Cold Turkey - 4:19 PM, Dec. 22, 2006

This is the second half of our Turkish cruise 2006. Episode 1 left us at Gocek on October 30.Morning was spent shopping, and dodging between heavy showers.Kids already murmuring French equivalent of WTF.

Briefed new crew and cast off around 14:00, stopping by the fuel berth to fill up,and even got praise from Popeye re "belle manoeuvre"! Once out of the bay, got both sails up for an hour or so, and managed a good (and comfortable)7 knots, arriving at Tomb Bay at 16:30, tied up to a restaurant pontoon.
Simi at Tomb Bay, shortly after arrival:

Shore party explored tombs, weather becoming more and more unsettled. At 18:00, exhumed the spare anchor, and set it up as a lightning deflector.Good meal at open air (and fairly breezy) restaurant ashore.Stormy night, many didn't sleep well.

31/10 - spare anchor chain had turned black overnight! Weather forecast (via text message) not wonderful - explanation / trying on of lifejackets and harnesses.Crew morale was not at its best, but our destination, Ciftlik, offered pontoon, electricity, showers, so cast off at 9:00, under heavy rain. A brown trouser moment  in the famous passage between Tersane and Domuz where a forumite hit the rocks earlier this year.

André at the helm:

.By now, only 3 of the  crew were not sick or sick-ish. Charlotte spent most of the day in the same corner of the cockpit with her new friend, Wilson the bucket.

Arrived  Ciftlik at 15:30, where we discovered the  Fanya marina was closed, and had been for 2 years. Dropped the anchor, but not very sheltered, so decide to move to another corner. Whilst attempting to raise the anchor, one of the pins on the windlass command breaks off, so anchor raised by hand.Call base manager, who recommends we get back to Marmaris sharpish, since the weather will get worse. Ok, we think, motor on, then no reverse, and hardly any forward - the loose anode noticed earlier in the week had failed, so the motor wasn't talking to the prop any more! Think back to Fetihye also, where "Mr Moregas" had over-applied revs in forward and reverse.Right, so no anchor and no motor, pouring rain, lightning and strong gusts. Decided to tie  up to remains of pontoon, which is not easy with half a motor.Call base manager again; and wait for him and repair team to arrive. Try to dry off / warm up in the meantime.

Recovering:

Ahmet and team turn up at 18:45. Ahmet dives and "repairs" anode. Fairly insistent that we leave this ghastly place ( a yacht sunk there a couple of years back), since weather worsening (what, it can get worse?). Puts his mechanic on board to get us back to base- just as well, since Popeye is by now the only competent un-sick sailor,and he's frazzled. I'm going round the boat collecting buckets and plastic bags (full). Just as we approach the pontoon in Marmaris, the saildrive gives up again, and we are pulled pushed onto the berth by dinghies and all available hands.

At this point I never want to see a boat again, ever!

1/11 Shore leave, while Ahmet + co do the repairs. Visit Marmaris. Lucky it's low season - very touristy.Good dinner in marina restaurant - plus 10 % discount for marina clients, plus a bottle of wine on the house ( for our bravery or what?) See news reports about mega floods inland - we were probably better off at sea yesterday.Clients and staff all agree that weather should be good tomorrow, and that if we head for Bozzukale, it's a good anchorage.

2/11 During the night, a cat came on board and swiped one of the few remaining salamis. Grrrr! Nice sail to Bozukale, until 13:00 when Tom applied a bit too much muscle ( he's studying to be a PE teacher) to a winch, and, oops, the main split in two places. Vaguely remember mumblings last week about the roller main being a bit "difficult".Warmly greeted at Bozukale by marinero / fisherman/restaurant owner, who helps us on to a swinging mooring. Swimming / exploring for some - I get hoisted in the bosuns chair with me sewing kit, to no avail.Also are honoured by visit from coastguards- Rhodes is just across the way, and since we  have a Greek flag, we were suspected of being illegal immigrants.

3/11 Nice morning, kids went swimming.Conflicting weather forecasts - got Greek over VHF (1st one in 2 weeks), which was OK, got another via text, which was crap. At 09:57, called Ahmet, for local knowledge. He confirmed the bad forecast, and suggested we either stay for 3 days, or head for Marmaris immediately, since the conditions will be really stormy.Like worse than we've already had? Given return flights in 2 days, don't have much option but to go back to Marmaris, tho' Popeye is less than chuffed. We're packed and ready to go in 20 minutes (something of a record), and all I can think about is the impending storm. In fact, it turns out to be one of the best sails of the whole cruise - who needs a mainsail anyway? We did over 10 knots at times with a reefed genoa, and it was fun!

Back in Marmaris at 15:30

4/11 Just messed around, kids back off to Marmaris, keen for a Burger King

5/11 Kids' transfer driver turns up 1 hour early. Wave them off.... and they're back in 10 minutes - wrong driver, wrong destination - he was going to take them to Antalya, and their flight was from Bodrum!!! Finally they reunite with the same driver from hell that they had the week before, and ge gets a fine on the way back for overtaking on a white line!! Rest of us get bus later, arrive back in Belgium around midnight, desperately in need of a holiday!

Conclusions and lessons learned:

• Popeye has started his learning curve towards being the perfect skipper, but must practice his people skills, and learn the difference between decibels and tone when addressing crew
• I must stop being a self-fulfilling prophecy. I tell myself I'm bound to screw up, and surprise, I do. Must also take competent crew course (on me own!)
• Kids must appreciate that parents aren't gods  -if we could have sorted the weather, we would have
• Enrol hindsight as crew member next time
• Turkey was fantastic. Friendly, fantastic scenery, reasonable prices. Will definitely go back - but what time of the year?

Off to the Vosges tomorrow , no snow, but who cares? Season's greetings to all, and best boaty wishes for 2007