Woke early, excited for our next leg of the journey to Karacaoren, 16 N.m from south east of Fethiye. Firstly, we needed provisions, the supermarket was only a few hundred yards away and we needed bottled water and cold drinks. The boat was ready, we were ready so, on our departure we said goodbye to our friends who were milling around in the pool. We have had a great few days with these guys, hopefully we will meet up again sometime next year. Our ropes were released and we carefully motored past Cygnus 111, out into the large bay of Fethiye, such fabulous scenery on leaving this coastline, small bays, curious inlets and enticing coves, all yearning to be explored, perhaps on our return we will delve deeper into these areas. The wind was feeling particularly generous today, offering a good 20 knots to our happy canvases, the journey heading south east, was unfortunately, in exactly the direction of the wind. We were in no great hurry and with this fabulous powerful breeze, we decided to use the wind and tack as often as we needed, all in a bid to arrive at our anchorage using no engine if possible. There were yacht's everywhere, some with beautifully filled sails, some flapping furiously as they battled to put their vessel in a good windy position. Other slid by with purring engines taking the strain from their lazy captain, they could of course be in a greater hurry than us. Huge cruisers sped past in their wave of frothy wash, spraying foam and waves in our direction, they must spend hundreds of pounds on fuel, for that we smile and wave, I hope their bank manager is sympathetic! We turn 'Kejstral' into their wake, avoiding another rolling episode, our sails lose the wind, therefore we lose power until our bow is eased back to collect that force of nature into the sails. With wind coming on our starboard bow, we ripped through the water at 5.5 knots, healing comfortably we feel the thrill of this natural source of energy. Changing tack as we approach the headland, we pull the sails onto our starboard side, and ease 'Kejstral' gently into the perfect alignment. She accepts the challenge, skimming the slight swell of the seas, our boat creates a beautiful balance of wind and posture, speed and direction. We watch our sailing rivals, and admire their perfect sails while noticing how they flow as one with their surroundings, one day, we may appear this confident and competent. For now we manage to adjust and fine tune our canvases, gaining as much speed from them as we are able, what we hope for ultimately is comfort. Adjustments to the boom and traveller, offer a more stable position, reefing or reducing the sail size will drop the volume of wind, therefore the speed too, each of these techniques allow us to sit without grasping for secure handrails. We could travel faster, however we like a pleasurable journey, not a hair raising experience. After our 4 hour sail, putting in six tacks, we brought 'Kejstral' to a slow and gentle drift The entrance into Karacaoren bay is wide, allowing us time to pull in first the main sail, then our Genoa. With the motor running we edged towards the anchorage, we had a choice, an anchor buoy near the restaurant, or perhaps dropping anchor further out in a sheltered cove. When approaching a new bay, mooring or anchorage, we have learned to motor in, have a good few minutes to assess the area, before coming out again and preparing ourselves for whichever option is suitable. The anchor buoy is usually a good option, it is stable in high winds and we are less likely to swing around too wildly, however, it comes with a price... literally! Dropping anchor, well firstly, having enough anchor chain to hold us firmly in the depth of water we choose, is a consideration, then knowing that the anchor is actually set properly is always a concern. Once secure, we have to be sure that 'Kejstral' will not swing around and hit rocks or other boats. We normally just toss out the anchor, wait until it is trustworthy and swing around happily, but an anchor buoy is our choice in high winds. Today our choice has been removed! A small wooden boat appears alongside our moving vessel......always scary, the guy on board yells " take an anchor buoy", I yell back ( over his very noisy engine) " we don't want to pay for one", he switched off his ear blasting roaring motor and said, " you don't pay, just come for a meal in our restaurant" this can be embarrassing ......"we have food here, can we come just for a drink"? With that he nods and restarts his power, he gestured for me to throw a rope from the bow and he motored towards the buoy. We inched forward, very aware of his battered wooden boat, and it's close proximity to our lovely shiny hull. A few minutes later he had slipped our rope through the buoy and we tied both ends back on to 'Kejstral'. He waved "see