Logbook Entry
Date: 4/14/10
Location: Marmaris Yacht Marine
We spent the past two months since arriving back in Turkey working nearly every day on refit, repair and maintenance projects. Today we decided that we had completed enough of the work to declare ourselves ready for another sailing season. We put away the tools and washed down the decks in preparation for departure tomorrow.
Marmaris was an ideal place for the long list of projects we needed to do. The technical expertise is extensive and the prices for parts and services tend to be better than in other major yachting centers. Some of the items have been on our list since we purchased Gyatso in 2005, and others are just part of maintaining a boat for the kind of long distance cruising we do. We contracted a few bigger projects to Demir Marine over the winter. They replaced the diesel fuel tank, installed a new galley sink countertop and water heater, and painted the bottom. We worked a long list ourselves which included refinishing the mainsail boom and varnishing the exterior brightwork. Our reliable but old tender, went to the dinghy repair shop and returned with several new patches. All three https://www.gyatso.net/2010/04/02/mainsail-boom-refit/sails went to the UK Halsey loft in Marmaris and were washed and repaired. The bimini and dodger were removed again this year for re-stitching and repairs because the work we had done in Italy did not even hold up for one season. The list of projects we undertook goes on and on, and like most cruising sailors we know, there’s always something on the list that needs attention. At least all of the major systems are working well enough that we can go sailing.
Marmaris is also an impressive place in terms of the extensive international cruising community we found here. Every day, new people returned to their yachts in the marina from all over the world to join those who spent the winter living aboard in Marmaris. We were able to gather information for the upcoming cruising season and to share notes about the places we’ve been with others. In fact, we liked Marmaris so much that we rented a storage locker for books and gear we don’t need this summer, and we’ve made a reservation to store Gyatso here again next winter. So instead of saying our usual goodbyes as we prepared to depart, we were able to say, “See you soon.”
See the photo gallery of our time in Marmaris.
