Today we are meeting a couple of sailing friends who live in Kas they have been living in Turkey for a few years, and keep their yacht 'Indian Summer', a 40 foot Bavaria, in Kas marina. We try to catch up with them each year which is lovely and they have been really helpful in our search for our boat. Pep and Mick lived aboard for a few years with their gorgeous Dalmatian Prince, and actually sailed 'Indian Summer' from the UK. However, Prince is now finding the companionway or stairs a little tricky now that he is getting older which has encouraged them to find accommodation in the area, they still manage to sail very regularly and offer yacht charter over the summer season. We spent the morning in a little bar having coffee and enjoying our catch up, at some point we hope to sail alongside them on one of their trips. Whilst relaxing in this seafront bar, the paragliders began to appear from high on the sheer rockface above us, yellow, black and red shutes silently glide across the clear crisp skies. Lazily they meander down through the rocky backdrop, gently drifting over the highest treetops before descending down over roofs and buildings. Slowly the faces filter into focus, expressions of pure delight and awe at their achievement. As they descend, drawing closer to land and almost skimming the water surface, the expressions clearly change to a brief moment of fear and panic as touch down looms ahead. Wide eyed, each glider eases themself tentatively down for a perfectly smooth landing on the narrow harbour wall. Elation replaces those furrowed brows with huge smiles of happiness and I imagine probably a little relieved that both feet are now resting on that safe firm ground. Our eyes follow each change of direction, each alteration of course, willing them down through that very unforgiving rocky territory, any unplanned gusts of wind or minor adjustments to their shute would certainly cause serious injury. As each paraglider lowers gently towards the harbour, their enormous coloured wing folds into huge bubbles of bright material, air lingering within their folds, hampering the retrieval process. Rushing to gather their billowing shute, these guys keep a watchful eye on the skies above for the next rainbow coloured incoming, threat and landing. As we look up, the skies are littered with brightly coloured airborne holidaying visitors, what a fabulous experience for these people, in such a beautiful setting. We said goodbye to our friends and agree to meet up again in the next year, two lovely people with so much experience and knowledge of sailing and life onboard, always good to see them. We made our way back and had lunch on board 'Kejstral' before packing up ready to sail onwards to Kekova. With our friends Lee & Larry sailing alongside, it will be brilliant to see their yacht with full sails. Kekova is a very picturesque area in southern Turkey, renowned for its beauty. With forestry and wildlife, amazing scenery and villages, not to mention the historical sites, this coastline is not to be missed when sailing. We follow 'Sea Dreams' out from Kas bay into the more open waters beyond. The wind shaped our main and Genoa sails perfectly, carrying us through a gentle swell. The Greek Island of Meis sat ahead of us, our route following the north and eastern contours of this very popular island. We wound our way through rocky outcrops, skimming the shallows and spotting turtles, lovely bays and sundrenched beaches. We must visit this Island in the future, for now though, we stay in Turkish waters and maintain our planned route. 'Sea Dreams' is a fabulous sight, in full sail she skims the water beautifully, cutting her way through these gently swelling waves. The wind although light, is enough to carry her 50 foot hull easily and curve her enormous sails into that perfect shape. We do have to revert to our engines at one stage, which yet again frustrates us all. Gulets can be spotted tucking themselves into tight little coves, their lazing guests experiencing the tranquility of this fabulous area and take great pleasure in languishing in its stunning coastline. The 15 n.m.journey took around 3 hours and with a maximum wind speed of only 7.5 knots we were lucky to achieve most of the trip under sail, at one point we had the goose wing position with our wind coming from behind us, we managed to have a sail out in either direction, mimicking a goose pair of wings. Of course with no spinnaker pole to assist, we couldn't maintain this technique for very long, and flapping sails are not good! Negotiating our way through the local small islands can be a little tricky as not every outcrop is plotted on the Navionics system used by lots of the sailing community. Therefore a watchful eye must be kept on each land mass, rock and ripple of water, we glide smoothly past the jagged shores and tomb covered Islands. This area is well known for the many sarcophagus dotted over hillsides and shores, and what an eerie yet fascinating sight they make. Rounding the Kekova entrance we pull into the westerly tree lined bay, the foliage creating a very rich green canopy and much needed shade to a couple of small local restaurants. Our anchor settled nicely into the sandy sea bed, the gentle breeze cooling us from the bow and relieving our sticky bodies. The cool calm water urged us in, allowing us to glimpse it's crystal clear depths, we couldn't refuse. Within moments we slipped into the fabulous coolness, instantly easing our overheated brains. Small curious white fish, scuttle around us, investigating our intrusive behaviour, swimming so close yet darting away furiously as we move around them. We wallow in this perfect spot, sun blazing down with so much power, yet we float and swim in this tranquil cool bath with an amazing backdrop, a little sanctuary for us. Lee and Larry enjoy the afternoon swimming and relaxing nearby, we are cooking tea this evening for them as we have had some lovely meals onboard 'Sea Dreams'. Pasta, homemade wine and lots of laughs end this lovely day in a great setting with some fabulous friends. Tomorrow we intend to explore this little bay and hope to learn a little piece of its history.
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Sailing Kejstral AdventuresRetired and following our dream of sailing around the world Archives
April 2019
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