Igneada, Turkey: Our final stop on the Black Sea and a warm welcome back to Turkey

A nice September breeze carried us back to the Bosphorus and Istanbul

Black Sea Logbook Entry

Date: 9/14/2010
Distance: 44 nm
Sailed from: Sozopol, Bulgaria
Lat: 43°53.2'N
Long: 28°01.6'E

We cleared out of Bulgaria in Tsarevo, arriving in Igneada, Turkey well before sunset.  Having heard mixed reviews about whether Turkish authorities would allow us to remain in the harbor or require us to proceed to Istanbul for clearance formalities, we were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the officials who stopped by in a coast guard rib shortly after we anchored.  The explained what we already knew: "Igneada is no longer a port of entry."  They asked for our passports and ship's papers and gave us permission to stay in the harbor.  In true Turkish fashion, one of the young men asked if we needed any supplies, "Water or bread? A weather report?" David answered, "We're okay on supplies, but we miss olives!" They returned a short while later with our ship's papers and a jar of black olives -- a warm welcome back to Turkey.

We decided to remain at anchor for the night given how busy the fishing fleet looked.  After months at the docks, the commercial fishing season was beginning at sunrise the following day.  Large and medium-sized trawlers were taking on supplies and crew and making final preparations.  Some set-out at sunset, others before dawn.  We floated quietly at anchor and awoke just after sunrise.  After 15 minutes of effort to untangle our anchor from the weedy growth in the harbor, we set sail for our final day on the Black Sea.

The wind built during the day. We rolled out the headsail, put a reef in the main and let a September breeze carry us back to the Bosphorus.  After an overnight in Poyraz, we ended our Black Sea voyage in Istanbul, Turkey...