Logbook Entry

Dates: 4/23/10
Distance: 43 nm
Sailed from: Kusadasi
Lat: 38°10.93’N
Long: 26°31.2’E

With a weather forecast for very settled conditions, we chose to anchor in a cove the cruising guide described as idyllic. We made our way into Sarpdere Limani past a shrimp fishing boat working its nets and into the beautiful cove. It took us awhile to be certain that we could swing comfortably at anchor in 10′ of water with a weathered limestone shoreline on either side. A low pasture with olive trees along the shore and a long valley extending up into the surrounding mountains added to the serenity, but this is not a place you would want to be during a strong south wind. We were fortunate to have very little wind.

Just before sunset, another American-flagged yacht came into the anchorage, but we suspected that there were probably Turks not Americans onboard. We have seen more American-flagged boats in Turkey than in all of our time in the Med and Caribbean combined. Oddly enough, the hailing port is always in Delaware which seems to be the favored tax haven for Turkish yacht owners. When we first arrived in Turkey, we noticed right away that an American flag did not necessarily mean it was an American boat. The few times we stopped to say hello to someone on one of these yachts, we usually found that no one spoke English. We have also found that if the flag does not have the stars sewn onto it, and the yacht is from Delaware, odds are its Turkish or Russian — go figure!

We spent a pleasant evening anchored in the cove with beautiful moonlight, lots of stars visible overhead and the sound of waves lapping gently on the shore. It’s always nice to anchor out after a few days in a marina.