17/07/23

After leaving Datca we sailed north to Knidos. We have been here before but it is a good stopping off place before heading round Cape Krio. The ancient site was closed between the hours of 10am and 1800 because of the heatwave, so it was just as well we had visited it before. 

18/07/23

Knidos to Alakiska Abuku was a good sail with variable strengths of wind on passage from a F3 to F6 that kept us busy. As we arrived in Alakiska Abuku the flys got worse. After anchoring we went down below to find them everywhere, Chris got busy with fly swat and me with the spray, Chris had made up a new fly screen for the top of the hatchway so we put that in and had our meal down below swatting flys and sweltering in the heat.

We did manage to visit the ancient ruins on shore, the archaeologists were working even in the heatwave. 

Kissebuku Bay was the crossroads between Halicarnassus and Ceramus on the Carian Coast. The bay now called Kissebuku was the city Anastasiopolis in the Antiquity era at the beginning of the 5th century AD. Archeological findings have dated back to the Roman period.

19/07/23

Alakiska Abuku to Bodrum. 

We left the flys to Alakiska Abuku so we headed to Bodrum for some shelter from the forecasted strong wind, a short trip of 11nm motoring all the way. Our thought was, that if we are going to be stuck for while due to the wind, we would rather be somewhere that we can get ashore. We got to Bodrum and thankfully, no flys. The anchorage was, as expected, very busy but we managed to tuck ourselves in near the beach and, unfortunately the beach bars. Never mind, we have been here before and while the music is loud during the evening, by about midnight it eventually fades away leaving a quiet night. We forgot, we are in the middle of the summer holidays! That night the cacophony of sound got louder and louder with the beach bars competing for music space. By 4am Chris had had enough and put a pillow over his head in an attempt to get a bit of sleep. I managed a few hours sleep, but my snoring didn’t help Chris, so in the morning we made ready to leave. It was a bit of a shame because we hadn’t seen the maritime museum on our last visit and were looking forward to visiting it this time, but the decision was made to leave and sail the 22nm to Yalikavak. 

20/07/23

We were half expecting to have to motor all the way as the forecast was for very light variable winds, but as it turned out the wind filled in and we managed to sail for a couple of hours. There was an international yacht race taking place on the way and the coastguard were making regular broadcasts on CH16 telling all ships to stay clear of the area. In the end we chased them north until they turned west around the islands to continue their race, so we didn’t have to alter course or bear the roth of the coastguard.

We anchored in a small bay, Bahce Kyushu, next to a sailing club and as we arrived they were launching windsurfers Optimists, and RS dinghies for training and racing. We anchored amongst the super yachts, not daunted at all, and dug the anchor in well. There is a hotel and holiday apartments on the beach, but hopefully we haven’t swapped one noisy beach for another. Oh, and no flys:)

Kissebuku Bay archeological site