A Day in Istanbul

A Day in Istanbul                            

December 18^th, 2011

We left our boat at Marmaris Yacht Marina for an early morning, 05:40 am, pickup by a shuttle mini bus of www.resorthoppa.com to Dalaman Airport, €48.00 for both of us round trip. It was supposed to be a 2 hour drive from the marina to the airport but only took 1hr and 10 min, so we arrived at the airport very early for our 11:00 am flight.  We had a Turkish breakfast and then settled down in a comfortable seat and passed the time reading.

The flight to Istanbul Ataturk airport left on time and arrived about 20 min early. Took a taxi for 6 Turkish Lira (€2.44) to the hotel near the airport, checked in with the very friendly receptionist, placed our luggage in our room and made it in time for the free shuttle to the main Istanbul shopping area. We did not actually know were the shuttle bus was going, all we new was that it was going to Taksim which is an area north of the main tourist attractions such as the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace museum.

When we arrived in Taksim we were disappointed at the site as it didn’t look that impressive except for a Greek Orthodox Church about 500 meters to the south of where we were dropped off. But then on further exploration we found this fantastic area of shops selling anything from delicious lamb, beef or chicken doners, shops selling deserts such as Turkish Delight, Helva, plus all sorts of nuts and of course all the designer boutiques. As we turned the corner all we could see was a sea of people walking up and down this street. We are not fans of large cities and crowds but this was different there was a certain air of good vibes and energy, some peaceful protesters with placards that we did not understand, marched by through the crowded pedestrian-only street. We have been to many other major cities around the globe, our favorite is NY City which we visited several times and love it every time we go there. But this Istanbul has its own style and attractions and a definitive culture. We noticed that not many people where not even window shopping but just strolling up and down the street, meeting friends, holding hands and just enjoying the atmosphere. Every few minutes an old tram similar to the once in San Francisco would pass through the crowd, this gave an even nicer atmosphere to the whole street.

A day here in the shopping hub of Istanbul doesn’t make us experts about Istanbul but the few hours we spent here we fell in love with it and are looking forward for our next one day visit on the way back from Malta, we hope to be able to visit the museum at Hagia Sophia museum and the Blue Mosque at that time. We are sure to be back in Istanbul to spend more time in this exotic world class city. Maybe in Spring 2012 !!!

Varnishing

Well since we are so busy here at Marmaris Yacht Marina, with social events, sauna, billiards, dinners etc… etc… during all this relaxation  I have decided to tackle touching up on the few pieces of varnished lumber we still have on the exterior of the boat, which of course through the years has been diminished substantially. The only varnished teak left are the cockpit table, the companionway door and framework (the main door to the boat’s interior) and the two coming trims as seen in the background of the picture.

Through the years and with much experience of the degradation of varnish and the resulting upkeep the rest of the exterior teak has been methodically stripped of all varnish. We have some areas of lumber that we just clean with soapy water and seal with a special sealer we found at Budget Marine in St Martin made by SEMCO™, it is very easy to use and apply as is out of the can, after following the instructions labeled on the can, you end up with a matt finish that looks like natural teak that has been sanded and left to slightly bleach in the sun, therefore you can also see the defined grains of the wood, alleluia how much time in maintenance this is saving us which of course leaves a lot more time for social activities and the fun that these activities bring with them. This sealer we do every 6 months without even taping anything as it is very easy to clean (with standard paint thinner) any sealer that eventually gets on to the fiberglass.

The cockpit (the part of the boat where we spend most of the times outdoors) table is a different matter altogether as it is not exposed to the full effects of the environment, it is in the shade of the bimini, (the piece of canvas we have overhead that protects from the sun and other arrogant elements that might be dished down on us) therefore does not deteriorate very often it is more for the nicks and scratches that we maintain it more or less once a year and this happens to be one of those times. We love the look of high gloss varnished teak, looks like there is a glass coating on it especially with many coats added to it 8  to 11coats at the minimum.

