Berthing bother and a prehistoric cave

One of our favourite tavernas in Ermioni

29^th May 2015. After a week in the Gulf of Epidaurus it was time to start making our way towards Kilada, where Sandpiper would be stored in the yard for the winter. We spent our first night anchored off the island of Poros and our next in the bay at Ermioni, one of our favourite spots. Then it was on to Porto Heli and finally, on 3^rd June we dropped anchor in the bay at Kilada.

We weren’t due to be hauled out until the following week, but Sandpiper had developed an oil leak that Cliff had tried and failed to fix, so we had allowed extra time for Dimitris, the local marine engineer, to take a look at the engine.

The bay of Kilada

The main harbour was already full, which left us the challenge of finding somewhere suitable to berth. The only option was the (very shallow) small boat quay, so we sounded our way in, and eventually found a berth squeezed between two fishing boats. Soon after Dimitris arrived and found the cause of the leak, a poorly fitted oil seal gasket.

That night we were glad to be tucked in a sheltered spot as the winds blew hard. But by the next morning we were regretting our decision as the winds were gusting to Force 7 and our anchor had dragged, pushing our stern dangerously near the wall. We needed to leave the quay,  but we were surrounded by a cat’s cradle of mooring lines and buoys, making it very difficult to move without getting a line wrapped around out propeller. Eventually there was a lull in the wind and we decided to go for it - I began hauling in the anchor while Cliff gently eased us out.

All was going well until suddenly the anchor chain jammed. At the same time the wind gusted and put Sandpiper’s stern on a collision course with a concrete pier. Luckily, the quick actions of a local man helped us avoid potential disaster. From his dinghy he could see that our anchor was wedged firmly under an abandoned fisherman’s anchor, and he helped raise it until we could get ours free. Lesson learned: avoid small boat harbours in high winds!

The impressive Franchti cave

With the boat safely back at anchor  we took off in the dinghy to explore a famous local cave on the far side of the bay. The prehistoric cave of Franchti achieved international fame when archaeologists found a skeleton there that dates back to 23,000 years BC. This makes it one of the oldest sites of human habitation in Europe. We had assumed it would be one of the small caves we could see hollowed into the hillside, but in fact it’s a huge, cathedral-like structure big enough to house a small community and their animals. There was no one looking after the site, but there were information boards in English that highlighted where the skeleton had been found and how the cave had been used over the years.

Sandpiper being hauled out at the Basimakopouloi yard

On the 8^thJune Sandpiper was hauled out of the water and lifted into the steel cradle that would be her home for the winter. Then on 10^th June we flew back to the UK to begin a different adventure: putting our house up for sale and looking for a new home for our retirement.

Volcanoes and a sunken city

The peaceful gulf of Epidaurus

23^rd May 2015. A relaxing, four hour sail took us from Poros to the harbour at Epidaurus. This is at the head of an impressive gulf surrounded by pine clad mountains on one side and the rugged volcanic peninsular of Methana on the other.  We visited Epidaurus briefly last year and really liked the area, so we were looking forward to having more time to explore.  We had read that there was a sunken city on the other side of the peninsular from Epidaurus, which has been underwater since the volcano at Methana erupted in 230 BC. So the next morning we set out on a 20 minute walk through orange and lemon groves to Kalymnios beach to try and find it. It wasn’t difficult, there’s a painted sign saying ‘Sunken city’ that points straight out to sea!

Cliff opted to stay on the beach as I donned mask and snorkel and waded into the water. Five minutes later I was swimming over paved roads, the walls of houses and huge, pottery storage jars half buried in the sea bed. What an amazing experience, and what a shame I don’t have an underwater camera! Afterwards we walked back along to the restaurant and relaxed on the beach over a very good lunch.

Lunch on the beach after exploring the sunken city

After a couple of days in Epidaurus we decided to cross the gulf to explore the Methana peninsular. The area is known for its 32 'volcanoes' which are actually lava domes created from volcanic activity over the years.

