From Mahon to Turkey

From Mahon/Menorca to Antalya/Turkey A short description of all harbours and bays, we have visited on our way	Sailors World Sailingreports
	Karin Gerkhardt Catamaran Veligandu

We mentioned personal feelings to every visited country, but would you please realize, that this is strictly our opinion and has no universally valid.

After some bad weather in Mahon/Isla Clementina, we started one morning to Sardinia, leaving Menorca by 0500. The meteo promised 5Bft. from W, which would have been a perfect wind for our eastern course.

Unfortunately the god of winds didn´t listen to the radio, because, we had nothing at all, no wind from no direction and had to run the engine for nearly 30 hours!

Positiv: the very friendly fishermen, the most friendly in the western Med. (for example, I love Spain, but it`s fishermen, ohoh!!)

Negativ: the bad possiblities for shopping, especially sicily was disappointing. Not the expected colourful markets, but only some old carbages and potatoes were available.

The berthprices in the fisherharbours was an impudence, too high for nothing than dirt!! Very good the free harbours at the mainland of Italy.

On our way, weather got worse and all weatherstations announced a bad mistral. So, we changed the plan and went to Portoscuso instead of Carloforte, which should be not so nice with a mistral.

Shortly half an hour before we reaches Portoscuso, the sky was black and the first thick drops of rain fell down. Full power, and quickly into the harbour!

The entrance being a bit narrow, some Italians were very excited, when we tried to get in and shouted to us to return.

They obviousley thought, that a catamaran couldn´t come in here! But, stubborn as we are, we went in and..... it worked! Everything was perfect, even for us!

There have been piers with fingers where you can fix your ropes. No electricity, no water, no fuel, but aswell no fees! You can stock up in the village. Shortly before you reach the markethall, you see at the right side of the street a winechandler where you can buy good wine (red,white and rosé) in big 5ltr. Glassbottles.

Just after we had reached the well protected harbour, a Mistral starts and we enjoyed to watch the 4m high waves from the shore....

After a long sailing day, we reached that marina and were really disappointed. No, they said, no space for a cat! With no other marina around and only Cagliari behind, we were worrying what to do and had a big "palaver" with the unfriendly harbourmaster.

After quite a long time, he said, we should moore under a big jib, which needs a lot of care to manoevre Veligandu`s rig under it... So at last, we went alongside a dirty concretepier, under a jib, with boats ashore, that grinded .... all that for "just" 60 DM per night....... The only good thing here was the pizza in the restaurant.

Another special thing in that area is a steady control of sailors by the coastguard.

They are looking for boats, carrying drugs from the northafrican shore to Sardinia.

So, this harbour here was narrow, overcrowded, expensive, but very close to Cagliari.

The best, what happened in Cagliari, was to meet Siegfried from "Transocean". He was very helpful in any case, showing us places in town, helping with getting a vet document for our animals and more..

Cagliari is just a dirty industrial harbour, noisy and with very little possibilities to moore a yacht. The yachtclub does not have guestberths and the harbour itself is full with fishers, ferries and police boats. Not what you call a cosy place!

The very friendly harbourmaster showed us a place, where we could fix our ropes, the berth was free, no water, no electricity, even no rings to fix your ropes only some holes in the concrete pier....

Unfortunately, the harbourmaster just gave us the berth, which was usually used by a very shady character, of whom we would like to warn you, because he cut off our aftropes in the night!! It is Harry, the german skipper of the boat "Harry S", who runs a dubious divingschool down there, of course without a license, which may possibly interest the Guardia Finance......

But all in all Villasimius was very "back to the roots", but free and guarded by a very friendly harbourmaster. A good place to wait for a fair weather for

Being rather tired, we fixed our landropes at the swimmingpontoon and went to the office, which was located in an old caravan.

