Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Netsel Marina

Marmaris, Turkey

Merhaba,

  I’m working on learning Tables.  A good thing to do when the weather is full of Donder and Blitzen.   “Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!  http://www.bartleby.com/248/27.html  Donder and Blitzen mean Thunder and Lightning and as there have been lots of Christmas doings lately I thought that was an appropriate way, if very wordy, to describe the weather we’re having right this moment.  My Wednesday Group is to begin in 45 minutes so hopefully this will tire itself out before then.  I only have to walk down the dock, but I’d be drenched before I’d gotten half way and my watercolor would be all water and no color!

The one nice thing about rainy weather is the effect  dramatic clouds and light have on the scenery.  Here are some photos I took the other morning and also some seagull photos I took trying out the zoom lens on my camera.

Ru

A dramatic photo made more dramatic switching it to Black and White

The color as it was: the cloud patterns were dramatic!

A curtain of clouds. The rainy days make for great photos.

Testing my zoom with these seagulls fighting over a piece of fish.

Testing reduction of photo size here

Take off and..

Landing…

Culture and Art Center Opening   December 18, 2012

The Culture and Art Center of Marmaris is a wonderful thing!  The Center is dedicated to the arts offering a gallery for exhibitions and classrooms for teaching.

  Nothing like it exists here and it was a noticeable absence. This afternoon was the opening ceremony and several of us from the marina went to take part. 

My inability to communicate with anyone was really sad because it would have been so nice to ask questions about the paintings and classes and who

had pushed for the Center. I’ll go another day and see if I can find someone to talk with.   Thankfully paintings speak for themselves;  there were several I really liked.

I only took very little time in the gallery because it was too crowded with the celebration of the opening: but  I did notice the absence of watercolor paintings.

The scenery of Marmaris screams to be painted in watercolor so it’s surprising no one has.  (Actually, I returned the next day when no one was there except Mary and me and I found

three lovely watercolor paintings and used my bit of Turkish and my small dictionary to read the paintings’ titles.)

Ru

Lee, Rick, Mary, Joanne, and Zehra

Rick, Zehra, Mary, Joanne, Gwen and Collin It took me two tries to get everyone; Randal took a pass so I should have gotten him to take one photo of all the rest of us.

The ceremonies were slated to begin at 2 pm.  We arrived about 2:05pm.  Everyone else got there before us!

Before the crowd was allowed inside, there were lots of “official” speeches.  This woman made good use of her time waiting. Our group had no knitting so we went off for coffee…

By the time we returned from our coffee folks had already been allowed inside so I suppose we actually missed the “official opening.”

I quite like this by Kaysu Biber

Painting on the left by GὒNFER ERAKALIN : on the right by ZὒLFὒKAR AYTUḠ (Ken…you know I included the cello player for you!)

I can’t wait to go back and really take the time to look at the paintings.

I think the tall smiling fellow with the badge might be the gallery director.

There was food and drink!

There were lots of people! But funny enough I caught another cruiser, Davy in the blue shirt who I spoke to, but hadn’t realized I’d caught him in a photo.

It was wonderful seeing everyone there supporting art! Had our North Cypriot friend Heidi been here she probably would have known half the people attending and would have arranged to interview the other half!

Classroom projects were exhibited in the upstairs classrooms.

Very bright and colorful and fun

An author was signing his book

And Sara, And Karl, And Sami is the title but that’s  all I know.

Before this building was renovated into the Culture and Art Center, it was the Old Fish House and Wet Market. We had visited it during our first stay in Marmaris so we can especially appreciate the difference.

On my way back to the boat I couldn’t resist taking a photo of this fellow who even sort of posed.