The port of Vathi

Our destination was the little harbour of Vathi,  a fishing village in an unspoilt corner of the peninsular, quite a contrast to the busy resort of Epidaurus. It’s also good base to visit the volcano, and the next day the son of the taverna owner gave us a lift to the bottom of the track that leads up to it.

On top of the volcano

After a half hour hike we were scrambling over the top of the lava fields with stunning views across the water to the islands of Aegina and Agistri. Then another couple who had walked up with us pointed out a track leading to a sign saying ‘Volcano’ and a small opening in the rock.  Inside was what looked like a man-made mine shaft, but as we climbed down into it we realised it was a blow hole with incredibly smooth, flat walls  which had been created by the rock sheering as the volcano erupted.

The entrance to the blow hole

At the bottom of the blow hole

Crossing the Aegean

The marina in the bay of Ekincik, near Marmaris

14^th May 2015. We had decided to put our house in the UK up for sale, and were due fly home from Athens on 10^th June, so we now had exactly four weeks to get Sandpiper from southern Turkey across the Aegean to a Greek boatyard in the Peloponnese. You need to pick your time to cross the Aegean to try and avoid the dreaded ‘Meltimi’, a wind that can blow at Force 8 or more for days at a time. Last year we were storm bound on Naxos for a week while the Meltimi blew through, so this year we had chosen to cross in May when the winds tend to be lighter. The plan was to do the crossing as quickly as possible.

After an overnight stop in the beautiful bay of Ekincik near Marmaris, we sailed on up to Datca where we officially exited Turkey. From there we sailed to the Greek island of Kos, and then headed to the island of Leros. As we pulled into the marina at Leros we spotted Debs and Martin on their lovely wooden boat, Solon of Toorak. We last saw them in Corinth a year ago, so it was great to catch up with them again.

The weather looked good to make the long crossing from Leros to the island of Paros in the Cyclades, so at 5am the next morning we slipped our lines and headed out to sea. The forecast was for a light wind on the nose which would back and increase later to give us a good beam reach. What we got was almost no wind at all, so we motorsailed for 12 hours until we finally arrived at village of Naoussa on Paros in the late afternoon.

Cliff outside the café we had visited 38 years ago

 We visited Naoussa on our honeymoon 38 years ago, so it holds very special memories for us. It’s grown from a small village to a popular resort, but still retains its old-world Greek charm. We allowed ourselves a day off sailing to wander around town and revisit some old haunts. The little café where we used to breakfast on Nescafe, Greek village bread and honey is now a large and rather plush Greek patisserie complete with an expresso machine. The narrow cobbled lanes through the village where we bought our groceries are now full of beautifully restored houses and upmarket gift shops. But one thing hadn't changed - the restaurants that line the small fishing harbour still sit you at a wobbly wooden table and serve the best fresh fish, straight off the boats.

Decorated wooden doorway

The fishing harbour at Paros

The winds stayed light for the next two days while we sailed from Naoussa to Loutra on Kythnos, and then across to the Greek mainland. On the 22nd May we anchored in the channel between Galata (on the mainland) and the island of Poros, relieved to have had an uneventful crossing. We had travelled from Gocek to Galata in just over a week, and could now look forward to relaxing for a while before Sandpiper was hauled out at the yard in Kilada.

Sunset at the Galata anchorage

Visitors on the boat

Looking down from the castle at Kalekoy

On 4^th May 2015 we finally left Finike to start our sailing season and head west along the Turkish coast towards Greece. Our first stop was in the beautiful Kekova Roads. We had planned to anchor for the night in a quiet bay, but as we tried to drop anchor our electric windlass, which provides the power to drop and raise the anchor, refused to work. Neither of us fancied the idea of hauling in 60m of anchor chain by hand, so we headed back to the village of Kalekoy, hoping to find a mooring there.

