Sunday, 9^th June, 2013

38.46N 28.08E

Arrived at Marti Marina in Orhaniye. Weather varies between 4knt one day and 35knts the next.
Water pump packed up and after 2 days of fiddling we had to call in a proper man who fixed it.

Our flag has taken a bit a battering

But, after a prolonged and unfruitful search we finally found this:

It’s a bit small and you can’t tell whether it’s upside down or not, but a vast improvement.

After Ciftlick we went to Bozburun where the water pump packed up. Bozburun now charges 60YTL for what was a town berth mooring but they do have water and electricity. Then Dirsek where the old lawyer has died, his daughters no longer serve and the food is still good but expensive (150YTL = £60). Most places we pay about 70. At least we no longer have to pay the bill in millions of TL. We are now in Marti Marina in Orhaniye which is almost Solent prices (80 euros/night) and they have us in a horrible berth as far away from anywhere as you could get, and up a massive hill. We have however found a lovely chandlers whose only failure was a 33mm serrated washer. He even came to pick us up at the top of the hill and will deliver anything he hasn’t got. His friend said he’d sailed a 15m boat past the pirates in 2011 and got away with it; apparently two unreported French were just killed the same year and the boat, complete with bullet holes, was taken to Somalia. Makes me feel ours was money well spent.

The Turks appear to shot themselves in the foot by, not content with rioting, pushing Islam, saying all women must cover their heads, and stopping booze have said that 85% of employees of foreign firms must be Turkish.  The clubs were based on English childcare and RYA instructors so Sunsail and many others have simply closed down much of their operation. The charter boats are still going. This marina not only suffers from much of the above and ridiculous prices so is now half empty.

K

Keith has glossed over the delights of spending 2 hours upside down in a locker only to find we had fitted the wrong pump and the process had to be repeated the next day. While he had shampoo in the shower it packed up again. At that point we headed for this marina and a proper man has got it working by undoing all the hoses and doing them up again. He thinks the problem was crud from the tank.
Having been a charterer K is now muttering about them. Mainly because a Frenchman disconnected us, and nicked our shore power connection. I had to avert world war 3 to get it back and luckily it was clear it was ours as most of the insulating tape had come off!

I was somewhat disconcerted to discover the cost of this place. The mooring rings aren’t even gold plated but we shall head off tomorrow.

C