you later" revived his noisy engine and thundered back to his restaurant. Feeling very happy with a brilliant day of sailing and a good mooring in this bay, we sat back to enjoy the surroundings. This rugged, rocky bay stretched out towards some additional hidden coves, boat masts could be seen piercing through the vivid blue sky, although the hulls were hidden behind a sharp protruding finger of land. Gulets were tucked into the smallest coves, enjoying the seclusion and quiet afternoon, a steady stream of yacht's slid by the bay entrance no doubt en route to their next mooring. Two small motor boats chugged their passengers towards us from the distant edge of this bay. Dressed in their bright swimsuits the guests pointed and grinned at the fabulous scenery and beautiful clear turquoise waters, with cameras held firmly, they snapped gulets and yacht's, rocks and swimmers. Their little vessel slowing as it approached our yacht, we wave at these excitable holiday makers, a few more snaps clicked from their trusty cameras, before they glided towards the restaurant jetty. The very rickety wooden building stood teetering on the waters edge, ten or more posts wedged firmly into the stone beach supported it's two story weight. The lower floor resembled a small workshop and boatyard, various engine parts stood in a layer of dusty sandy grime. Kayaks and canoes leaned dangerously against the wood panelled walls, perhaps adding to the support of this ramshackle establishment. A couple of wobbling tree branches compiled the jetties, jutting out into the sparkling sea, these structures look tired and untrustworthy, yet have probably been used daily over years gone by. We watch the visiting boats tie up and send their passengers out onto these wooden walkways, almost holding our breath, we wait for a trip, fall or worse a splash to resonate around the bay, but nothing. Each of the guests alight, all limbs intact, no one missing or injured, still smiling and clicking snaps for those valuable life long memories. We eat on board watching the constant stream of visitors capture their images and video of this pretty place, each passing boat sending 'Kejstral' bouncing on their waves and wake. As the heat subsides with the dwindling light, we climb into Zoe our tender, and head across to the restaurant. As we approach the jetty we spot a good metal cleat for our boat, I slip the rope around and climb out onto this undulating walkway, even on this relatively calm sea, we roll and sway. The stone beach area gives no clue as to an entrance or steps up into the floor above, we should have taken more notice of where every other visitor headed! We stumbled over oars and rope in the dimming light, just missing the wooden beams above, as we duck under a lower section of roof. Nets tangle in our uncovered toes as we trip and falter through the boaty storage, cobwebs tickle as we brush through the untouched collection of fishing goods, until we see the steps. Muffled voices, light Greek music and the scuffle of feet on wood, led us to the dining area. Four tables heavily laden with both food and diners greeted us as we stepped onto the boarded floor, the view from this open wood balcony was lovely. 'Kejstral' to the left, the bay entrance in the centre and some small, very elegant gulets on the right, each dwindling into shadowy silhouettes with the dusky sky. We took our seats lining the balcony edge, catching the waiter for our drink, they nodded in recognition of our order between dashing back and forth with full dishes and empty crockery, wine bottles and glasses. Each table tackled their mountain of culinary delights over laughter and chatter, whilst gazing at the changing skies between mouthfuls of food. Empty plates convey contentment, while creating a signal for waiting staff to suggest yet another delicious offering, what a busy hardworking family who cleary know their clientele. During the evening an older Turkish man trundled into the dining room pushing what appeared to be a heavily smoking wheelbarrow, the foggy offering billowed around us yet no odour or aroma could be sensed, he carried on walking through pushing this obscure, misty substance, then disappeared through another door . Everyone stopped midsentence, mid chew and mid breath, how bizarre. Apparently, it was a mosquito repellent, completely harmless to humans and animals, just not sure how he managed to get the wheel barrow upstairs one side, then down the other! Our drinks were gone, our bill was paid and our evening complete, well .... almost, just need to get back to Zoe somehow, then board 'Kejstral' for sleep.
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Sailing Kejstral AdventuresRetired and following our dream of sailing around the world Archives
April 2019
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