David at the offices of the Permanent Secretariat for the Black Sea Commission in Istanbul. Photo by Lisa Borre.
Logbook Entry
Date: 5/11/2010 Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Learning about the three main species of jellyfish in the Black Sea while waiting for a ferry at the edge of the Bosphorus might not be considered a typical item on the itinerary of a traveler’s first day in Istanbul. Our informant, Ahmet Kideys, was not a tour guide either. He’s trained as a marine biologist and serves as the executive director of the Permanent Secretariat for the Commission for the Protection of the Black Sea from Pollution (Black Sea Commission), a group dedicated to environmental cooperation among the six countries surrounding the sea. Continue reading Not a traveler’s typical first day in Istanbul→
It’s hard to imagine that this anchorage is just ten miles from the bustling city of Istanbul. Photo by Lisa Borre.
Logbook Entry
Dates: 5/9/2010 – 5/10/2010 Distance: 75.4 nm Sailed from: Port Marmara, Marmara Adasi Lat: 40°52.2’N Long: 29°05.1’E
A long day which included some exciting sailing in 18-22 knots of wind through the large “parking lot” of ships waiting for the northbound traffic to open in the Bosphorus. They weren’t actually anchored but just sort-of “jinking around” like cars waiting for a parking spot at the shopping mall except these were dozens of very large ships concentrated in a 10 square-mile area southeast of Istanbul and the Princess Islands, our destination for the day. We kept a close watch and had to tack a few times but eventually threaded our way through the ship traffic to the Princess Islands. Continue reading Heybeliada, a peaceful cove near Istanbul in the Princess Islands→
We’re staying at a marina on the Asian side of Istanbul — the old city is just a short taxi ride and then ferry trip across the Bosphorus. Photo by Lisa Borre.
We arrived in Istanbul today — a magnificent sight to see after 26 days, 14 passages and 562 miles since setting sail from Marmaris. It was a short hop from the Princess Islands to the Kalamis & Fenerbache Marina this morning where we found Gyatso a berth for the next two weeks. Continue reading Arrival in Istanbul, Turkey→
No visit to Port Marmara is complete without sampling the local specialty of fried mussels on a skewer which are best washed down with Turkish Efes beer. Photo by Lisa Borre.
Arriving in Port Marmara on the island of Marmara Adasi, we thought the harbor looked full of fishing boats and there might not be room for us. Just as we were about to give-up and try a nearby anchorage or the new harbor on nearby Avsa Adasi, we noticed movement among some of the fishing boats along the north quay. Moments later, we were being flagged into a newly created spot alongside a 45′ fishing boat. Rather than a med mooring, we were rafted to him with our bow tied to the quay. We immediately relaxed and settled in to the slow pace of island life here. Continue reading Island time in Port Marmara on Marmara Adasi→
Watching dolphins feed near the boat in glass calm water with a rose colored sunset through the haze to the west, it’s hard to imagine that just a few hours earlier we were fighting wind and current on our passage through the Dardanelles. We decided to leave Canakkale today even though the weather forecast looked better for tomorrow. We figured, “How bad can it be?” And the answer is, “Not too bad.” Continue reading Anchored in Kemer on the Sea of Marmara→
Europe and the Gallipoli Battlefields are to port. Asia and ancient Troy are to starboard. Thousands of birds are migrating through as we make our way against the current in the Dardanelles, a narrow strait connecting the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Continue reading The Dardanelles and Canakkale, Turkey→
This small cafe on the Bozcaada waterfront is under the same ownership of Tenedos restaurant where we enjoyed delicious food and sampled the local wine. Photo by Lisa Borre.
Bozcaada is one of two inhabited Turkish Islands in the Aegean Sea — the rest belong to Greece. We found plenty of space to berth on the town quay beneath the walls of the well-maintained Genoese castle and ended up next to the same French yacht as in Ayvalik. We asked the harbormaster for a restaurant recommendation, and he suggested Tenedos, a fish restaurant on the other side of the harbor. Continue reading Bozcaada, a rare Turkish island in the Aegean Sea→
We left Dikili at 6:40 a.m. to reach Ayvalik before noon and a forecast northerly gale. We arrived before 11:00 a.m. and only an hour or so after the wind started blowing 25-30+ knots on the nose. Luckily, we were already in the lee of the peninsula and archipelago of islands surrounding Ayvalik, but it still made for an exciting docking experience. We were sure glad to be snugged-in at a nice marina when the wind continued to build during the day. Despite our warnings about the building wind and seas, a French-flagged catamaran left the marina a few hours after we arrived. A few days later, we learned that they experienced 40-45 knots of wind on their passage to Lesvos, Greece that same day. Continue reading Waiting out the north wind in Ayvalik→
Tonight Gyatso is rafted five-deep off some large fishing trawlers in Dikili. Just when we thought that it was safe to make dinner onboard, there was commotion among the crew on the trawlers inside of us. Before we knew it, the entire raft began to move. Our 19-ton yacht and the fishing boat inside of us were riding “piggy-back” into the harbor tied to one of the big trawlers in order to let another one out. David calmed Lisa by saying, “Don’t worry, they do this all the time.” When the fisherman agreed to have us tie-up, they indicated (mostly in Turkish and with arm waving) that one of the boats had to go fishing, but that it was no problem for us to stay where we were. Lisa replied, “So that’s what they meant.” Continue reading A taste of Turkish hospitality in Dikili, Turkey→
It’s a holiday weekend here in Turkey but still early enough in the season that we were able to anchor in a small cove normally roped off for swimmers. Yesterday was the National Sovereignty and Children’s Day Holiday where Turkish children commemorate the life of the revered Atatürk on the anniversary of the first Grand National Assembly which convened in 1920. We enjoyed the sunny, spring afternoon relaxing in the cockpit and watching Turkish people enjoy the holiday ashore and in numerous boats going in and out of the harbor. A few hearty souls were in swimming. Others sat on the beach or in the beachside cafe. Fisherman lined the small jetty, some drinking Efes beer. Continue reading Joining in on Turkish holiday festivities in Dalyankoy→
Adventures while cruising to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Black Seas in a Tayana 37 sailboat
