Ayvalik, Turkey

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Sat 23 May 2009 18:47
39:18.8N 26:41.1E

Saturday 23rd May
Another day another country!

Early start today as the other yachts all had big trips ahead of them so
5.30am saw the first of them underway!

We left at 6.30am which was quite soon enough and had a completely windless
trip across from Lesvos to Turkey.

The straights between the two are teeming with naval craft, several
warships, patrol boats and coastguard launches. This is because there is
currently quite a active trade in smuggling people from Turkey into Greece.

Saw some dophins, but they seemed very laid back and took no interest in us!

Finally cruised up the long buoyed channel that leads to an inland sea and
the town of Ayvalik. We were booked into the Setur Marina here for two
nights whilst we get all the paperwork done for entering the country. I have
been quite dreading today as we have read so much about the song and dance
that is the paper trail of entry forms, visa, transit Log etc. etc.

You have to pay an agent to undertake all this stuff for you if you have a
boat the size of Serafina and fortunately the marina here are able to
undertake this role (for an exorbitant fee!) and this is a real bonus
expecially the first time. I was told to be patient and smile a lot and this
was certainly helpful advice. Nevertheless we started the process at 11.00am
and with various interuptions and side shows we got to the final office, the
Habour Master (you have to visit endless offices of all the different
authorities spread around the town in a certain order) after he had gone
home at 7.30pm. So we continue tomorrow..... In fairness part of the delay
today is that they have introduced a new system which requires them
inputting all the information that has already taken 2 hours to write down,
into a National Database so that in future it will all be so much quicker.
Hope they are using better software suppliers than the UK government.

Really hot today and until mid afternoon there was no breeze so quite
stiffling. Just heard that on Monday our friends Steve and Chris on 'Scott
Free' will be arriving here so we are making plans to meet up in a bay for
the evening.