Netsel Marina Holiday Potluck Dinner and Gift “Swap!” About 25 folks took part in the Netsel Marina Potluck and Gift Swap. Randal not only made a huge pot of slow cooked beef stew; but he also made a pecan pie. A good bit of the stew was eaten and there were only crumbs left of the pecan pie! Randal did good! As for me, thanks to years of leading, with my Reference cohort Joesephine (from Maine) the Roanoke County Public Library Holiday Party Yankee Swap-Gift Exchanges, I somehow was put in charge of the Netsel Marina Gift Swap. It was a fun evening with lots of good food and lots of laughing. And FYI, I still have the fruitcake I won at my final Library Holiday Party. I had planned to drop it in the South China Sea, but decided to take it around the world with us and then return it to a future library gift exchange. Beware!

Bringing in the food…Victoria and her husband Nege (sp)

And more food… Randal’s stew is in the huge white slow cooker.

And even more food…..!

Some of the desserts: Randal’s pecan pie: this photo is the last I saw of it.

Irina getting into the spirit and Gwen and Rick concocting and testing the spirits

Jane with son Thomas Tom has the dog Buttons that I take out for walks around town.

Joanne, Jane and Mai

Mahan’s and Davey. I’ve spelt Mahan’s’ name as it sounds, but not how it’s actually spelled which I don’t know.

Dale having a quiet moment…there weren’t many!

Collin and Irina

Zehra and Lee and Sue and Kevin

Mans and Mary leading the carol singing.

With his white beard and jolly smile, Mans could also have stood in as St. Nick who was born and died in Turkey

The gift swap in progress..Collin opening his gift..a chandlery gift card which he was forced to swap during the exchanges.

Joanne had this bottle for about a second; the bottles of booze got swapped around many times.

My favorite was the stuffed lamb picked by New Zealand born Diana. We brought it and I loved it so I couldn’t force the swap.

Mai started with this coffee mug set

Not what she had hoped for so…that story continues…

Kevin picked this jar of fancy marmalade but didn’t go home with it either.

Jane pondering her choice

A bath scrub and towel..she didn’t take home either

Mary and Nage (more misspelling) watch Mahan’s unwrap his bottle…

The bottles of spirits made the rounds: Thomas, Sandy and Collin. I have no idea who finally kept them

My favorite swap of the evening was when Nage picked these socks and then finally understood that he could swap them: he swapped for one of the bottle of booze but alas didn’t go home with it. Should have kept the socks!

Mai swaps her coffee set with Sue for her Christmas mug.

I called the numbers but ended up with the evening’s “gag gift.” I “forced swapped” it for Sue’s mug but later swapped back…we can use those brushes……

Scrub brush bouquet: Mai brought it and I finally got it. Ed managed to take home a bottle of booze!

Merhaba,

    Tomorrow there is a pot-luck dinner at Sailor’s Point.  As I’d  made my famous “poor man’s caviar” for the “chip and dip” do last Saturday,  Randal is down in the galley making our dish for tomorrow night.  He’s making slow-cooker stew because it will be more of a dinner thing than a drinks thing.  (I refuse to call it a cocktail party because that conjures up images of “your dressed up parents” rather than cruisers in jeans and sweaters.   “ A drinks thing” says BBC to me and two of my new favorite British TV characters Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme of Rosemary & Thyme fame.) 

    There are lots of choices of festivities here for the next few weeks and we’ll take part in one or two of them.

    My bread Menorah is starting to reek of burnt toast from all of the melted candles so this will most likely be my one and only bread Menorah.  My friend Har emailed me her “make your own Menorah” story.    “ My favorite Hannukah memory – which you reminded me of – was visiting my Bubby in NY.  She had given away all her menorahs and I was visiting. She went down to her basement, came up with a pot of dirt, stuck in the Hannukah candles and we were all set!!”     Wish I’d thought of that…but the bread here is so lovely to look at.

Ru

Stratonikeia in Muğla’s Yatağan district.

   “Excavations at the ancient city of Stratonikeia in the Aegean province of Muğla’s Yatağan district have uncovered 15 reliefs estimated to be 2,300 years old. The masks feature mythological gods and have been engraved into marble blocks.

