19th August 2020

The next day we left for 20 mile day trip back to Datca. This time we anchored in another really nice bay with a stern line in the most crystal clear water. The water was so clear and turquoise it literally looked like we parked in a pool. Absolutely amazing.

Adventurous, Imagine and Lostura joined us later and we all rafted up together, which is a lot of fun. We can all walk boat to boat, which Lucy and the kids enjoy especially and its a great configuration for socialising.  We all had swims after a days sailing and cooked our dinners before the night fell.

Because of the wind changing we had to leave the next day to duck away in Aktur, where we had been before. After the 10 nautical mile trip we made some lunch, did some schooling. It was very windy and we where glad that we where tucked safely in the bay. In the afternoon Freddie pointed out a little blow up kayak being blown out to sea with 2 people in it who clearly had no control in those strong winds. 2 boats drove right past them. Freddie from Lostura quickly put his dinghy in the water and Tim joined him in the rescue attempt quickly grabbing our little canister of fuel for our dinghy. The 2 of them looked so vulnerable in the whitecaps and they eventually disappeared behind a rock with the blow up kayak. Eventually we saw them coming back towing the blow up kayak and having the 2 people on board. Freddie’s outboard stopped not very far from our yachts and because Tim’s fuel was different and couldn’t be used for his motor they quickly got the paddles out and made it back safely. It turned out it was 2 young people from Istanbul who had a few too many drinks and thought they where o.k. strangely when Tim and Freddie asked them what was going on. Tim chatted to them for a bit on our boat and eventually Paul from Imagine took them back to the beach. It was their first day of a camping holiday and I couldn’t get over how irresponsible they where, getting drunk and hopping into tiny blow up thingy in 30 knots of wind…. Anyway it was a good ending and we finished the evening by playing a game.

The next day we made the move to Bozburun, a 12 nautical mile journey. We parked in a beautiful bay and went to town to top up our groceries, buy some more data and get some cash out.  On the way we saw a barber and Tim and Luca looked both really woolly around the head. My hair cutting scissors had lost the screw holding it together, so wasn’t working anymore. It was Tim’s turn first and he decided to have the full men’s treatment with a cut throat old fashioned shaver. He said afterwards his skin hasn’t felt that smooth since he was 13. It was fun to watch. He got his eyebrows and nose hairs trimmed and the ear hairs where singed off with some flames. The barber was really thorough but didn’t smile a single time – he looked rather grumpy. The old man that did Luca’s hair was more friendly and did a quick and good job to lighten Luca’s load on the head. He has got such tick hair it gets really hot in this heat.

After that was done we hit the grocery store and went back to our boat to do some schooling. The next morning we moved on to a different even prettier place since the wind calmed down. We again rafted up, all 4 of us stern to with beautiful water all around us. That day Nina started to really promote her massage business and had her first paying clients and got more bookings from all the lovely cruisers of our buddy boats. She was so happy and very busy organising and looking after her clients. That night we had a potluck dinner with our friends, which is always heaps of fun.

The next couple of days we stayed in this bay to relax a bit after all the sailing. Nina had a whole day of massages ahead, we all got instructions on Paul’s Snuba device. Its a compressor with a breathing piece, that allows you to snorkel deeper to clean the boat underneath or do repairs under water. Luca and Nina where thrilled and all of us had a go at it. Later in the day all the girls from the boats went for a kayak / paddle board around the little island we where tied to, which was a great workout for our arms. The evening ended with social drinks and nibbles before everyone retreated for the night. 

The next day we recorded a yoga session, did some schooling and went to do some grocery shopping in town. Because our fridge and kitchen is tiny, we have to get groceries in our backpacks to the dinghy to the boat and in this heat fresh food doesn’t last long – we have do go for more regular shops. That evening didn’t end so well. Tim got grumpy, Luca was as usual his 13 year smarty bum self and I lost the plot about how everyone was talking to each other. I had a good big cry and locked myself in the bedroom, feeling rather sorry for myself. Its definitely not all roses and sunshine on the boat as a family with 1 challenging teenager and an approaching one and all of us being together 24/7 full time. There is no escaping from the issues that haven’t been dealt with and although most of the time we muddle our way through, sometimes it all just seems too much.

We next day we left to go to another bay after a slow morning. We arrived in Bozukkak late afternoon, went for a snorkel and swim and saw a sea turtle again. It was only an overnight stop, so we prepped some dinner and went to bed. The next morning I got up early and practiced some yoga at a beach, which was relatively sandy. On the boat, there is always a wobble, so it was nice to have some solid ground under my feet. On the way back I snorkeled on our anchor as a gulet arrived last night that looked like it had put their anchor over ours. We had guessed right their chain was right over ours, so I had to wake the men crew up to move their boat, so that we could lift anchor.

After a quick tidy we left for Icmeler, which was nearly 30 nm and a whole day trip. The kids had a school meeting at 10.30 a with their distance school mates, which are all over the world. We nearly forgot, but they managed to be part of it while we where sailing. It seems rather strange to sail around in Turkey while the kids catch up with their schoolmates via internet. We sailed past such beautiful scenery. We tried to anchor earlier, but it was to swelly in that bay.  

Icmeler is very near Marmaris and a busy little holiday town with fast boats buzzing in the bay dragging those big floaty things behind them with screaming tourists. We had heard from other friends about a cafe called Florida which has real english breakfast that you get to through small channel with a dinghy. Some of our little floatilla had already been there and it was decided that we all go for breakfast next morning 9 am.