Richie and Meg tie the knot (and I don’t mean a bowline)

Richie and Meg tie the knot (and I don’t mean a bowline)

‘Bigidy big up’ to Rich and Meg who have now been joined in Holy Matrimony to form team Burkitt. That’s Mr & Mrs Burkitt to you.

A truly truly fantastic day enjoyed by all (wouldn’t have missed it for the world). Richie the cheesemeister (long & very old story) and his bride didn’t half scrub up well, they both looked great. The wedding took place in Bournemouth town hall very nice ceremony. I don’t mind saying that I had a tear in my eye as they said their ‘I do’s’. Then it was off to the Royal Motor yacht club at Sandbanks (I know, we go to all the best places) for the knees up, I mean reception. There was fine wine, good food, humorous speeches, dancing, singing and of course helium balloons.

Now I know your dying to know about our journey back to Blighty, what? Your not. You think that’s going to stop me. Just ask the Captain, he’s closed a door in my face on many occasions when I’ve tried to recount one of my many many tales. Do I let that put me off, I should say not. There’s nowhere to hide on a boat shipmates!

The journey back to Blighty went very well, it was a long old haul (24 hours to be precise). But this being the second time we have made the journey, we were more prepared than previously (I can’t believe, I’ve just said that, us prepared! I’d even made cheese sarnies for the journey). All went smoothly till we got to London, where it was raining and cold (of course we didn’t bring coats). After negotiating the rail system we arrived in Streatham to once again pick up the Jomobile (merci beaucoup to Jo & Bruce XX).

We stayed with various chums in the Bournemouth area, such a treat beds that don’t form a point at the end (we sleep in the bow). Hot and cold running water, clothes that can be washed at the drop of a hat, coffee machines that we don’t know how to work! Thanks to you all for putting us up or is that for putting up with us.

Either way Muchios Gracias - Mark & Rachel for bed, vino and a feast to feed the 5 thousand. Chris & Jules for room, board and entertainment for several nights. Mandy for all of the above and just being you luvvie! Goes without saying big thanks to both sets of parents/families for all their help and support whilst we work through our midlife crisis, I mean our big adventure.

Lovely to see the former and current Brittany gang. Cheers for the pie Linda, will save it for a rainy cold day or maybe till Saturday! Big thanks to Nicola for shopping trip, the girl is a pro!

We came, we visited, we ate (no roast though, some serious questions were being asked back on Stella when we realised we’d not had a roast lunch), we drank and we managed to get our car on e-bay (but that’s a whole other story). Then it was time to return to Turkey and continue ‘sailing the dream’.
We are getting a dab hand at this travelling lark. Mr Mac (my dad) took us to the airport in the wee hours for our early morning flight (no overnight stay at Luton airport for us this time). We arrived in Istanbul and decided to try and get a taxi to a smaller bus station that we knew ran buses to Ayvalik.
Did think plan was falling apart when the taxi driver who spoke no English (we no speak the Turkish) tried to drop us off at a roundabout, no bus station in sight. Panic over along came another cabbie who pointed him and us in the right direction of the bus station.

I hope your sitting down for this next bit, we arrive at the bus station only to find there is a bus leaving in 15 mins (it gets better), there are two seats left on it (yippee skippee). We even have time to eat the cheese sandwiches I prepared earlier (I’m so organised I’m scaring myself). We arrived back at Stella at about 10.30pm the same day that we left Blighty (hurrah hurrah hurrah). We’d managed to shave a good 13 hours off of our previous journey time from Blighty!! Should you require any help with your travel arrangements we can be contacted at www.sailthdream.com (Enough said).

When we got back to Stella it was dark, but we noticed that one of her stanchions was at a funny angle. On closer inspection we could see that it had actually been ripped off, deck fitting and all. The culprit it turned out was the boat next to her, there had been a slight altercation as it came into moor up. Stella being more of a sailing yacht than a fighting one came off worse. Luckily the owners of the boat had fessed up to what had happened. The marina staff couldn’t have been more helpful, they repaired the stanchion and even tried to find us a new deck fitting (ours is 20 years old & was very wobbly). They couldn’t find one but have said that if we find one they will pay for it.

So, your mission should you choose to accept is to find a port side stanchion with deck fitting, for a Jeanneau Sunshine 38, 1988. To be honest the repair they have done has made the stanchion more secure than it was before!!

We spent a couple of days in the marina, getting ship shape. Then travelled the vast distance of 2 miles and anchored for another couple of days outside a place called Alibey (39 19’ 9N 26 39’ 4E). Word on the waves was that if you anchored outside the hotels you could get onto their wireless internet network, handy for keep an eye on our car on e-bay. It was a good spot for watching the numerous tripper boats going out laden with Turkish tourists and the odd belly dancer (much to the captains delight).

Since we’ve been in this area of Turkey we’ve seen a motor cruiser drive at speed onto a sandbank, a gin palace drive at speed into a 55 footer in the marina and we’ve nearly had a coming together with a small speed boat driving at speed whilst we were anchored. The moral of the story is even if they’ve seen you, they are probably still going to head for you, so just get out of their way FAST, failing that shout a lot!

We are now back in Mitilini (I know we said we were staying in Turkey). But we needed to use the Internet (think the hotels worked out what we were doing) and get some bacon and this was the nearest place. The Captain sent me off to the scarey port police, there were a pair of shoes outside the detention room (as a warning to you). I thought I’d crack under the pressure and fess up to where we had come from, but I didn’t, I looked Mr PP in the eye and told him we’d come from Skala Loutra (just round the corner). I don’t think my heart can take much more of this.

We are now moored next to a rather grand 78 foot Gin palace, makes Stella look like a toy yacht. The plan as usual is loose but we are going to head South down the Turkish coast and meet up with Moli, Reckless (www.oceanyachting.co.uk) and some other chums.

Friends Ian & Mandy on Moli are doing a bit of chartering. The broker who sold them their boat was in a bit of a fix and needed a couple to crew on one of her boats for 4 Italian men (lots of speedo action there). She is paying them a nice sum of money and they are using a 51 foot boat, with bow thrusters (Ian is in bow thruster heaven). I’ve said to Mandy that she can feel free to use my age old Tuna pasta recipe (it’s tuna with pasta). That’ll impress them!!

Well I think that’s all for now, if you’ve read all this you really do deserve a medal. You mad mad fools but I love you!!

Speak soon shipmates love & sunshine (it just doesn’t let up)

Captain M & she who can tell a porky at the drop of a hat XX

Tuesday, 14 August 2007