Log #33c Dardanelles towards Kusadasi

 We were now going “downhill” as we are going southerly, down the Aegean which has predominantly northern and northwesterly winds. That is why coming up the Aegean, especially from SW Turkey, is an uphill, against wind, slog.

We hoisted our main while at anchor, then weighed anchor, motorsailing carefully across the main traffic lanes entering and leaving the Dardanelles. We had to watch both upbound and downbound ships, at least four were in sight each way. We headed for the stern of the second downbound, clearing his stern, and well ahead of the next ship downbound, and clear of the inbound ships. We then unfurled the genoa but kept the engine on as the winds were very light, but at least from the north giving us some lift.

While going down between Bozcaada, known as Tenedos in that time period where the Greek fleet lay in wait until the Trojan Horse was inside the city gates, we saw a pod of dolphins feeding, and enjoyed going the right way with the wind for a change. We remembered the very heavy upwind motoring we went through to get to Bozcaada in the early spring of 2003, and now we were able to turn off the engine and actually sail past it in an enjoyable wing on wing configuration for several hours

The first big Turkish cape south of Bozcaada is Baba Burnu where we anchored beneath it in Babakale. We saw this town and its Turkish fort on our way up, and almost turned back to it as the winds were so strong against us at that time. In Babakale we initially went into a sheltered bay with some fishing boats, using our bow anchor and taking a stern line ashore.

Shortly after we were in, another large sailing yacht from Holland that had followed us down from Bozcaada anchored in mid-harbour. We went over to see if they wanted any help as we thought they might want to take a line ashore as recommended in the pilot. No, they were fine and asked us on board for a drink.

The lovely 60 foot yacht, Andrea, from Amsterdam, belonged to Ko, a friendly soul who has bought an old Turkish home near Assos and had arranged a permanent mooring there. Apparently many Europeans, especially Brits, are buying up Turkish farms, homes and land at good prices for vacation homes. Prime Turkish Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal property is, and is increasingly more so, a hot real estate market. I would think that renovating an old Turkish farmstead would be more interesting and enjoyable than just buying into one of the many large sterile boxy looking tract developments of vacation homes we see all along some stretches of coast.

While we were aboard Andrea a local fisherman came over to suggest we might want to relocate as another large boat was coming in. That was an understatement. We shifted to the main part of the harbour about 100 metres from Andrea, but took a line ashore to the outer breakwater to keep us clear of boats coming and going. It was a good thing we did as more than 10 large trawlers came in and occupied every space along the town docks and town wall.

I took Sprite ashore to the town to explore the Turkish Ottoman fort built in 1725 to protect the town against pirates. The walls were in good condition, but there was nothing inside. However the wall walk gave a good view of the town, up the coast and over a Turkish cemetery just outside the fortification. The older white headstones featured Ottoman motifs and Arabic writing, and the more recent, over the past 80 years, used the Latinized Turkish alphabet.

Our sleep was disturbed by the trawlers that came in with engines roaring around 2200, and again when they left, with engines roaring, next morning about 0500. Oh well, it allowed us an early breakfast and early start for Bademli Limani 47 miles down the coast, south of Ayvalik.

Again we had co-operative northerly winds, light at first, then picking up to allow us another few hours running wing on wing. We were again escorted for about 20 minutes by a large pod of dolphins, playing in our bow wave, and showing off for us.

We anchored at Bademli Limani in 4 metres of water (39° 00.31’ N, 026° 47.29’ E) between two elongated olive grove clad islands with scenic limestone cliffs and crystal clear azure blue water. It was one of the most scenic and peaceful anchorages we have enjoyed, reminding us of such exotic anchorages as Ship Channel Key in the Bahamas, and Panormitis here on Astipalaia in the Greek Aegean. We spent two days here, snorkeling, exploring the hot springs, and dinghying up the shallow bay near the town, and out to the limestone carved islands of Guvercin Kayasi off shore.

One of the hot springs has a concrete hamam built over it; whereas the other three that I explored were open hot water pools on the shoreline. Being a hot summer day, I did not want to linger in these pools, but I imagine it would be interesting and enjoyable to do so in the early spring or late fall when the weather is cooler. I thought of going over at night, but Judy and I were enjoying the stars of this clear moonless night, with no shore lights to mask their clarity.