   The theater currently under excavation in Stratonikeia was one of the most important centers for education and culture during its day, the head of the excavations Professor Bilal Söğüt said. “We have recently found 15 2,300-year-old reliefs of mythological gods chiseled out of marble blocks. The reliefs support written documents describing the time period.”

Excavation work in Stratonikeia is giving archeologists and historians a glimpse into the social life and cultural events of this ancient age, according to Söğüt.

   “The masks that we had previously found were of small figures used in theater plays, but these are reliefs of the figures. They will be displayed in their own place after restoration and conversation works. This will take long time, however, and is why we show these masks to visitors in the appropriate place.”

October/16/2012  http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/PrintNews.aspx?PageID=383&NID=32470

The “theater” at Stratonikeia When we came here last August with Bill and Judy it was about a zillion degrees and dry as dust.  This time we had cool weather, puddles to avoid from earlier rain, but lots of sunlight and shadows.  There were even few people around this visit than last…we were just about the only people around at all.  There was no one to tell us not to go somewhere and no signs saying No Entrance which I can even read in Turkish.  So we went and discovered the huge theater.  http://www.mydoramac.com/wordpress/?p=12293  tells about our August visit and the history of Stratonikeia.  Ancient rubble, and maybe the mask carvings were there, but I didn’t notice them.

The path back to the center of Stratonikeia from the theater

The old Ottoman area Roman Bath ruins Excavations in progress

TK and Deena exploring the excavations looking like a photo from some old National Geographic! A picture perfect day! I love the Ottoman structures most of all A grand mixture of Ottoman and Roman and a feast for the imagination.

Color among the stone: my favorite pomegranates

I want one! There are still five families who are allowed to live in Stratonikeia and these pups live there too.

Merhaba

   Since you’re reading this, you most likely don’t visit our actual website.  If you did you would see that sometimes the words and photos don’t match.  I have been too lackadaisical to do anything about it.  But as I seem to be sending more people to look at it rather than adding them to my email list, I finally need to actually learn how to fix it.  I could write much less but that’s not going to happen.  I could leave it as it is and our web folks would fix it but it would take them redoing the whole thing so would cost them more time and us more money.  Or I could bite the bullet and try using this table format.  I don’t love it, but it really isn’t so hard and if it solves the problem, with that is how we’ll do it.  At least I think this is how I’m supposed to do it.  I’ll have to wait for our web folks to let me know after the holidays.  Until then I’ll just try this.

Ru

Randal has a carpet project and this is “part one” of the story.  It involved a trip this past Sunday back to the small town of Karacahisar 12 miles from Milas which is north east of Marmaris.  We’d stumbled upon this “Carpet Village” back in May 2011.  http://www.mydoramac.com/wordpress/?p=6794    Randal was impressed with The Weaver so decided to ask her to create a carpet for him that he will eventually give as a gift.  We knew that this would take some discussion so asked our friends Deena and TK to come along to act as interpreters.  You might remember that Deena’s mom Denise taught me Turkish in North Cyprus and TK is Deena’s husband.

It was quite the adventure!   And as the weather cooperated we even made a stop on the way home at Stratonikeia to visit the Roman and Ottoman ruins.  Deena and TK had never been there so we could introduce them to the wonderful place.

On the road to Karacahisar we had to stop for a herd of goats, something we had to do in North Cyprus, but never have to do in Marmaris.

We drove in the small village and right up to the home of The Weaver and got out of the car.  The same “grandmother” was outside and seemed to recognize us.  Deena explained that we had come to see The Weaver  and so we were taken inside where we were again recognized from our last visit.  We were shown the carpet she was working on and a finished version.  Deena explained what it was that we wanted, an adaptation of the carpet we’d seen when we’d come before.  She had one so brought it out for us to discuss. Randal, TK, Deena and The Weaver. I call her The Weaver because I actually don’t know her name.  Deena and TK are the ones communicating for us so have names, addresses and phone numbers.  But as it turned out, another woman in the village will be weaving the carpet using this pattern.  Our Weaver has too many carpet orders she has promised  and they take several months to make.  Also, she doesn’t weave in the summer months.  And, now there is the olive harvest to process, so she is just too busy to take on another project.

