SALVAGING A SEASON by Iain Simpson

(Iain, Jan and their Najad 570 Song of the Ocean are no strangers to Flying Fish, having featured numerous times over the years. In FF 2020/1 Iain described how 2019 had been A Summer of Southerlies, after which Song of the Ocean returned to Kemer, in Antalya, Turkey where she had also spent the previous winter. That was in July, and in a normal year Iain and Jan would have returned to her sometime in April...)

As was the plight of so many, the 2020 season brought havoc, the only variation being the degree. In our case we realised that we had to commission Song of the Ocean if we were to have a season to look forward to in 2021. Yachts do not react kindly to being laid-up for inordinate periods of time, and in our case that already amounted to 14 months ashore in Turkey, including the intensely hot month of August ... twice.

We returned to Kemer on 3rd September to find SotO in dire need of a spring clean – and if only that could have been the extent of the work, how happy we would have been. After three weeks’ hard labour we thought that we had escaped any serious equipment failures, until we tested our watermaker, but as the season was fast ebbing away we decided to set sail anyway and leave the non-functioning pump to In the slings at be returned to Spectra for Kemer Marina reconditioning.

On 25th September we slipped our lines in a flat calm to motor 25 miles out of Antalya Bay and round into Finike Bay for the 29-mile sail to Cold Water Bay, Kekova. We set out on a gentle reach in southerly force 3, but as the day progressed the wind veered into the west and increased to force 4/5, setting up an irritating short sea to make our fetch to weather challenging. On a more positive note, nothing cleans teak better than waves of high saline content swabbing the decks. On reaching our destination we were surprised to find this

normally peaceful anchorage full of yachts, as well as three rafted ocean fishing boats! As became apparent over the ensuing three weeks, everybody with a vessel had seemingly put to sea to distance themselves from the pandemic.

Kastellorizo ahoy

With poor weather forecast, we decided to weigh anchor next day for Round Bay, Göcek, 74 miles to the northwest. At first light we motored the first 20 miles to Kastellorizo, then set sail on a fine reach in a westerly force 3 with calm sea for the Seven Capes, subsequently reaching across Fethiye Bay and making the anchorage by sunset. Attention is always required for the Capes, which can set up unpleasant conditions in onshore winds which create a backwash off the steep cliffs.

Marmaris Bay

Another early start on 27th September was greeted with a bracing 10-mile beat south out of Fethiye Bay to exit northwest across Marmaris Bay for the 48-mile passage to Kumlu Bükü. On rounding the Göcek peninsula we were faced with a boisterous southwesterly force 5, with a weather current setting up another powerful, steep sea. Once clear, however, we bore away on an invigorating broad reach. Three quarters of the way to our destination the sun became obscured by dark threatening clouds releasing eye-flooding torrential rain which, to our surprise, killed the wind and left us to complete the day under motor. Life is full of the unexpected, but this did lead to one of our favourite anchorages, seven miles south of Marmaris. In its southwest corner there is a Chinese restaurant with Mediterranean docking facilities for patrons, widely considered the best in Turkey. We were not prepared to drop our guard, however, no matter how good the restaurant – in fact we hadn’t frequented any shop, restaurant, or bar since leaving New Zealand in early July.

Sunrise over Symi from Kargi Koyu

In Marmaris Marina we were to meet North Sails to measure up for a new mainsail, and also needed to check in with engineers to arrange for a complete overhaul and service of our hydraulics. In this respect Marmaris offers possibly the best yacht services in Turkey. However, as we normally only frequent marinas by necessity, as soon as business was complete we returned to the peace and solitude of our Kumlu Bükü anchorage. The following morning, 2nd October, we weighed anchor for a 20-mile beat down the Bozburun peninsula before bearing off on a reach to complete the 47-mile passage to the peaceful anchorage at Kargi Koyu, a couple of miles south of Datça. En route we passed Greek Symi – it was disappointing not to be able to visit Greece this year, as it offers some excellent anchorages amongst its plethora of Aegean islands, but that seemed a small price to pay for us to be sailing and ensuring that everything was shipshape and Bristol fashion.

Simbo Rig on a downwind run

We awoke on 4th October to a windless morning, which necessitated a 20-mile motor down the Datça peninsula to round the ancient port of Knidos for a fine reach to the northeast of Kos in a west-northwesterly force 3. SotO is an amazingly nimble yacht in light weather and can easily increase apparent wind speed in these conditions to achieve 7 knots through the water. This led on to an invigorating sail, close-hauled in 20 knots of true wind, across the wind conduit between Kos and the Bodrum peninsula to conclude a 40-mile run for the day. The anchorage lies north of Koca Burun in the sheltered bay off Akyarlar. All very picturesque, unless one ventures ashore. After a peaceful night’s sleep we upped anchor after breakfast to sail round the Bodrum peninsula and bear away north-northeast for the inland sea of Kuruerik Bükü east of Didim, a run of 31 miles. We anchored off Arasi Dly – most yachts make for Didim marina, which leaves this loch delightfully remote and peaceful.

