Back to the Boat

Greetings from Lone Star! We are finally back on the boat. Our start this year was delayed due to our oldest daughter Jennifer graduating with not one but two masters from Columbia. How kewl is that? After enjoying all the graduation festivities in NYC and saying goodbye to family and friends we left Houston on May 22nd for Turkey. We arrived in Istanbul via a connection in Frankfurt on the 23rd. After an overnight stay in Istanbul we took a 1 hour flight to Dalaman followed by a 1 hour taxi ride to Marmaris Yacht Marina the afternoon of the 24th. Even with our bleary eyes and jet lagged brains, Lone Star looked great in the yard with new bottom paint and a clean shiny hull.

We spent the first night in the marina hotel and then moved aboard the next morning to start the 2 ½ day process of getting Lone Star ready for the water. We had to remove the propeller, drain the oil from the lower drive unit and replace the packing bearings. This was a first for Craig and he appreciated Bill Rouse's (s/v BeBe currently on a circumnavigation) comments about how to use the puller devise. Sure enough the propeller popped right off.

On May 27th Lone Star was back where she belonged – in the water.
We certainly won’t miss the endless trips up and down the ladder while she was in the yard but we do have to admit the “boat yard stair stepper” was great exercise. Since she’s been back in the water we’ve been busy with putting her back together for the cruising season. From putting sails back on, checking that all the systems were working to answering important questions – What’s this for? Where did I put that gismo? How does this work and what does it do? - our days have been full. But just in case you think it’s been all work and no play, let not your hearts be troubled. We have built into the schedule time for hanging out by the pool, enjoying sundowners with fellow cruisers in the marina bar or on board boats, enjoying the great Turkish cuisine and exploring Marmaris.

The actual town of Marmaris is across the bay from the marina. There are two ways to get to town – dolmus (bus) or water taxi. Both are a 20 minute trip and offer beautiful views of the bay and surrounding countryside. Marmaris has a lovely walk that rings the bay. Alongside the harbor are tour boats and Turkish gullets offering every type of excursion imaginable . Restaurants can be found all along the harbor walk serving amazing dishes. The Turks have definitely elevated the art of grilling to a new height. Just off the harbor is a bazaar full of shops selling anything you can imagine and an ancient castle worth exploring. So far we have found the Turkish people to be very friendly and helpful. English is widely spoken; it’s a required course in school, which is a good thing because the language is very, very different from ours.

Our stay in Marmaris has been extended due to problems with our “sports car” motor (dingy motor). Cruising would be next to impossible without the car; so off the motor went to a local shop and within two days we had her back and running like a champ. Now the time is finally here – tomorrow we slip the lines and set sail on a yet to be determined route exploring the Turkish coast and the nearby Greek Islands. Stay tuned for our next update from some unknown Turkish location. Fair Winds!