L to R: Martin Walker, director of the RCCPF, with The Black Sea co-authors Lisa Borre and David Read Barker.
The Black Sea cruising guide is now available for purchase from the RCC Pilotage Foundation and Imray. We will be launching the book at a briefing about the Black Sea in Marmaris, Turkey this Saturday, 28 April at 10:00 AM in the Dining Room Annex at Marmaris Yacht Marina. The timing couldn’t be better. We are back aboard Gyatso in Marmaris preparing for a seasonal cruise in the Med. Martin Walker, our editor at the RCCPF, will be hand-carrying a copy of the book from England when he returns to his boat in Marmaris tomorrow. Continue reading The Black Sea book launch scheduled for Saturday 28 April in Marmaris, Turkey→
Gyatso in the yard at Marmaris Yacht Marina. Photograph by Lisa Borre.
Today is the first time since we arrived in Turkey over a week ago that I can find a quiet moment to post an update about our long-awaited reunion with Gyatso. It’s been a busy week of travel and a mad dash to prepare our Tayana 37 for launching. It also has been a week filled with reunions with old friends. We are afloat at Marmaris Yacht Marina enjoying a sunny, calm day — the kind of Sunday that begs you to slow down, take it easy and enjoy being on the water. That’s exactly what we plan to do. Continue reading Return to Gyatso in Marmaris, Turkey→
We’ll stop in Istanbul for two days on our way to Gyatso.
We’re in the final countdown to departure for some seasonal cruising in the Med after nearly 18 months on dry land. We hauled out and stored Gyatso at the end of the 2010 cruising season and returned home to write a cruising guide to the Black Sea. The book is scheduled for release later this month, and we’re now looking forward to our return to Marmaris, Turkey where we will begin this year’s cruise. Continue reading Countdown to Departure for Seasonal Cruising in the Med→
The upside of installing a new water heater was replacing the sink countertop in the galley. Credit: Lisa Borre.
Logbook Entry
Date: 4/11/10 Location: Marmaris, Turkey
While wintering-over in Marmaris, Turkey, we installed a new countertop for the galley sink. The old one was cracked when we bought Gyatso five years ago, and we’ve lived with it that way until a corner piece actually broke off last season.
David sands the mainsail boom during our refit in Marmaris, Turkey.
Logbook Entry
Date: 4/2/10 Location: Marmaris, Turkey
Refinishing the mainsail boom was another refit project we tackled on Gyatso while wintering-over in Marmaris, Turkey. As far as we can tell, the painted aluminum boom had not been touched for 25 years. As a result, it was becoming badly corroded in places. We received a quote for the job that was beyond our budget, so David stepped up and took on the task himself. It took two weeks working part-time to complete. He used an article from Good Old Boat magazine as a guide.
On aspect of our cruising life is getting to know where everything is in the many towns we visit. It’s like a treasure hunt finding our way around a new town and figuring out where to buy groceries and other necessary supplies. We also search for reasonably-priced restaurants and shops to sample the local food specialties. We spent this winter living on land while Gyatso was hauled-out in Marmaris, Turkey, but the process of discovering our temporary home was no different than when we’re living aboard.
After a long day of work at the boatyard, David boards the dolmus (minibus) that operates between the town of Marmaris and Yat Marine on the other side of the bay.
Logbook Entry
Date: 3/7/10 Location: Marmaris, Turkey
We’ve rented a small apartment in town and commute by dolmus (minibus) to the marina where we are preparing Gyatso for another sailing season. It’s a 20-minute ride that we really enjoy — it gives us a chance to watch spring unfold in this part of the world.
It was nice not to live aboard while refitting in Marmaris.
Logbook Entry
Date: 2/22/10 Location: Marmaris, Turkey
The decks are scrubbed, the topsides are washed down, and the bootstripe is re-painted. But these are just the first three things on a list that is two pages long before we re-splash in two weeks. At least the guys in the yard can get back to work on the second coat of bottom paint while we work the rest of the list.
We arrived in Marmaris, Turkey today and arranged a six month contract at Yat Marine, a large marina with 300 berths in the water and space for 1,000 yachts in the yard. It feels a bit like we are in a protective bubble here — the marina has its own supermarket, bar, restaurant, laundry, etc. That’s okay for us since we will be busy for the next week. Gyatso will be hauled-out of the water in a few days and stored in the yard while we return to the U.S. for family visits. We plan to do some refit projects and bottom painting when we return in January and then to re-splash on 1 March 2010.
