Kos to Simi (via Turkey!)

Up at 7.15am to flat calm and a beautiful sunrise over Turkey – hey, nearly there now. As we left the bay the wind blew up from the north – perfect direction, so we put 3 sails up and George the autopilot on and really enjoyed bowling along at 5.5 knots. At the Turkish border – a line on the chart – we lowered our Greek flag and raised the Turkish one for the first time, and put the staysail up. Our course took us parallel to the Datca peninsular and suddenly there were boats everywhere – having hardly seen anyone for the past week it seemed odd to be sailing with more than 20 in sight. The sailing was perfect – lovely flat blue seas. After lunch the wind died and we put the motor on just before we re-entered Greece – more flag lowering and raising but worth doing because we kept seeing Turkish patrol boats. Then a hairy passage between Simi and the small island to the north – narrow, only 4 metres deep and the sea so clear you can see every detail of the bottom. And of course we met a motorboat half way through!

Finally motored into Pethi bay and dropped anchor just outside the beach bar, then watched as the other boats arrived and had some difficulties getting their anchors to hold. Launched the dinghy and went for a not brilliant meal in a taverna. Can’t wait to get to Turkey – really had enough of Greek food.

On Monday we took the bus over the hill and into Simi. Beautiful old town built round the port with steep hills all around. We did the rounds of the harbourmasters offices, getting our exit permit from one, the stamp on our passports from another and the stamp on our transit log from a third. But all done with great jollity – a nice friendly place. We met a couple – Tony and Gill - on Nimbus – one of the boats that had left Pethi that morning and had a coffee with them and they told us where to find things in Simi. Then we went to the duty free shop and showing our exit permit bought a couple of bottles of gin and some brandy at duty free prices. We had 45 minutes to wait before we caught the bus back to Pethi so we had a coffee in a harbourside bar and watched the comings and goings in the bay – and were we glad we had not tried to enter Simi. It is the port of crossed anchors - as people tried to leave they took the next boat’s anchor with them and long and heated discussions were taking place as they tried to get their anchors free of their neighbours. In the afternoon we rowed to the beach bar and had a drink and read our books in the warm sun and really enjoyed not doing jobs for once! A nice bay for our last night in Greece.

Sponges still for sale in Simi

Beautiful Simi Town (and Greek exit papers)

Your anchor or mine?



Lower the Greek Flag...

 

...and Raise the Turkish Flag