Kalekoy is a magical little place that nestles under the remains of a Byzantine castle built in the Middle Ages to fight off pirates. In the summer it’s rammed with tour boats so there’s little chance of finding a mooring for a yacht, but in early May the place was almost deserted and we received a warm welcome as we approached one of the restaurant pontoons.

Anita above the Kekova Roads

We spent a very pleasant couple of hours wandering around the castle and the surrounding area, which is full of Lycian tombs. Then we enjoyed an excellent, candle-lit fish dinner sitting out over the water – a great start to the season.

There are Lycian tombs everywhere, even in the water

We were planning a long sail the next day so needed to set off at first light, but we were also concerned about negotiating our way out of our very shallow berth in the early morning light, as it was surrounded by rocks. We mentioned this to the couple that ran the restaurant and they said ‘No problem, we will help!’ Sure enough, they were up at 5.30am the next morning guiding us through the narrow channel to deeper water.

Now we were on a mission, we needed to reach Fethiye by the end of the day as Cliff’s sister Jean and her husband Ron were arriving to join us for a few days sailing. The weather Gods were kind to us, and after an 11 hour (motor) sail we arrived in Fethiye. After a night at the strangely named 'Yes Marina', we moved to a  pontoon at the Yacht Classic Hotel, close to where Jean and Ron were staying. This is a rather plush establishment with two pools and a very good waterside restaurant.
 

As we approached the hotel pontoon we were directed to a tight spot which involved reversing down a very narrow channel then making a sharp turn into the berth. We held our breath as we inched down the channel, but Cliff did such a good job manoeuvring that the neighbouring boat applauded as we tied up.

Dinner with Jean and Ron at the Yacht Classic Hotel

Our first priority was to sort out our broken anchor windlass. Luckily Ron is an electrician, and with his help Cliff quickly identified the cause of the problem, a corroded junction box, and they worked out a temporary fix until we could find a suitable replacement.

Jean and Anita exploring at Kapi Creek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the next few days we enjoyed a leisurely cruise around the beautiful islands of Skopea Limani, the gulf between Fethiye and Gocek. Jean and Ron were great company and we enjoyed showing them some of our favourite spots. We were very lucky with the weather, the sun shone and a light breeze provided some gentle sailing.

Ron takes the helm

At the end of our cruise we headed down into Gocek and were surprised to find that the Town marina was full, so we decided to book into Marinturk Village marina. The downside was that this was a ten minute walk from town, but on the upside it was part of a holiday development with a very nice pool! Unfortunately all was not as it seemed… as Cliff and Ron walked towards the pool they were intercepted by two burly security men who made it clear that (despite there being no physical barriers) the holiday complex was a separate enterprise and marina visitors were not welcome.



Waiting for the taxi at Marinturk Marina 

The following day Jean and Ron took a taxi to Dalyan for the next part of their holiday and the settled weather left with them. We spent two more days in the Gulf dodging the thunderstorms before the forecast looked good for us to continue on our travels.

 

Exploring Antalya



The beach at Olympos

14^th April 2015. We managed to escape from working on the boat for a few days when we hired a car and explored some of the historical sites around the city of Antalya. Our first day was spent driving up into beautiful green mountains then back down again to the coast to visit the ancient sites of Olympos and Phaselis.
 

The riverside remains of Olympos
 

At Olympos we had the place to ourselves as we wandered along the side of a river where Lycian and Roman remains are almost hidden under the tangle of pine trees, vines and Oleander bushes.  At the mouth of the river there’s a lovely sandy beach where we paddled before admiring the Lycian tombs that sit above it. On the edge of the beach we found an impressive sarcophagus that belonged to a sea captain called Eudemos. There is a ship symbol on the front and a representation of the Goddess Aphrodite whose job it was to protect sailors. The inscription on it aptly reads: ‘The ship sailed into harbour and anchored to leave no more…’

The sea captain's tomb

The ruins of Phaselis were much busier, with tour buses neatly lined up in the car park, but the setting is stunning, as the city was built around three small sandy bays backed by pine trees. We walked along an original Roman road and admired the baths, theatre and the remains of the viaduct that originally brought water down from high in the mountains.

