Where is LeeZe? June 2014 Egri Liman Koyu > Candarli

2014-06-14: We anchored in a small cove called Egri Liman Koyu and just after sunset, a fishing boat all lit up comes way too close for my comfort level and then proceeds to stop maybe 100 m to the North of us. This sets off a small amount of paranoia in Zehra and she starts locking all doors. She believes that there are nefarious people all around us just waiting to pounce. I do not share this at all, and wonder wear it comes from. She reads the newspapers (and they only publish nice stories right?) and sees how many there are being reported, and believes that unless we take measures, we are next. The fact that the newspapers have not reported any boaters being attacked while anchored in small. out of the way coves is immaterial. The newspapers have not reported an attack in years, though they have reported break-ins and items stolen from boats at anchor, especially in the Bay of Marmaris. It is what it is.

2014-06-15: Underway after coffee for Karaburun. It takes about 3 hours to get there. Have to dodge many fish farms, a sailboat that could not seem to be able to make up its mind, and a motor yacht traveling 20+ knots that had no sense of what an appropriate distance between boats that are approaching each other should be. We anchor South of Buyuk Ada (Big Island)  in some 13 m of water. The weather is not suppose to get bad, but if the wind picks up, we will move to anchor in front of the city itself.


We are still "not in the country" officially so while there is a temptation to go ashore, we stifle it because if we are caught, have no clue what the authorities would do with us. We will try to check in at Eski Foca, our next stop.

2014-06-16: Arrived at Eski Foca. Back when we arrived in Cesme, we dropped anchor, only to be told by the Turkish Coast Guard that where we dropped the hook was not an authorized anchorage. So, in preparing to enter Eski Foca, I noted the paper charts had all types of notes about no anchorage and restricted areas. The electronic chart had similar notes, but in different areas. So, called up the Harbor Master and asked them where is the authorized anchorage. The lady that answered the phone did not know, did not know who to ask, and based on the tone in her voice, could not be  bothered to find out. Great! Called the Coast Guard (for those in Turkey their country wide phone # is 158) and asked them. They had not a clue either but offered to find out and get back to me. About 10 minutes later, their Izmir Operations Center called to tell me that I was authorized to anchor within 300 yards of  38° 40.380'N,  026° 44.880'E. So, I anchored within 194 yards of that point per my chart plotter in about 10 meters of water.


The little (Kucuk Deniz) harbor South and East of me is where the day charter gulets hang out. Dead South, in the bigger (Buyuk Deniz) harbor, there is pier space on both the East and West sides. We are hoping to move there after we complete the check-in process.

2014-06-17: We started the check-in process at 1300 yesterday and finished today at 1100. FOR THE RECORD, WE CANNOT EVEN REMOTELY RECOMMEND ESKI FOCA AS A PORT TO CHECK INTO OR OUT OF THE COUNTRY! There is one travel agency that can sell you a transit log and they may or may not have any on hand when you need it. To get one, either you, or they, have to travel to Izmir (64 km away) to buy one. There is no agent in town that you can off-load the check-in/out process to so you must do it your self.

We first show up at the Port Captain's office which is near to the dock where the ferry to the Karaburun Peninsular docks. He is on the Buyuk Deniz side of the bay. He is open from 09-1730, closed for lunch one hour, mid-day. If you have had a transit log before, you must present to him a new blank transit log AND the ORIGINAL of the check-out copy from your last transit log. FAILURE TO HAVE THIS WILL REQUIRE YOU TO RETURN TO THE PORT WHERE YOU LAST CHECKED OUT!!. (If you do not have a new blank transit log one, you have to get one from the travel agency so for those that are in Turkey, you may find it convenient to have a blank log on board just for situations like this.) After he fills in the new transit log (he did ours by hand, and his penmanship was terrible!) he sends you the the Health Police for the next step. They are located in Aliaga, some 42 km by road NW from him. (For those that care, they are at  38° 49.650'N,  26° 59.032'E.)