Replacing the central design with something Randal had requested required planning and measuring.  You can see the patter that The Weaver works with.

These village ladies had come in to take part in the discussion about weaving the carpet and who else might be able to do it as Our Weaver didn’t have the time.  Eventually they called another village woman who said she would do it using “Our Weaver’s “pattern. The woman in the center of the photo, kneeling and wearing the gray striped sweater will weave Randal’s carpet.  Deena and TK exchanged phone numbers with Our New Weaver and took her address so we could send her a pattern for the new central part of the carpet printed on graph paper the actual size of the design.  TK took it to a print shop for us and then Wednesday Deena got it all mailed off at the post office.  I was with Deena at the Post Office and the Postal Clerk was very impressed with Deena’s Turkish and her ability to write Turkish!  I was impressed that I could follow the conversation which was spoken all in Turkish!

We’d left Marmaris about 8:30 in the morning rain.  But noon it was starting to clear and we were all hungry so stopped in Milas for lunch at a “local restaurant.”  It was cute and the food was good which made the atypically smaller portions disappointing.  To make up for that, we had dessert! Hanımeli Mantı Konağı where we ate lunch. I tried to translate using Google Translate and it just gave me back the same thing.  It might be something like honeysuckle dumpling……..  I do know a manti is a small dumpling filled with meat often served in yogurt with pepper flavored olive oil drizzled on it.  Quite good!  Randal had meatballs with rice and the rest of us had sautéed eggplant with rice.  Our dessert which was sort of like a huge, fried shredded wheat soaked in sugar syrup and dipped in chopped nuts.  Very sweet!  Very VERY sweet.  TK and Deena Then it was on to Stratonikeia where I took a billion photos so that will have to be next email.

Merhaba,

   Lots of December events happening.  The Sailor’s Point Cocktail Party was one of the first.  Best part?  You can wear jeans!

Ru

Holiday Party at Sailor’s Point : December 8, 2012

At about 6pm there was just Mary and me and lots of empty space.  By 7pm you couldn’t move without bumping someone’s drink!   Cruisers at Yacht Marina had organized a bus to bring almost 30 folks to join with us at here at Netsel Marina.   I took random photos when I could actually see more than shoulders or legs and arms.  And though I’m learning more names, I still don’t know everyone.   The light was tricky too.  Here are the photos such as they are: lots of folks having a good time!

Gwen in blue doing the lights as Ed and Sue set up the music and photo presentation.

Ed hanging some balloons .                                                           Sue putting gout her dish as Mary looks on.

Yacht Marina cruisers arriving…..

Young and older!

I think I need to be brave enough to announce, “photo time” so folks can turn and pose. 

That’s our long time cruising friend Kathy from Waverunner with the new lovely short haircut in the pink and black. 

Elf Mai in the center of the photo is wearing her lovely pashmina: Kevin, David, Mai, Gwen and Sue…

She was explaining to me that wool feels itchy because the lengths of the fibers are uneven so bits of it stick you.

Now weavers are learning to make the fibers more uniform.  I thought that was really interesting as I’m one who gets itched by wool except for my ancient cashmere sweater that I splurged on years ago and which will fall to bits before I find one I love as much.  (And doesn’t cost 2 million dollars.)

Mary and Randal

A family celebration: Gary  who plays a mean sax, Marina and Vanessa from Wednesday Group.

Thankfully it was a dry and sort of warm night so chairs could be set up outside: that’s Rick standing and Dale, husband of elf Joanne seated.

Brother and sister                                                   Peter from Waverunner in the stripes with a friend.

There were spots of quiet for conversations……that’s Kerstin from Wednesday Group in one of her knitted sweaters. 

I had walked most of the way down the mountain of the Yacht Marine mountain hike with Chris sitting on the right.

