36:42.17N 27:40.77E

In the morning we left the marina for a nice quiet trip to the planned anchorage about 1/3 the way to Bodrum our real destination.  As we motored out there was some wind in the right direction for once so we raised the sails and actually had a decent sail for one hour.  As the wind died we tacked and tacked to try and keep moving but to no avail.  It was the end of the wind so on with the motor again.

The trip was nice however with very calm waters and great scenery to watch pass by.  Plenty of little coves and small towns along this coast.  The water is crystal clear (watermaker running for hours without a filter change) and we watched our first dolphins of the season pass by.  Our destination was a nice anchorage just south of Datca the local town along this part of the Datca peninsula.

As the Pilot Guide commented there is good holding in sand and weed bottom.  I chose the northern end of the anchorage since the winds were predicted to be from the north.  Entering the anchorage the winds turned to the south, but very mild.  It seems the winds wraps around the hills to the north and enters the anchorage from the south.  No big deal, dead flat water, nice quiet surroundings and nice to be out of a marina.  A couple of people on the beach nearby went in for a swim in 17 degree C water (60’s F).  Must have been German tourist!

Nice place with a few dogs barking and a donkey wailing in the distance.  Of course the loud PA system came alive to make public announcements.  One of the downsides to the call to prayer loudspeaker system is it is also used as the town crier.

After dinner the predicted winds were to be a couple of knots.  Not true.  Gusts started and I decided to let out a little more rode to be sure.  I anchored near the north end so not too much more could be let out but now we had 40 meters out in 7 meters of water.  Winds grew and now came right from the open end of the anchorage, not as predicted.  Soon we had 28 knot winds with couple meter seas.  A squall in the making and it was now dark so we had to ride it out.  Pat took  for the couch below, center of the boat and the most stable place.  I decided to sit up on the cockpit and weather the storm while making sure the anchor held and shore did not creep up on us.  To my surprise the CQR anchor kept its bite in the pounding that was sending spray over the dodger.  One salty boat real quick.  After two hours the winds died but the waves took about 6 hours to drop.  Luckily the winds was weak and the waves kept us pointed into the seas so the ride was better than if they came from the side.

Dawn came eventually.  Pat went to bed during the night and I stayed up on deck on watch.  A nearly full moon was out, a few stars and of course the donkey and dogs letting me know they were also awake.  At sunrise we weighed anchor for Bodrum and left this now peaceful and charming anchorage in our salt encrusted boat.

View of the beach from the boat and the rental apartments.  Notice the sandy bottom mixed with some patches of weeds.

View looking out to the southeast, source of the large waves to come in a few more hours.  In the distance is the Greek island of Simi.

In the morning the now quiet anchorage looking to the west and the sun rises in the east.