Caroline's last week

Tucanon
Dick and Irene Craig
Fri 4 Jul 2008 07:23

Having at last arrived at an anchorage, we took full advantage and plunged into the sea. Wonderful! We had missed not being able to swim during the past 8 weeks, having stayed in marina at each port of call.

We keep meeting up with other boats which were on EMYR 2008. Last night, we dined with a couple who had been in a different group from us, but whom we had met a number of times, during the course of the rally.

A boat from the restaurant, where we had reserved a table for dinner, was sent to collect us at the appointed hour, taking us ashore, where we spent some time accessing the internet, sending and receiving emails. We managed to identify a suitable flight for Caroline and made the booking on-line.

After an excellent dinner which cost only 50 euros for the 4 of us, the owner of the restaurant gave us a bag of fresh tomatoes and onions. We then boarded his boat and he took us back to the catamaran, promising to bring us fresh bread, in the morning.

True to his word, before any of us had climbed out of bed, the bread was delivered to our boat and left on the deck.

We spent a leisurely morning swimming, reading and generally relaxing, until we raised the anchor at 10.45 and sailed to a bay, off a small Greek island, where we dropped the anchor and made lunch, which included the sweet tomatoes and fresh bread that we had been given.

Dick, Peter and Caroline went ashore in the rib to try to buy some fresh fruit, to no avail. The island didn’t really cater for this type of provision so we set sail again, to drop the anchor a few miles away, in a bay, off the Turkish mainland, where we knew that we could purchase fresh fruit.

During the afternoon we swam in the sea and later we feasted on steak, barbequed onboard the boat, accompanied by jacket potatoes, fried onions and the rest of those delicious tomatoes which we had been given the previous evening.

Next morning, we took the boat into the marina to buy some provisions which were delivered to the boat. This was a blessing as the sun was very hot. Just sitting still caused one to melt like an iced-lolly.

We were told by the local official, who took our lines when we arrived at the marina, that we could stay for an hour or two, at no charge, to do some shopping. However, soon after our return to the boat after purchasing the necessary provisions, another official arrived. He insisted that we could not stay any time at all without payment and demanded 20 lire. Neither Dick nor I had any Turkish currency so were pleased when Peter returned, carrying a case of diet-coke, in addition to Turkish lire. The official was paid and he rode off on his scooter, carrying his black document case.

We moved on during the afternoon, stopping again overnight, at anchor in a bay not 3 hours away.

Thursday we arrived at one of those delightful restaurants which are hidden from view, in a bay, behind a hill. We tied up alongside a pontoon and swam in the transparent water. The cicadas welcomed us back. That evening we ate al fresco, at a table at the water’s edge. This was indeed paradise.

Friday, after breakfasting on board and snorkeling around sunken ruins, in the clear water, we moved from our “secret” bay, which had been found by at least 30 other boats last night, with a view to taking Caroline ashore.

After a wonderful lunch at a restaurant that we have got to know quite well over the last 2 years, Caroline climbed into a taxi and was gone. How fortunate we had been to have spent 9 weeks together harmoniously. We had learnt a lot from Caroline, her sailing experience had been invaluable but most important, we had gained a friend.

 

Below:

Peter, Caroline and Dick anchoring the boat in a delightful bay