Current Cruise 1 - Marmaris to Kusadasi

Let go the lines - Malua is off on its 2008 expedition through the clear waters of the Turkish Coast. I am alone on the way north to collect Denny from Bodrum in a few days time. This will give me time to settle down and ensure that everything is shipshape and Bristol!

Malua soon fell into the cruising routine and things again worked like clockwork. While in Marmaris I had installed a remote anchor windlass switch at the steering console so I could raise and lower the new anchor without leaving the wheel. While alone this was a great help but will be redundant when Denny arrives.

The first days sail was only a short hop along the coast westwards to Bozuk Buku where I tested the anchor switch. During the night the wind changed direction and I had to beat a hasty retreat raising the anchor while moving Malua away from pending distaste at the hands of the every closing rocks. The new switch paid for itself on the first day out.

From there it was a short trip around the point across the strait south of Simi where we had cruised the previous season and north to the shelter of the coast west of Kos but on rounding Cape Krio the wind was behind me and I was making good progress so I set off for the Bodrum Coast and the bay of Godiva Korfezi. The wind decided to give Malua a test and before long it was on the nose with gusts well over 25 knots. Thankfully this did not last but the destination had to be changed so I did not need to tack to make the coast. I sailed into Cokertme and dropped the anchor well away from the recommended spot in the lee of the headland some distance off an American HR yacht.

The next day the wind changed and we both upped anchor and moved to the usual overnight spot in deep mud.

The short sail to Bodrum was again into the wind but on this occasion every light and I dropped anchor in the lee of the St Peters Castle which was built by the Knights of St John.

Denny arrived and we spent three night in the Bodrum Marina E49 a night. We soon left and anchored back in the bay.

Here are a few photos of Bodrum