The space time continuum

It had definitely been worth getting into a marina to sit out the southerly wind, which was a bit more than predicted. The southerlies are the ones that are feared around here.

Kormen to English Harbour

Once it had passed, and we were fully kitted out with telecoms and provisions, we set off to go further down the gulf of Gokova. I had my eye on a spot some 30 miles downwind called English Harbour. It is so called because the British Special Boat Section had used it as a base during the second world war. There is an interesting article in Wikipedia about them and carrying out operations on Rhodes, Kos and Symi to great effect.

I had always thought Turkey was nominally neutral for most of the war, although favouring the Axis, and came in very late on the side of the allies. Presumably they did not mind their territory being used like this, or maybe nobody really asked permission.

We set off with a light Westerly wind. I had just taken part in a discussion on the (very good) Beneteau 423 owners forum about using light wind sails. Others on the forum were planning to spend large amounts on buying a cruising chute.

A cruising chute is a large light weight foresail that is useful for sailing on points of sail where the wind is aft of the beam. It is a bit of a monster to launch, especially when there is really only a single combatant on the launching team.

My comment to the forum was that I had tried sailing with it quite a few times but there was a conflict between the wind being too light, and the sail needing constant attention to stop it falling in the sea, and the wind being too strong, when it became a liability. In the eastern Med the wind is light in the mornings and then picks up in the afternoon and I was fed up launching it in the morning, knowing I was only going to have to take it down again shortly.

The response from my co-owners was that it was me who was the light-weight, and many sailed it regularly single handed, indeed one guy had crossed entire oceans with it up!

So I was determined to rediscover my down-wind sailing mojo. I opened the aft locker and the chute was sitting at the bottom in deep slumber. Tentatively I moved out all the other paraphernalia sitting on top of it.

I grabbed the beast and commenced wrestling it out of it’s lair. It was fighting back but I prevailed and dragged it kicking and screaming to the foredeck. I attached the halyard and hoisted it to the masthead, where it finally hung defeated.

I think I must have knocked all the fight out of it because it launched like a pussy cat, the sheet and tack were adjusted and it billowed out in picturesque splendour.

Nice.

We then sat back and watched in admiration while it did it’s thing for the next 4 to 5 hours. I am converted, it is worth having one of these aboard. I have left it in it’s bag on deck to try to encourage us to use it as much as we can.

I'll build a wall!

We arrived at Degirmen Bueku, a small gulf on the South side of the Gulf of Gokova, where English Harbour is one of several bays suitable for anchoring. However there is a major caveat. The South end of the gulf is restricted because of the presence of a Presidential dwelling. This was built some time ago but is very splendid, and in a splendid setting, and with splendid security. The forest has been cleared to build security fences and guard posts. Behind the trees I could make out some fairly humongous satellite communications kit and a warship anchored off. I suspect he was at home so we stayed well away.

Presidential Cottage

English harbour is absolutely delightful. Well protected, good holding in sand and mud and without signs of civilisation of any sort.

There were another couple of boats anchored with lines ashore so we did the same. They were obviously also there to enjoy the isolation and tranquillity, that is until a boat full of a young Turkish family arrived for a shindig. To be fair, apart from being loud, they were very well behaved, and it was very much a family event with kids and adults dancing and signing. Why not, it is their country to enjoy.

English Harbour

We had a perfectly peaceful night after the party had finished, with just the sounds of nature and the stars. It is hard to imagine such a tranquil place being the centre of clandestine and violent military activity. It has returned to its original nature.

We set off the next day with only light winds planned and headed for Cokertme, a bay on the North side of the gulf some 20 miles away. The sailing was a bit frustrating with barely enough wind to sail purposefully but enough to dictate that motoring would not be fun. So we slowly tacked up the Gulf and and entered our destination.

Cokerteme is a nice secure bay from all points but South. There are a range of restaurants and we got grabbed by Capitan Ibrahim’s team. C’est la vie. To be honest not much occurred and we had a pleasant evening.

The new measure of time. 

We are getting to the stage in this trip where time as a dimension has taken on a new form, and it’s passage is difficult to reconcile with all the electronic devices we have on board that measure it. In fact the best arbiter of the passage of time on this sort of trip is the growing of your toenails and whether they need to be trimmed.

M wishes she had long legs

We departed the following morning, not necessarily because we were keen to get somewhere else, but because it is what we do, and the pleasure is in the sailing, with all it’s noises and movements, which has a relaxing quality that almost cannot be achieved when stationary. Or maybe we have been at sea too long.

From Cokerteme we had planned to head around the head of the Gulf to Knidos or Palamut. The forecast showed a breeze in the morning, which is unusual, getting up to a stronger wind from the W in the afternoon, around 13.00 hrs. So to make progress W we set off early. We tacked and motor-sailed into an annoying light head wind for several hours. We were just at the point of entering the passage between Kos and the Datca peninsula when a dark blue wind line appeared ahead of us, and it had white bits in it.

A sharp turn to starboard

Before we really had time to take any purposeful action, we were suddenly in a 20-25 knot wind, with biggish gusts. The plan to sail through this was rapidly abandoned. We reefed the main and Genoa and set off on a broad reach towards Bodrum. We fairly whizzed along at maximum hull speed under reefed sails. We flew into Bodrum bay, past all the super yachtd, and anchored under the lee of St John’s Castle.

Bodrum Castle

The breeze slowly settled and although it was a bit roly from the wash from all the passing traffic, we were happy that we were securely anchored. So time to hit the town. We got the outboard mounted on the dinghy and set off ashore. By this time it was getting dark and I could not identify a landing jetty as such. So after a bit of exploration I identified a bit of beach amid the high concrete walls and we headed for shore.

After a bit of splashing, stumbling and cursing in the waves breaking at the shoreline, we made it onto land and tied up to a beach parasol.

Superyacht at Bodrum. Spot the deck hand!

Whereas Altinkum was a very family orientated holiday town in the “kiss me quick” hat idiom, Bodrum is much more young, glam and chic. So we had made landfall in an up-market beachside restaurant and had become the variety act for the various smart diners and hipsters drinking cocktails. Glad to be of service.

Landing Jetty?

On the technical front, M found a useful device in a hardware shop. A meathook for hanging whatever bit of dead animal you are planning to eat. Not much use to us, but with a bit of heat and judicious application of the hammer, it is now the mark III anchor chain hooking device. 

The open hook goes under the chain or rope suspended from the ring. A second line goes through the closed hook and trips the device to retrieve it. I now just have to engineer a crossed anchor situation to test it out.