40:04.58N 23:47.34E

Sunday 18th – Tuesday 20^th July

Over the last week we have turned the boat over (oh, no – not literally, .....   as in looking everywhere for something) in order to find the laptop bag, containing the wifi aerial, Skype camera and a couple of memory sticks.  I eventually had to accept that I had left it in a cafe in Nea Moudhania where we had picked up Michael and Roland.   Trying to find a phone number failed so we were delighted take up the offer of hiring a car to give the guys a lift to the airport and call in at NM on the way back.  We didn’t think we stood a chance but as soon as we walked in the owner recognised us and produced the bag.  Nothing much of value in there but it would have been a pain to  find replacements and would have left Mike without the means to communicate properly while Carol is in UK.

Once back on the boat we set off for our first ‘long’ sail.  First time we had sailed day and night on Tashi Delek and so the first time we had needed to do proper ‘watches’ for a long period.  We tried 2 hours on and 2 hours off each which worked well although we will give 3 on 3 off a go next time just to compare. 

It was quite a sail at times with 30 knot winds and, for 24 hours, an angry, short, cross-current sea  which was extremely uncomfortable.  The same uncomfortable sea that had caused Emperor Xerxes to build a canal across the neck of the western peninsula to avoid.  We had done a quick headcount of the slaves we had on board and realised that we weren’t going to get a canal cut anytime soon so there was nothing for it but to get on with it.  We managed to eat and sleep and not get sick so morale stayed high.  Tashi Delek sailed beautifully down-wind at 7 knots with only a headsail with two reefs in.

This wasn’t a particularly long or challenging journey compared with what we plan to do in future but it was our first so we were chuffed to complete it.  We learnt a few things on the way that will make life easier next time but overall were delighted with how well everything had worked.

Taking pictures of lumpy sea wasn’t an attractive option so here is some smoother sea with a picture entitled ‘First Sunset on First Overnight Passage on First Long Trip on Tashi Delek’.  (I know I promised no more sunsets but this is just for the record and I did reserve the right to slip one in here and there.)

And here is one entitled ‘First Sunrise on First Overnight Passage on First Long Trip on Tashi Delek’.  A magic moment.

We completed the 240 nautical miles to Kusadasi in Turkey in 46 hours and berthed in the marina there for a couple of nights to sort out the formalities for our entry into Turkey, take advantage of a supermarket within trolley pushing distance to stock up on drinking water, milk, and other heavy essentials  and spend a day visiting the ruins at Ephesus.