We had to take two minibuses and a taxi, plus a 3+ km walk to find this place. It took us 5+ hours to get there and back, and we cheated, we took a taxi from that office to the main intersection on the highway where the turnoff for Eski Foca is. (We were beat, dog tired, and really pissed off that the Port Captain had NOT been entirely up-front about the level of difficulty in getting this stamp.)

So, we get back to Eski Foca about 1900, to find Passport and Customs also closed. We go into the Police station right by Customs, and try as gently as possible for them to get permission from both entities if we could continue the process tomorrow. Nope. Nada. Not a chance.

The Passport Police Officer comes in and basically tells us that we had to do what we had to do to get that stamp, but for the entire trip, we were in the country illegally and if something would have happened… his voice trails off. He is quite sympathetic of our plight, and wrote to the government to explain what the Port Captain is having new comers do requires them to be illegal in the country for HOURS. No response. After that discussion, he stamps are passports and our transit log, but says we now have to wait for Customs. We suggest that we could come back tomorrow but again, nope, nada, not a chance, again! You see, we are legal. But LeeZe is still not. So, we wait for Customs, who shows up at about 2000, with her husband, and 6 month old baby. We apologize profusely but she says it is not a problem. Zehra finishes her dinner while I go in to handle the paperwork. She wants to see a copy of our old transit log, and then after a series of routine questions (all in Turkish mind you! She speaks NO English!), she stamps the transit log. Now LeeZe is legal. Then she tells me to go back to the Port Captain to complete the paperwork. But he is closed. She tries to get him to come in but fails. Then, she announces that she is going to hold on to the transit log until tomorrow morning. That is NOT going to happen. She is quite adamant but I tell her that if the Turkish Coast Guard comes by tonight, I need to show him these papers. She RELUCTANTLY agrees to return them to me, but if I had a new born son, she would have made me promise on his head that I will return tomorrow.

It is now after 2100, we are both are running in empty. I get some dinner, and we are back on board LeeZe by 2230, and asleep shortly after that.

So, today, at 0915, we continue the process. We tender in, and stop by the Port Captain Office. In so many ways we describe our trip to the Health Police, how a boat of foreigners could not have done that at all, how he misled us as to the ease of getting to the place and back, and that while we were performing that mission, we were ILLEGALLY in Turkey per the Passport Police Office. The more we recounted our tale of woe, the further he tries to melt under his desk. I even presented to him Google Earth screen shots showing that is was some 42+ km by road to where we had to go, not 30 like he said, some 4 km from the center of town, not in town like he said, and some 2+ km North of his counterpart in Aliaga, not right next too. Zehra said he apologized, but I never heard  it. So, until the government changes the check-in process, and has the Health Police drive down from Aliaga to check-in or check-out transit boaters, we say again WE CANNOT EVEN REMOTELY RECOMMEND ESKI FOCA AS A PORT TO CHECK INTO OR OUT OF THE COUNTRY!

Now here is a trick we just learned. We had heard that we could add the names of family and friends that MIGHT come aboard for a ride or two at this point. So, before the Port Captain completes the paperwork, we ask him to add 12 names, and he does. He then signs the document again, and welcomes us into Turkey. (By this time he is slowly slinking out from under his desk.) We then stop by the Passport Police and give him his copy of the transit log, and then Customs. It turns out the the Passport Police Officer must have had a heart attack when he saw 12 names on the log and not just ours, because about 2 hours later Zehra receives a frantic call from him. She explained about friends and family coming to visit, but he asked her at least three times if we both were the only two that entered the country. After that call, we had a good laugh. I cannot imagine what he went thru initially when he saw the log with 12 names. (For the record, we had 21 names we wanted to add, but the Port Captain asked us to limit it to the 12 most likely!)

By the way, here is what a complete entry transit log looks like:


The left hand stamp is the Health Police, then the Passport Police, then Customs, and last, on the right, is the Port Captains stamp. LeeZe is registered at 35 tons net displacement and normally, I have to pay a "lighthouse" fee because I displace so much, though recreational yachts under 20 tons have this fee waived for them. This time, I was not asked to pay the fee. I do NOT know if the Port Captain overlooked it because of the hoops he made us go through to get the Health stamp, or he made a mistake and forgot to charge us. We shall see if this fee catches up with us in the future.

