TURKISH REFLECTIONS
Where are you Scotty? I need you to beam me up!
Actually, I don't want you to beam me up. What I really want is for you to beam up Exit Only and drop her off at Kekova Roads in Turkey.
I'm ready for some Turkish cruising.
Turkey is the land of good people, great hospitality, and outstanding cruising destinations.
We spent two months cruising Turkish waters, and that's far too short of a time to discover all its wonders.
Unlike many cruising destinations, there are thousands of bays and inlets in which to anchor along its craggy coast, and the anchorages are secure. The holding is usually good, and that means you can get off your boat and take a hike or inland trip without worrying about your anchor dragging.
While its true you have to take precautions and lock things up in the big cities, out in the anchorages you don't have to worry about night time boarders interested in your cash stash.
The only people we know who experienced skullduggery were med moored to quays in large towns where you are easy prey to petty thievery.
City thieves are slick operators; when they're in stealth mode, they can clean you out in a twinkling of an eye, and you won't know they were there until they're long gone. But that's not unique to Turkey; that happens everywhere around the world.
There are lots of ways to rate cruising destinations, and what's important to a cruising sailor may mean little to a charterer who's more interested in marinas and fancy meals at the end of the day.
As far I'm concerned, Turkey gets five stars. It has everything found in other great destination and so much more.
Turkey is special because it's different.
What sets Turkey apart and makes it head and shoulders above the rest, is that Turkey is interesting.
Crusader castles and ancient Greek ruins abound.
The ruins of Greece found on the Greek mainland pale in comparison to those found in Turkey.
A day trip to Ephesus will blow you away. But you don't need to drive inland to discover the wonders of ancient Turkey and Greece. You can snorkel among sunken ruins all along the coast.
If you ever wondered where Atlantis was, look no further. It's lies in ruins beneath the waters of the the Turkish Coast.
The crusaders had a special affinity for building castles in Turkey overlooking the water. I suppose seaside castles made a lot of sense, because supplying those fortresses by overland routes probably wouldn't work in troubled times.
Crusaders were invaders rather than invited guests, and they had to bring much of their food and supplies with them or do without. Bringing supplies in by sea was definitely the way to go when other routes didn't work.
Although cruisers may like the Hard Rock Cafe, they don't like hard rock anchorages.
You'll hear nothing but complaints from cruisers about anchorages that rock and roll.
When they put their anchor down for the night, they're looking for flat water.
We may bounce around the world when we sail offshore, but when we're at anchor, we don't want to rock and roll.
The picture at the top of this page shows a perfect anchorage with a mirror like surface reflecting the setting sun. That's the stuff that cruising dreams are made of, and it happens nearly every day in Turkey.
Where are you Scotty? I'm still waiting to hear from you.
It looks like Scotty is not around, and I'm on my own. Oh well, at least I spent two months living my Turkish dreams.
Life is good.
Awesome music video that captures the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. David Abbott from Too Many Drummers sings the vocals, and he also edited the footage from our Red Sea adventures. This is the theme song from the Red Sea Chronicles.
Sailing up the Red Sea is not for the faint of heart. From the Bab al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, adventures and adversity are in abundance. If you take things too seriously, you just might get the Red Sea Blues.
If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.
Flying fish assault Exit Only in the middle of the night as we sail through the Arabian Gulf from the Maldives to Oman. And so begins our Red Sea adventures.
Sailing through Pirate Alley between Yemen and Somalia involves calculated risk. It may not be Russian Roulette, but it is a bit of a worry. Follow Team Maxing Out as they navigate through Pirate Alley.
Stopping in Yemen was just what the doctor ordered. We refueled, repaired our alternator, and we made friends with our gracious Yemeni hosts. We also went to Baskins Robbins as a reward for surviving Pirate Alley.
After you survive Pirate Alley, you must sail through the Gate of Sorrows (Bab Al Mandab) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Gate of Sorrows lived up to its name with fifty knots of wind and a sandstorm that pummeled Exit Only for two days. Life is good.
Captain Dave and his family spent eleven years sailing around the world on their Privilege 39 catamaran, Exit Only. During the trip, the crew shot 200 hours of video with professional cameras to show people what it's like to sail on a small boat around the world.
The Red Sea Chronicles is a one hour and twenty-two minute feature film showing their adventures as Exit Only sails through Pirate Alley in the Gulf of Aden and up the Red Sea. The professional footage documents their experiences in Oman, Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, and the Suez Canal. It chronicles the rigors of traveling in a remote section of the world rarely visited by cruisers. Exit Only dodges Yemeni pirates, fights a gale and sand storms in the Bab al Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The crew explores deserted islands on the western shores of the Red Sea, and learns to check the cruising guides for land mines before venturing ashore.
The Red Sea Chronicles also has outstanding Special Features including an Instructional Video on Storm Management that tells sailors how to deal with storms at sea.
And don't forget the two Music Videos: "The Red Sea Blues", and "Captain - Save Our Souls".
The Red Sea Chronicles is a first class adventure that stokes the sailing dreams of both experienced and wannabe sailors alike.
Join Team Maxingout as they sail through Pirate Alley and up the Red Sea
See what it's like to cruise on a catamaran before you spend a bazillion dollars purchasing one
After watching the Red Sea Chronicles you will be able to see yourself sailing on the ocean of your dreams
Although I like the feel of a paper book in my hand, I love trees even more. When people purchase an eBook, they actually save trees and save money as well. Ebooks are less expensive and have no negative impact on the environment. All of Dr. Dave's books are available at Save A Tree Bookstore. Visit the bookstore today and start putting good things into your mind. It's easy to fill your mind with positive things using eBooks. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pull out your smart phone or tablet and start reading. You can even use electronic highlighters and make annotations in your eBooks just like paper books.