Impressive viaduct at Phaselis

 

This was our bedroom in the restored Ottaman  house

We got completely lost trying to find our hotel in the narrow, one way streets of Antalya old town but when we finally arrived we found it was a real gem. Three ottoman houses have been beautifully restored and surround a leafy courtyard with a small swimming pool. The family that run it were very friendly and keen to ensure we had a good stay. The next day we headed to the museum. We were expecting to see one or two things of local interest, but instead we discovered an absolutely stunning collection of statues and stone carvings from local sites – so impressive in fact that we decided to spend more time exploring the sites themselves.



The ancient city of Perge

Our first stop the following day was Perge. This was a wealthy city in Roman times and the remains are impressive, but I would have loved to have seen just a few of the statues from the Antalya museum back in their original location on the site. We then moved on to the theatre at Aspendos which is one of the best preserved Roman theatres in Europe. We were lucky to arrive just as a Japanese visitor burst into song and delivered a perfect operatic aria from the stage.  

The restored theatre at Aspendos

Our next stop was Side – we had mixed feelings about going back here as we first visited the village in 1976. Then it was just a collection of guest houses set amidst the open ruins of a Roman city that was disappearing into the sand dunes and you could swim in the sea below the ancient stones of the Temple of Apollo.  Today it’s a big, sprawling resort - our hotel was in a road with tacky kebab houses,  tattoo parlours and hair salons  - but the ruins have been carefully restored and the old town still retains its charm.

The Temple of Apollo in Side

On our final day we drove up to see the ancient site of Termessos. This meant driving high into the mountains of the Güllükdağı Termessos National Park, but it was worth it. The city hasn’t been excavated and the remains have been damaged by earthquakes, so after a steep climb from the car park there was much scrambling over rocks to explore. We eventually reached the amphitheatre which is set on an outcrop and we enjoyed the wonderful views back down to the valley.  

Amphitheatre at Termessos

Exploring the tombs at Termessos

 

Back to Finike via Istanbul



Wintry Istanbul

20^th March We decided to break our return to Turkey with a long weekend in Istanbul with our friends Melanie and Derek.  The weather wasn’t ideal – we ended up wandering around the beautiful Topkapi Palace in torrential, freezing rain – but we managed to pack a lot into two days and visited some beautiful mosques.

The stunning Suleymaniye mosque

The highlight for me was definitely the food. On the first day Melanie and I did a very good cookery course where we prepared a four course authentic Turkish meal. The cookery school doubles as a restaurant, so Cliff and Derek were able to come along afterwards and enjoy the products of our afternoon’s work. The next day we joined the locals on the banks of the Bosphorous and had a delicious lunch of freshly caught mackerel, barbecued and stuffed in a baguette. On our final evening we found a restaurant near our hotel in Sultanahmet that served traditional Ottoman recipes – an excellent end to our short break!

Karniyarik (stuffed aubergines) ready for the oven

Melanie attacks the Lavash - a tasty 'balloon bread'

We arrived back in Finike on 23^rd March to find ourselves surrounded by snow topped mountains. We had hoped it would be a bit warmer than Istanbul, but Spring was late arriving so it would be another couple of weeks before the t shirts and shorts came out.  Meanwhile there was a long list of jobs to be done before we could start sailing again.

The yard at Finike with snow topped mountains behind it

Spring finally arrived in Finike

After the usual polish and antifoul, Cliff got to work trying to fix the connection to our external VHF speaker. Unfortunately, in the process of trying to fix the problem he managed to blow the fuse in our autohelm unit, which can only be accessed by removing the holding tank (for non-sailers, that’s the tank that stores the toilet waste). Sorting it out was a long, horrible job, but at least the tank got a good cleaning while it was out! Next Sandpiper had her mast taken off so that it could be fitted with a new divider to stop the lines tangling inside it. It was very strange seeing her ‘topless’.