Wednesday Group member Sylvia in dark blue and a friend:  wine and women!

This is one of my favorite photos showing cruisers come in all ages!   That’s Tessa from Wednesday Group leading the art activities.

Everyone brought a dish and no one went home hungry!

I made my “poor man’s caviar” which is what I call my concoction of chopped egg, onion, and tins of smoked oysters.  I went a bit overboard with the chopped egg so Mary renamed the dish “poorer man’s caviar.” To go with it I had sliced and then toasted simit which I like better than crackers; but then I love simit.

PS: Gwen you can pass this along if you like.

Merhaba and Shalom,

   Happy Hanukkah to all those who are celebrating.

I couldn’t find Hanukkah candles or a Menorah here in Marmaris so I made my own from the wonderful bread they sell here.  Kind of reminds me of a Hebrew School project I had as a kid when we had to make a Menorah.

Ru

Merhaba,

   Mary, Rick, Randal and I walked to the Thursday market and then to the local government office to ask about the opening celebration of the new culture center.  We were mostly back to the marina when it started to rain so that gave us an excuse to stop for coffee and pastry.  When the rain stopped we continued on to the DVD store where we got 5 DVD’s so we can have movie night on the boat…starting tonight.  Randal is making spaghetti and Mary and Rick are bringing wine and some halvah.  It rained on and off during the afternoon so I painted and read and then wrote this email.

Ru

Holiday Elves

I’m calling us the “holiday elves” as this time of year there are lots of different holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and probably loads of others I don’t know enough to know.

Gwen had asked for volunteers and some of us answered that call for two reasons; it’s fun to do stuff and, “Gwen asked us to do it.”  I must admit that I did just about the least one could do and still be an “elf.”  But that’s okay because it all got done!

December Holidays according to Huffington Post.

Dec 8 – Bodhi Day   Buddhist

Dec 8-16 Hanukkah  Jewish

Dec 21 – Winter Solstice (Yule)  Pagan

Dec 25 – Christmas Day  Christian

Dec 26-Jan 1  Kwanzaa African-American Holiday

Elves Jane, Sue and Mary

Elf Mai decorating the tree.

It’s actually a live tree and after the holidays it will be replanted which is quite a nice thought.

Joanne and Mai admiring their work in progress.

Mary and I had started the untangling process and Sue is finishing it up.

Jane hanging the streamers: we did have fun!

Commentary:

When I returned to the boat after our hour of decorating, I was surprised when I looked in the mirror to see a 62 year old looking back at me.  I didn’t feel myself to be a different person who was decorating the marina library than I had been when I was painting scenery for a high school play, 45 years ago!   I remember my mother saying the same thing when she was 75: looking in a mirror and wondering who the “old lady” was looking back at her.  But there is one difference.

Maybe because I’m reading a “woman’s book” which deserves better than to be called chick lit as it’s fairly well written and deals with some interesting issues, like dying well and living well,  as opposed to “fixing the heroines romance problems.”  It’s called Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish.  That might not seem a title to link to a fun afternoon of decorating for the holidays; but the point of the book is how you live your life and make the most of it……including having fun!  And how important it is for women to have the company of other women.  But somewhere in the book someone must have said something about how when your older, you worry less about things.  For instance, if you were decorating the High School Gym, or painting scenery for the senior play, you would have had to worry about what anyone thought of your clothes; if you were having a bad hair day, whatever.   Well, none of us elves decorating the marina library worried about our clothes or cared (too much) if we were having a bad hair day.  Maybe, because more important things are now more important.  Or maybe because unimportant things have gotten to be less important.  Anyway, it’s a rainy afternoon so I have time to read and think and paint and write this email.

Merhaba,

   This morning was arts group.  Here’s the story!

