Bodrum to Bozburun to Bozukkale
July 25th to 31st
There is very little change in the weather from day to day along the Turkish Riviera. We usually wake up in the morning to fairly flat seas since the wind generally dies down between 8 p.m. and midnight. The sun rises bringing forth a day of blue, almost cloudless skies and temperatures that are typically in the mid to high thirties. Wind varies day to day, but every 6-7 days it picks up in the afternoon and can become quite gusty until evening. On the other days, we can be begging for a slight breeze. The saving grace is the beautiful, clear blue water that is the perfect temperature for swimming. Even Finnegan agrees that a dip or two is a requirement for surviving the heat. Our days at anchor with Julia on board were relaxing with swimming, paddle boarding, dinghy rides and gazing out across the water.
At various stops during her three week visit we were able to enjoy some sightseeing. In an anchorage called Knidos, (one which Neil and I had already been to a couple of times), Julia and I were able to take some time to tour the ruins. They did provide a sense of how impressive the structures had been in their time. Unfortunately, the wind was very strong, sandblasting our skin. Since it was becoming hard to stand up straight in the gusts we cut our visit short as the sun was beginning to set. Thankfully, we were able to make up for this when we visited the ruins on our Dalyan river cruise.
Next on our adventure was an area called Bozburun and an anchorage called Kiseli Ada. It was so beautiful! Clear water, pleasure boats of all sizes and types anchored and tied off to the shore. This is an area to which I would definitely love to return when Neil’s sister, Suzanne, joins us in September. Because the water in the bays in Turkey can be quite deep close to shore, boats tend to drop anchor and then back in towards the rocky shoreline where stern lines are tied to the rocks to keep the boat from swinging. The first time we attempted this, it was a bit of a comedy show (we fully expected to find ourselves posted on Instagram or YouTube), but as time went by we have been getting better at this. The first few times, Neil and I would anchor and reverse towards the shoreline, then Neil would hop in the dinghy and run the lines to shore. This works fine when the wind is light, but when it is not, I am uncomfortable trying to keep the boat in place, especially if other boats are close by. The many gulets and charter boats all have crew members who jump in the dinghy and head to shore, climbing the rocks like monkeys. We have seen other people swim with the lines to shore and tie them off, so I thought I would rather try that than be left to manage the boat on my own. For the most part, this has gone well, but it is not our favourite way to secure the boat. We prefer to free swing so we get the breeze through the boat. A couple of days was spent in the Bozburun area enjoying the super warm water for swimming. A short dinghy ride away was the small town of Bozburun that we visited for provisioning. We will not soon forget the incredible little coffee shop with fresh croissants that tasted like they were made in France! So incredibly flaky. We have been getting quite good a balancing 3 drinks in the dinghy (a different way to get drive through) even without a drinks tray! A trip to the little wine shop was also in order. An added treat at the end of the day was the parade of goats that passed by on the shore behind the boat. Finnegan was quite intrigued.
Goats pay a visit
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