Making Our Way Back to Marmaris

On our way out of Hisarönü Gulf we explored some of the anchorages and bays on the northern side of the Gulf.  We checked out the narrow bay of Bençik.  It was very pretty with pine covered hills, crystal clear water and a wilderness feel to the place.  Being a narrow bay the only draw back was that we would have to anchor stern-to and take a line to shore – not our preferred method of anchoring.  

Bençik

It was still early afternoon so we decided to go on to another anchorage about 7 nm further west.  Halfway there the wind and seas started to pick up and we bashed our way into the calm waters of Kuruca Bay.  It was a beautiful anchorage which we shared with only a few other boats.  We dropped the pick and settled in to watch the sun set behind the hills.

Kuruca Bay

 

We started out early the next morning and crossed the Gulf to check out Dirsek, a bay on the southern side of the Gulf.  We had hoped we would have a nice beam run across with the prevailing westerlies but the winds were light and flukey so we ended up motoring.  The anchorage was full of day trippers enjoying the clear water.  We dropped anchor, had a wonderful swim and some lunch then moved on.  I would have loved to stay longer in Dirsek.  The water was so clear we could easily see the bottom in 12m.

Idyllic Dirsek

In the two hours we had stopped in Dirsek the winds had picked up.  When we got out of the sheltered bay we were hit with 20 knot winds and heavy seas.  We bashed through around the point but then once around the 120^o bearing towards Bozburun made for a very pleasaant beam reach using the genoa only.  We managed to sail all the way up the bay into Bozburun. 

 

 Once again Bozburun had lots of people we knew, although Bathsheba had moved on.  We desparately needed to get some laundry done and headed ashore.  We ended up having dinner at Osman’s where all the yachties go.  A big wedding was being held in town.  Women were dressed to the nines; there were fireworks and the whole village joined in with the festivities.

Bozburun wedding

Bozburun

Leaving Bozburun bay

We stayed just two nights in Bozburun then left mid-morning for a slow but pleasant sail to Bozuk Kale (or Bozuk Bükü), only a few kilometers from Bozburun as the crow flies but 14nm by sea.  We had been in Bozuk Kale in May and it was nice to return.  We spent two nights here with a handful of other yachts.  We returned to the castle to have another walk around the walls and to admire the beautiful views.

Two gulets under sail - a rare sight

Castle walls of Loryma (Bozuk Kale) still standing after more than 2000 years

Views from the castle walls

Our anchorage

 

We were up relatively early to start our last passage of the season back to Marmaris.  We put up the main sail while at anchor and were very pleased that we were able to sail off the anchor.  The winds were flukey going up the peninsula.  One minute we had great 10 knot winds and moving along at a nice clip then there was dead calm and we would slow down to a crawl.  Just when we thought we would have to resort to the iron spinnaker, the wind would come back for a few minutes.  Finally just outside Çiftlik harbour the winds totally died and we had to enter Marmaris Bay under motor.  Still Songster seemed very happy to be back to her home base (as were her crew).

Approaching Marmaris Bay

 

Back to Turkey

We went up the coast of Symi to Pedi in order to reluctantly check out of Greece.  The check out procedure was quite straightforward.  It was not necessary to go into the harbour of Symi Town, as we needed to when we checked in.  Instead we could anchor at Pedi – a much easier operation – and take a bus to Symi Town with all our boat papers and passports.  First to the immigration office to get our passports stamped, then to customs where a few other forms were stamped and we were asked for €20 (not sure what this was for as they did not ask about any taxable items we had onboard or ask about anything for that matter – just stamped some papers and collected money), finally to the harbour police for the final stamps on our Depka form.

Example of a Depka form

Back to Songster for an early morning departure and a straight run into Bozburun and Turkey. 

Bye Bye Greece

 

Our initial plans were to check into Turkey at Bozburun, staying only a day or two, then sail into the Hisarönü Gulf to explore several anchorages there, then return to Bozburun about 10 days later for the big Cruising Association get together.  However returning to Bozburun was like old home week.  Onyx, Little Liza, Bubbly Lady, Emma B, Ellida, Julia Too and Bathsheba (all yachts which we had sailed with over the last two seasons) were there as well as many other yachties.  The next 10 days were a whirl of social activities and catching up.  Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures during the socialising but managed to find some photos of the boats from our previous cruising together.

Back in Bozburun

Bathsheba in the afternoon sun

Julia Too

Emma B gull wing off the coast of Turkey

Ellida going fast

Between the socialising, Bob needed to get some dental work done - a double crown and filling.  This required three trips into Marmaris, an hour plus bus ride.  For two of the days I stayed on the boat.  It was a real treat to drive the dinghy by myself and have a whole day on the boat alone.  Bob and I have been together basically 24/7 for the last 2½  years so a little of ‘me’ time was very nice.  Bob was very happy with the dental work and it cost about a third what it would in Australia.

