A Day of Firsts....

First Spinnaker Hoist

Saturday 4 April sees us leave around midday after a relaxed start to the day. We enjoy a lovely sail with the wind slightly ahead of the beam to begin with but it slowly clocks around and we hoist the huge blue and yellow spinnaker for the final run into our anchorage at the mouth of the Dalyan River. This is a truly exciting moment which Richard has longed for and Pippy has been teased and cajoled into agreeing to. The wind is constant and light so it is a positive experience and we find that all the gear on board works well. – Matelot is very steady under spinnaker - unlike Rebel Rouser, we do not even look like we are going to broach! Watch this space!

We won’t dwell on this ‘other’ subject again but we also celebrate our first holding tank potty dump when we are carefully well out to sea. It works well but within minutes we hear the unmistakeable sound of a helicopter and we hope and pray that it does not come our way where it will spot the unusual coloured wake!

The radar is working well with its new cable up the mast – we even pick up a jet going overhead!

All is well on board Matelot…

Sunset sees us swinging at anchor at Delikada island near to where the turtles lay their eggs each year. We have been approached by several boats trying to sell us a trip up the Dalyan River to see the ancient town and the Lycian tombs in the cliff face on the way. However, they are all outrageously expensive and we decline. The forecast is for no wind at all and some rain. In hindsight perhaps we should have left and chosen a more protected anchorage but the setting is too beautiful.