The chief looked to our cat, we saw dollarsigns appearing in his eyes and the result was: 120 DM per night!! Of course we started to argue about the price, but we couldn´t go under 60 DM in the end. No idea, why the mono with the same length as we, also lying alongside (!) has to pay 40 DM?!

There is water and fuel on the outer mole. You can stock up in the village nearby, where locals stare at you in a strange way.

We entered the real dirty industrial harbour, passing by big cruiserships and workingships. It was written in the pilot that you can lay free between the blue bollards at the fuelstation, which obviously was not ok for the man of Nixe Yachting. You will have to argue with him about the price.

You get water and electricity and at the end of the pier, towards the town, the Carabinieri have their offices to guarantee a safe stay while you explore the town.

Do not take any handbags with you, try to keep your money and ship´s key as close to your body as possible!

Veligandu rushed to east using a wonderful afterly wind, but the wind increased steadily and at last it was no bft.5 but 8. The most impressive thing was not the wind but the waves. Sicily has real high mountains, but we couldn´t see them any longer, for the waves were so unbelievable high behind us.

A beautiful little harbour at the northside of Sicily with the most friendly fishermen in the Med so far! Grazie amici!

While we stayed in that nice but swelly harbour, they layed out moorings and told us, that they will charge for them starting with 2.6.96. We couldn´t find out about the price at that time.

Cefalú is real worth a visit, it is great fun to walk through that beautiful, typical italian little village.

You have to find your way through steadily changing sands, giving good protection against the waves. In the backpart of the lagoon, you will find very strong ropes and an enormous anchor on the ground, strong enough to tie up a commercial ship.

We anchored here with an ESE 7. You can stay here but, a considerable swell comes over the bay, not really dangerous, but uncomfortable, so we preferred to go to

If you approach by night, it is wise to call the marina by VHF and ask for a pilot. The lights ashore remind to a christmastree and you will not find out, which ones are the entrance lights of the marina. The best tip of the marina was, to hold on to the blue restaurantlights, which acutally is the harbour restaurant

Once in the entrance, the harbourdinghi leads you through the narrow harbour to the berths in the end of the bay. When we finally reached the harbour, the wind was at 38 knots and we were really happy that we had decided to go into the save harbour!

People told us, Porto Rosa being a real mafiamarina, very expensive, but the truth was, that we had to pay 47000 lire, which was 13000 lire cheaper than the 60000 lire in San Vito lo Capo, but offered a lot of more luxury!

Anyhow, we would go in there again, enjoying the nice little holidayvillage around the marina and the beautiful pool.

A word before: don´t do it!! Don´t go to this harbour if you can avoid it in any way!

It is purely industrial, extremely dirty, no rings no bollards, rubbishcontainer are parked just behind the boats, an el dorado for the local rats!!

The oily, harbourwater makes your nice white boat black and even stocking up was difficult and expensive!

Fortunately, Skylla and Charybdis were extremely calm that day and we reached Messina with low winds. But just at Messina harbour, the wind blew up with 30 knots from north, giving us good speed for the last few miles to Taormina-Naxos.

No ferrytraffic, not in the northsea, not in the baltic sea, not in the channel, was ever so horrible as this one between Messina and mainland Italy!! If one doesn´t know exactly what to do under sails, you better get down your sails, start the engine and rush through as quick as possible!

Is nothing more than a long mole, where, if you are lucky, may find a berth between the fishermen (if they agree...) There is water at the mole, sometimes they charge, sometimes not.

The Ätna is to be seen from the harbour and worth a visit. Taormina itself is a charming little spot, of course completely touristic. If you need a good dentist, try the local, german one: Mr. Kuensig-Rehling, Tel.0942.625914.

After one week in Taormina we sailed on, crossing the Messinastreet, having bad waves from the north as usual, heading for the italian mainland.

We passed Saline Joniche , an ruin of an EU-harbourproject, not ready like many italian harbours, but good for a free overnightstay. Of course, there are no services, no water, no electricity, but with good shelter.

