Down The Bosphorus

Spindrift
David Hersey
Fri 22 Jun 2012 05:39

40:34.616N 027:36.356 E

21/06/12

After a quiet night we leave at 9:15 and the same current which slowed us down yesterday now hurtles us down the Bosphorus sometimes touching 11.6 knots.

Coming down on the European side is much more interesting that going up on the Asian side.  There is much more architecture to see.

The Bosphorus  seems to operate a 6 hour one way system for commercial shipping.  Yesterday going up we were continually overtaken by the big ships.  Today coming down there are only ships coming up and mostly on the other side of the shipping lane. Because of our speed we whiz through the Piccadilly Circus of Ferry Boats.

We get back to Istanbul in less than  1 ½ hours and enter the Marmara Sea at 0ver 11 knots.  The wind has really dropped today and at the moment is dead behind us.

 

At 11:30 we start sailing. Hooray.  After a bit, we  rig the Asymmetric Cruising Chute and enjoy the first decent sail we’ve had on this trip.  We should have left earlier really,  but as its almost the longest night of the year we should make a anchorage on Marmara just as its getting dark.

 

Good news on the Battery front. The company we were trying to contact are the main wholesalers and while they won’t sell retail they will put us in touch with one of their distributers.  Plus they have a stock of the batteries in Greece.

 

We sailed to within 6 miles of our destination when the wind died.  We tried several anchorages until we found one we liked and settled in as it got dark. Natuarally as we anchored the wind came up again.

 


Bosphorus Summer House

 



Bosphorus Summer House

 



Bosphorus Summer House

 



Bebek Castle

 



Strange Craft

 



Today's Company

 



Farewell Istanbul

 



Farewell Istanbul