Gocek to Kastellorizon
Posted at 6:56 PM, Oct. 4, 2008
Over the last week since the last blog posting we have discovered a couple of real gems. The first was the town of Kalkan and the second the island called Kastellorizon, located only 2k's off the Turkish coast, but which as a result of geopolitics is a relatively far flung part of Greece. In fact probably the most easterly part of Greece.
After our night in Pilloried Cove in the gulf called Skopea Limani we motored 7 miles the following morning up to the town of Gocek passing numerous islands with dozens of coves and bays. We had thought Marmaris was a busy place with gullets and boating activity everywhere but with three marinas at Gocek, with a backdrop of pine trees once again we found this place really hums from a boating perspective. From what we have seen of this area and within 30/40 miles down the coast this would have to be a place for chartering that would easily rival the Ionian and Croatia. We got a short term berth at the Camper & Nicholsons run marina at Gocek while we dropped off the outboard motor to their service department to get the carburettor cleaned as my efforts were unsuccessful. I was surprised that after 2 months the petrol (with no oil) had still gone bad and can only presume it is as a consequence of very hot weather. Very helpful guys but the repair extended us past the time for a short term stay at the marina so it became an overnight job which gave us the opportunity to get on the bikes and explore the town. We thought it was a great spot although the marina, with fabulous facilities, was at the top end of the price range at EUR87 a night!
From Gocek we had a quiet sail for about 20 miles, still proceeding eastwards, to our next planned stop which was at the island of Gemiler Adasi. The island is well sheltered and it is possible to anchor and tie off in the narrow (200 metres) channel between the island and the mainland. Very commercial place as within minutes we had a guy in a boat offering to take our line ashore, another guy selling icecream, another selling fruit and vegetables and yet another who was making hot pancakes and selling them. The island is famous because it has significant ruins, which we explored, and also because St Nicolas reputedly lived here and he is known as Santa Claus.
Couldn't resist - banana pancakes for breakfast
Nearby at Olu Deniz is the famous blue lagoon and we motored across to the entrance and rafted up to tourist boat (for 20 lire) as it was to deep to anchor and also blowing right into the anchorage. We dinghied ashore only to be charged to enter the national park, and found hundreds of people crowded onto the foreshore all sitting on plastic chairs with signs saying you are not allowed to sit on the sand between the deck chairs. The lagoon was lovely with dozens of hang-gliders launching off the 1900 ft peak behind. We retreated back to our previous nights anchorage off Gemiler Island.
The beach at the entrance to the Blue Lagoon
The following day we had a rip roaring sail eastwards along the coast to Kalkan. With 25 to 30 knots from astern we were topping out at 12 knots and averaged 10 knots for the 35 mile passage. We got into Kalkan late afternoon and got the last berth. The harbour is small, but with good depths, and being long and narrow with boats on each side the mooring proposition involves dropping an anchor near the over side and then astern into the wall and tying up stern to. Shortly after we arrived various of the gullets went to leave, more boats were coming in and the entrance is only one boat at a time so we enjoyed the huge entertainment which could only be described as a circus while people tried to retrieve anchors, in some cases pulling up two anchors as well as their own. It was a delightful shambles - the harbourmaster is the ringmaster yelling instructions from the sideline while more boats continue to arrive, he calls out there is no room but they ignore that and keep on coming.
Kalkan the town is a delightful spot built on the side of a hill with buildings covered in bougainvillea still flowering, plenty of restaurants and bars around the harbour but all in all a great atmosphere. As you walk up the hill and around the streets there is a lot to discover. We had dinner at a local restaurant, sitting on a rooftop surrounded by the plushness of carpets, huge cushions and wild colours while sitting on the floor for dinner. Afterwards we went downstairs to have a raki and watch and listen to Turkish music and dancing. Good night and a lot of fun.
The following day David and Brenda on the Picton yacht Bandit a Moody 46 arrived. We had last met them at Naxos a couple of months earlier and had exchanged a few emails in the interim. Brenda is a journalist and has written an article on Kiwis cruising in the Med which will be published in the December issue of Boating NZ. Good to catch up with them again and as we had relocated in the harbour we were side by side and enjoyed an excellent dinner on board with Pam and Brenda cooking. And if you read this Jo we have found your twin the likeness and mannerisms are amazing!
So after a couple of nights in Kalkan we motored 12 miles further eastwards to the Greek island of Kastellorizon. It seems the deal is that you turn up in the harbour with a Greek flag up and the harbourmaster and police ignore you. Yet the small tourist boats the bring visitors over from Kas (pronounced Cash) 2 k's away in Turkey have to go through the whole customs clearance process. The harbour is deep but with the rock ballasting along the harbour walls it was to shallow for us to go stern to so we anchored about 100 metres off only to be told we had to move because the big ferry was coming. We ended up motoring around while the big ferry from Rhodes, 70 miles west, arrived and disgourged people and vehicles, and then re-anchored as the next ferry was not due for several days.
Looking down onto harbour at Kastellorizo -Savarna at anchor
The bay is very attractive and the place is staunchly Greek - water is brought in by boat, supplies come in from Rhodes and the island has a small airport with flight from Rhodes also. Apparently the Turks offered to lay a waterpipe across to the island but the Greeks refused. The population is 250 and the deal is that if it drops to below 85 the island reverts to Turkey - but you can see that is never going to happen.
Pam survives walk to the hill overlooking the bay - Savarna at anchor
We were told that many of the islanders (population used to be 20,000) left in the 1920's and went to Australia - one of the names that mentioned was Khalis who are big into fishing and pearls out of Perth. So what is happening now is that couple of generations later the grandchildren are coming back to the island and restoring the old family homes that in the meantime have just about fallen down. So on some houses there are signs saying restored by such and such a family from Melbourne or Sydney. Consequently house prices are pretty high now. We tried to get some more petrol for the outboard but were told the island had run out of petrol!
While at Kastellorizon I txted Ross and Jo Blackman kiwis who we had met in the Ionian as we knew they were in this part of the world. Anyway within minutes got a txt back and found they were a couple of hundred metres away in Mandraki Bay on the other side of the town. So good to catch up with them again and have a few beers!
Alice and Volker went snorkeling and found themselves swimming with two large turtles and Alice touched one which she describes as the highlight to date and we also had one swimming near the boat in the harbour at Kastellorizon.
Weather remains settled, winds from all over the place but nothing more than 15 knts and basically clear sunny days with warm water still for swimming.
Cheers
Keith