We use Epifanes exterior high gloss, the one that you do not have to sand in-between coats if coated within 36 hours. However I do sand between the last three coats with 380-400 grit sand paper. We start of by scraping down to bare wood any nicks, scratches and other deterioration visible, sand and blend with 180 grit paper, finish sanding these areas with 220 grit paper always with the grain where possible, mix 50-50 varnish and thinner and coat the areas, this already took away a lot of socializing. Wait at least 24hrs in between coats and start building up the next coats with a 75% varnish and 25% thinner solution. When you are happy with the level of coats it is time to wash the whole area with soap and water using a green scotch pad, rinse thoroughly and let dry. Then sand the whole thing with 220 grit paper, remove all dust (no need to tell you how) when you think all of the dust is removed take a tack cloth and wipe down the whole thing making sure you get in tight areas where dust may be hiding. As you can see from this, preparation is 90% of the job, the actual varnishing take little time. Now put as many coats as you want (all depends on how much no socializing you can live with). Sand in between coats with 380-400 grit paper, making sure to remove all the dust before each coat.

Viola’ you should end up with a great looking varnish job that even a professional will congratulate on.

Turkish Visa renewal

Yesterday we took a ferry to Rhodes (Greek island) to renew our Turkish visa, yes all we had to do is take a day trip to Greece and when you came back into Turkey we were issued a 90 day visa, so we will have to do this again before the 90 days are up. It is important not to let it expire or we will be heavily fined buy Turkish Immigration. The fast catamaran to Rhodes costs €45.00/person for a same day return thicket, we left at 9:30 am arrived in Rhodes one hour later and then spent the day touring the city of Rhodes. We started off with a one hour double-decker bus tour to get an idea what is around and the best places to visit, then we stopped at the New Market and had the best Gyros ever with big chunks of pork cost only for only  €1.80 each but a cup of tea from the same place cost €2.40, go figure.

We then went into the old city of Rhodes, built in the 1100 AD by the Crusaders, it is incredibly well preserved and also it is very big the surrounding wall is over 7km around, this gives you an idea of the size of it. The grandmasters Palace is worth seeing with its many mosaics and a lot of furnishings from the many Grandmasters that lived here. Within the walls there is Christian churches and Moslem Mosques but the Venetians where here too and a lot of brogue architecture can be seen the most noticeable being the Roloi clock tower. Within the walls there is restaurants, fashion boutiques; cafes; souvenir shops etc…

Took the ferry back to Marmaris Turkey at 16:30 hrs 

We had a great day here and we look forward to revisit in 90 days 

Marmaris Yacht Marina

We have already been two weeks in this marina and we have become attached to it psychologically speaking, we feel very relaxed here, it is a peaceful environment, easy access to Marmaris via a 20 mins bus ride that runs from here every 30 mins. The marina has a lot to offer to the live-aboard cruiser, such as repair facilities, use of employee canteen where we pay 7 TL ( 2.85 Euros) for 3 course lunch or dinner, supermarket where you can have any type of gas/propane cylinder filled our 10 lb cost 55 TL which is not the cheapest but no other easy alternative,  a very nice bar and restaurant, swimming pool and sauna, gym, clinic with doctor on call,  a barber shop, laundry facilities do yourself or get it done, and a very well equipped library which Lillian decided to take care of  and has done a fabulous job with it, in the library there is also a snooker and pool table, it cost 10 TL to play.
We have met very wonderful people here some of them staying over winter and most of them are heading home and will be back in early spring.
The marina staff are very helpful and friendly, we had a SW blow a couple of days ago and all three marina boat where seen running around helping boats in trouble , re-arranging lines and fenders, we are well tacked and managed to weather the storm quite well. No swell or waves come into the marina it was just very strong winds that put some strain on the lines.
Click link below if you like to see more about this marina.
http://www.yachtmarin.com/marina/index.php

In for the winter

We have now moved into The Marmaris Yacht Marina for the winter. The boat will be here till the end of March 2012. This is a very big marina with about 800 berths and a massive yard that gets packed like sardines during the winter months when a lot of foreign yachts are hauled out for the winter.

Since arriving in Turkey we have been as far west as Bodrum and as far east as Fineke. The longest we stayed was in Bozburun and the best city we have been to is Fethiye with its rock tombs, fish market down in the old part of the city and the incredible fruit and vegetable market that is held twice a week Tuesdays and Fridays. From Fethiye we rented a car and sped east towards Fineke, then north through the mountains and back down towards Oludinez and KayaKoy, then back by nightfall to Fethiye. The anchorage in Fethiye and Bozburun are both excellent if you want to head inland for a few days or longer.

