Datca onwards to Bencik

Photos:
Fab photo of us all
Deep Blue and Matelot at anchor at Bencik
Matelot arriving at Bencik



Monday 16 March dawns cloudless after one of the coldest nights we have had for a while. We sleep under two feather sleeping bags! Last minute stockups of bread and veg complete, we cast off from Datca town quay at 11.30am, waving farewell to the cafe owner and his wife who have been very hospitable to us, providing us with internet, shore facilities and fresh water in the bucket for washing vegies.

We have a glorious... truly glorious... beam reach, sailing 085 degrees towards the magical inlet of Bencik where we will spend the coming night. The sea is flat as we carve our way past the Greek Island of Simi to starboard, feathery white clouds hovering above it in the bright sunshine, our wake stretching out behind us, the red hills of the Peninsular off to our port side. Matelot has her beautiful white sails set and she is like a graceful bird carrying us along, as autopilot on, we sit back and relax and marvel at how great it is to be alive, looking around us in disbelief at the stark beauty of our surroundings. We can see SY Deep Blue up ahead with spinnaker set but we are still closing on her... yes!!

Three hours later and we follow Deep Blue quietly motoring our way up the sheltered inlet of Bencik to anchor and tie stern ropes ashore for the night. It is calm and peaceful and we have Andy and Brenda aboard for a meal and a chance to swap sailing stories from this magical day.

Tuesday 17 March

The sound of a traditional fishing boat starting up nearby around 7.00am wakes us up and we slip in and out of sleep as its engine fades away into the distance. Opening the hatch above us we see the mist rising off the water as the sun starts to warm the air. All is very still around us and we stay in bed and read, holding our books in frozen hands. The night has again been very cold and crisp air wafts through the wide open hatch as we watch the blue sky fill in above us. Every so often we have to slide our hands under the covers to warm them up.

This morning is very special as the sun very quickly warms us and we have our first swim of the season, jumping in and out .... very quickly.... Richard twice because he drops the soap and has to go in a second time to retrieve it. We finish off with showers on the stern and hot coffee before departing for our next anchorage....