ocean-pilgrim

I’d imagined sun drenched islands with spartan vegetation, goat bells and tiny blue domed churches.  I felt them all calling to me when I was sitting at home in Australia, dreaming about the Greek Islands. Yet….and despite this yearning we made a change to our plans in order to head directly into Turkey after we launched. It was a pragmatic decision based on how busy Turkey gets in the summer and how hot. It had been on our radar to head both South and East to a place called Kekova Roads since we’d first heard and read about it in 2019. Images of sailing over sunken, ancient cities had ignited our desire to explore this stretch of coast and so we hopped on the southerly flow of a Meltemi to get ourselves there.

We checked out of Greece in Leros then jumped across to Didim in Turkey to complete the check in process to enter Turkey. This done; we then had a few very big day sails down to the Fethiye Gulf.  Sailing along this coast requires a lot of attention to the border of Greece and Turkey which is no straight line due to islands belonging to Greece sitting inside bays that are part of mainland Turkey.  Heading out early past the tip of Kos we were visited by not one but two Greek Coastguard vessels.  It’s one of the closest points on the border and many refugees have launched themselves across the narrow channel between the 2 nations. Around 5.30 am they would have spied us on their radar. The first one smiled and waved but the second buzzed around us at high speed as we were within metres of the border. No cutting corners allowed or tolerated and this was just a reminder.

After a boisterous 50 mile sail we stopped for a few nights in beautiful Bozburun, a small coastal town that was both charming and friendly. We sorted a phone plan, stocked up on fresh produce then headed for the Fethiye Gulf on the tail of the Meltemi, the strong summer winds that blow down from the Balkans roaring through the Greek Islands but moderating somewhat once they hit the land mass of Turkey.

Onwards and around the corner of the peninsula we went having a very wet and exhilarating sail to Serçe Limani, an old favourite. Just us and not another soul in sight.

We spent a bit of time around Fethiye exploring the most glorious ancient ruins and a few days of blissful nothing after a pretty full-on start to the season.  We sat in anchorages where the swimming was great, the water a perfect temperature yet in the far distance were the snow-capped mountain ranges further inland. 

And we re-visited a few favourite spots. One being Sarsala, a great point to pick people up flying in for a holiday but also a lovely spot in most weather.

The highlight was anchoring in Ruin Bay.  Our boat was med moored with our anchor out and lines tied off to rocks behind the stern of the boat.  It was so clear we could see the bottom below us and were able to tie right in close to shore.  It’s a beautiful bay but what makes it really special is the complex of ancient baths tucked into its corner. It is said that Marc Antony built them for Cleopatra as a wedding present and records show she did, indeed visit. Unlikely to have been their honeymoon given he was already married to someone else but whoever let the truth get in the way of a good story?  But it’s an amazing setting with pine trees and ancient walls almost falling down into the bay. We stayed a few days, watching the passing parade of Gullets, day trippers, yachts and gin palaces all dropping in and then heading back out for the next stop on their tour.

Then it was into the town of Goçek to get fresh water (not as easy as you would think) and more provisions. We only needed a pump out of our toilet holding tanks and we were ready to leave. We spent the next morning chasing down the ‘Shit Ship’ a mobile pump out boat before we left the bay. In Turkey all yachts have to be pumped out every 2 weeks or risk a fine.  It is a great way to make sure the turquoise waters stay clean.  While I admire this initiative and never resent the $20 it costs us the gulf is slowly filling with single use plastics and rubbish of all sorts which makes me fear for this pristine environment and its future even if it’s free of a different type of human waste.

So all ready to go we headed out of the gulf and into a small bay opposite a monastery built by St Nicholas in the 3rd century, the church clearly visible and all manner of buildings covering the slopes of this tiny island. The following morning we headed out with Kekova Roads firmly in our sights.