Karaloz

We made a relatively early, if bleary, start on Sunday 4th October as we wanted to wave goodbye to people and we had a surprising number of admin jobs to complete before we were ready to leave ourselves. We still missed seeing some people off, but that was not unexpected as we knew that some had stiff timelines to achieve before flying home. 

S/Y Breakaway   

Despite the inevitable, last minute, long conversations we managed to slip our lines at 1100 and left the harbour just behind Breakaway. With the wind just starting to build Richard and Barbara raised their mainsail and set their genoa, so we got the main up but stayed under power in order to get some pictures of them under sail. They reciprocated and then we were in that '2 boats sailing in company' situation.

Of course we weren't trying to race them - well, maybe we were, just a little bit! It was an interesting beat southwest to Karaloz a small inlet on the seaward side of the island of Kekova Adası, the island that protects Kekova Roads. For most of the passage, the wind was only just strong enough to sail and with a little adverse current and some interesting bending of the wind around the headlands, it can safely be said that we didn't point like a racing yacht. We eventually started the engine a mile and a half short of the anchorage having covered the best part of 30nm through the water in about 6 or so hours (so not such a bad performance after all!).

Karaloz   

Karaloz is a lovely anchorage. Entering it is like going into a miniature fjord, with steep rocky side walls, partly covered in scrub (and goats) and deep clear water. Shelter inside is excellent and when we were here last year we saw, and swam with, a turtle at the far end of the inlet. By the time that we arrived there was a large gulet and several yachts anchored for the evening but there was still plenty of space for us. We anchored and tied our stern lines to rocks on the western wall and were just about to have sundowners when Breakaway appeared. They had been delayed somewhat by a problem with their main halyard but they timing of their arrival worked beautifully as they could demonstrate their technique for running stern lines to the shore when operating 2-up. Unlike us, where one of us, usually Nicky, swims the lines ashore, Barbara and Richard launch their dinghy from its davits, tie a line to the shore and then lay it out to where they expect Breakaway's stern to end up, buoying the line with a fender. Barbara then returns to Breakaway, operates the anchor windlass whilst Richard reverses the yacht to the floating fender or buoy and then Barbara picks up the shoreline with a boathook. Provided that there isn't a really strong wind the system works well as the shoreline, sitting on the seabed, pretty much prevents the fender/buoy from drifting.

S/Y Breakaway moored next to us in Karaloz

We spent a pleasant hour or so enjoying sundowners with Richard and Barbara before returning to BV for dinner, but not before we had agreed to meet up with them and John and Juliet from Emma B for an end of season dinner at Marmaris Yat Marine.

Karaloz   

Karaloz, Turkey