Oyster News 52 - Oyster Yachts

Skyblazer on the jetty in English Harbour
56 www.oystermarine.com
Rozlyn and Ray Walsh
We launched late in the season and already boats were returning to
be laid up for the winter. But this is one of the best times. We missed
the scorching August sun and the hot dry winds. September is
slightly cooler and the sea is at its most pleasant for swimming. The
tourists are departing and we can enjoy the space and late season
bargains. We had already spent a week in the yard commissioning the
yacht for sea. I like the boatyard. You meet so many interesting
people from all over the world. There are many intrepid explorers and
there are a few who have their boat laid-up and that is where it stays.
The transition from land to sea is a boundary they cannot cross.
late season in
I stand beneath the boat, nervously awaiting our turn to be launched.
"Is she new?" a Swedish boat Captain asks me.
"No, she is 13 years old but she still looks good."
"Where will you go?"
"We’ve sailed a lot of the Turkish coast but we have never been in Gökova Bay, the bay in which
Bodrum lies."
"Then you have left the best to last," the Swede assures me, "but if you are sailing in Gökova Bay then
you must visit Captain Ibrahim’s restaurant at Çökertme."
"What’s it like?"
"You will see", his bright blue eyes are twinkling, "there is a show."
He won’t tell me anymore. I’m filled with curiosity. Now I have to find out more.
And so the moment comes to launch. The great travel hoist approaches, the engine noise ominously
groaning and roaring like that of some ferocious prehistoric beast. My heart trembles and Ray
disappears. He cannot bear to watch. Sky Blazer, waits like some mythical maiden chained to the rocks.
Once secured into the leather and webbing sling, she is lifted easily and returned to the sea.
Sailing again, I admit there is not really a lot to do. We sit in the cockpit and watch the coast pass by,
enjoying the blue sky, the cooling breeze and the gentle sea. Ah! This is the life. Ray captains the boat,
David is navigator and Caroline, my daughter, and I are crew.
Cökertme (pronounced: cherk ert me)
On arrival we decide not to anchor in front of the restaurant. There is a small jetty and some facilities
but we think we are better off in the small picturesque bay. It is popular with yachts and gullets (the
pirate look-alike wooden boats used for tourists day trips and charters). It is surprisingly peaceful. The
water laps the rocks at the base of the pine-covered hill beneath where we are anchored. The water is
crystal clear.
As evening approaches we shower and dress ready for this night of adventure. We pick our way over
the stony shore and arrive in the dark. The restaurant is already packed. We are given a table rather
near to the orchestra. Well, I say orchestra because the volume of sound is comparable with a
compliment of 50. In fact, this is a trio comprising of the three ugliest men in Turkey. Ray thinks they are
quite good. They certainly have rhythm but the sound is like a strangled gargle. A table becomes vacant
further away and we are able to move.
Ray and David sit next to the wall. They are making sure they will be protected from the approaches of
any stray belly dancer. Ray remembers the experience he had when he was lured to the dance floor and
the belly dancer managed to induce him into a prone position then, starting at his feet, she wiggled her
way along his body and ended by sitting on his face. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't enjoy it.
Caroline and I feel quite safe. We are still waiting for the show. The other guests are fidgeting with
anticipation. The volume of the music increases. (Is this possible, you ask?) There is a disturbance at
the far side of the room. Suddenly we see him. Enter Captain Ibrahim dressed like a Mexican bandit,
complete with huge false moustache, hat, rifle and revolver and mounted on a petrified horse. He rides
through the restaurant, the horse’s hooves slithering on the tiled floor, eyes rolling in terror.