VikingBlod Voyages

  August 3rd to 6th Leaving the Dalyan area behind, we set off in the easterly direction towards our last major stop in the area of Fethiye. This is as far as we would be able to go and still make it back to Bodrum in time for Julia to catch her flight in the early morning of August 14th. Our destination was the Gulf of Fethiye which is known for many beautiful bays and little inlets in which we could anchor. The area is frequented by sailing and power yachts of all sizes and styles. In one bay we even saw a super yacht complete with its own helicopter on the top deck! Every time we think we have seen the biggest yacht (sailing or motor), we see another one that is bigger. There certainly are some beautiful boats enjoying the Turkish Riviera. The Gulf of Fethiye proved to be quite busy and we were not sure we would be able to find space to anchor and tie off to shore, but persistence paid off and we were able to locate a good area in the beautiful water we have come to expect. But,...

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 coupl...

  To say we were eagerly awaiting Julia’s arrival in Bodrum on July 24th is an understatement. After three and a half months of communicating via FaceTime calls, Neil and I   were very excited that she was due to arrive and we could finally see her in person. We had secured a car to pick her up at the Bodrum airport (complete with a driver holding up a “Julia Hansen” sign) and deliver her dockside in the Bodrum marina. The only hitch… we were not staying in the marina (too cost prohibitive), but were at anchor in the bay outside of the marina. We took the dingy to the gas dock and picked her up there, suitcase and all! So began our three week adventure with Julia on board! Our first evening together was spent walking in the area of the Bodrum marina so Julia could experience first hand how the nights come alive, complete with tourists dining on patios, music blaring from bars and clubs, people shopping in the outdoor malls, and the gulets all lined up along the piers. Bodrum i...

  Friday, July 26, 2024 This morning I am writing from an anchorage in Turkey, in a place called Knidos, which we have already visited once. It is a bay we have chosen for a couple of reasons; the winds are up for the next couple of days and it is well protected from the northwest swell, and because this is the site of some very extensive ruins that we are going to explore later today. Arriving yesterday afternoon after a fantastic sail, we were surprised to see that the bay was quite empty as compared to the last time we were here, leaving us ample room to set anchor. However, this did not stop us from having to move the boat this morning to allow a catamaran to pull anchor as it needed to manoeuvre quite close to us. All went well and we chose to reset the anchor to ensure we have enough room as the winds are expected to pick up this afternoon and throughout the evening. Hopefully, there will not be an influx of boats throughout the day. No one needs a crowded anchorage when the ...

When planning our trip prior to leaving Ontario, our goal was to make it to Turkey before our 90 Schengen days were over, which would be by July 3rd. However, the date we chose as our goal was June 27th so that we had a few extra EU days in case of emergency or unforeseen circumstances. More than two months later when in Kos, Greece, we were making final arrangements with our “agent”, who would help to check the boat and us into Turkey, and he told us he had our appointment scheduled for June 27th. We could not believe that after over 1500 nautical miles traveled, with 3 countries visited, we actually were entering Turkey on the exact day we had planned! Turkey has definitely provided us the opportunity to experience a change of pace from our trip beginning in France to Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, and Greece. We are no longer working towards moving the boat along while we enjoy some touring, but seem to be meandering along, choosing areas to visit as we go. Although we have some high lev...