Two days later we made an early start heading south-southwest for Hoteleratan Beach on the peninsula just north of Cesme. However as we were passing the northern tip of the Karaburun Peninsula, we encountered heavier south winds, and increasing seas. We didn’t need the aggravation and so turned around to go into the small town of Yenilimani on the tip of Karaburun.

When plotting our courses, we try to note alternate anchorages enroute in case of bad weather, and sometimes have an additional anchorage or destination beyond the planned one in case we make better time than anticipated. We did not know what to expect and had our stern anchor ready for a Med mooring on the town wall. However as we entered the harbour a gentleman indicated we could come alongside the main part of the town dock, beside the town square with a bust of Ataturk and a couple of cafes and markets (38° 40.28’ N, 026° 26.36’ E).

A couple of large trawlers were moored at the end of the dock, on the outer breakwater. After picking up a few supplies and wandering the town and local beach (complete with a large rusting trawler that had been blown ashore), we took Sprite for a run around the rocky headland to a secluded pebble beach where we had some refreshments, and Judy read her book while I snorkeled around the underwater rock formations in the fantastically clear waters of this area.

When coming in we could still see shading and contours on the bottom in over 40 feet of water. Back on board we bought a few more vegetables from a produce truck that set up for an hour in the town square. A small gulet, Blue Angel, had come in ahead of us, and we met the young owner/skipper Gunduz who was taking the boat to Istanbul, hoping for better chartering there. He mentioned something about coming over later that evening. No problem, we would be home. However, shortly after supper there was a flurry of activity and we were asked and helped to move Veleda back about 15 feet, as a power yacht was coming in ahead of us, between us and Blue Angel, in an emergency, taking on water and only one engine operating.

By this time it was dark. People were milling around the dock spectating or trying to help. Gunduz had a mask and snorkel and was diving on their stern with another diver. Meanwhile the owners and crew of the yacht had formed a bucket brigade and were passing buckets of water out of the boat frantically trying to keep it afloat. Within about 25 minutes a coastguard rib boat with three crew came and set up a water pump to control the flooding. We gave one of the divers an underwater flashlight (a torch to you Brits), a tube of underwater epoxy, a bag of wooden plugs, a roll of plastic bags, and a large aluminized windshield sun screen to help plug whatever holes they had.

We found out that the boat hit a rock and tore out one shaft, and did some other hull damage. It was a British flagged boat, Crazy Daze, but owned by an Italian family who used it for their summer holidays. The flooding seemed to be stabilized with whatever temporary repair they were able to do, but they kept the pumps ready all night while waiting to go to a boat yard next day. We got back our flashlight, part of our roll of plastic bags, and the aluminized windshield screen. We don’t know if they were able to make use of the plugs or underwater epoxy, but we were not going to ask for them back.

Meanwhile Gunduz and his cousin Onur came over with a large pot of tasty, spicy stew of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and onions, with a plate of bread, to share their feast with us. We added our ouzo and wine for a good evening with our Turkish friends. By the time they left around midnight, we noticed that many more large trawlers had come in unnoticed by us. Where there had been only two trawlers on the end breakwater, there were now six abreast, two of them with their bows almost overhanging Veleda. Behind these were another six, and several others around the harbour such that the harbour was full with over 20 of these large vessels. We hadn’t heard or noticed them as we were preoccupied by the sinking yacht and then our Turkish guests from Blue Angel.

In fact now we were concerned that the harbour was so crowded that there would not be a channel to get Veleda out in the morning unless of few of them departed early. Come morning Crazy Daze was still afloat ahead of us, wet sheets and cushions drying on the foredeck, and we could notice in greater detail how crowded the harbour was, as all the trawlers were still there. Gunduz came over to say goodbye to us and interpreted from one of the locals that there was a channel along the outer breakwater where we could get out, but to stay close to the trawlers as there were shallows close to the breakwater.

Backing out, I had to watch that the overhang of the flared bow (about at the height of our spreaders) of the outboard trawler did not catch in our rigging. Veleda backs up quite well, and going astern will track a straight line or the stern can be steered left or right with a bit of helm. Many sailboats have difficulty going astern. Perhaps for Veleda, it has to do with its underwater design of a ¾ keel and unskegged spade rudder. Another factor which might allow the rudder to work efficiently astern is that the prop shaft and engine are off at a 15° angle to starboard. It was just the way this 1978 model of the Ontario 32 was designed and built. The off centre shaft seems to have no effect on the tracking ability of Veleda ahead or astern. It works!

