Well, we obviously did make it across from North Cyprus in one piece. Wonders never cease.
We had a peaceful night before our departure, tied up along the customs dock, trying to ignore some of the issues that we hadn't fixed or solved. It was up at 4am on Tuesday 7th May, groggily dragging on clothes, for once looking very like our passports photos. Captains and crew of the 5 boats travelling together presented to the port police to process our passports, then into another office for customs. The customs officer had 2 important questions for us - do we have alcohol on board? No, we don't.... long staring pause while he waited for us to crack.... Then, do you have cigarettes? Phew, an easy one, and he stamped us out, and we were no longer residing at Karpaz Gate.
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| Setting off with Impavidus in the background |
Ant and Cid, who have 6 years under their
belt and a very helpful youtube channel, SV Impavidus, led us all off, with Kirrikie, Blue Eyes, Eternite and White Cat following behind. Motor on, we rounded out of the marina into the wind and choppy waves just under a metre on the nose, the sun just beginning to rise on our starboard side, looking forward to a 45nm journey straight across to a protected bay in Tisan. There was no plan to sail that day, all of us intent on getting across in time to travel on the next day towards Finike to avoid sailing against the forecasted wind.
Unlike the other boats , as we had not resolved why we didn't have a autopilot, GPS or AIS, our plan was to hand steer during each day, anchor down at night and 'hop' our way around the Gulf of Antalya reaching Finike some days after the other boats. We did have some limitiations as the weather window was tight, and we would not have checked into Turkey.
As we surged and bumped forwards, we looked back at the twinkling lights on on the coastline of Northern Cyprus, contemplating our journey so far and what a unique experience it is. The 5 boats had spread out quite a bit, and we were a little suprised to see White Cat in the distance rising so high we could see the underside of their twin hulls, before plunging down into the waves again. Glad we were on a monohull!
Gradually we sliced forward, overtaking SV Impavidus; I felt like an naughty kid breaking free on a school excursion, but Kirrikie had a clean hull and she was not holding back. (Kirrikie is the longer of the 2 boats as well). The boats communicated occasionally using the VHF, but gradually we could only pick up Impavidus as we pulled away. It was a pretty much peaceful trip, with the conditions becoming calmer, while also watching the progress of squalls to the starboard side of us, and at one point watching a waterspout form and move towards and behind us. Waterspouts can be a serious hazard to yachties, and no-one was happy to see this. We were fortunate to be a little forward of it's path, but the boats at the rear had to be more wary. Looking it up, it was probably a "fair-weather" waterspout, which was less dangerous, but still, let's not get close to one.
Expecting a rougher trip, we were pleasantly surprised to pull in behind a little island in the bay near Tisan at 12.30pm, with the whole afternoon before us to relax, have a Lima Lima Delta (Mike's code words for a little lie down) and look at our options for the next day. The other 4 boats came in within the hour, all of us flying our yellow quarantine flags to indicate we were in transit. We concluded that the 2 hour shifts to hand steer had been quite manageable. We could possibly to this at night if we had to, but it was not a choice we wanted to make, and so we would not be sailing directly to Finike with the rest of our little flotilla.
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| The entrance to Tisan, our first stop in Turkiye for this year |
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| Impavidus, Eternite, White Cat, Blue Eyes and us chilling in Tisan |
The next morning Mike got up early to farewell our friends as they set off into the sunrise; we waited a little longer, up-anchoring at 6.30am for a 46nm journey west to Anamur Point, practically the only place for us to pause safely before either heading around or across the Gulf of Antalya. It was another pleasant day, once arriving in the early afternoon. Anamur was a bit of a surprise; it was a bit rolly (it would have been worse elsewhere), but the scenery was beautiful with very impressive ruins right on the shoreline. These turned out to be the Anemurian Ancient City, an important strategic city during the Roman and Byzantine Period, with it's proximity to Cyprus, the main Eastern Mediterranean sea routes and was a gateway to the Anatolian region. Apparently it has the ruins of an acropolis, cisterns, baths, basilica, and excellent mosiacs to name a few features.
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| Detail of Anemurian Ancient City, which covered the shoreline and hillside |
However tantalising and tempting it was to lower the dinghy and have a good look, all I could do was gaze over the water. Mike wasn't keen to risk it, and once again he was right, as we had our first visit from the Turkish coast guard for 2024. They seemed to be confused why we were sitting there, the only boat in the area, with no evidence of checking in to the country. We tried to explain the lack of electronic crew members dictating our slow journey to Finike (with proof that we had arranged to checkin with an agent as required), which they might not have believed. However it allllll changed when they asked Mike what he had done for a living. Helicopter rescue crewman? Well! Isn't he a hero? They loved it, were very helpful, so that is a tactic we will use another day.
