Weeks came and went. We got to Fethiye Town for a night and stayed for a couple of weeks. First friends arrived – more than that, our cruising parents, mentors and guides, if you wish. It was a very special moment for us as Sea Topaz moored next to Happy Dancer at Fethiye’s Yes Marina (Because the watermaker is still broken, we had to dock into a marina for water.). She just returned from a ten year circumnavigation. Duncan and Ria, the parents from a sustainability friend we made back in Sydney many moons ago (who’s now, btw, building his own eco house – super cool project if you want to check it out!), met us when we had just started to be real about going on this voyage and were looking for a suitable boat – about five years ago. Back then we probably seemed even loomier than today, but today the dream has come real. Seeing them, hearing their words of praise and encouragement, listening to their stories from the different oceans, seas, the Suez Canal crossing (!) and common cruiser friends, and not even to mention their invaluable tips and tricks which can help improve those little things aboard. The three days with them went ways too fast, but because of new regulations you are only to stay three months at a time in Turkey and thus, they left for Rhodes early one morning.

Our eldest turned four and we celebrated with lots of cake, cuddles, birthday pancakes, late night picnic by his favourite playground and of course a brand new yellow bike which Noah road proudly through town. Then we headed for the closest Bay past Fethiye Bay which would have water clean enough to swim and chilled out for a few nights to refresh and get our strength together for the haul-out and anti-foul the following week, that we had spontaneously decided on. I know, usually people plan these things months if not more in advance, but we generally let the seed of an idea grow in our mind – in this case we knew Happy Dancer’s bottom needed a clean before the Atlantic for the very latest – and then wait for the right place, moment and opportunity. Here it was, middle of Turkey, middle of the cruising season, good price, great people, what looks like a reliable lift, and a town we like the look and feel of. Especially the fresh produce markets leave me wandering for hours.