(This log is good for one year, to expire 16 June 2015. One can renew at that time for another year without having to leave the country. One can do this 4 more times but on the 5th renewal, the boat must leave Turkish Territorial waters. The boat does NOT have to stay out long, at most one day, but it does have to depart.)

It is 1100 on a Tuesday and we are now legally in Turkey, LeeZe et al.  We also learn today is the once-per-week "farmer's market" so after a light breakfast, we buy our fruits, veggies, cheese and nuts, and return to LeeZe at about 1530 for some R&R.  BTW, there is a GREAT family restaurant called "Na-Ne Cafe" at the end of 203 Sok. The place was crowded today, and the food was flying out from the kitchen. If you are in town, may be worth checking out.

Here is a picture of the bay as you enter.


The "Little Harbor" is dead ahead and then to starboard. The "Big Harbor" is immediately to starboard. Noonsite reports that the holding in the Big Harbor is not so good. I can neither confirm nor deny. What I do know that the holding where I anchored was superb. I was in 10 meters of water, had out over 60 meters of chain, snubbed.

Here is a picture of Lee with LeeZe at anchor in the background:


Over Lee's right shoulder is the entrance to a Turkish Army Base. On some nights, we could hear, but not see what must have been military helos practicing night maneuvers. We could also hear large artillery guns being fired, small arms fire, smallish explosions, popping sounds (mortars?) and soldiers shouting during morning exercises.

2014-06-20: The anchorage is rocky due to the sustained winds so we spent some time in the late morning and early afternoon ashore walking about and doing some shopping just to get off LeeZe. But we returned and while Zehra took a nap down below in the master cabin, I took one on the aft deck. I was awoken by what sounded to me to be an airplane, really close, but I discounted it as my mind playing tricks. But it was not.


Seems there was a forest fire ashore and this plane needed water to help fight it. By radar, the distance between me and the shore was about 300 meters so my guess is this pilot was coming to within 150 meters of me. Was he coming this close to allow me to get a good pic? Or, was he showing off? Somehow, given that the there is more than 2 kilometers of empty water on the other side of LeeZe, without any boat at anchor, leads me to lean toward showing off!

Here we are waiting for dinner.


This is "Kucuk Deniz" (Little Harbor). We found this small restaurant that had great food so we ate dinner there twice. In the background are the small fishing boats that go out to catch the fish we were eating that night, One can also hire these to give you a private tour of the area. The day charter gulets are docked about 50 meters to the right of where Lee is sitting.

On this our last night in town, the city put up a stage (just for us?) and a Turkish Band started playing all types of songs starting about 2130. We listened to the music for about an hour and then called it a night.


2014-06-21: We get up, have coffee, and depart toward the North for Çandarli, some 20-21 nm away. The trip is OK but the seas are not flat, not having time to calm down after the last two days of wind. Upon approaching Çandarli, Zehra calls the head of the fishing port who informs us there is a place for us to tie up.

By this time the wind is a steady 20 knots from the SW/W and he wants me to med moor to a small rusty "pier" close to some very LARGE rocks in less than 3 meters of water (LeeZe draft is 1.6 meters) just inside the harbor wall. Righhhhhhhhhhtttttttttttt………… So, having learned my lesson from Cesme, I drop my anchor some 60-80 meters from this "pier" upwind but I have a devil of a time getting LeeZe to get close enough to get lines over. The wind keeps pushing me east, and the anchor which normally helps line me up is just not cooperating.

After some 45 minutes, I get close enough to get one line over and then another (We have some locals on board so Zehra is trying to understand what they are doing, telling me how close I am to the rocks, me listening to them, etc etc. Get the picture?  Controlled Chaos!) After both lines are over, I am told to take a strain on the anchor and guess what? It comes all the way back to me. By this time, the guy-in-charge  has called a friend to help who also happens to Captain a big fishing trawler. But even though I tell them I want to leave and go anchor, they will have none of that. I am about ready to take my big knife and cut the aft lines when the Captain comes aboard, tells me this is salvageable, and tells me to retrieve my anchor.

