What a great nights sleep, rousing gently into our quiet surroundings, the water gently lapping on our hull and a few birds twittering tunefully from high on the mast. A glow of early morning orangy sun through the hatches slowly lit our cabin, the heat is less intense overnight therefore we seem to sleep more comfortably. This morning our neighbouring boatees are having a lie in too, not a sound could be heard from any boat nearby. Stepping out onto the deck, in that perfect dawn temperature is beautiful, we love this unique cool period before the overbearing sun envelopes our skin. Fish weave through the still waters chasing minute molluscs, flies dance on the surface tempting and teasing the hungry swimmers. Ripples appear as the fish lunge for their prey, creating perfect circles over the water, small splashes follow as they break the surface and head into the deep with their meal. A turtle pops up for a long gasp of air, filling his lungs while surveying his surroundings. His pale green eyes and aging face meets my smiling gaze, what a fabulous sight, as his colourful green and yellow patterned shell glints in the morning sun. He glides gracefully across the bay in front of 'Kejstral', before diving down to some cooler, no doubt grassy spot below, as I look down and watch him swim over the seabed he is joined by another of his kind. These creatures are fascinating, they spend only a few moments on the surface gathering enough oxygen, before submerging to the seabed where they can stay for up to two hours in a resting state. Clearly the more active they are, the more frequently they must surface and reoxygenate. They munch from the grassy floor picking at the foliage for a tasty snack, fish linger nearby hoping to nibble at any tidbits which may be disturbed during the turtles meal.A long thin pointed gar fish wiggles into view, these dark shiny arrow like fish, pass sleekly through the seaweed without so much as a ripple. Its sharp pointed, tooth filled mouth or bill, pierces the clear surface waters. Our plan today is to head onward as soon as the breeze picks up, we have a 6 hour journey ahead of us and would really appreciate some wind assistance. By 09.30, we were hauling in the anchor and revving our engines, we prefer to arrive at an anchorage as early as possible just to ensure we have a choice of parking spots. With only 7 knots of wind barely tickling our mainsail, we motored the whole 31 n.m, how frustrating. The main helps to stabilise 'Kejstral' during a swell and when the wind is sufficient, it helps us gain a little speed too. Today speed was not in the itinerary, we glide through calm seas and float past other sail less yacht's, an occasional little fluttering of sail jolting us to attention, but nothing, not one gust gives pleasure to our craving. We reach Kalkan at 3.30 pm into the large, fairly sheltered bay, west of the town. Kalkan does offer sailors a small harbour, however, knowing that it is pretty busy with fishing and tourist boats, we opt for the more relaxed and stressfree option. Our chosen spot has a lovely catamaran lounging close in to shore, they fly a French flag which tells us it will be a quiet neighbour. Nearby is a little fleet of gulets, their passengers bob up and down in the surrounding waters, splashing and swimming in the cool blue sea. A few paddle boards skim the surface, rippling the smooth glassy sheen and adding texture to the surroundings. Music fills this secluded spot, bikini clad bodies wiggle in time from the highest deck of one of the gulets. Clapping, the audience give courage and approval for another tune and another performance from the brave, perhaps a little uncoordinated wriggling girls. People watching is so entertaining, some are oblivious to the impression they create, others create that performance solely for entertainment and seem to revel in the thought of an enthralled audience. We relax on board, allowing our anchor to settle and us to hydrate and eat. We watch the antics of our neighbouring vessels, while being grateful for the ability to leave at any time if the noise and music exceed our idea of enjoyment. The sea is cool, our bodies shiver despite the blazing sun as we dip into the aqua sanctuary, for a few blissful moments we are cold until our skin acclimatises to the temperature. We float on the salty, blue green surface allowing ourselves to wallow in this deep clear pleasure, each of us gently treading water until we find ourselves circling around 'Kejstral'. An occasional swimmer head down and determined, approaches our private and personal swimming pool, a nod of head or slight waves indicating their intrusion before they power away in an alternative direction. Most however appear alongside us and with a smile shout hello, in one of a variety of languages, they usually speak and spend a few minutes enquiring about 'Kejstral' and our journey. We happily talk to anyone around, meeting new people is a fabulous part of our enjoyment, so many different people living their own lives and venturing out into the world to see new countries and cultures. The Turkish love to chat and teach people about their way of life, while the French tend not to talk at all to anyone other than French. Germans talk with a need to enforce behaviour and their opinion, and Italians seem to happily fit in to every conversation with almost anyone. The British are a little robust in their greeting, happy to spill all to anyone, we have experienced very different behavioural traits from the people around us and love guessing their nationality through this behaviour. This evening we are going to take Zoe our tender across the bay into Kalkan town, we have visited this pretty, tourist spot before by car and look forward to another glimpse tonight, we also need to find WiFi connection. Having eaten a huge bowl of pasta and cheese sauce, we climb into Zoe for what turned out to be, a forty minute trip across to the harbour. We knew it was quite a distance just didn't expect it to be that far! Zoe's engine coped well ....luckily! The thought of rowing all that way back in the dark played on our minds as we brought her to a little