The only problem could be, that there is a silting area in the entrance, so take care in the approach.

A harbour, nearly the same like Saline Joniche. A ruin,not ready and it doesn´t seem as if it will ever be finished.....

Take care: if you use the positions of Imray, you will possibly land with the boat just on the marketplace of Rocella, for they are definitively wrong! The harbour is roundabout 3 km away.

Starting in Rocella, we had a nighttrip crossing the gulf of Taranto, which we will never do again! As we lateron heard from sailors, experienced in that area, there is always bad conditions in that region and it is not necessary to do it by night, not seeing the crossing waves that will hit you!

We were extremly tired and afraid, because it was (is!) written in the pilot, that exactly with that wind, what we now had, the harbour is dangerous........

What a joy to see, that they had built a new harbour in the meantime, with a new outer mole and therefore safe in this weather!!

There are swimming pontoons, water, electricity and moorings (!), the fee was just that, what the "harbourmaster" (a nice boy of the village) thought you could afford (very little!). All in all a nice spot to relax before you leave for

Positiv: nice tavernas, good cooking, wonderful bays, locals in the Ionian friendly! Sailingwinds in the Ionian normally under 6 Bft., so no stress with sailing or mooring Negativ: food comes more or less cold, when you eat out in the tavernas, I don´t know why, but they never serve it hot!! Although people are more or less friendly, they always try to cheat you! So, never forget to ask for any price before, if it is in a taverna or on the market or in a shop and always take care in the supermarkets, have a look, when they get the prices in the cash, for you cannot read the bill afterwards!

In the aegaeian sea: locals are very unfriendly, only looking for their profit, really "destroyed" by tourism. No area for beginners, the meltemi is very strong in the summermonths, blowing from northerly directions, nearly every day with more than 6-7-8 Bft., in lee of the islands sometimes more than 9 bft.

Take care : mostly, there is no refuse disposal, so in consequence, in greek harbours and bays (!) there are big ratpopulations. A good protection are big, 2ltr. Cokebottles, which you cut off and pull them over your ropes, so that they still can rotate around the ropes.

In the evening, you get up anything, where rats could use to come aboard, aswell the dinghi! Otherwise you surely will have uninvited visitors.

Northwest of Korfu in the ionian sea. The anchorbay of that island offers good holding and cristalclear water in nice surrounding. Ashore there are some tavernas. Unfortunately, in the meantime there happened some robberies by Albanians not only against yachties but aswell against the greek taverna owners. Regarding, that there is still war in the albanian/jugoslavian area, you better keep off Orthonoi, until there is peace again.

Welcomes us with ligth winds, green areas ashore, white houses and deepblue waters. We anchored in the wide bay of Gouvia, but in the meantime, it is forbidden to anchor free, you have to go into the marina. In 96 the marina was a desaster of construction, provisionals and dirt, containers and unfriendly employants.

In the meantime, an italian company runs the marina and everything should be fine. The best was the big supermarket behind the marina, where you definitively should try the Apelia with black label, a superb red wine!

A dream anchorage on lightgreen pacificwater and finest sandy bottom, that is Lakka.

You aswell may go to the townpier, but the bottom is bad holding (weed) and there have been some robberies. So, take good care of your boat, at the anchorage and at the pier!

Is a funny spot, a narrow "harbourtunnel" behind Ns. (=island) Nikolaos. Just behind the northern entrance there is a new concrete pier on starboard, where yachts can fix their ropes.

But you also can go further in and go to the townpier in front of the little village.

Just nw of Igoumenitsa. A deeply incutting natural bay, with cloudy water (fishfarms!). In the backward part, you drop anchor on 2-4m thick weed, being protected against wind and waves. Seldom a yacht comes in and you share that anchorage with goats and singing birds in the morning!

The more you come into the gulf, the stronger the wind gets, which is useful to know when choosing the anchorage.

