Monday 4^th July – Karşiyaka - Ilhanköy

40:30.353N 27:41.582E

Last night the men working on the fishing boat beside us went home and we had a very quiet night with no wind reaching us and no swell; Pyxis didn’t move all night and we slept really well.

There had been a little rain over night and we awoke to dark skies and further occasional showers.  We spent the morning in the cockpit waiting for the cloud to clear and reviewing the forecast which was for a north easterly to arrive in the afternoon.

Slowly the cloud cleared and the wind started to go around to the north-east, so around lunchtime we said good-bye to our hosts and set off to take the wind west.  As we left, we had 12-15 knots, which we punched into to reach the corner where we would have a beam reach to take us across to our next port.

Sadly, the fickle wind, having given us a rocky start, disappeared when we got to the corner and we had to motor the rest of the way in zero wind;  initially there was quite a lumpy swell on the beam but this gradually eased as we headed west and the sea became glassy.  So much for our afternoon sail today.

We arrived here at Ilhanköy late afternoon and moored up alongside a large fishing boat again as it is berthed where the pilot book indicates a yacht should moor.  There was no-one around but with quiet conditions, we just came alongside and Richard tied the bow to something and I tied the stern to something.  Richard then went on board and tied us off properly – it was really easy coming alongside now we know where to tie off on a large fishing boat; the answer is ‘anywhere’ as they are so large and everywhere is so solid.

Ilhanköy is a small fishing harbour with only a few houses and a couple of tiny shops and cafés.  Tonight we ate ashore at one of them.  I had a plate of fish (species unknown) and Richard had the kofte (meat balls).

Ilhanköy

© Pyxis 2011