Back on board Matapan

As many of you know, I have decided to keep Matapan and to sail her in Turkey this summer. I felt that Matapan was so special and such an important part of Geoff's life that I could not bear to part with her.  She had not been painted since Spring 2009 and her topsides had deteriorated quite badly in the last year or so.  I arrived in Marmaris on 26th March and organised for the boat to be hauled out  of the water and re-painted. It all seemed very daunting and at times I felt truly overwhelmed by the task of trying to restore this boat to the very high standards Geoff has always set.

With help from my dear friends, Liz and Laurie who came from Greece, for 10 days we managed to get most of the work done in two weeks. Looking all smart and gleaming again Matapan was  re-launched on 14th April.

Once afloat again Laurie helped me to get all the running rigging and sails back on before he and Liz caught the ferry  back to Greece. I waved my dear friends a sad farewell - I owed them so much, I could never have achieved the re-fit without them.

I then continued the many little 'jobs' there were to do on Matapan but began to give serious thought to how to maintain her and prevent more sun damage. I had a sun awning made to cover the middle part of the boat and give more shade - for me and Matapan! The clear plastic panels allow sun light to reach the solar panels on the roof of the wheel house.

I had two pvc 'skirts' made that would cover Matapan's topsides from stem to stern, when she is not being sailed, to keep off the harmful summer sun.

And finally, I ordered a stainless steel ladder to hook over the bowsprit, as an alternative to the passerelle that I always found too steep to climb safely!

My next aim was to learn some boat handling skills. Dealing with the boat at sea has never been a problem - there is plenty of space there, but I always left the close quarters work to Geoff. So just getting in and out of the berth at Netsel marina was going to be quite a challenge in itself. Through friends, I found Foxy! I had three sessions with this ever patient, very supportive instructor and with his help I have slowly begun the long journey to becoming a more confident sailor. Thank you Foxy!

My dear and very experienced sailing friends, Jan and Colin arrived on 27th April and they
took over from Foxy, helping me each day, to practise controlling the boat, anchoring and getting in and out of the berth!

Marmaris to Fethiye

Early on Tuesday morning, 2nd May,we left the berth at Netsel and motored out of Marmaris Bay heading for Fethiye. We had hoped that the wind would kick in around lunch time, but no such luck!  Still motoring after 4 hours we found ourselves rolling about in a swelly sea with little wind. A couple of hours of motor sailing with just a headsail up was all we managed under sail that day! We arrived at Kapi Creek, just inside Fethiye Bay, and were all tied up at the restaurant pontoon by 4.00 pm. We enjoyed one or two celebratory drinks on board and then a very good evening meal at Kapi Creek restaurant!!

Kapi Creek

After a late, large Turkish breakfast and a walk over the hill to the hamlet of Kapi Creek we set off across the bay to Fethiye town and 'Yes' Marina where Matapan will be berthed for the next few weeks. We had to motor yet again in light winds under a grey and cloudy sky. We looked in to several of the 'bays' which were all still very peaceful and quiet - too early yet for gullets and charter boats! Some bays now have buoys to tie up to rather than having to anchor in deep water and tie back to the shore. Whether this is to replace all anchoring in these bays is not yet clear..... we shall have to wait and see what happens this summer!

We arrived at 'Yes' Marina by 4.00 pm and,as Jan and Colin had spent several summers here with their boat, we were warmly welcomed by the owner and staff.

Matapan at 'Yes Marina' Fethiye

A very big thank you to Jan and Colin for helping me achieve so much in the 10 days they spent here with me. With their support I am now learning to manoeuvre Matapan in small spaces, anchor and park her safely. I have a very long way to go yet but I feel I have taken the initial steps towards keeping the dream alive, and taking Matapan on the next stage of her adventures.I hope Geoff is watching over us and keeping us safe.