Most anchorages in Turkey deep and you will need to drop the anchor on a slope away from shore and then take a line to shore and tie it to a rock, this is very popular here but we have not had to do it our selves as we always found an anchorage with a depth that suites us, we only have 67 meters of chain therefore we are restricted to anchor in about 12 meters depths to have a 5 to 1 scope. We need to get a 70 meter 17mm polypropylene line so we can easily swim it or take it by dingy to shore, then next season we will be able to anchor in deeper waters and take the line to shore.

For now we are going to relax and do some maintenance on the boat, re-galvanize the chain, some varnishing and re-grease the windlass and a few other chores.

Turkey, Bozburun

We arrived in Bozburun Turkey on the 2nd of August after just 2 hours after departing Pedi Bay, Symi. We are officially in Turkey with a 90 day visa, at which point we will have to exit and re-enter to get another 90 day visa.
We are anchored about 300 meters from the town dock. The anchorage is part of a huge and almost landlocked bay that gives protection from winds coming from any direction. There is also a lot of places where to anchor within the huge bay but we are happy here close to the small village, where we made friends with a local carpet dealer who speaks fluent English and who like the rest of the Turkish people is very hospitable.
The transit log cost us 60 Euros and 35 euros for the agent, there is no way out of eliminating the agent, although I think I prefer the agent to do all the running around in this heat. Temp ranging in the high 30's. The swimming is great in deep water and water is 25 deg C. There is many boats here including the famous Turkish gulits. Gulit boat building is a major industry within this large bay but they are tucked in towards the south east cost of the bay so they are not an eye-sour.
Lillian and I both love it here, but we will have to start moving east soon as we already booked and paid for our winter spot in Maramris area which is an hour by bus from here, plus there are so many anchorages to visit on the way. The cost for the bus from Bozburun to Marmaris is 3.75 euros per person each way.

60 days in Greece

This is just an update as to our time since arriving in Greece 60 days ago.
We have been in 32 different locations, we went to a marina only once in Pereaus, so we could visit Athens at our leisure without any worries of other boats anchoring too close to us. All the anchorages we found to be spectacular and of very good shelter and most excellent holding in mostly sand and weed in an average depth of 6 meters. 95% of the anchorages we have been alone or with a couple of other boats.
We have been enjoying the historical sites, the local cuisine and the people who are very friendly, always trying to help and always trying to hand you food to make us more welcomed. We have felt very safe in Greece and locking the dingy is not important,  nobody touches anything here.
We are at the moment in beautiful Leros  Island which is one of the Dodecense group of islands. We are only a few short miles from the Turkish coast but no intention to head over there yet.

GREECE

We are on our first week in Greece, we made landfall at Katakolo on the west side of the Peloponnese, after a fabulous 3 day passage from Malta. So far we visited  Ancient Olympia where the first Olympic Games started around 760 BC and lasted for 1200 years. The site is amazing and even though it has been ravaged by fire and an earthquake you can still see the base of most of the temples and the actual stadium. The anchorage at Katakolo is excellent in most weather as was the second stop just for one night at Killini, the one at Navpaktos was a little rolley but the medieval harbor and castle make Navpaktos a place to see. Today we moved on another 13 nm and anchored at the island of Trizinion, this is a very good all round anchorage with excellent protection from all directions. The bottom is tall weeds over mud so you may need a couple of tries to make the anchor dig in, nice restaurants ashore serving very nice fried fresh anchovies and baked feta cheese. We may stay here for a couple more days we shall see what the weather will be like first.

Hair riasing work

There is no showers or toilets here at the Msida Marina in Malta (supposedly its in the works, but not sure where), each morning the water from the tanks in the boat feels like it is coming down from a glacier, especially trying to brush and then rinse my teeth. So since we are hooked up to shore power and going to be in 240 volt supply areas for the next few years, I decided to remove the 110-volt heating element in our water heater and install a 240-volt element which I keep on the boat for these areas, this will save me having to start the engine to just heat the water while in a marina. The only drawback is that I will have to remove the cockpit shower mixer and its plumbing from directly in front of the water heater so that I then will be able to work on replacing the elements.