Dental price list

Goodbyes were said after the Cruising Association party with vague plans to cruise in company next year to the northern Sporades.  But for now the Hisarönü Gulf awaited us.  We had a pleasant motor sail in light winds to our first stop, Marti Marina in Orhaniye, for a pump out.  We did this last year and going into the dock was a bit tricky for us.  This year it was very easy.  I guess we are getting better at handling Songster.  With a clean holding tank we anchored off the little island in Keçi Bükü capped with the ruins of a Byzantine fort.  We spent 5 days at anchor, swimming, reading, relaxing and exploring.

Byzantine fort

Songster below the fort ruins.  The hole was the well for the fort.

The climb up was a challenge, requiring all fours at times

Such a beautiful anchorage

It was a lovely time but we had to acknowledge that the days are getting shorter, the nights cooler and the season coming to a close.  It was time to start making our way slowly back to Marmaris to put Songster to bed for the winter while we do some land travel.

Back to Panormitis

After Alimia we headed back to Panormitis.  We had a very pleasant beam reach sail all the way into the harbour.

 

Once again we were treated to wonderful sunsets accompanied by the monks’ chanting.

 

 

We spent a few days at Panormitis just relaxing.  One afternoon we were getting out of our dinghy to come ashore when an amazing older Greek lady approached us using a walking stick and asked if that was our dinghy.  We said it was and she asked if we could take her for a ride in it around the harbour.  We were a bit taken aback but she seemed such a nice enthusiastic old lady that we agreed to pick her up at 10 am the next morning for a spin around the harbour.  The next morning she was waiting for us at the dock.  We worried most of the night about her fraility and her ability to get in and out of the dinghy.  We made sure she had a life jacket on and it turned out she was much more limber than we

thought.

We had a nice gentle ride around the harbour and found out that Effie was a widow and in Panormitis for a memorial service for husband which was to be held from 7-9 am the next day.  She had lived in Toronto, Canada for 30 years with her husband, travelled widely (a neice in Adelaide, Australia) but now lives on the island of Kefalonia in the Ionian with her nephew who owns a hotel.  So if you are in the area make sure you look her up – we certainly will.

Effie and the Aussies

 

We left idyllic Panormitis early the next morning to the sounds of the monks giving Effie’s husband the special memorial service.  Hope it was healing for you, Effie.

Shadows lengthening over Panormitis

Rocky Halki and Abandoned Alimia

Ever since Three Sheets told us about the islands of Halki/Chalki/Khalki (Greek spelling doesn’t always translate consistently) and Alimia off the west coast of Rhodes I have wanted to visti.  So to fill in a few more days in Greece before going to Turkey, we headed to these islands.  We had a very pleasant, easy motor sail from Pedi in light winds.

  

Halki is the smallest of the inhabited Dodecanese Island; a misnomer as there are more than 12 inhabited islands to this group of islands in the Eastern Mediterranean.  There are about 300 permanent residents living in the port village of Emporio.  We tied up to the floating pontoon with the other five sailing boats in the harbour and went about exploring the pretty village.

Chalki harbour

The next morning we got up early to walk to the old castle and Chorio.  We walked past some lovely beaches and anchorages and made the long climb up the mountain.

Beautiful beaches

The area on the hill overlooking the harbour had been settled since the 4th Century BC by the Minonians.  The Knights of St John built the Medieval castle in the 14th Century and the Ottomon Turks took over the area in the early 16th Century.  By the 1800’s the village was abandoned once the pirate threat was small enough that the people of the island felt safe enough to live in the harbour.

Castle and abandoned Chorio

Church for very small people

Bob having some cold water on the throne of Zeus

Fantastic view from the castle of the barren island and Rhodes

In the afternoon we made the short sail to the uninhabited island of Alimia, only about 6 nm away.  We had the place to ourselves.  We tried three time to anchor in the northeastern bay but no luck but then got securely dug in on the southern side.

 

Our anchorage in Alimia

Wonderful sunset

The first night we were in a terrific blow but our anchor held well. We were getting consistent 30+knot winds for hours with gusts much higher.  One gust was so powerful that it tilted the boat so that the books fell off the table.  This can and does happen when sailing (you have to put all those things away before setting out) but we hadn't experienced it at anchor.  We put the anchor watch on the GPS and managed to get a reasonable night's sleep.  The next day it was totally calm - typical Med winds of all or nothing.  We took the dinghy ashore to explore.  

Alimia was a WWII German Army base and the old barracks are still there with wonderful cartoon drawings done by the soldiers adorning the walls.  Sadly the walls are also adorned with more modern graffiti. 

WWII German barracks

Every soldier's dream

 

 An abandoned village is in the northeastern bay of the harbour.  There is a church, still maintained as always, and some dormitory style rooms in which local fishermen sometimes doss down.  The island’s only inhabitants are some emaciated sheep and goats.  There is not a blade of grass on the whole island so I have no idea what the poor animals live on. 

Abandoned village of Alimia

Now inhabited by sheep

It was a great exploration of the island; made all the more special in that we had the island to ourselves.  It is not often that one gets a Mediterranean island to oneself.