Ru

Ps: if I’ve gotten something wrong of spelled someone’s name wrong, please let me know

Arts/Crafts Group

Jane Pacer

“Jane has lived in Marmaris for umpteen years,” was how she was introduced to our art group by Gwen.  Not because she is an artist, but because she is a hero!  Jane came to  “Wednesday Group” talk about her work with the stray dogs of Marmaris and it was heartbreaking.  She cried when she described the lives of the dogs.  I cried when I bought the Turkish cookbook she came to sell as a fundraiser for the shelter. 

http://www.marmarisanimalwelfare.com/index.html  If you are a dog lover, when you look at the site, make sure you have lots of Kleenex.  There are lots of stray dogs around Marmaris, but most look well and are cared for by shop owners and some of the marina staff have adopted a few. They are all very friendly and appreciate a pat on the head.  One of the marine supply shops is especially involved in caring for the strays so I donate money there every now and again.

www.turkishkitchensecrets.com  (This website is listed in the book but I didn’t get it to work.  Angie Mitchell Sunkur does have a pinterest page.)

    “Angie, like many other visitors and residents of Turkey; has had to suffer the gap between wanting to cook Turkish dishes and the lack of cookbooks that actually gave the right ingredients, quantities and timings.

Being a superb cook herself, with experience of everything from sailing the Pacific to catering to hungry hordes of archaeologists in the most basic of camp conditions, she decided to write the definitive, loving book about Turkish food herself.

With the help of other dedicated cooks inside and outside Turkey, the recipes have been tested and re-tested, to give the near foolproof guidelines to new and old hands of the Turkish kitchen. ‘Secrets’ is a delightful book, with the paintings of Sarah Carter decorating each page alongside the little gems of comments and tales of the kitchen. It is definitely a book to give as well as to have one in your own kitchen shelves.

The first edition is in hardback, and available in Bodrum bookshops and even a local hypermarket. It is published by the fledgling Citlembik Publishing House in Istanbul.”

http://www.bodrumlife.com/english05/secretkitchen.htm

  The wonderful illustrations were done by British artist Sarah Carter.

After Jane finished speaking I bought a copy of the book.  She offered to let me look at it first, but I said it didn’t matter as I was so happy that she and others were helping the stray dogs of Marmaris,  I was going to buy the book no matter what.  But it does seem a lovely book and I know I will enjoy it.  The book sells for 30 TL here and half of the money will go to help the dog shelter.

The following email came from Gwen who knows all, has done all, and can tell you anything you need to know….

     “Dear Liveaboards, Cruisers and Friends,

Jane Pecer, a friend of mine and one who is involved as a volunteer at the Marmaris dog pound, visited the “Netsel Stitch and Bitch” group  this morning.  (That’s the name Gwen gave our Arts/Craft group though we’re too busy doing art to even chat, never mind “bitch.”)   She had with her copies of a delightful, insightful, practical Turkish cookbook, written in English by an English woman who has lived in Marmaris for years. Since the book is not sold in shops in Marmaris, several of us bought a copy. And, half of the purchase price is for food for the dogs in Marmaris dog pound.   In any event, Jane also spoke about the need for donations of old canvas, sail or tarp material to "weatherproof" the cages where the dogs live outside.    With winter rain and cold, these materials will provide a warmer, dryer shelter when placed over the cages.   In addition to the real need for old canvas, sails, and tarp, if anyone is about to toss out old rope/cordage; toss it on the aft deck of KW.  I’ll be sure to get to the pound volunteers who creatively turn it into doggy chew toys!   (Randal and I and our friends Bill and Judy of BeBe have done this.)   So, if you can help out by donating any old canvas/tarps/cordage or if you would like to take a look at a very nice cookbook, please let me know.   Or, contact Jane directly via email:  jpecer@yahoo.co.uk

Gwen “

Photos from our 3^rd meeting which seems to grow as more women join in.

Kerstin from Sweden is the leader of the knitting group and the leader of the entire Arts/Craft group. 

She makes me want to put down my paint brush and pick up a crochet hook or some knitting needles.

Sylvia and Sue who both used to do other forms of art are now trying their hands at watercolor.

