Gulets Gulets everywhere.

Having got our Turkcell Dongle and done our shopping, we left the Marina, (100 euros lighter) on a beautiful calm morning with a light Easterly wind. We had a gentle close-hauled sail to Magpie Rock and then had to beat for 3 miles through the strait between Kos and Turkey. It was only when we realised, 2 hours later that we had done less than 1/2 mile (despite flying this way and that at 4 knots) that we figured out there was a current!  We're not really used to those around here. Beating in a light wind into a 1/2 knot current is a mugs game! So we hoisted the Iron Topsail and motored round the point.
The spinnaker than carried us silently, in brilliant sunshine, over to "The Aquarium" - a sheltered anchorage behind an Island just short of Bodrum. There were lots of Gulets and a few motor boats anchored but still plenty of space. We motored through the shallow channel behind the island after re-assuring a helpful Gulet skipper that we really could get through because of our lifting keel. The water was clear, warm and turquoise. The holding and swimming were good. Excellent! Even L went in.

Next morning, a Westerly blew up and we started to get waves. We went back through the channel and when we thought we were well through it, tried to anchor. Only to be told off by a Gulet Skipper as being too close and obstructing the turn. Not wishing to piss-off the locals, we anchored, rather unsecurely, in the South bay. In the afternoon, the wind changed and we drifted far too close to the edge, bumping the keel gently on a rock. On advice from yet another friendly Gulet skipper, we went round the cape to Bitez as he predicted a coming storm.

There was plenty of space so, just to be safe, we put out 50 Meters of chain. We sat there until dusk, quietly confident that we were well protected from the elements and well away from other boats. It was then that a huge Gulet turned up and anchored on the quay which seemed to be miles away. But he put out well over 100M of chain and I was sure he was over our anchor. Next day was Sunday. We waited until 11.30 but there was no sign of him moving even though the crew were on  the boat. Eventually we got fed up and tried to raise the anchor. To our great relief it came up fine - they had just missed us by a couple of Meters! All the big Gulets seemed to put out the same huge length so we've learned a valuable lesson!

We had intended to go to Mud Bay (and smother ourselves in hot, therapeutic mud). Unfortunately the forecast was for strongish winds and it is not a good anchorage so we crossed the gulf to Mersincik. Cracking sail doing nearly 7 Knots all the way with a steady beam wind. The isolated bay is lovely - mostly sand - so we anchored ahead of the only other yacht. After a couple of hours, a huge, two-masted luxury Gulet full of German medics on a 'holistic medicine' seminar rocked up. It's alright for some - I wonder who paid for it?
The crew were full of dire warnings of a storm (un-forecast) so we made a complete pigs ear of taking lines ashore to the beach - took us two hours! We spent a secure night and after all that effort, no sign of a storm.We were almost disapointed! Ho-hum, at-least we learned to use the Kedge.
It was so nice there that we decided to stay another day just relaxing - and then another as the weather was still looking a bit iffy.
So I wrote this.
More next time.....