We tried to stop at other places than those at which we stopped heading north. c*** (I'm going to have to spell it" Kunta" the blog won't allow the other spelling!!) was a nice little town that was packed out after Ramadan and for the weekend. We tried to stop at Foca which is a little Greek type town but the seaweed left us with poor holding so we moved on to Cesme. We tried to pump out at the marina there but one side didn't work properly but at least we got o...

After Canakkale we entered the Sea of Marmara and overnighted on Avsa Island in an unfinished marina. It's been like this for well over 10 years but we don't know why - if the poor condition of the concreting is anything to go by it could have been a dispute that ended in it not being finished. It was a great spot to stay and wait for a good weather window to get across to Istanbul which is about a 10 hour trip. We eventually left with a bit of a head wind that s...

The weather was suitably dreary and bleak for this quite depressing experience. Our recommended taxi/tour driver, Anil picked us up from the ferry from Canakkale at the Gallipoli Peninsular side at 2.30. We drove first to see Brighton Beach where the Anzacs were supposed to have landed, a quite manageable gently sloping beach with lowish scrub land behind it. Instead due to abysmal local knowledge of the British Navy of all things, a massive current swept the boa...

Bozcaada Island was one of only two places exempted in the population exchange between Turkiye and Greece after WW1, not sure why. It retains a bit of a Greek atmosphere in the buildings. The island once was a massive grain distribution area before Constantinople became the capitol of the Roman Empire. Now it is becoming known for particular grape varieties that are unique to here and is building again on the ancient wine making knowledge that had existed for 500...

The morning we were leaving Kusadasi we called up the marina and one of their dinghies came out and we arranged to pump out black water but would have to wait till 9.00. At 9.00 we went to the pump out station only to be told it was broken! So we headed on out an hour and a half later than planned. Not that it made any difference really as it was a short trip to Teos. Once again we had a stupidly high quote from the marina so anchored happily for free again. Teos...