1-1/2 hour later I am managed to remove the element, in the process I dropped one of the four NC 3/8” – 13 hex head bolt inside where the insulation is in other words between the outer and inner tank, with my knees already taking the shape of a pretzel I had a hunch that this was going to be a rough day. I tried everything in the book and in its covers but to no avail the bolt is lost and I new I never had anything this short and in this configuration on the boat. Where am I going to find one similar bolt?  I ran a cross the parking lot to the first chandlery and the gentleman told me to go to a place that I new existed, so I jumped in the car, courtesy of my father in-law and headed to this supply store called Catania, in Blata il Bajda, after waiting in line for 1/2 hour I was totally surprised that they had the same and more surprised when the man behind the counter asked me if I wanted it in stainless steel.  I paid 90 Euro cents for 2 bolts and within 10 min I was back on the boat happy and whistling with joy that I found the same bolt.

Managed to put everything together pressure test fix some minor leaks turn water heater on and as pressure build a few more leaks and that was that, not so bad after all I am ready and its only 2:00 pm, what a wonderful day, had some lunch, checked some emails, and was thinking of taking an afternoon nap when all of a sudden we heard a noise similar to some boat going around under power but the noise did not let up and then we saw steam coming out of the engine room I poked my head and yelled to Lillian to open the faucet and turn off the main breaker for the shore power and the 12 volts DC. The safety relief valve opened up and was spewing steam and water all over the battery charger and other stuff close by the, I could not really see what was happening until the pressure dropped and then I went inside to take a closer look, the engine room felt like a sauna, the water was running down the top of the shelf on the starboard side, but to my amazement the charger did not actually get water on it, only some steam as the nozzle of the SRV was pointing down away from any electronic equipment.

It took me another 4 hours to remove all the plumbing and replace the SRV at the same. We did not turn the water heater on I wanted to wait till morning to be awake if something went wrong again.

The next morning I woke up and upon closer inspection and a fresher mind and set of clearer eyes I found that the clip that pushes the thermostat against the water heater tank was not in place and there was an air gap between the two, therefore the temperature of the water heater was not being read by the thermostat  this would let the heating element bring the water temperature high enough that the safety blows. So I spent another couple of hours this morning fixing the problem. By know I am a qualified contortionist.
It is know working fine and we can enjoy warm water for the morning use and washing the dishes.

We are in the water

Finally the day came to launch the Maltese Falcon but not before I got some kind of Japanese Flu bag that wrecked  Lillian and I for a few days. In between I managed to launch the boat with some help from Mario, Lillian's older brother and motored for 2 hrs to the Msida Marina where Mario was waiting for me in front of an empty slip. Slid in and hit a little hard as the reverse would not engage but no damage done. We paid for a month so we will be here most likely till end of April, as we still need to sort out a few things plus the weather is too cold to travel overnight for 3 days and nights. Batteries have been tested and given a thumbs up, the charging system needs some tweaking.

No Launching

Yesterday I came down with a 24 stomach flue bug that kept me in bed all day except the times I had to ran to the toilet, you know what I mean, I will not be graphic.
So Lillian called the yard and told them what was happeneing and that we will need to postpone, the yard owners were not very happy as they do not quite understood what a dillema I was in, but they agreed to launch tomorrow. Now this morning Lillian woke up sick, yes you guessed it!!! So tomorrow with my right hand out of acction I called her brother also Mario to give me a hand, he was more than willing I must say which I appriciate a lot. So we will see what transpires tomorrow!!!!!

Launch day

April 5th 2011

Thursday the the 7th of April is going to be our launch day at the yard. We plan to head up island to anchor in St Paul's Bay after launching that is if it is not too late in the day. The weather forecast looks great for launch day, which is of great relief, the weather here has been fantastic, pure spring weather with 100% sunshine and temp around the low 20's deg C the nights do get quite cool dropping to around 12 deg C.
So all in all we are very excited about launch day, hope everything goes well for us.

Mario

Preparing for Greece

March 28 2011

Well we are only a few weeks away from getting the boat in the water and then head to Greece. Lillian and I are both very exited about this. It will be Lillian's first time visiting this part of the world. I have been there in 1967 for a short day visit to Santorini and Crete.

I am still here in Peachland in the BC interior spending the last few days with our son and his family. Lillian headed to Malta a few weeks ago to spend some precious time with her aging father. I am looking forward for the warmer weather in the Med.

Mario