Sandpiper looking naked without her mast

 7th April While Sandpiper was in the yard having the mast fixed we made a last minute decision to have the teak decking in the cockpit replaced. If we had appreciated quite how dirty this job would be we would have arranged to move off the boat. Instead, for next three weeks we lived in a haze of wood dust and grit, and were reduced to crawling in and out of the front hatch when we wanted to get on or off the boat. But it was definitely worth it, as each plank of the new wood decks was hand crafted and the final result is  excellent.

The carpenters get to work removing the old teak

Each piece of teak was cut to fit then held by weights as it was bonded to the deck

From Kalkan to Finike



Kalkan bay

On 20^th October we left Gocek and continued our journey east along the Turkish coast. After a rolly night on a buoy in the bay at Karacoren we sailed on down to the resort of Kalkan. We had planned to spend just one night here, but when we crept out of the bay the next morning we were met by 30 knot winds on the nose and big waves that sent water over the deck, so we turned round and headed back to the harbour! Several other boats were about to leave, but when they heard why we had returned they decided to stay too. We soon got talking to our neighbours and found that three boats either side of us were booked into the same marina as us in Finike for the winter, and we were formally introduced over drinks on Carole and Ian’s boat, Maximillian.  

Kalkan, the torrent begins

 

The flood water in Kalkan harbour

 

The following day we had thunderstorms, and the day after brought torrential rain and flash floods. We were in the top of the town shopping when the torrential rain started, and when we tried to walk back down to the marina we saw that the road down the hill to the harbour had turned into a fast flowing river. Soon the water in the harbour turned from clear blue to a muddy brown as the red earth was washed into the sea. It was slightly worrying to see the water level in the harbour rapidly rising, but fortunately the rain stopped before it reached the top of the quay.

Kas square decorated for Independence Day

We finally escaped from Kalkan on the 26^th October and had a rolly sail downwind to Kas where we treated ourselves to a couple of nights in the well sheltered, upmarket marina while the last of the thunderstorms blew through. The town is in a very pretty setting in a large bay that faces the Greek island of Kastellorion.  While we were there they were busy decorating the town ready for Turkish Independence Day and it was lovely to see the main square hung with so many colourful flags. I also walked over to the Roman amphitheatre on the peninsular beyond the town, and was disappointed to find that it has been ‘reconstructed’ to the point of making it look thoroughly modern. But the seats at the very top of the theatre do still give you a wonderful view of the bay.

The Roman Amphitheatre at Kas

Our next sail was down to a beautiful area known as Kekova Roads, an enclosed channel protected by the 4 mile long Kekova Island. We anchored at the far western end in the almost deserted bay of Polemos Buku and dinghied ashore to walk across the peninsular to the remains of the ancient Lycian city of Aperlae.

Lycian ruins at Aperlae

 

The city was built on the shores of the bay, and some of it is now underwater. When we first reached the shoreline most of it was hidden from sight, but as we walked further along we began to see half submerged sarcophaghi and then the remains of the ancient city walls. Finally, the city itself towered above us on the hillside, now partly lost in a tangle of scrub and thorns. We could also see more ruins submerged in the water and wished we had brought our swimming gear with us, as it would have been a great area for snorkelling. We were completely alone in this vast, overgrown city and it felt quite magical as the thick stone walls glowed in the late afternoon sun.

Early morning in Kekova Roads

 

The next morning we weighed anchor and set off for our final destination, Finike, which is a small market town about 75 miles from Antalya. It was a quiet, windless day and after three hours on the motor we finally moored up in Finike marina. This is where Sandpiper will spend the winter while we are back in the UK. The marina is home to a wonderful mix of cruisers of all nationalities and offers a great social life with coffee mornings, BBQs, walks, drinks and all sorts of clubs. Unfortunately, the long list of tasks we had to complete before leaving on November 14^th meant we could only attend a few social gatherings, but we are looking forward to getting more involved when we return in March.

 

Finike marina

 

Sandpiper having her bottom washed in the yard