The skipper / owner from
During his cruise, we called
on Çiflic twice, Bozukale, Netsel Marina in Marmaris, Ekinçik, Kapi
Creek, Sarsala,
Jim’s arrival came very
close to the expiration date of our visas.
The boats visa (transit log) is for 1 year. Our visas are for 3 months. To renew them, we had to leave the
country. A one day round trip ferry boat
trip to Rodos was called for. Jim used that day for a sight seeing tour to Efes.
At Bozukale,
we stayed at Çorban Ali. It is a restaurant with pier. As you come into this bay, there are two
piers with people encouraging you to moor at their pier. Once you are tied up, it is expected that you
will eat in their restaurant. Use of the
pier is free. Mustafa and his family
operate Çorban Ali.
The food is good. The prices are
reasonable. There are restrooms and a
shower. When Perception was there in
July, there was an ice cream boat.
Imagine that. A hot summer
afternoon and someone drives up to your boat and asks, “Do you want an ice
cream?”
Jim and I decided to walk up
to see the fortress. When asked where
the path was, Mustafa suggested the Çorban Ali water
taxis. Two of his daughters took us by
outboard launch to the restaurant that is directly below the old fortress. The older of the two daughters, Ebril, asked when she should come back to pick us up.
“Not necessary“ we
said, “We will walk back.”
There is no path. The maybe 2 mile walk took about an hour or
more. Most of the way was either over
large rocks or through waist high scrub.
Some places, we could jump from rock to rock. Others, we crawled down a 3 or 5 foot rock
and then back up onto the next one. By
the time we reached the restaurant, Mustafa wanted to laugh. Instead, he
offered us water or beer. We opted for
water and a chair. He had told us. Ebril had told
us. Neither had to say, “I told you so.”
When Phyl saw the cuts and
scratches on our legs and heard the whole story, she was not sympathetic. She offered to get the iodine.
Early in August, the fuel
pump for the generator had quit working.
The mechanic at Yat Marine had correctly diagnosed the problem, removed
the pump and sent it to Marmaris to be rebuilt.
When it came back, the generator again worked. During the next cruise, the pump leaked. Just a little, but it leaked. The smell of just a little diesel inside a
boat on a hot day is a lot. It wouldn’t
leak on demand. And it didn’t leak while
the mechanic was looking at it. Language
and culture were probably at work here.
If you are a diesel mechanic by trade, diesel smells good. If the boat is your home, it doesn’t.
When Jim came, I asked his
help in understanding and repairing the leaking fuel pump. He found that the leak was at a washer that
sits between the intake nipple and the intake valve. It appears that when they were rebuilding the
pump, they lost the original and improvised a replacement. The repair process took us to chandleries,
technical service suppliers, and an auto mechanics shop. It was complicated by my not having the right
tools and not knowing the priming procedure for the generator’s engine. The pump now works. The experience put me a little further up the
learning curve.
The shroud turnbuckles have
been lubricated and tightened.
Creeping Crack Cure has been
applied to port holes and deck screws that leaked. Now they don’t.
Another not so tight luff
has been identified, the cruising chute’s. A way to fix it is being designed.
Jim’s knowledge of boats,
sailing, and engineering is threat, treat and challenge. Experience built on knowledge is the best
kind. His ability to teach, not preach,
is a genuine pleasure. We continue to
learn every time he steps aboard.
Before going south to Fetyihe Korfezi, we had received a Nav
Warning via email. KitKat,
skipper and mate owners would be operating in the area at the same time we
planned to be there. This is an English
boat and couple who we had sailed with for 3 or 4 days in August. ????
<<<This Crews Letter remains as originally published, incomplete.>>>
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