Next day we deferred our departure until midday to take advantage of a westsouthwest force 3 building to 20 knots around the Bodrum peninsula. This still gave us plenty of daylight in which to return the 31 miles to our previous anchorage off Akyarlar. Then on the 6th we set off on a breezy reach to the northeast of Kos, followed by a gentler continuation down to Knidos in a slowly fading westerly. Once around the Datça peninsula with the assistance of the engine, there followed a magnificent run under Simbo Rig* in 20 knots of wind to complete the 40-mile passage to Kargi Koyu. There we found only a sparkling new Contest 60 and a wellmaintained HR49 at anchor.

* To learn more about the Simbo Rig, see A Sail Management System for Safer

Downwind Cruising in Flying Fish 2018/1, available in the Flying Fish archive at https://oceancruisingclub.org/Flying-Fish-Archive.

Next day dawned with continuing fair weather for us to weigh anchor at 1030 for a gentle reach past Symi, followed by a Simbo Rig run up the Bozburun peninsula to five miles short of Kumlu Bükü where the wind died, forcing us to complete the 46-mile passage under motor. Kumlu Bükü may seem somewhat repetitive, but many Turkish anchorages are in deep water and require anchoring stern-to the shore which is not an option for us. Free anchorages away from the gulets and the madding crowds are few and far between and, for us, a peaceful anchorage overrides variety of venues.

Kumlu Bükü

Everybody had advised us that after mid October the weather becomes unreliable and the days noticeably cooler, setting up diurnal local weather systems. With this in mind, and the fact that we had considerable family responsibilities to attend to in the UK before returning to our home in the Isle of Man, we decided to head south for our final two weeks before lifting out and settling the yacht for winter. During our snatched season the UK had taken Turkey out of the air-bridge, which meant we would need to self-isolate in England before attending to our responsibilities there, following which we would have to self-isolate for a further two weeks in the IoM. This translated into our not being released until 17th December – not a whole lot of time to prepare for the festive season!

On 8th October we made the six miles to restock our provisions at the excellent Marmaris Yacht Marina store. This involved anchoring off and taking the dinghy into the marina, before returning to Kumlu Bükü. Next morning, in a force 4 northwesterly backing southwesterly, we ran southeast under Simbo Rig across Marmaris Bay to round up on a reach into Fethiye Bay and our anchorage at Round Bay, Göcek – an enjoyable 46-mile sail that will live on in memory through the winter months.

Downwind sailing made easy!

Not to be outdone, the following day’s weather was a repeat with a reach out of Round Bay followed by an exciting Simbo Rig run in competition with an Outremer 51 catamaran which was determined to outperform us by tacking downwind under mainsail and asymmetrical spinnaker. Try as they did her crew couldn’t better our ability to sail directly downwind with no sail-handling other than to gybe the mainsail off Kalkan Bay for the last 11 miles of the day’s 58-mile passage to Kaş. In our opinion, Kaş has the nicest marina and town on the whole of the Turkish west coast and, as a result, it is the only one we frequent for pleasure. The old town was built by the Greeks before they were exiled from Turkey following the First World War, but their architecture remains a monument to them and creates the interest and atmosphere that attracts the tourists. We stayed three nights in the marina with its unusual Migros supermarket – unusual insofar as, unlike other branches countrywide, it specialises in providing European produce to meet the requirements of international marina customers.

Cavus Koyu

We slipped our lines on 13th October for an unexpectedly satisfying 29-mile sail to Cold Water Bay, Kekova. It began with a light-wind reach past Kastellorizo, Greece’s easternmost island, towards the southern headland of Içada at the entrance to Finike Bay. There we gybed and bore away northeast on an 11-mile run in force 5, again under Simbo Rig. One of the reasons for our selecting Kemer for winter lay-up is to take advantage of the reliable downwind sailing off the west coast of Turkey to Antalya Bay, which also affords the most spectacular scenery along the whole coastline. Following two days on anchor in Cold Water Bay, to allow gale-force winds to pass through, on 16th October we left to reach northwest to Yardimci Burun, followed by a run up the last five miles of the 35-mile sail to Cavus Koyu in the southwest part of Antalya Bay. This left 22 miles to reach Kemer the following morning. We wanted to arrive after the departure of the gulets and pirate ships to permit us to refuel in peace and make for our marina berth to service, clean and stow our equipment for next season. The late autumnal cruise had proven a different experience to previous spring/summer seasons but equally enjoyable, with greater attention needing to be paid to the weather as well as taking into account the shorter daylight hours. Our snatched season allowed 627 miles of great sailing, despite looking exceedingly unattainable for most of the year –year – but, as the saying goes, ‘the season’s not over ’til the fat lady sings!’.