The anchor is well dug in and my transit line still hasn’t changed, but now it’s dark I can’t see it and the anchor chain is making funny noises every now and then. The wind is blowing hard enough that the boat is tipping over and I have to lean over the laptop to readjust myself to an upright position. I can hear the water slopping all around poor Esper. I’m not sure how well I’m going to sleep tonight and I’m exhausted after the six hours of sailing we’ve done today.
We anchored in the lee of the hill and tied to a rock, cracked open a beer and had a snack. All very innocent and quite pleasant. Notice how I make all that sound easy? This was Liz’s first line ashore and she executed this task perfectly. For those not aware, in Turkey it is quite common to take a line ashore and tie to a rock or tree to stop the boat swinging around on its anchor.
Germans, Germans Everywhere Read Post »
Right now we are anchored in over 20 knots of wind and Esper is yawing about the bay and I really don’t know what the next entry will be – we’ll either have successfully hooned it down towards the Greek island of Simi, or we’ll report back on how we had to get Esper dragged off the reef, which is about 20m from us as I type!
Two Twats In A Boat Read Post »
Within the first month of launching Esper we’ve managed to clock up 350nm, just cruising around the Bodrum peninsular. We’ve had a lot of good sailing lately. There are some uncharacteristic southerlies in the area, but consistent and strong, so Liz and I have been putting Esper through her paces, which she enjoys very much. More importantly, however, is that Liz is growing in confidence every sail we do.
Big Celebrations And Lots Of Visitors! Read Post »
I don’t remember anything! I do know we stayed up to watch the sun rise six nights in a row, and there was a dawn dip involved somewhere along the line. Also we were joined by Tac and her friend Idil, and they added to the merryment.
Kelly Hoxton Hits Bodrum Read Post »
It was a worrying time, waiting in Yat Lift for 24 hours whilst the Man brothers set to and worked on the gear box. With Emma arriving in a few days we desperately needed to get back out into the water with a fully functioning boat. Fortunately it was a small problem that required no spare parts and before we knew it we were off again and back to Bitez.
As the boat tipped over and Liz ran around the galley trying to catch cups and plates, Orla nonchalantly picked up her cup as it slid down the table and readjusted herself in her seat, never tearing her eyes away from her book. Meanwhile up on deck I’m shouting at Jay to let out the mainsheet, which was a problem since I hadn’t explained to him what a mainsheet was!
A Few Lessons Learned Read Post »
Time wasn’t on our side so instead we sat the wind out which eventually died down, allowing us a wonderful evening in the Coketme Restaurant. This place is family run and the hospitality and food are second to none. Rod Heikell, who’s pilot book we use daily, had made some disparaging remarks about all the restaurants except the Rose Mary.
A Storm Is Brewing Read Post »
The anchorage was fairly busy and there was a fair old wind blowing through too. We went for a swim and eventually Jay and I managed to swim to the jetty to go check out this famous beach. As soon as we hoisted ourselves up the ladder we were shouted out by a couple of very unfriendly locals, along with a ferocious looking dog with white eyes.
From Amazon To Cleopatra Read Post »
A good lesson learned recently is that of ensuring your guests are getting what they want out of their holiday, so the first day was spent shopping for clothes to keep Orla happy! Here’s a girl who clearly has her priorities mixed up – shopping over sailing? How very dare you!
Liz’s 50th began with a trip to the hamam with the girls, whilst I busied myself around the boat. When they returned we had just enough time to put together some snacks and chill the wine before we were boarded by 15 guests for pre-dinner drinks. We’ve never had so many people on board Esper!
Happy Birthday To You! Read Post »
As he turned the tubing on the lathe to cut the thread of the mounting base I sat and watched and was reminded of my old metal work classes at school. The difference was this guy knew what he was doing. After three hours he’d completed the job, charged me fifty yentils (£15) and we rounded off the afternoon with a çay and a three-worded conversation about boats.
Being virgin camel wrestling audience participators we didn’t come prepared, for in the venue were hundreds of Turks with their own picnic tables, BBQs, packed lunches and crates of drink. It turns out Camel Wrestling is taken very seriously here and a whole day is made of it. Apparently there is serious betting involved too.
The first job we had to attend to was the leaking deck fittings. This meant ripping down the headboards, unbolting the deck fittings and caking ourselves in Sikaflex (this is a marine rubber sealant that takes three weeks to remove from your fingernails). John’s tips and encouragement meant we could tick that job off the list in no time.
Herewith a list of the foolish people who dared come aboard Esper in 2007. It only ever ends in tears and a thumping headache.
