Reprieve from having to buy new outboard just yet

 Riza saved us!  Good thing because we learned that there are no more 2-stroke outboards available here.  Last one was sold in 2012.  And we do not want to have to buy a 4-stroke outboard engine until absolutely forced to do so. Our 10-year-old 2-stroke outboard engine had a broken part.  One of those plastic parts cracked and a piece broke off.  The choke and prime assembly bracket that connects to the carburetor, to be specific.  This part was not available locally and had to be sourced.  And was it ever sourced quickly!  We arrived at the marina dock on Monday morning at 09:00 and the outboard immediately was picked up and brought to the shop.  Problem was diagnosed within 1/2 hour and the search was on to locate the new part.  It arrived at Emek Marine early Wednesday morning and we were out of the marina before 10:00.  Off again to enjoy pleasure sailing.

Frank is to the far left and Barbara is to the far right

As mentioned in the previous blog posting, we met up with Frank and Barbara on S/V DESTINY.  Last saw them in New Zealand early May 2009.  DESTINY was recently transported from Phuket to Marmaris.  While awaiting arrival of the transport ship, Barbara traveled to Texas to visit with family and friends.  Luckily for us, she was still in Houston when we discovered the cable problem with the new spare Furuno heading sensor.  We were able to order a new cable and ship it to Barbara in Houston, and she brought it to Turkey.  Isn't it great how sailors help one another!  Bill installed the new cable and all works perfectly now. 

We enjoyed dinner with Frank and Barbara both nights we were in Gocek.  DESTINY was in the D-Marine boatyard for a routine haulout (same boatyard we used).  DESTINY splashed the same time we departed Gocek.  They needed to dock at the marina while a few more work items were completed.  Then they will provision and start their own summer pleasure sailing adventures that are called cruising.  But I'm sure we will connect with Frank and Barbara again, likely in Fethiye or one of the many nearby anchorages.

Concentrating on tacking the boat.

Winds were very light yesterday but we were determined to sail and run the watermaker.  The dock water at the Gocek marina was over 1,000 TDS!!!  No way we were putting that into our water tanks, not even just for cooking and washing.  Wind speed ranged 6 kts to 8 kts and we ever-so-slowly sailed back and forth across the outer big bay making water.  The Med has a higher salinity content than most other places, so the resulting product fresh water has slightly higher TDS.  Here in the Med our watermaker produces water at 350 TDS or lower and that is a far cry better quality than the 1,000 TDS of the Gocek city water supply.

Handling the helm 

Guess we have been wearing Elisabeth out because she has slept a lot more than usual for the past couple of days.  Bill said she must be turning into a teenager a little early.  While sailing yesterday she slept most of the day.  Did get her to sail the boat for a short time.  And she tacked the boat for the first time.  Once was enough for her for now.  Sort of been-there/done-that and don't need to do it again right now.  




Winds were so light that we even sailed through the narrow cut entrance to enormous Fethiye bay rather than take in the sails and turn on the engine as we normally do.  As did at least a dozen other boats around the same time.  Anchor was down by 16:00.

Like our fender holders?  Just slip the little wooden piece
through the hole on the bottom of each fender and let it
 fall into place on the side of the boat.  Makes docking much
faster and easier.  Easy to adjust length of line if needed.

To end a perfect day we enjoyed perfectly grilled steaks and a perfectly lovely bottle of wine -- Pamukkale Anfora Trio, a 2009 blend of Shiraz, Kalecik Karasi (a Turkish grape variety) and Cabernet Sauvignon. This was the best wine we have had in Turkey.  We have 2 more bottles; better look for some more.







Near sunset Bill turned on the 'special' fans to cool down our aft cabin.  That is our stateroom and it is the hottest room on this boat.  This model boat really needs more ventilation for that back room.  

Suck in air to cool far better than nature's breezes

To help alleviate the heat that builds up daily back there, Bill mounted two 24-volt 'truckers' fans on a piece of starboard that wedges in between the stern lazarette deck locker top and the aft hatch.  He added an electrical connection that plugs into the same outlets as our standard Hella ceiling-mounted fans.  These two fans suck the cooler evening/night air down into our sleeping cabin.  

To further help with ventilation, Bill mounted a 24-volt 5-inch X 5-inch 'muffin' fan to a sideport screen.  This is an over-sized fan similar to the smaller fans used inside computers.  He attached the same type electrical connection that allows it to be plugged into the same outlets as our standard Hella ceiling-mounted fans.  

Oversized computer fan sucks hot air to outside
(I am going to clean up the wiring, adding another fan
and a forward-reverse toggle switch...this is temp - Bill)

We place this in the sideport that opens from our rear cabin to the rear of the cockpit.  It can be situated in either direction -- blowing into the cabin or blowing into the cockpit.  We use it to suck hot air out of the rear cabin as the two other fans suck in cooler night air.  Amazing how much this arrangement cools down that rear cabin. Wish we had figured this out years ago.

Nice breeze today and sailing would probably be good.  But we are staying put so Elisabeth can study math and Spanish today.  

Last week when we were moored in Sarsala Koyu for several days, I mentioned the various service and supply boats that visit the anchorages of Skopea Limani.  The bread/bakery boats, the ice cream boats, the Gocek Market Boat and the trash collection boat.  Supposedly there also is a pump-out boat.  Friends have used the pump-out boat so I know it exists -- or at least it existed last year -- but we have never seen it.  When we were motoring up to Gocek on Monday morning we did see a small boat with a huge black tank on it.  Maybe that is the pump-out boat that visits the anchorages to empty sewage holding tanks of the anchored and moored boats. Great idea to keep the anchorages clean.  Our friends said the pump-out boat was free (although one does pay for pump-outs at the marinas).  

Another little boat that visits the anchorages daily is this one.  This is a small family enterprise.  Capitalism at its best.  Husband drives the boat; wife makes pancakes; daughter takes the money and hands up the freshly make hot pancake.  Note that Turkish pancakes are nothing like the pancakes you might be accustomed to eating.  A Turkish pancake is much like an enormous flour tortilla (maybe 22-inches diameter).  It is placed on a hot griddle and cooked for a few moments, then either chocolate or cooked fruit is spread over half, then the bare opposite half is folded over -- producing a filling.  The resulting half-circle filled pancake is then either folded up and handed to the person who ordered it or it is cut into strips and served on a plate.  These are sold all over the place.  A very common treat.  I love this family and what they are doing to earn a living.

Family selling freshly made hot pancakes.  Cooked right next to your anchored boat.