I do and I learn why my anchor never held. In it was a concrete block the size of a carry-on airline bag. So, the Captain tells me this stuff happens (the word is "işte" in Turkish it is used a lot when things do not happen as you want. To tell you the truth, it is spoken quite quite frequently!) So, as I sit back and worry about being close to the rocks aft, and Zehra not looking too happy, a small fishing boat comes along, knocks the concrete block out, cleans off the mud, and then proceeds, with my help to put the anchor on his stern so he can motor out and drop it for me. I have seen this before 3 years ago when the yard launched LeeZe, but having not remembered the particulars too well, (and LeeZe was not ours yet so the Yard Owner became quite excited when this trick did not work for him either!) I knew this would not work but could not put my finger as to exactly why.

Then I saw the small boat just stop some 10 meters ahead. He was trying to motor with my 88 kg anchor on his stern and pulling my 12 mm chain along using his 1 cylinder little diesel. Not going to happen. There is more confusion and I tell the Captain that for this to work, call the boat back, and let me place both the anchor and the chain on the fishing boat, and then as his motors away, he can slowly let the chain into the water. The Captain thinks that should work and I am now back in charge. Call the boat back, and start putting 80 meters of chain onto the boat. The boat gets quite low into the water but it works, and he slowly motors upwind, while the chain is slowly being let out. That seems to do the trick, but I thought one or more of the fishermen on the boat was going for a swim as they tried to get the anchor off their stern. With the anchor upwind and in the water, I bring it in and now, it is holding. LeeZe's bow starts to come to starboard and we are becoming more aligned like we should be.

So, 90 minutes after first entering the harbor, we are moored. 

It was not a fun evolution. Little do I know that had I waited until the next morning, the wind and seas would be dead calm in the morning and coming in would have been less hectic and chaotic. But I also did not know that later this same day, Zehra would learn that a dear cousin who we hosted on board in April has died, and that the funeral was the next day. So, I am glad that they did not listen to me and let me go and anchor. God was looking out for us in his unique and not-quite-understanderable way.

Here are some pictures of our moor:


Lines are tied to what appear to be eyebolts driven into the concrete. I have been promised that they will hold!


The rocks the fisherman is on are part of the harbor wall, and LeeZe's stern is some meters away from them.

This is the harbor that we are in:


The rock wall is high enough that once LeeZe is tucked in, the southern and westerly wind blow over LeeZe and does not seem to push on her too much. But until one gets close to the wall, these winds work havoc on vessel control.

This the beachfront (and yes, that is a restored Ottoman castle in the background)


School is out and it is quite crowded for a Sunday. Next week starts the 30 day Ramazan / Ramadan  period so if past Ramazan / Ramadan summer periods hold, the number of people vacationing will seriously drop and will not pick up until it ends, when the "Sweet Holiday" is celebrated.

2014-06-23: Today we had sustained winds from the North and those winds pushed LeeZe's bow toward the South and LeeZe''s starboard stern came into contact with that rusty pier.

So far have not done a complete inspection but do have at least cosmetic damage to the boat name's stencil that will require changing. There is probably more but cannot see it. Stuffed three tires into the gap as a makeshift fender and put a long line from the port forward cleat to the rocks to help prevent the bow from twisting anymore. Waiting for the winds to die down to take in the line somewhat an get the stern away from the pier. The forecast has the wind dying down this evening but it seems an interminable wait. 

Lesson Learned: I should have installed that long line from the port bow to the rocks earlier when the wind was blowing from the south and west. If I had I would not be in this predicament.  Ugh!

That concludes this blog entry. Of course, comments and questions are warmly welcomed. If you receive the link to this blog via a personal email, and no longer wish to, just me me know and I will remove you from the list. No hard feelings, OK?

Thanks for taking the time

Lee and Zehra Aboard MV LeeZe