Sailing and socialising

Having reluctantly left Kas, the route south led to Kekova and the glorious anchorage in Gokkaya. It is hard to do justice in words to the beauty and safety of the almost enclosed bay, with a good muddy bottom for the anchor to grip, and fresh spring-chilled waters to swim in. A little too much socialising with he Buerks distracted from blogging yesterday.

A local boat is providing a song or two. The winds are light and cool. It is hard to imagine anything more perfect.

Heads or tails

Disconcerting flower display in Kas today.
However great veg shop where a kilo of tomatoes, a pepper, some peaches, and two bunches of grapes totalled £2.

Back to the marina by Dolmus, which missed the first marina entrance, dropped us halfway to the next, so we ended up walking further than if we had just walked to start with.

The 'heads' onboard are a crucial fixture. (For non sailors we're talking about the loo) A malfunction necessitated dismantling the whole pump and replacing two valves. Everyone concerned happy that the skipper went for a swim afterwards, especially the skipper.

Faults

Leaving Kalkan for Kas we had a good view of the coastline. There are dramatic gorges and caves dotted along it. One photo shows the geological fault line that encourages some rocks to part company from their neighbours.

Rather than enjoying the even more chaotic town harbour of Kas we opted for the marina. The skipper finally remembered that he said 'never again' on each recent visit to the harbour. Crossed anchors are almost unavoidable, and the commercial traffic has no mercy on the likes of us. So instead the crew can relax at the marina pool and mentally practise her knots.

Force 6 to 7 soon

The forecast encouraged us to set off in good time to get past the Notorious Seven Capes' and beyond Patara to the harbour at Kalkan.

In the event the winds were light and the sea was smooth. Last night the wind did blow up for a while, and the yacht next to us had to reset its anchor twice in the dark. A large gulet also had problems but we wondered if the guests were aware of the crew working away with the anchor and using the dinghy as a tug to push the gulet into place.

So now we are settled in the busy town harbour at Kalkan, with dozens of little tour boats, one large gulet and a rare flotilla composed entirely of young people. Their advertising must be very specific. Earplugs are at the ready. Flotillas have almost disappeared, even Sunsail has decamped from Turkey to Croatia and elsewhere.

Rain?

A very peaceful day overshadowed by dramatic dark clouds over the mountains. They teased us all day, with distant flashes of lightning and thunderous rumbles. It looked as if they might pass by, but we were deluding ourselves. The rain has arrived so we are enjoying the cosy saloon down below, with the wet world safely shut out.

Socialising, sailing, and solitude

After a very social evening with other Cruising Association members, and an unaccustomed late night, today saw a proper sail across the Gulf of Fethiye to Gemiler Island.

A regular supplier on a local boat sold us melon, figs, dried figs, eggs, and an apple pie. The apple pie was a bit dubious, but the fruit is great.

The wind has dropped, the sun has set, and it is time for the galley slave to get to work.

Round Bay

At last a peaceful night at anchor, rewarded by perfect visibility for stars and passing satellites.

Sunrise at this time of year comes at a more civilised time, so it is no problem to be up in time to catch it.

Now dressing in our finest for a Cruising Association dinner in Tomb Bay. If there's a prize for smallest boat it's ours.