Parmak Bükü

Departing Bozburun

With clean decks, full water tanks, a stocked fridge and the laundry done we left Bozburun at 11am on 3 September to start working our way towards Bodrum.

Ruined fort on Kiseli Adasi and some very scared fish    

However, before we could really get sailing we needed to make our way out past the islands that protect Bozburun. There was a long way around or a short cut through the shallow Kizil Adasi passage. We elected to try the latter. We’d left reasonably late in the hope of getting some good wind and there certainly was a good westerly wind building but nothing to prevent us from creeping our way through the passage. On the right, behind an anchored gulet, we saw the ruins of a fort on the smaller island of Kiseli Adasi and we scared a small shoal of fish which darted away, leaping out of the water as they went.

Conning us through the passage looking out for reefs

But our eyes needed to be looking ahead. Nicky was on the helm and slowed us right down whilst I made my way to the bow to look out for rocks. The depth shallowed to 3.5 metres with low rocks and sand on the seabed as we worked our way in a curve through the passage.

Looking back through the Kizil Adasi passage

Suddenly the depth increased again and we could speed up. Looking back through the passage was very picturesque and we could also see a yacht which had been following us but which aborted the passage and was now heading the long way around. We’d saved a little time but frankly it was just a more fun way of getting out of Bozburun.

Our curving course as the wind followed the coastline of the Datça peninsula to the north 

The westerly wind meant tacking. We had planned to get as far we we comfortably could, perhaps stopping at Datça for the night. Once we had cleared the reef off the Atabol headland we were able to sail close hauled on a northwesterly heading. As we tracked northwest, we were pleased to find that the wind was very helpfully being funnelled between the northwest coast of Sími and the Turkish coastline. As a result, with the wind becoming more southwesterly, as we sailed further northwest our heading became more westerly until we were aiming directly at Datça. Having made such good progress, rather than stop sailing quite early in the day, we decided to sail on past the Ince headland before finding an empty bay just to the west of it to stop in for the night.

Parmak Bükü looking at the old hotel’s beach

Parmak Bükü, just 2 miles on from the Ince headland was the first likely bay and we made our way in just after 5pm. There is nothing in the bay except an old rusting pier and the associated hotel, now reported to be closed. We had the bay to ourselves and tucked BV right into the western-most corner to get the best shelter from the westerly wind and slight swell. For peace of mind we swam over the anchor to check that it was properly dug in, which it was, and then spent and hour cleaning BV’s bottom which we haven’t done for a while. There were lots of spots of algea on the hull and thin layer of green which all came off easily with a green scrubber. Chores done, we relaxed in the cockpit and watched the sunset before dinner. There were some people ashore and we saw a water taxi stop alongside the pier so there is some activity in the old hotel grounds but it looked more like a family camping than anything commercial. Parmak Bükü is a very peaceful, if slightly rolly, anchorage in which to spend the night but not one to use if there is any wind from the south.

Parmak Bükü in the morning

Parmak Bükü, Turkey