We anchored very comfortably in the frist big bay on starboard near the entrance to

A little town, you can drop anchor in front of the waterfront or go to the pier.

The bridge over the channel between Lefkas and the mainland opens every hour, announced by an acustic signal. Once through, you pass shallow lagoonlike waters. We didn´t stop in Lefkas harbour, because there should be a "smell" problem, as we were told by other sailors, but try on your own.

Where you may choose between the townpier, "Tranquil bay" (tranquil,...haha....) and the allaroundsheltered bay Vlicho.

You can stock up in Nidri and use the washingmachines in the Athos hotel, which also serves as mailadress! (Athos Hotel, Nidri-Lefkada, Greece, Tel. +30645-92384)

Furtheron, in Nidri, you find a kind of shipchandler, Mr. Georgios Gazis, Tel. 92237.

Is the eldorado for the flotillas (sunsail, sunworld), who likes to meet in the tavernas. But aswell, the flotillas love to anchor in

On Meganisi, there are several beautiful anchorages, but on none of them you should forget your rattraps!

In Abelikebay, they are a real plague, but this bay is such nice, that you accept it and take care for the boat with the "cokerattrap". Be sure, that your anchor is well in, the bottom is thick weed. Visit the bay beside the main season, because in july/august, there are always flotillas, and, even worse, italian motorboats with no idea about seamanship.

Very nice and good sheltered harbour at the NE-side of the island. A typical, pittoresque islandvillage with lovely little shops to enjoy looking around. The mole mostly is occupied by flotillas, anchor opposite the pier on bad holding bottom.

A lovely place to stroll around, there is life til late in the night. Limited provisions.

Little harbour at the E-side with gusts from NW. You can stock up here, better than in Phiskardo, anchor free or go to the pier.

A dreamy anchorage on the E-side of Odysseus´island. Unfortunately you should NOT go the the beautiful little jetty, for it is wellknown for bolded rats!! But a genious place for snorkelling and swimming.

A bay at the E-side of the island, well protected agains the northwinds, when a you fix landropes. Roundabout 20 years ago, this has been the bay of (mainly) german hippies, who came to realize their dream of an alternative life in natural surrounding.

Not much is left nowadays, a few people still living here in huts or little houses stretching up the hill behind the bay. The host of the taverna is very friendly, visit him!

Perfect sheltered, lagoonlike anchorage, without facilities but perfect for an overnightstay. Good holding, sand with pebbles, between 3 and 5 m depth.

In the gulf of Patras and Corinth, you always find westwinds in summer, which means beautiful afterly sailing towards east! In spring and autumn, there should be more or less easterly winds (hopefully, we will proof in spring 1999!)

A long, with buoys marked path leads into the harbourbasin. Alongside this waterway, there are houses build on woodenstakes, giving the scenery a touch of Indonesia!

In the harbour, you can go to the pier or anchor free on goodholding mud, but 9m deep.

We didn´t find a berth for a catamaran, the harbour has charme and character, but is very narrow.

Well,...... a perfect place to stay for longer!! A real favourite place for longtimesailors, who like to have peace and silence, but also want to meet other longtimesailors.

It is one of the EU-ruins, no electricity, water from a spring at the root of the concrete pier. 2 little shops in the small village. No fees.

In the evenings, you meet at Lizzy´s Yachtclub, for diner, bookswarp and laundry!

A big harbour, but swelly, for the pier has openings, where water comes in from the sea. No fees, for the harbour is not finished yet. Here are very friendly pharmacists (!) very helpful. Also the locals where helpful and friendly. Take a bus to Delphi, see the oracle!

Offers berths for yachts in its yachtharbour, just near the entrance to the channel. Stay overnight when you plan to pass the channel next morning. On all our journeys, nothing was stolen, except here: in the night, somebody came in the cockpit (we were moored alongside) and stole the signal! Therefore, Corinth is not our favourite place!

