorage info: 36.15.64N 29.22.23E around 18m in middle of bay, holding ok, a little swell