Datca to Yalikavak - Turkish west coast.

Current position at anchor in Yalikavak Bay: North 37*07'061 East 027*16'218

Previous anchor Position at - Kefaluka Beach: North 36*57'862 East 027*17'140 - anchored in 17 feet with sandy bottom and tourist resorts ashore.
Bitez Village: North 37*01'468 East 027*22'843 - Great spot to visit Bodrum by Dolmus, anchored in 30 feet sand good holding.
Kalaboshi Bay: North 36*41'054 East 027*34'419 - Beautiful little bay with lovely restaurants ashore, anchored 10 feet in sand.
Datca Town: North 36*43'201 East 027*41'369 - Good town with all provisions, water on dock, anchored in 30 feet sand & weed.

The last ten days we've spent slowly cruising our way up the Western coast of Turkey. We're currently anchored in a beautiful little bay with clear water and a great swimming beach with hiking trails leading into the hills behind. Last night we had the bay to ourselves which has been a first in Turkey so we plan to make the most of it and spend a few days here! Today we'll take our dinghy across to the southern side of the bay to the marina off Yalikavak Village to take a look around and pick up some provisions.

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Bozuk Buku

Current Position at anchor: North 36*34'497 East 028*00'651

Three days ago we upped anchor and said goodbye to Marmaris harbour heading just 20 miles west along the coast to the beautiful anchorage of Bozuk Buku. A deep bay cut into the spectacular rugged mountains, we anchored in 30 feet in a sandy patch between the sea weed that coats the bottom and relaxed into a few days of Hiking, swimming and reading. We'd almost forgotten what it was like to be away from civilisation and to just take it easy for a few days.

At the entrance of the bay stands the huge remains of a citadel high on a hill so yesterday we packed a lunch and went ashore to hike along the rocky donkey and goat trails to do some exploring. The views from the top were beautiful and we found a great spot in the shade of an olive tree to take a break and eat our packed lunch. It's quite surprising how clear the water is here in Turkey, a beautiful deep sapphire blue colour that really stands out from the dusty brown of the hills. The temperature of the water still holds a lot to be desired though and back at the boat it took an inch by inch process to finally get into...very refreshing after a long walk though!

Tomorrow we plan to leave here and head up the coast to the town of Datca to pick up some fresh provisions and then carry on to the historic site at Knidos the following day.

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Marmaris Harbour, Southern Turkey

Current Position at anchor: North 36*51'023 East 028*16'062

Sorry for being pretty slack at keeping up with updates over the past couple of weeks but we're back on track after a quick visit home by me and then a family visit topped off with a bout of the flu that knocked us down for a couple of days! On my return from the UK we sailed Blue Moon 50 miles west along the coast from Fethiye and are now anchored in Marmaris harbour off the town Quay.

My mum flew in for a visit staying at a local hotel here in Marmaris so we enjoyed a week of exploring (mostly shops and markets...mums favourites!) and have gotten to know the main town and it's smaller neighbouring villages almost by heart. We spent one day on a jeep safari which resulted in us getting soaking wet, thanks to the Brits with water pistols, but found it a great way to see some of the country side we tend to miss with our usual short excursions on foot from the boat.

Marmaris is a lot more touristy than Fethiye with rows of hotels fringing the harbour beaches, but it still holds a lot of the Turkish charm. With small winding alleyways snaking their way around the old castle that sits over the harbour and creating a labyrinth of tiny shops selling anything and everything. From fake designer clothes and bags to Turkish trinkets and carpets It's all available and if something your looking for isn't at hand it can all be found for a price!

Pretty cafes with a blissful aroma of Turkish coffee wafting out onto the street are dotted everywhere and a great place to try out the hugely popular apple tea or just sit and watch the games of dominoes that seem to be continuously taking place. The harbour wall is packed with traditional Turkish wooden sail boats called 'Gullets' that shine with all their brightly varnished hulls and take tourists by the bus loads on tours of the bay.

It's also been great while we're here to catch up with some friends, Mark and Nicole, that we haven't seen since Oman on board their yacht 'Sea life' for a lovely Roast dinner (proving that Aussies can cook a roast as well as us English!) and to swap Red Sea Stories and plans for the trip across the med.

In a couple of days we plan to up anchor and start slowly cruising up the west coast of Turkey before jumping over to the Greek Islands next month. Not sure yet where we'll stop but we'll keep one eye on the weather and the other on our cruising guide and take it from there!