Closed at the moment, because the walls broke down, but we hope, that he is open again til spring 99! Our first passage in august 96 was about 200 DM for our 12m boat. We saw that greek flags only paid 50%, which is not legal after EU-law, but well......

Or Sophikou at the E-side of the Peloponnes in the Saronic gulf is a good sheltered bay for an overnight stay. Take good care of the swimming ropes of the fisherboats, one of them was catching our prop.......

Not just more than a few holidayhouses but a good place when coming from or going to the channel.

Best tip is, to arrive at 11 in the morning, after that there is only stop and go and in the end, towards evening, the yachts are moored in 3 or 4 lines, real chaos rules and all the anchors are connected with each other, not really with the ground........

NOTICE: go to Aegina with strong healthy nervs, but then it is a beautiful island and you will definitively not feel bored. But it is bad for one boat alone with a 2 men-crew, because we would recommend not to leave the boat alone. The harbour is a meltingpot for unexperienced new chartercrews, just coming over from Athens at the beginning of their holiday, of course everyone a little Nelson.......perfect in getting out your anchor...

If you can manage that somebody stays at the boat(s), go to the temple of Aphaia. It is really worth a visit and looks exactly like a greece temple should look like! Also the trip with the bus is an adventure for itself, hair-rising and exciting.

A superb anchorage behind a sandbar in the NE-corner of Kithnos. Beautiful surroundings, but bad holding. After all, we were able to stand a 3 days lasting Bft. 8 in here, using all anchors and a long rope to a rotten jetty. No facilities, the next village, Merikha is near. (but not for a walk!)

An enormous bay in N of Paros, with many little bays. Anchor free in front of the town or got to the pier in the harbour or go anywhere in that big bay. We liked Ormos Ay Ionnaou, which is on the W-side. But also in the northern part, there is good sandy bottom and shelter against the meltem.Stock up in Naousa.

The main harbour of the island with ferries, noise and dirt. Be lucky to find a berth, it smells (toilet....) extremely and the mud is black....

Is a bay at the SW-side of the island with bad holding. Better go to the pier, but ask the locals for the ferrytimes. 1996 they were 1000 and 1800. Out of these times, the pier is emtpy.

A completely closed bay, very good sheltered but cloudy water, not what you like for swimming. Bottom is thick weed, so be sure, your anchor is well in.

Is a little sleepy village in S of the island. It lives mainly of its fishfarm and some tourists in summer. There is a long pier, where you can go to or drop anchor in the bay beside on sand with pebbles. At the pier, you find good, strong bollards.

Maybe you will meet Hans, a german octopusfisher; if he is in the mood, (I think, an Ouzo helps..) you may get some good tips for cooking the beast! Give Veligandu´s regards to him! May be he will remember.

A charming harbour at the N-side of the island. Don´t believe in the pilots and go in in any weather!! With a N Bft.6, a rough sea comes in, making the narrow entrance dangerous to impossible to enter!. With Bft. 8, you are like in a jail, you will not be able to leave the harbour with its dangerous swell. So, if you see a strong northerly coming, better go early enough to Yali, the anchorage north of Palon. Drop anchor on finest sand in cristalclear water with perfect shelter against northwinds.

(much more about this island and all the other greek islands in that area in
Veligandu´s CD-ROM " Dodecanese-Islands ")

But back to Palon: limited space, come early! Nice tavernas at the waterfront; a trip with a motorbike to the famous vulcano is a MUST!

That is a theme on its own. Tourists love the spot, longtimesailors have arranged!

There are several marinas with different prices, the most expensivst one is surely Netsel, aswell the most famous marina in the eastern med. Marmaris is Port of Entry, if you ask the marina for help, you will have to pay 100 DM (maybe meanwhile it is 100 USD...?) If you do it on your own, you can save the money.

