The Dardanelles: Take 1

I think the best way to describe our initial trip into the Dardanelles is through an e-mail blog my Dad wrote.  It’s a little technical, but I will add comments as it goes.

It took us about 9 hours to go 22 miles today.(We thought it would only take us around 4-5 so we left early hoping to be tied up by around noon at the latest.  It was 3:00pm before we even saw the port)  Left Bozcaada at day brake and had a pretty uneventful trip up to the entrance of the Dardanelles other than lots of big ships all around us.  We could literally see six or seven Panamax ships at any given time comming and going.(Total I would say we saw 25-30 BIG ships.  It was interesting to see all of the shapes and sizes the ships come in)    A couple of miles outside the entrance(of the Dardanelle straights) we started to pick up the opposing current.  By the time we got to the entrance we were getting at least 3 knots and maybe 4.  We had been told to watch the eddies (This is where the current is “bumping” the ground where it gets shallower.  It actually stops the current and turns it another way.  You can see a disruption in the water and there is a big noticeable difference where it is calmer.) and try to be just outside them on the Asia shore side (We were literally sailing between Europe and Asia which was awesome) but in the narrow spots there is just no water to float the boat.

We have left spring behind.  The further north we are getting, the colder it is getting.  I understand this is how the weather works, but it was like we woke up one morning and it was cold.  Being on the water and strong winds don’t help the situation.

This is a ship heading towards the entrance.  It’s a couple of miles away from us, but you get an idea of what we were on watch for.

At the worst of it with the 25 kt head wind and the 3 kt current we were making about 1.5 kts over the ground with the engine on full.(The current was pushing us back in the water and the wind was right on our nose pushing us back above water.  With the engine on full throttle in calm we can get up to 8 knots and we were only making 1.5 like Dad said.  We were essentially going up stream and weren’t getting very far at all.)  We passed a French sail boat tacking like crazy between the ships with the engine running.  I thought the guy was Joe sailor but when he pulled into the marina he said he had the engine on full and had to sail all out to make any headway at all. (We passed him going 1.5 knots.  He said the most he could get is .5 knots.)  At one point we went by a buoy and could see the current pushing it over (like a heavy tidal flow in Florida) and could have walked by it faster.

Congo line!  The three ships shown were exiting the Dardanelles where we were entering.  There is a shipping lane that yachts are advised to stay out of.  These guys were riding the current out on the opposite side of the shipping lane.

This is the French boat tacking very near and in some cases in front of the big ships.  He has a 32ft boat and is about a mile away from the ship.  I think this is a good example of sailing yacht to cargo ship ratio.

We got to the marina and tried a crosswind landing (backing up) .   I almost lost it into the bows of a row of moored boats spun around in a circle and went in bow first.  The guys on the dock were all speaking Turkish and smiling a lot... no English speakers at the marina, a first.  Big problems
getting on and off the boat from that end (There are people who can easily get on and off their boats by bow, we aren’t those people.  The metal railing on the bow extends past the actual front of the boat by about a foot, maybe two.  It’s enough that I cannot keep one foot on the deck of the boat and climb over the very front.  We rigged a gang plank but eventually decided it was easier to just climb through the rails from the side and hold onto the stay sail shroud like a jungle gym.  We also removed the anchor to have a place to put our foot as we climbed on and off using a tire that was tied to the dock as a fender as a boost up.  It was a challenge, but we were happy to get off of the boat.) but I kissed the dock and we went out for dinner and a big Raki to celebrate and unwind from yet another safe arrival.  Are we having fun yet?

I personally still am having fun.  I know it sounds like we are encountering a lot, but that is part of the deal.  It is a true adventure and nobody can deny that.