It was at this stage we reviewed our proposed journey and with the need to find good shelter long before reaching Finike becoming more pressing, decided to run up the coastline towards Alanya, and hopefully find a Raymarine technician to help us. This would require checking in early and therefore find a new agent en-route. Good plan. VERY expensive. Having to check-in at Alanya, and stay in a Marina for 3 nights cost us 500Euro more than planned.
The marina technician found a raymarine representative who might come down from Antalya in a few days. OK. But not if we are Russian. Basically Raymarine refuse to assist Russian sailors. Ouch. And we were the only non-Russians on the pontoon. It was actually really nice watching our neighbours interact, a family with 2 little girls playing and riding their bikes, a lone sailor with old boat he was repairing joining the family next door for dinner, the ever-so glam Russian woman who's sparkly jewellery broke apart as she clip-clopped up the jetty in her spikey shiney shoes, leaving a trail of glittering bits behind her.
While we waited for news of the techinican we played tourist. Alanya is a beach resort city, and we really liked it; not expecting to visit at all, we thought it was a bit of a bonus to be there. There are remains nearby indicating occupation as far back as 20,000BC. So maybe I'll skip the history lesson.... There is a beautful old harbour featuring the Kizil Kule (Red Tower, circa 1221), one of 83 towers of the Alanya Castle and which also protected the Tersane, a medieval drydock. Above that is the fantastic and beautiful Alanya Castle, actually a citadel dating from 1226 with walls 6.5ks long and 140 towers. In 2007 renovations of the remaining sections began, including a Byzantine church, the Suleimaniye mosque (still in use today, and the call to prayer we heard was pretty impressive) and caravanserai* built by Suleiman the Magnificent. Placed high on the rocky peninsular overlooking the city, it made for spectacular viewing. Of course, being tourists, we had to access this treat via the cable car from the beach, before climbing up steep stairways. The complex is quite spread out, with many different paths to meander down, it was a lovely day.
But back to the problem at hand and Kirrikie. Mike continued to scratch his head, why didn't the GPS work?? Suddenly he let out a shout as he found the 'problem'.
ARE WE F*CKING IDIOTS OR WHAT?!! Huh? I'd like to point out here that technically, he is the effin idiot, but ably supported by me, the perfect Idiot's Apprentice.
There was another swtich. On our navigation panel. Slightly separated from the other navigation switches, but still... Clearly marked as LOG AND AP. In our 7 months away we had become very disconnected from everything we should have done instinctively, and Mike has missed this button in every single problem solving excercise. He turned it on, annnnd ... the GPS came on. The Autopilot came on. The AIS I had been struggling with was another step closer to working. We didn't need to hand steer. We didn't need to pay exhorbitant fees to come to Alanya..... I was so relieved I laughed, but bloody hell, how dumb are we????? I resolved that we were never going to tell anyone how we 'fixed' the autopilot, too embarrasing, but well it's too good a story, and some of our friends could do with a laugh too.
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| Look Ma! No hands! |
Free at last. After our 3 day wait in the marina, we set out to cross the Gulf heaading to one of a choice of 2 anchorages near Kemer, a little way from Finike. This was a a longer day, once again motoring with 71.5nm to cover, ending up in Boncuklu Koyu after visiting pretty Cow Cove, well that's what we call it after the local bovine residents. A good medium sized pretty bay, it was a bit rolly, so we moved on promptly the next day. Making good progress until we were chased down by the Coastguard. We would not be permitted to continue on to, or past, Finike. There was an international military air, sea and land exercise being conducted, and we were about to enter the area on use for that day. Do not pass go or collect $200.
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| Tourist Gullet and Cows side by side |
Not looking forward to another rolly night, we turned around and luckily tucked into a the large bay Cavu Koyu, already inhabited by one Turkish Navy patrol boat. It turned out to be quite an entertaining day/night as 11 patrol boats made our bay their home, while 4 frigates sailed backwards and forwards near the entrance. At one stage 5 vessels were rafted together - Party Time!
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| Hello Sailor! |
Finally next morning we putted past sleeping sailors, and poked our nose out of the bay, not knowing what was in store. Seemed ok, let's go. And keep going. Past Finike, and our final destination for this leg was Kekova, the very first area we visited in 2023, and one of our favourite places.
So early afternoon on 14th May, we lowered our anchor to find we were among friends again, as all four of our original flotilla were also enjoying this lovely sanctuary.
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| Kekova |
Things were looking up, we had a working boat, beautiful scenery and some catching up to do. The plan to sail Greece, Montenegro and Croatia for our 2024 sailing season was back on track ...
Or, in the words of the illustrious author, Mick Macfarlane, "What can possibly go wrong?"...
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| Image supplied by author, available in all good online Amazon bookshops 😉 |
For another account of the flotilla's crossing, or great drone footage of Tisan Bay, please checkout SV Impavidus on YouTube:
