Kos - The final chapter for 2014

At 8:30 we cast off in Symi for the final run to Kos.

It was a 42 Nautical Mile run in deteriorating conditions but the wind appeared to be blowing our way so for the first time for both Mark and Al, we got the Spinnaker out until we turned north for Kos island.

Unfortunately the wind had kicked up a very uncomfortable sea in the extended fetch from the back of Yedi Adelari.




Basically all that water you see to the right of waypoint 7 above so we had to take the lot down and wallow in it all until the final turn SW at waypoint 8 into Kos Marina itself.


That was fun as we got to surf the swell reaching 11.7 knots at one stage. Even got the screen shot....




We radioed Kos Marina on the way in, were met by a guy in a dingy who escorted us to the place where the Summer Amy will spend the next 4 months before they take her out of the water for work that can only be done on the Hard.

Kos is now devoid of tourists and charter boats. Only locals who actually asked what we were doing here at this time of year.

We got to see the lighting of the Christmas tree in the town square. The kids had a ball collecting sweets getting tossed about by a guy on stilts, filled their faces with candy floss and played tag among the crowd while Mum and Dad found a nice cosy spot with a full view of the crowd and an attentive waitress catering to our needs.

The predicted winter storms have hit. The wind howled from the SE reaching gale force, sheeting rain keeping everything damp while we tried to ready the boat for the winter, get all the laundry done and packed away, but somehow we managed it.

This is the fuel dock and haul out slip. Good thing we didn't need fuel or to be pulled out and onto the hard!







We discovered a fantastic restaurant where they serve the meals on a sheet of paper, really great value and we were treated like locals. We asked if they could get the fire going for Al's farewell dinner and their special grilled lamb dish.


It was all set when we arrived. Cosy, warm and super friendly. We are very happy we chose Kos to winter the boat and are already looking forward to getting back here.


This being the final blog for the season, I thought I'd provide some statistics:

It has been 256 days.
We have eaten in well over 300 restaurants
Consumed over 700 liters of wine
The kids have had over 500 ice creams
They were schooled and completed all their assignments
We have covered a little over 2000 nautical miles
There have been three close calls
We've had the pleasure of entertaining 17 guests evenly spread throughout the journey
We remain married and happy
This blog has enjoyed just over 6300 page views for which we humbly thank you all.

Till May 2015 then.... bye from the permanent crew of The Summer Amy!

Detour to Symi...

Directly opposite Datca lies Symi. It is a Greek Island and you'll find if you scroll back to the blog on Symi that it is a great place to visit even though it was the venue for the first attempted mutiny on the Summer Amy!

We had dropped it in the plans as a possible stop on the way to Kos, but only if time and weather permitted. We wanted to get Mark back to Kos by the 2nd as he flies out of there on the 4th.... a day for washing, packing etc.

Well, we did have a day up our sleeves, the weather was going to deteriorate but the wind direction would be in our favour and neither Al nor Mark had been to Symi.

There was one other minor issue to be addressed.....

When we left Kos headed for Bodrum in Turkey with the Frasers 3 months ago, we neglected to officially check out of Greece...

You may remember we had sustained some damage in Kos Harbour which had necessitated the hauling of the boat out of the water at Kos Marina. When the repairs were complete, the boat was put back in the water but there was nowhere to park it as the marina was full. The only option was to head straight for Bodrum in Turkey and worry about the Greek admin when we returned..

Symi is a sleepy little port, the authorities would not be overly fastidious, particularly at this time of the year, so we figured it would be a better place to check back into Greece than the larger port of Kos.

The first order of subterfuge was to lower the Turkish and raise the Greek flags so we'd be entering Symi as if from another Greek port.

One of the entrances into Symi bay takes you through this narrow gap where the depth rises from over 100 meters to just 5 at the gap. The water is crystal clear making it appear even shallower.... Once through it, hang a right and motor into the most quaint of ports.

Now also in winter mode, it was hard to find a spot in this uncrowded harbour. Large boats had moored themselves with long lines going in all directions such that they could handle any wind or weather without contacting anything solid for the entire winter. Each one taking up the space that would normally accommodate six boats.

We did find a spot and with all necessary paperwork under my arm I headed for the Port Police to check into Greece. It all went very smoothly although the Police were at the far end of the harbour where I was sent to first, then to customs who were closed for siesta to reopen at 5:30 but turned up at 6:15, then back to the port police for the final stamping of this that and the next thing. The washup being that we were all now legally in Greece, so when we leave there should not be any hassles.



Time to sit and enjoy the peace of a quiet harbour and our first Greek meal in three months. It was a cracker!

Datca and a nostalgic farewell to our newly adopted home.

We really love Turkey. It was nearly three months, three months being the max you can stay in any six. We were pleased to see that Datca was an 'entry port' which means customs and immigration facilities for checking in and out of Turkey.

It was conveniently on our way, it was open and it is a charming, friendly town with everything you'd need. Last time we were in Datca we drank a bottle of 2008 Henscke's Hill of Grace having survived the Meltimi incident at Knidos and big Al joined us bringing a constant source of fun and hilarity to the boat.

Datcha three months ago..... I remember saying how much we liked festival atmosphere.

Datca was looking very winterised. Most of the water/power facilities were covered, the timber decking had been removed and packed away and we were the only non Turkish boat in the harbour.

Datcha now. We like it like this too.

Whilst Datca was void of tourists, the town sustains itself in the off season. After a good dinner at a water front restaurant the on the other side of town, we headed for the boat and bed. O the way we heard some great sounding live music and decided to take a look...

Packed and happening, a very nice club literally overlooking the boat and a novel way of serving drinks.... order Bourbon and Coke and you get a half size bottle of Jack Danial's in an ice bucket and a can of coke per person. Easy for you, easy for the waiter and easy for the bill.... not so easy in the morning. We were joined by the owner and the waiter from the restaurant and it turned into a big night. It was cool when asked where we were staying to simply point at the boat from the window.

We did bring 2 great bottles of wine with us from Aus,

The other was a 2008 Penfolds Grange, to be enjoyed after an epic voyage or the celebratory equivalent.

Well, we were back in Datca, we were checking out of Turkey and we were on the final leg of this year's great adventure. Our winter destination, Kos Marina is not quite as salubrious as Datca harbour and just the thought of it was burning a hole in the back of our minds... So from Sally's favourite butcher we purchased some great looking steaks, unpacked the electric BBQ and cooked a meal to suit the occasion.

A slow start in the morning even though we had a 40 mile run to Kos. We left Datca at 12:00 on the nose and headed out into overcast skies, pewter seas, windless and uncannily warm for this time of year.

Boz Burun. The bad news / good news place

Early start for a 46 mile hike to Boz Burun. 7:45 we cast off and left Ekincik to the geese and headed out into the dying wind of the past few days. Feeling feral having not had a decent wash for a few days, the boat was filthy, we had no gas to boil water for a cuppa but spirits were high, there was no way Boz Burun would be closed.... quiet, but not closed.

We made good time and med moored in what turned out to be a fairly tightly packed harbour at 1:45pm. Plugged in and showered!

This is a very cool little town. Very nice friendly vibe about the place. At dinner time we popped in on Ossman's the restaurant where Sal received the bad news about her Mum nearly 3 months ago and proceeded to drown it all in Tequila. He had not forgotten....

He was there, but his place was closed. "Hey, if you guys want to eat, I'll cook for you." he said.

That's a radish

We took a walk around town to see what was open and do some 'shopping'.....

There were some very local venues without a liquor licence which, as you'd appreciate, fell well short of that essential requirement so we returned to Osman's and took him up on his offer.

He and his Scottish wife Lyn got busy knocking up a veritable feast.

The next day was the big clean! All the sheets, towels, clothing, anything that could be considered even slightly soiled went to the local laundry. $40 to do the lot!

Mark, William, Summer and I got stuck into the deck scrubbing while Al and Sal transformed the interior.

We'd lost the use of a non-essential piece of equipment in the big winds which had Al up the mast again to effect repairs and by the end of the day, we were back to where we like to be. Clean, full water tanks, full gas cylinders, washing sorted and dinner pre-ordered at Ossman's.

Sal got some really good news about her Mum's treatment outcomes and the news of Paul, Sal's step Dad was also fantastic.... Tequila please!

Next stop.. Datca, another favourite of ours and sure to be open....

Ekincik take two

Probably the one place that was a must for Sal to experience was Ekincik for a number of good reasons. Feel free to go back to the relevant blog and refresh your memory, or update yourself on this magical place'

Firstly it is a beautifully appointed little Marina. It has first class facilities for showering, power and water. It has the best restaurant I have ever eaten in. (That's a BIG call.) The food was perfection, the service was world class, the wine was perfectly matched by the only Turkish Sommelier we have met.   .


It is a chartered boat ride passed huge caves to the mouth of the Dalyan River, through the bull rush fringed river maze to some amazing ruins.

Then onto Dalyan and the huge 3000 year old King and Queen tombs carved into the cliffs overlooking the river.

Lunch on the river and onto the mud baths and hot spring baths.

Well, on arrival after a fairly harrowing sail we found that it too was shut!

Unlike Tomb Bay, the facilities were totally unavailable. All the power and water boxes had been removed, the only evidence of them being a plastic bag taped over the power cables and water pipes.

The buildings sported sand bags at the base of all the doors and windows and the only sign of life were some inquisitive geese!


We were out of the wind, well provisioned and stayed put but really disappointed that Sal and Mark missed this enchanting piece of Turkey. Dinner ended our cooking gas supply plus a water shortage due to some unwitting overuse prompted a change of plan. Forget the quaint, head for somewhere that will be open, where we could get gas, water and power. Get all the laundry done and have a nice hot shower. Boz Burun, a long way, but it became the new plan.

Tomb Bay

There were a few places we felt Sal really should see given she was in Australia when we visited them. The Eco Zone was one of those and particularly Tomb Bay with it's camp like environment and rickety looking but sturdy jetty.

We needed to drop into Fetiye on the way so we could record another black water pump out for the authorities and get more wifi. Somehow we managed to burn through 5 gigs in 3 days!

The winter winds are here. They are not unlike the Meltimi except they come off the 2000 mtr plus snowy peaks of Turkey and are bitterly cold. But as me ol' mate Steve Rickwood would say.... "no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate dress"

Our man in  Fetiye was as helpful as always, pumped us out, exaggerated the amount which he said would help if we were inspected and allowed us to stay tied alongside the fuel wharf for 3 hours while we all did what we needed to do in town.

We then headed out into a powerful wind, angled such that we could set sail, but freezing and bumpy all the way across the Gocek bay and into the Eco Zone.

We arrived in Tomb Bay to find it nicely protected from the wind, but very shut.,,

Everything was still accessible like the bush toilets and the dining room with its raised fire pit we'd so looked forward to experiencing. Ah well, nobody around, we're out of the wind, we're moored alongside and we have plenty of provisions. We ain't moving was the consensus.

Sal and I did a recky of the place to ensure there really was nobody around. The kids and I collected fire wood while Al went off for an explore setting up a treasure hunt for the kids, complete with map and poem constituting the clues. The prize? A foot long dead baby python!

Sal knocked up an extensive mezze plate, popped the cork for a "Moet Moment" while the fire blazed into comforting, homely warmth.

Al returned with the wide eyed kids and we settled in for a beautiful evening perfectly 'situated' as our good buddy Marco Pol Bodetto would put it.

We had been disappointed to find the place deserted but by the time we left early the following morning we could not have been happier with the outcome.

Time to start the journey home

I will spare you the map, we missed Kalekoy when we left Ucagiz, as we needed to get to Finike to collect Mark, but there was no way we were going to miss it. Kalekoy has an imposing castle, it is only reachable by boat, our mate Ibrahim from Ucagiz had set us up with his mate Hassan at Kalekoy so we had free mooring, power and water as long as we ate at Hassan's restaurant.

At 10:20 on the 29th November we cast off and left Finike on the first leg of the journey back to Kos. Two and a half hours later we docked alongside at Hassan's, he and his wife were there to greet us and assist with the lines.

This time of year, any business is good business. It is rare that we see another boat and it is becoming rare that these places are still open.

A good lunch and a big climb to be up at the castle for the sunset and this is why.

A light dinner, a menemem breakfast the following morning and then discovered, once again, why the mooring, power and water are 'free'.

The weather was looking threatening by the time we cast off en route for Kas the following morning although the wind predictions had looked quite favourable.....


A problem had developed with the navigation screen at the helm which was a bit of a concern, but with an IPad app this can be mitigated.... if only IPads were waterproof.

This is a few seconds before we got hit by a 55 mile an hour wind, rain and spume squall. We had zero visibility once it hit, we were navigating through a short cut which involved small rocky outcrops and no navigation screen to show us where we were heading.... Things went from 'a bit of a concern' to a serious requirement for a change of underwear.



The only option was to steer the boat from the comfort of the saloon using the 'smart controller' for the first time.

Why had I not done that before? Imagine going from freezing, pounding, 50 miles per hour rain to the quiet comfort of the nav desk in the saloon. No need to see, it's all there on the screen, just use the 'Smart controller' to change direction when needed.... Simple....

"Now get the mop out, you've soaked the saloon floor."

So, that makes me the only one needing the clean underwear then?




Kas. A town that we could easily live in. Certainly Sal's favourite town if you discount the Hammam which got a little weird. To be recounted over a bottle of wine some time, Sal still trying to get over it...

Kas, because it would be another opportunity for Mark to bring the wing out and have a fly. An easy 1000mtr take off where Sal had a tandem flight from for a sled run over the town, breathtaking views and a landing just a few meters from the boat on the wharf.

What remained open in Kas was for the locals and that is just the way we like it. Good food at local prices, we had been there before so we were remembered, Turkish haircut, shave, nose and ear waxing, face massage and astringent. Full service as the 'Berber' puts it, for $20.

I'll have to tell my mate Chris Karikios that this is not available in Greece as I'd thought, but anywhere in Turkey and a must for anybody wanting to start a business in Sydney, particularly in Balmain. Not pretty, but so good when they are done. Repeat customers a default.

Finike, Demre and Pamukkale

We soon discovered that there is not much to do in Finike itself. The marina is a wintering ground for yachties who want to spend a mild winter aboard their boats. There is a strong sense of community with organised tours, gaming nights, volley ball etc. Only a few years ago, these communities were huge in the various wintering spots but it seems that the GFC has taken its tole and the numbers have thinned to an aging population of grey nomads.

The first item on the agenda was to hire a car big enough to take all of us to Antalya, surprise Mark at the airport and bring him back to the boat. 

That is when we learned there is not much to this town, no car big enough so Sal stayed at home while we surprised him. It is so good to see him, to catch up on his tales of travel and have him with us for the rest of this trip.


So what does happen around here? Click in....




Demre: Santa Claus was born and died here.
Santa is dead???!!, was the kid's reaction.... Ooops! 

"Demre is the Lycian town of  Myra, the home of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the historical man later developed into the figure of Santa Claus." 

Did you know that Santa was originally portrayed as wearing a hessian sack and he was known for the way he looked after kids. It was Coca Cola that hijacked the whole story and dressed him their corporate colours? No wonder Santa is sometimes referred to as the gateway drug to religion...

'Google meister Al' arranged to have an 8 seater van delivered to and collected from the boat for 50 Euro a day. There is no end to this man's talents. It arrived 3 minutes late, the driver having driven all the way from Kas and then had to bus it all the way back, and off we went.

Demre. Full of the history so ancient that we just don't seem to tire of it, kids included. Tombs, the city and the amphitheater. 

Apparently there is still so much more to excavate. The amphitheaters are also becoming more detailed and better preserved as we progress

We eventually had to abandon the site for the rain, the only shelter being the tourist shop....
It has been difficult to do the normal schooling schedule over the last few days as the times this would normally happen have been spent driving. We can however content ourselves with the fact that if these were school excursions, they'd trump anything they'd be doing back home.

The following day it was off to the top of Sal's Bucket List... Pamukkale. (Meaning 'Cotton Castle' in Turkish)

A four hour drive north west through the magnificent Turkish interior so different to the coast and a refreshing change. Pamukkale has 17 natural hot springs, in who's waters are dissolved particles of calcium carbonate.
This is the main hot spring, a wonderful place for a 37 degree dip among slabs of submerged antiquity 2500 years old.
From here the water pours down the hill depositing the calcium carbonate which eventually hardens and becomes travertine.

The results looks like snow and ice.

Remember this is mid November in the northern hemisphere. It feels weird to be warm in a 'winter wonderland'












Next, the ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis which was built above the 'cotton castle'. The most striking item of many striking items here being the Amphitheater. It is as if on our journey here we have been introduced to these amphitheaters starting from the least well preserved where much imagination was required, each one an improvement on the last until you walk up the hill behind the Hierapolis Theatre and you are gifted with this...

I could have sat and imagined here for days.

The following evening we wanted to view it all from above. How better to do that than in a hot air balloon? We were all surprised about the size of these things and the amount of people they could cram into them. Sal, Summer and I were releaved that the German chap who was meant to get into our section of the basket was way too fat and decided he didn't want to go...

It was a short trip lasting 45 minutes, not going very high or far. At best an introduction to ballooning. Our advice would be to wait until you are in the Serengeti or the Alps if it's value for money you are looking for. 

We thought it was going to be cold up there... Well at least our clothing protected us from the searing heat generated by the gas burners! Will did get to have a go at firing those.

We extended our stay for one more day. Mark had with him his paragliding wing, there was a 400 meter take off behind all of this and you could fly above it then land at the bottom near town.

He had a couple of flights. Al and I grabbed a tandem flight while we were at it, we weren't going to let Mark have all the fun.

Sunset was a nice time for it too.

The next day we made an earlyish start, a navigation error sent us through some breathtaking scenery back to the boat, a bucket list item having been well and truly ticked off.

To Finike. The end of the line and the Rookie errors continue

We had decided to move from Ucagiz to Kalekoy just around the corner where there is a magnificent castle and free parking at Ibrahim's mates place, but realising Mark would be with us in two days, we made for Finike instead.

We would be back on our way west after Finike which was the end of the line for this year.

Sal wanted a little dress for Summer, but got 'convinced' into having it made for her, it would only take half an hour and so we readied the boat for departure...

The half hour dragged on, and on until eventually we simply had to leave with the promise we'd be back to collect the dress, which had of course been paid for... $10

By the time Sal got back to the boat, all that was needed was to bring in the passerelle (gang plank), untie and leave... well, almost all!

Sal alighted, passerelle came in, lines to the dock were cast off and off we went... about 10 meters and no further. It took a little too long to realize we had not dropped the fixed mooring line and were still attached in front. A little too long because by the time we realized, the thinner slime line used to pick up the mooring line was now firmly wound around the port propeller! I now had only one engine and we were coming on sideways to the quay with a large audience of veteran Gullet sailors watching on, one of them actually videoing the scene.... not embarrassing at all!

It's called the intermediate syndrome. You start something like this with no idea and then you experience the commensurate nerves that go with that. As you progress, the nerves slowly abate until you think you have this thing down and the nerves are no longer there to keep you on your toes.... Then a wake up call tells you you're not such a natch and you were lucky to get away with it....Again!

However, on this occasion, time was tight. We had an 18 mile sail and wanted to do it in daylight. It was already 1:30 pm. We got the boat tied alongside. This was good because for a change I didn't have to send Al into the unclean harbour waters while I maneuvered the boat, I could do it for a change so I donned goggles and dropped in.

The line was wound so tight it was like a guitar string to the wharf and back to the mooring line. I eventually had to cut it from the prop and rejoin it for them. I then started to cut the line wound tightly and internally around the prop.

Deep breath, down I went, cut, cut, cut and up for air. I did this until it was becoming pointless when the guys on the boat behind us offered oxygen. Well I have no experience, but Al has his Padi licence, so as much as I tried to keep him out of the water.... Sorry AL! It took him a good 25 minutes of constant hacking to free enough line for the prop to turn under motor.


We finally left Ucagiz at 3:15 pm and at full speed headed in nil wind for Finike at least two hours away and it is now dark by 5:30 pm.

The darkness came quickly, but Finike is a winter destination for yachties, the marina is well organised and well lit so arriving in the dark wouldn't be a problem for such 'seasoned' sailors such as ourselves.

We were treated to a sunset that turned the entire sea purple. This shot does little justice to it, but it was an awesome sight.


We docked safely in Setur Marina, Finike at 5:30 pm. I felt absolutely gutted at the simplicity of the errors of the past few days. A wake up call indeed and a very cheep lesson....