Irina who knits such wonderful things is learning to make a rope rug for her sailboat.

Victoria lives in Marmaris and knows where anything you want…is.

Sue from Rockhopper, looks on.  Sue and I talked about getting together to paint back at Karpaz Gate Marina in North Cyprus.  Now we finally are! 

Sue, Sylvia, Victoria (standing), Kerstin (on the couch), Sue, Marina, Mary, Vanessa (red sweater)

Sue used to do stained glass, but that’s not practical on a boat so she’s becoming a watercolorist.

I’ve been working on a watercolor of the garlic clove bunch you can see in the photo.  Our group meets in the library and you can see the red “return books here” box behind Sue.

My garlic cloves…..in progress……

Marina working on her painting of watermelon!

Kids have no fear so make wonderful paintings that fill the paper with color and life.

Vanessa, Marina’s mom.

They are off to Poland soon so Marina and her brother can have a white Christmas and learn to ski!  What a wonderful way to grow up and learn about the world.  Vanessa is working on a watercolor project she purchased in 2005!  I think having a “group” really encourages folks to get out there paper and paints and whatever and it’s really fun to be with everyone.

These are photos from our second meeting when we all got out our stuff to work on for the first time.

Kirsten, Maggie, Tessa, Irina and Victoria

Mary working on her watercolor project

Maggie, her mom Tessa and Kerstin

Tessa’s grandmother always knitted socks for the family and Tessa wants to learn how to make them and pass on that tradition.

Irina with her wonderful knitting

The green sweater is really soft, and it’s actually made from bamboo!  The slippers have traditional folk pattern.

Victoria wearing the lovely neck piece she had made. The local shops sell the material or you can make one.  I’m going to buy one! 

Sue from Rock Hopper, and Sue from Angel Louise (standing,) Mary and Sylvia

Everyone is really supportive and wanting to share skills, supplies and whatever anyone might need. 

It’s great!

Victoria Yepifanova, Ukraine       Yildiz

Irina Silaeva, Russia                            Big Ease

Tessa & Maggie, USA                 Tenho

Ruth Johnson, USA                            DoraMac

Syliva Storrer,  Swiss                  Queen Nadine

Mary Munden, USA                    Orca

Christina Kirk, Scottish               Kontiki

Zehra Licata, USA & Turkey       LeeZe  (Who has been away so I have no photos)

Kerstin Segerberg, Sweden       Deniz II

Vanessa & Marina, USA             Neptune II

Sue Cavanagh, UK                               Rockhopper

Sue Kelly, USA                       Angel Louise

Merhaba

   Life has been busy as we’ve made more friends here at the marina.  It’s nice.  And if you ignore the weather forecast and just look outside in the morning, you can tell if it’s a laundry day or not.  We’ve actually had some sun since Saturday so I’ve pretty much caught up with the laundry…for now.

   Last Thursday afternoon we were told that everyone on Dock B would have to leave their boats between 2 and 4 pm Friday as there was to be a huge ceremony welcoming the Turkish sailing boat Usaklar back from Antarctica.  We could either have DoraMac moved from B Dock for that time (a royal pain for everyone) or we could join other folks upstairs at the restaurant overlooking where the ceremony was to take place just across the dock from DoraMac.  We went to the restaurant, found a spot with the news media,  and I took a bunch of photos though I was not so impressed as maybe I should have been as I’m not really a sailor.  But then I read an interview with Uzaklar’s captain and I was so impressed with what he said, that now I am impressed!

Ru

First Turkish Sailors in Antarctica

UZAKLAR II

Vessel’s Details

Ship Type: Sailing Vessel

Length x Breadth: 14 m X 4 m

Speed recorded (Max / Average): 8.8 / 6.9 knots

Flag: Turkey [TR]

Call Sign: YM 8176

IMO: 0, MMSI: 271020000

“Osman Atasoy and Sibel Karasu have gone down in history as the first Turkish navigators to reach Antarctica, covering 8,500 miles in their 14-meter craft, Uzaklar II. We had a pleasant conversation recently with Karasu and Captain Atasoy well in sight of land.