In summer, for our feeling, Marmaris is hell, sweating holidaymakers from all countries (mainly Germany and the UK) press shoulder on shoulder through the narrow, sticky bazaars and alongside the waterfront, where hundreds of Gulets cry for clients. Have a look, the one who likes noise, people and life will be happy!

Longtimesailors mostly anchor nearby Netsel or in the E-corner, where there is Pupajetty since summer 1998, nearby Magic Life Holiday Resort. From here, you have a good dolmus connection every half an hour to the town.

A wonderful bay, unfortunately with bad holding, for the bottom is rocky, just thinly covered with some sand. Better you take a mooring, either starbord or port after the entrance. Portside, you are in front of a taverna, which you should visit, when taking their mooring.

Is a famous destination for daytrippers. Some absoulutely mad cocks are living here, crying (really!) all day AND night. If you don´t like that natural noise, you better go behind Gemiler Adasi, but depths are very deep there!

For the next trip to Kalkan, passing the horrible 7 capes, you should leave early, if necessary by motor, there is very often strong winds and heavy seas in that area!

Is a nice little town, the harbour having gusts from the mountains, but with a good holding bottom, so no problem. Rather high fees here, varifying from year to year. The better you argue about the price, the lowe you pay.

Is not our favourite place, although it is a nice little spot. When we came in in 1996, the shouted over price of 25 DM (imagine, in 1996, in Turkey, a fisherharbour NOT a marina!!). So, we immediately turned round, went into the anchorbay, where a very friendly young couple opened their taverna only for us and served diner for a real nice price. Better to leave the money here, than in the harbour!

Is well worth a visit!!! But: always ask the locals or some longtimesailors, how the authorities handle things about customs, passports and so on. Normally, there is no problem and the harbourmaster of Kastellorizon only asks for a crewlist.

You will have to pay a few drachmes for your berth and that´s it. Normally..... but in 1998 we heard of a sailor who came back to Kas and got trouble with the turkish harbourmaster...... so you never know, better ask before.

In Kastellorizon you can either go into the harbour or in the bay of Mandraki, just round the corner. It is a pleasant walk over the hill from Mandraki to the harbour.

You must have seen these archipelago with its little villages Ücagiz and Kale Köy, a view over the area down from Kale castle is overwhelming.

In the inner part of Kekove roads, in front of the village Ügaciz, you find best shelter in any weather, the bottom thick mud, keeping the anchor like concrete.

The formerly fishervillage is still sleepy, (it is now 1999 and I am sitting here in the harbour in Finike whilest translating these texts), but tries to discover tourism.

In 1996 there was nothing than a commercial mole, now Setur has build a modern marina, where we winter.

Although it seems, as if the harbour is a bit open to E, we found that he is very protected in any weather. You can stock up any food you need, but for more specialised shoppings, you have to go to Antalya.

A bay, open to E, only in good conditions. Good chances for catching a thuna between the little island north of Cavus and the mainland!

Same like Cavus, maybe a bit more protected, but open to N, breathtaking scenery!

Until 1998 a dirty hole of a marina, where nothing works and no sailor wanted to go in. In the meantime a renovated marina with the name Parkmarina, with the most famous marina manager in the med, Hassan Kacmaz, a natural talent in leading marinas! Not the cheapest, but worth to visit. Kemer itself is nearly dead in winter and overcrowded in summer.

The town is 20 minutes by bus away from the marina, no dolmus, but a transfer shuttle of Setur, free. Antalya is enormous, loud, dirty, but you find what you need, nearly anything is to buy. It is absolutely touristic, no original friendlyness, you feel everywhere "Money rules"

All in all not the worst place to winter, but winds are stronger than in Finike and we had the feeling, that it is 3-5 °C colder than in Finike-

If you now think, this might be an interesting sailing area for you, just have a look on our pages, with demos of the two CD-Roms of Veligandu

We have put a lot of work on them, including several thousand (!) colour pictures, several hundred harbour and bayplans, not to forget all the texts with insiderinformation!