Summer 2006 - Datcha Peninsula
To get back on to the subject of sailing… We have been back in Israel for months, and I thought it might be nice to get up to date with our Turkish adventures. So…
After leaving Marmaris, ( by the way, the prices at Yatmarin have risen considerably, but are still a good bargain) we set out with the hope of getting to Buzuk Buku, a good anchorage near the end of the first of the long fingers of rock which make cruising so much fun in this area. Of course, the meltemi had other ideas, and we got blown half way back to Marmaris in 40 knot headwinds before managing to find shelter in the bay behind Ciftlik Adasi for the night.
The next day we were up early ( for a change!) and managed to get past Karaburun, the point at which we could change course enough to sail against the meltemi. We had motored for 3 hours, since there was no wind, as usual in the morning. As we passed Karaburun we cut the engine to use the breeze, and sighed with relief. Naturally, the shaft fell out again ten minutes later. This time it fell all the way out, and Oren had to jump into the engine room and hold his hand over the hole like the little dutch boy with the dyke, while I pumped water out and brought epoxy cement to fix the leak. After this amusing episode, we managed to sail to Bozburun, one of our favorite places, and anchored under sail among about 10 yachts in the only place shallow enough to anchor- no mean feat, since the manouvering room was about the same as a small parking space in the middle of city. Understandably, we stayed for a few days to rest and eat as many sheep as possible, while Oren carried out more repairs. This time, he assured me, he was positive that he had fixed the problem.
So, after plowing through most of the local lamb, and one goat which we got palmed off with, we set out on our quest to get to Datcha.
Guess what. Yes, in the middle of the Gulf of Hisaronu, the shaft fell out. Again. By this time we were starting to get used to it, and just stuffed an old tea towel in the hole. Oren did his diving in and tying the shaft on to the cutlass bearing bit, and we got to Datcha anyway. It was a bit annoying having to tack fifteen million times to get into the anchorage next to the harbour, but we were starting to get used to that too.
Datcha is a really nice place, and has a very upmarket feel. The slump affecting tourism all over Turkey is quite evident here, and most of the harbour front restaurants were empty and had reduced prices. Datcha has never been a big tourist centre though, because it is quite a long way from airports and until recently had no decent road leading to it. It is one of the nicest areas for a spring or autumn holiday in Turkey, and is one of the smartest little towns we saw. We anchored free outside the harbour, and took the dog ( and ourselves ) to shore on the kayak- this not only saves money but is much cooler, since the wind blows over the hills behind town and keeps the anchorage cool while the harbour scorches in the summer sun.
There are lots of up market restaurants in Datcha, but the best place to eat was recommended to us by the locals. It serves traditional Turkish food, and the best way to choose your dinner is to go into the kitchen and look at the pans. We had meatballs, chicken soup and lamb stew there, and enjoyed it much more than the tourist restaurants which try to serve international dishes and generally fail at the diners expense.
Datcha is close to Knidos, one of the largest and best known of ancient ruins, and gulets leave every day to take tourists on day trips there and back.
There is a spring which constantly fills a shallow lake where locals swim- the water is cool and fresh, and lots of fish swim round you. On the bank there is a little bar-restaurant serving tea and light meals.
We enjoyed Datcha, and stayed for a week. Unfortunately, there are no yacht repair facilities there, so we had to carry on under sail alone to Bodrum. But thats a story for next week!
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