What sort of experience was Antarctica for you?

The air got a little colder, the wind a little stronger and the waves a little bigger with every mile we covered as we headed deeper into the South Pacific. You leave behind waters crowded with people and enter the vast deep. The only thing of another color in the stark whiteness that completely covers Antarctica was our claret red boat, Uzaklar II, and the red and white Turkish flag on its mast!

What was the purpose of your voyage?

As the world’s most dangerous body of water, the South Pacific exercises a strange fascination over sailors. Once you’ve fallen under its spell, you can’t not go there. Even fear, the most powerful emotion there is, is no obstacle to that desire. You are afraid, and yet you go there.

     What gave you the most trouble in your confrontation with nature?

Man was designed and created to live on land. Living on the sea is no easy task because it is a life or death struggle in a world rife with uncertainties as well as beauty. At the same time, the oceans are still fraught with unknowns. You have to adapt to conditions and have unyielding respect for the law of the sea. As long as you approach it in that spirit, your friendship with the sea will not easily be broken and you will be prepared for surprises.

What impressed you the most on your Antarctica tour?

When we reached Antarctica there was no need for the usual formalities you have to go through when you enter the port of a normal country. No customs agents waiting on land, no passport officials, no need to deal with all the confusion and disorder associated with land.  All around us there was nothing but whales, penguins, sea lions and albatrosses.

How was the return voyage?

We went for 53 consecutive days and nights without seeing land. By the time we reached the island of Madeira we had put 6,500 nautical miles behind us. Every sailor who sets out on the ocean, no matter how big and powerful the boat under him, always wonders… The rules and criteria we are used to on land lose meaning in an instant on the open seas. Especially if it’s the South Pacific.

THE UZAKLAR DOCUMENTARY

Osman Atasoy and Sibel Karasu’s adventure-filled voyage, for which Turkish Airlines was transportation sponsor, is being broadcast as a documentary program, ‘Uzaklar, Antarktika’, on Turkish State Radio and Television’s (TRT) Turkish Channel every Monday evening at 10:20. The program is repeated on Saturdays at 9:10 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. and on Sundays at 4:35 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.

TO FOLLOW UP

For more information, visit the website at www.osmanatasoy.org    and read Osman Atasoy’s captain’s log.

Welcome to Marmaris Uzaklar 2

Uzak means distant and lar makes a noun plural so I’m guessing that maybe you could translate the ships name as something about great distances or many faraway places. 

An escort of Turkish Coast Guard ships and some local sailboats lets you compare the size of UZAKLAR II with other boats.

Pulling up to the dock just down from where we are berthed.

The Turkish Deputy Prime Minister was to be one of the speakers at the welcoming ceremony so for security reasons all boats along B dock had to be vacated between 2pm and 4 pm.  We were invited to spend that time in the restaurant overlooking where the ceremony would take place.

The claret red sailboat

Sibel Karasu tooting the red horn and Captain Osman Atasoy steering the ship.

Blue glass Turkish charms for good luck adorn the bow sprit.

Lots of filming was going on from the restaurant balcony.

The Turkish Coast Guard welcomes Uzaklar 2

Hugs, kisses,  and flowers

The news media host,  Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinҫ,  Captain Osman Atasoy and Sibel Karasu

More filming

It was a fairly large crowd.

We sat upstairs and took photos: my new zoom did well!

Looking back to the bridge that leads to the marina complex from our spot on the restaurant balcony.

Security stationed at the bridge

Security along B Dock: You can see DoraMac with the American flag.

Our dock was just across from where Uzaklar 2 docked and the ceremony was just the other side of the lovely purple foliage.

Ὂzgὒr UḠAN (phone in hand) Front Office and Harbour Chief, and our “go to guy” in the Marina Office, making sure things are going smoothly at the ceremony.