We were originally planning to go to Kirkdilim Limani just before the cape at Take Burnu, but Gunduz recommended Sarpdere Limani, a couple of miles earlier. We took his advice and were glad we did. As we approached, the northerly winds went from a light force one to a heavy force five (20 knots), blowing over the mountains and right down the valleys into the head of the bay. We went into Sarpdere Limani, into the East Creek to find a sheltered isolated bay, with olive groves and park-like open ground on the north side and up the valley at the end of the bay, and dramatic rocks and maquis scrub brush on the mountainous south side. It was an idyllic isolated bay between mountains, anchored in 10 feet of clear water, with no signs of civilization around (38° 10.9’ N, 026° 31.3’ E).

The winds howled down the open bay, and swirled us around in our more sheltered bay for the next two days. Our anchor held quite well, but the wind did gust down the valleys from the north. I took Sprite for a long ride up the valley to the vacation development at the head of Sarpdere. It had a lovely sheltered sandy swimming area and 10 to 15 duplex or fourplex vacation homes, a café and a mosque. There was a concrete pier with a few boats at the end and a few fibreglass trimarans for rent on shore, good landscaping, but no people! In the whole area I saw only four or five villas occupied, at mid season!

There are many large resort developments in Turkey, but rarely have I seen any of them with more than half or less occupancy. Some of the main resort towns such as Marmaris, Bodrum, Cesme, and Kusadasi may have good and full business in high season, but these resort developments in the middle of nowhere are fantastically underused. Even in Kemer I felt many of the large developments were woefully undersubscribed. This might be a function of state planning and subsidization as opposed to well researched private enterprise.

I took Sprite out along the open shoreline, beneath mountains and fantastic rock formations, grotto-like caves, soaring craggy pinnacles and rock arches, wave booming crevices and a coastal panorama of undulating and crashing blue waters against granite ageless cliffs. There is such a rugged beauty of the juncture of land and sea uninterrupted by civilization! It makes no difference whether it is a sandy beach with undulating dunes lapped by tranquil waters, scrub brush as a scrawny cover for barren rock with swirling frothy waves, impenetrable cliffs rejecting the eternal crashing of the seas, or pastoral or tree clad mountainsides with a magnificent vista across the endless ocean, Nature is greater and more beautiful than anything manmade! We are thankful and appreciative for our opportunity to see this glorious coast of Turkey. I ventured ashore to wander the olive groves, and up each of the two valleys that branched off from the East Creek bay. There were a few drystone animal shelters, but no recent signs of sheep or goats. There were some sink holes and small caves eroded into the limestone and loose pebbly earth.

The second day Teva anchored in the main bay. We had met this 50 foot French sailing yacht in Poyraz at the entrance to the Bosphorus a couple of weeks ago, and so we went over and said “hi” to them.  

The third day we ventured out, heading for Kusadasi. However, there were still strong north winds. We thought (Ha Ha) that we would be in the lee of the mountains of Take Burnu, but the winds howled at even greater force as they insinuated themselves through the valleys and over the crests in catabatic squalls, gathering speed.

The weather forecast was for winds north, force 4 gusting to 5 (15 to 20 knots). OK, we could take that, and it would be in our favour as we were heading southeast. We started early at 0730 for the 43 mile run to Kusadasi, as winds are usually lighter in the mornings. It was a north force four wind as we exited the bay, and altered southeast towards Take Burnu. We actually sailed for a half hour until the wind died, and we furled the genoa and turned on the engine to motor through the dead spot before the cape. The wind went ESE a gentle force three for 15 minutes, then as we passed Kirkdilim Limani, the wind was howling down the bay a vicious north four to five, and increasing.

By 0900 the wind had increased to north force six to seven (25 to 30 knots) and we hadn’t rounded Take Burnu yet. We decided that if it got worse at Take Burnu and across the wide bay to Kusadasi, we didn’t need that kind of pressure and so turned back. However we were in for it now as the winds howled force seven to nine, with gusts frequently 45 to 55 knots! By 0930 we went through the dead spot we hit earlier, to our relief, then motored back in force six winds to reach our original anchorage in East Creek at 1045, after 3¼ hours and 16 heavy nautical miles.

We could wait another day for better weather before heading 43 miles across the two wide gulfs of Sigacik Korfezi and Kusadasi Korfezi to Kusadasi.

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