Marmaris for the winter

Cadiz is now at Marmaris Yacht Marina, a large marina with a large number of berths, both floating and hard stand. We will leave her for the winter, departing soon for Australia and returning some time in March/April [tbd]. The marina is an amazing self contained community on the bayside not far from Marmaris town. It has a bar, restaurant,gym, library, radio station, wireless internet and so on. With its multinational residents, including quite a few Australians it is a fun place to be. Many yachties will live aboard here for the duration, the alternative for Europeans being much colder and wetter. Stand by for more in the new year.

Gocek

At anchor in the bay at Gocek. Due to gross roaming charges we have had to give up using the Greek wireless modem and are now dependent on free wireless cafes etc. This means that our primary means of access to weather forecasts is now unavailable but, since we are due in Marmaris to prepare the yacht for the winter break in a few days, this is not so important.

Cadiz

Some photos of Cadiz interior.

Finike to Fethiye

We are now at Fethiye, having had a leasurely passage from Finike via kekova Roads where we visited more ancient ruins including those of a partially sunken city. We were able to snorkel over the remains of buildings and streets. Thence to Kas [pronounced cash] where we enjoyed a fascinating street party to mark the end of the season and Republic Day.

Return to Turkey

After a great sail from Larnaca in Cyprus, Cadiz is now at Finike in Turkey. We were fortunate to have cooperative winds for a change, and averaged about 7 kts for the 230 nm passage, with the wind on the starboard quarter at about 18-20 kts for much of the journey.

Finike lies on a bay surrounded by high mountains, part of the mighty Taurus chain and from here we will wander west towards Marmaris.

Today we discovered the most amazing market in the centre of town with literally hundreds of stalls; akin to moving Coles, K Mart & Big W into the streets. The quality of the fresh fruit and vegies is wonderful, so different from our own so called supermarkets in Oz.

The crew remain happy and well, though now getting used to cooler weather as the season changes.

More of Israel

The next thing we noticed was the high degree of security being enforced throughout the country. Even McDonalds along with every cafe, restaurant, hotel, marina, bus & railway station has an armed guard, and we became used to having backpacks searched and to seeing guns being toted by teenagers in military uniforms.

Our first visit was to Jerusalem, an exciting city, and to the old walled city where we saw the western [wailing] wall and the temple mount, with its golden dome and Al Aqusa mosque; very sobering to witness the activities there in what is the crucible of much of the world`s woes.

We later visited Haifa and toured to the Dead Sea and the mountain of Masada where around a thousand Jewish zealots martyred themselves rather than surrender to the beseiging Romans.

Cadiz is now again at Larnaca in Cyprus enroute to Turkey.

Tel Aviv

We now find ourselves in Tel Aviv marina, right in the centre of this big, bold, vibrant and exciting city. Border security was pretty impressive; radio contact with the Israeli Navy 40 nm from the coast, then Haifa Radio both wanting very detailed info of the yacht and crew. Then we were instructed arrive at a specific time, met by a patrol boat with all guns aimed at Cadiz and at the marina were met by a security team who searched the yacht from top to bottom, and took swabs of the surfaces in all compartments. After that we were allowed to go ashore to border control who checked our passports and searched computers for what seemed a long time before declaring us OK.

The first thing we noticed was the cost of living; very expensive by Australian standards, and the affluance of the city`s inhabitants.

Now for the tourist stuff. More later.

Israel Bound

We have reached Larnaca in Cyprus, having decided on the spur of the moment to visit Israel. Our Journey along the south coast Turkey terminated in Antalya where we found the old town area fascinating. We will spend some time in Israel before returning to Turkey and making our way to Marmaris again where we will "winter" the boat.

Turkey at last.

Cadiz is now at Finike on the south coast of Turkey. We have made our way here via Bodrum and various small anchorages and restaurant jetties, thence the greek islands of Simi and Rhodes, and on to Marmaris. After that, to Fethiye, Gocek and a miriad of small anchorages, most with a restaurant. Our weather has been fine, warm [hot] and dry.

Finally at Kos

Now we are at Kos, just across the water from Bodrum in Turkey, our next destination. Since the last post we have travelled via Astipalaia, where we sheltered from the meltemi for a few days, then to Mykonos and several ports and anchorages on Leros. Greek beaurocracy has caught up with us, having discovered a previously unmentioned tax to be paid after three months in country, and since the tax office is closed we are not allowed to depart until Mon when they can calculate the amount payable.

We are now at Thira, otherwise known as Santorini, and berthed in a small harbour in the south at Vlikhada. Our route from Amorgos took us via Mirsini on Skinoussa, a very pretty small harbour, to Naxos. From Naxos we took a short trip by fast ferry to Mykonos. Thence to an anchorage off Koufonisia where a hidden tavera in a farmhouse was the highlight. On to Ios where silly season reigned, with yachts fighting for berths alongside and very large motor yachts pushing their way in and laying anchor chain over the top of everyone else. After that Thira is great, and the sights are amazing.

We have arrived in Amorgos in the eastern Cyclades after a wonderful journey from Limnos via Efstratios, Lesvos, Oinoussos, Khios, Samos, Marathos and Levitha.

Cadiz has travelled now to the island of lesvos in the Eastern Sporades, a most beautiful island. Enroute we visited Thassos, Porto Largo on the northern mainland of Greece, Samothraki, Limnos, Evstratios and then crossed to Mythimna here on Lesvos. And now at Mitilini, the largest city on the island.

Cadiz is now at Nea Marmaris on the Sinthonia peninsula in the Chalkidiki region of Greece on the north coast of the Agean Sea, having travelled from the the Ionian Sea via the Corinth Canal and visited numerous ports in the Saronic gulf before transitting north between the mainland and Evia Island. Then the Sporades Islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonnisos which were all remarkably beautiful.

photo update

Cadiz has now progressed into the Ionian. Afer several wet days in Corfu, we crossed to the mainland to Plataria, a plain nondescript village but nevertheless enjoyable. There we met a group of mainly German yachties who were wintering over, primarily because of the free berths in the harbour. We joined their "club", the Plataria Offshore Sailing Association.

On their recommendation we next sailed to Lakka on Paxos Is., an exceptionally pretty village in a very protected harbour. We berthed on the town quay with half a metre of water below the keel.

From Lakka we sailed to Lefkus town on Lefkus Is. and had our first experience of transitting the canal, where we had to wait for a floating road bridge to open to allow our passage.

After two days there waiting out a SE blow we sailed through beautiful islands to Frikes on Ithaca Is. It was again a very pretty little village in a lovely protected port.

From Ithaca we sailed to Sparkatchori on Meganisi Is. and then again entered the south end of Lefkus channel and shopping at Lefkus town before heading north to Gaios on Paxos.

From Gaios, on to Mourtos on the mailand and then returned to Corfu, berthing at the marina at Gouvia.

Have been out of touch for some time as lost phone overboard and laptop crashed while downloading a windows update.
Cadiz has sailed from Sukosan via Biograd Primosten Vis Lastovo Korcula Ston to Dubrovnik. Thence to Montenegro,to Herceg Novi and Kotor then Budva followed by an overnight passage to Corfu. Still having trouble uploading photos to this site.

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CADIZ is on the hard at the marina in Sukosan near Zadar in Croatia and, under new ownership, is being prepared for a season cruising the eastern Mediterranean.

While the plan is that there is no plan, September should see us on the southwest coast of Turkey.

And to begin, a shakedown cruise to Corfu via Dubrovnik and ports in between.