mooring between a few small rowing / fishing boats on the harbour wall. As we clambered up onto the concrete wall, we considered the chance of Zoe being blocked in, as we had probably taken someone elses space. However, we had buzzed around searching for a free spot anywhere else with no joy. Securely tied, Zoe was left to fend for herself, in the busy boat filled corner. We slowly made our way around the horseshoe shaped wall towards the shops and restaurants, fishing boat engines starting up, ready for their working night, unhooking old barnacle and moss covered ropes before powering out. Nets in bright yellow hang perfectly folded over crates, ready for throwing out into the dark moon lit night as the throaty engine splutters it's way out into the open bay. We watch, amazed at the enthusiasm of these men, every day is a repeat of the previous one, yet they seem happy and content despite the poor fishing in these waters, how do they survive on such a meagre catch? We take the main street which follows the waters edge, uphill into the town. A few large well established hotels sit high on the hill above this harbour, they must have an incredible view over these little streets and winding roads, not to mention the actual harbour. The bars along the waterfront invite each passerby with soft plump cushioned sofas and pretty padded chairs. Wooden decking provides a summery feel with a wooden gazebo structure for shade in the sun and to hang lighting in the dark. The lattice work gazebo painted brilliant white, looks stunning with climbing flowering pink and yellow plants entwining each slat, soft romantic lamps subtly light the leaves giving a warm pretty glow. These bars and restaurants take full advantage of this prime position, with extensions stretching out as far as architecturaly possible to capture the fabulous views of this little fishing harbour. Each step we take offers a glimpse of the sea and sunset, waiters call "iyi aksamlar" we call out our good evening reply. Couples sit snugly between flowering planters and huge comfortable seats, tables glitter with silverware and glass, awaiting their guests for a sumptuous meal. Gentle music floats through the air as we wander through these pathways, as gorgeous aromas pass by our noses, tempting as they may be we walk past. Our budget keeps us from sneaking into these beautifully decorated establishments, we are always aware of our limitations and stop only for an occasional drink, we of course envy those who can experience every restaurant and fine dining of their choice. We do however appreciate what we have, and have achieved with our boat and lifestyle and the many amazing experiences along the way. The road winds upwards, meandering through gift and craft shops, clothes and leather goods hang from doorways and man-made hanging rails on each side of us. Fabulous rugs and bedding folded neatly on tables which balance on the cobbled walkway. This traffic free road is lined with quaint buildings, painted brightly in pastels and white. Each doorway and window draws the passerby over for a closer look, fine silks in beautiful colours adorn one while glittering coloured Turkish style lights illuminate another, each with treasures waiting to be wrapped in pretty paper and carried away by another smiling customer. The shop owners sit outside, enjoying the cool evening breeze, some knitting while others share cay, or tea over a game of backgammon. As we amble through this old town we speak to almost every local, all keen to capture your attention and of course a slice of your hard earned money. By the time we reach the upper town we are sticky hot and in need of fluids. The views from high on the hillside are fabulous, lights twinkling all around the bay, voices and clinking glasses give an atmosphere of pleasant enjoyment. We head back down, passing through new cobbled streets until we reach the lower bars, on the waters edge we flop into armchairs, which give in to our weary weight. Our waiter is seconds away with his extensive list of fruity florescent cocktails and sparklers. We opt for beer, refreshingly cold and long, just what we need in this balmy heat. We watch the evening holiday makers totter by on their clippy high heels, clearly unprepared for the cobbled streets ahead! Young couples high on the holiday spirit giggle and dance past in their finery. We could sit for hours enjoying this lovely atmosphere and town, but Zoe is alone and we must head back to 'Kejstral'. Our drinks are finished, we make our way back to Zoe. As we edge closer, the lighting becomes dimmer, the harbour is pretty dark at this end. Fortunately and knowing that it would be a long trip on Zoe, we brought our torch. Just as well really, as when we reached Zoe, we realised that she had been completely blocked in by the local, small boats. Hmm this could take some manoeuvring! Kevin jumped in while we both pushed the other boats to the sides, Zoe was jammed against the wall so tight. Trying hard not to damage anyone's pride and joy, we pushed and pulled boats and ropes until eventually creating a gap just large enough to squeeze her out. I then climbed in whilst still holding the neighbours out of our way, Kevin pushed us bit by bit through the blockage. Gradually we broke free from the tangled traffic jam, and finally the engine could be fired up. We set off back on the twenty minute journey past fishing boats and rocks until we could see 'Kejstral' and our anchor light. The moon was out of sight and all that could be heard was the infrequent chugging of a passing fishing boat, it was quite eerie in pitch blackness travelling on the water, every now and then a light would flicker on, presumably from a fishing boat, a little spooky in this darkness. The gulets nearby 'Kejstral' had sprung to life with music, dancing and laughter all helping to guide us towards our boat. Finally we clambered onboard, for a final glass of homemade wine and sleep.
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Sailing Kejstral AdventuresRetired and following our dream of sailing around the world Archives
April 2019
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