Turgut, Ella Marine

Ella Marine    

Bubbly Lady 2   

Mon 14 September was never going to be a long sailing day for us. In all we logged just 2.7 nm getting from Keçi Bükü to Ella Marine in Turgut. However, we'd been asked to arrive early to make things easier for the organisers and Ella Marine staff and so that is what we did. A few yachts were shuffled by the marine staff to make our space and then we were cleared to moor on the small pontoon. Suzie and Robin from Bubbly Lady 2, the organisers of both the annual dinner and the cruise in company, were there to meet us along with the crews of several other yachts who had beaten us there. Chit chat started straight away and it was clear that we'd fallen in with a good lively crowd. We were even moored next to a motor yacht who's owners were also based in Guernsey.

Ella Marine is a small family-run affair with mooring space for about 40 yachts, a nice decked sunbathing area next to a pleasant swimming area and, of course, a restaurant ashore. We interspersed chatting with the Cruising Association members with some sunbathing, swimming and lazing with Alex and Lucy on the sun-beds which seemed to fill the afternoon nicely.

We were under strict orders to assemble for drinks by Bubbly Lady 2 at 6 pm which we duly did and that was the start of a very pleasant evening getting to know a whole crowd, most of whom we had not met before. As you would expect, there were some we just didn't manage to chat to properly but all that should be resolved when we meet up again for the cruise in company later in the month. Ella Marine looked after us admirably with some good Turkish fare, the wine flowed and the very social evening passed all too quickly.

Come the morning, the group broke up with yachts disappearing in all directions to continue their cruising. We had plans to sail just 6 miles west to Kocabahçe which would mean tacking into wind. It was, however, perfect sailing conditions and so no one on board minded that we'd probably sail double that distance getting there.

Turgut – Ella Marine, Turkey