The Gearbox Actually Worked!

Mike:

After stocking the ‘fridges, buying fresh food and making sure we had enough beer & wine, we chuntered out of the marina towards Icmeler in the distance. The bay is so deep we had plenty of space to practice tacking until the wind weakened. We motored into a bay and dropped anchor-doing our best impression of play boys (and girls), swimming from the back of the boat with envious stares from the plebs on the beach.

Despite being quite close in, we were suddenly surrounded by local boats (including those mini-gulets) passing us on both sides, jam-packed with tourists. This eventually quietened down and gave us time to relax a bit except when the ice cream man came motoring by with calls of “Isa creama, chocka lolly” which we ignored! After a swim & snorkel Mike turned on the hot shower on deck and managed to spray everything on board within range as he was facing the wrong way-got ticked off by the Skipper AND First Mate. Late afternoon saw us heading back towards one of Jamie & Liz’s favourite coves but it proved a little too exposed to the southerlies for safe anchoring so we moved round the corner to the next bay where a good holding is assured (better than anticipated)!

Evening saw the alarming ride in the orange blancmange (dinghy) in the pitch dark (torch clutched in hand) to a local restaurant-food good, cats in abundance, but Lesley’s migraine cut the evening short-“too much sun” said Doctor Cleere!