37:02.017N 27:25.584E
Muskrat
Chris and Alison
Thu 14 Jul 2022 03:57
06/07/22 Karaada 36’57”.678N 27’28”.849.536E to Bodrum marina 37’02”.017N 27’25”.584E Weather: Very hot, 40+’c I think. Sea temp 26’c. Wind W 18-21kts. Sea state mod with a beam on swell. We left Karaada Island, after having it all to ourselves over night, at 0840 and as soon as we had cleared the headland we put the main up with one reef and the genoa with 2 reefs. The wind, for our course, was on the nose again, so we tacked all the way to Bodrum. In the end it was probably quicker to have done that than to have motored against the wind and swell and it was a lot more comfortable steering around the waves. We arrived in Bodrum Marina at 1100 and were met by the marina staff who helped us into our berth. We would say this was a full service marina, it is certainly very expensive but it doesn’t have a chandlery or a sail maker on site. We need to get a repair done on the Bimini but the marina staff could only give us a telephone number of someone who was half an hour drive away and directions to a very small chandlery in town. We also wanted to get some more quotes for new rigging but it was hopeless. We were also hoping to top up our drinking water tanks. Our water maker needs a new membrane so the water we are making can only be used for washing and cleaning and not put into the drinking water tanks. However, on testing the water on the pontoon, we found it wasn’t drinkable either (556 PPM) we had to pay extra for the water as well! We are convinced that the more expensive the marina, the less useful services they provide. 07/07/22 Bodrum marina 37’02”.017N 27’25”.584E Weather: Hot sunny, temp 35’c+. Wind gusting 30kts NW. We took the washing to a laundry in town, rather than use the one on the marina complex, we are not paying their inflated prices. Then went and visited the castle that is now a museum. We spent a good 2 hours looking around the exhibits of shipwrecks and reading about the history of Carin coast. The wind picked up in the afternoon and we were glad we were in a marina. Unfortunately the wind is due to gust F6-7 for the next 5 days, we have only booked our berth for 3 days and really don’t fancy paying their fees for any longer.  Bodrum castle and shipwreck museum  08/07/22 Bodrum marina 37’02”.017N 27’25”.584E Weather: Hot, 35’c+ Wind not as windy as predicted today gusting 21+kts NW In the morning we washed and cleaned Muskrat inside and out. Washed and put some more UV protection on the dinghy and put some waterproofing spray on the spray hood and bimini. The last time water came over the spray hood it was like a sieve with water everywhere especially down the hatch, so we wanted to prolong its life a bit longer and re-proof it. In the afternoon we visited the ancient shipyard, that is now a children’s playground and car park and tried to visit Bodrum maritime museum but it was closed for re-furbishment. We did manage to visit the mausoleum. A fascinating ruin. The mausoleum was built to house the remains of Mausolus and his queen Artemisia. In 353BC Mausolus died leaving his queen as the ruler. She spared no expense to build a tomb rich with carvings in relief, free standing statues of colossal height and on the top of the 50m high tomb, a chariot pulled by four horses and in the chariot were statues of Mausolus and his queen Artemisia. It became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Artemisia who only lived for two years after Mausolus death and didn’t see it finished, was also buried in the tomb. The sculptures and artists decided to complete the tomb after Artemisia death.  A picture of the tomb how it is envisaged it would have looked in 353BC  The steps leading down into the burial chamber.  Part of a stone carving that encircled the tomb. It depicts the battles between men and women. 09/07/22 Bodrum marina 37’02”.017N 27’25”.584E Weather: Hot Sunny temp 33’c, wind NW 10-16kts. We were planning to go to further into the gulf today to wait out the Meltemi wind but we took so long to get off the berth because the pilot boat was so busy, it didn’t get to us for over 40 minuets, and then we needed a pump out but there were several other big MV waiting for fuel that I decided to just go round to the bay, anchor and decide what to do. We need a pump out in 2 days time to be within the 15 days, but we have been in the marina for a few days not using our toilets, does that count? In the end we did go round to the bay, anchored and decided to stay. 10/07/22 Bodrum bay (Koyu Kuyu) 37’01”859N 27’26”123E Weather: Hot, sunny. Light wind NW in the morning then gusting 24kts in the afternoon. We have decided to stay in the bay for the next couple of days to see if the weather calms down. So we went for a walk up to the ruins on the hill only to find they were inside a military base, so we were unable to see them, or get anywhere near them. So instead we walked up to the windmills that are now very dilapidated but the view was worth the walk. While doing this we saw Bodrum old city wall and decided to walk around its perimeter as far as we could. It ended up to be a lovely walk of made up paths and information boards telling us about the 4c BC wall. We saw the huge Myndos gate entrance that is still huge over 2000yrs later but little is still known of how tall the gate pilers were originally. From there we found the amphitheatre. Bodrum arts are using it as a stage for the summer music performances. Although it was covered in microphones, lights, special lighting effects and had a stage, it was still an awe inspiring sizeable theatre, although todays audience have cushions to sit on the stone seats. On returning to the beach where we had left the dinghy, we had what every sailor fears, the dinghy had gone from where we had left it. We do have an engine lock for the engine but there is usually nowhere for us to lock up the dinghy itself and is usually left on a pontoon tied up with all the rest of the dinghies or pulled up on the beach in a corner somewhere and hope that is still there when you return. It has not been a problem so far and from our experience the Turks are more likely to look after the dinghy than take it. Not today, the dinghy was not where we left it. The other dinghies that were on the beach when we arrived were still there. We were just starting to get our thoughts together, when Chris noticed a dinghy in the swimming area part of the beach. He dashed over and sure enough it was our dinghy on the beach with someones clothes draped all over it. On questioning the people next to it, they pointed to someone who was swimming suggesting that it was them who had draped their clothes over the dinghy. Anyway, not speaking the lingo, it was very difficult to establish what had gone on so we walked the dinghy back away from the swimming area and made our way back to Muskie thankful that we had our dinghy back. It was not damaged and it didn’t look as though the engine had been tampered with. Lesson learnt, lock your dinghy every time, not an easy thing to do when there is usually nowhere to secure it to.  Bodrum city wall 350BC   Bodrum amphitheater |