Turkey : Profile

Facts

Turkey has more coastline than any other Mediterranean country - some 8400 kilometres. There are so many bays and coves, one can almost always pick a pretty anchorage within minutes of deciding to drop the anchor. Its diverse terrain covers nearly 800,000 square kilometres and shares borders with Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
Marinas are generally first class with technical support and repair and haul-out facilities. Istanbul and Marmaris offer the most extensive technical support, though technical service is available almost everywhere. Some of the finest marinas are Park Kemer, Gocek, Bodrum and Atakoy.
There are many pretty small harbours, such as Kalkan, where one can Med-moor to a quay or jetty with electricity and water. Overnight fees are less than half those of first class marinas. Only the bigger ports and harbours can be included on Noonsite. A cruising guide such as Turkish Waters and Cyprus Pilot by Rod Heikell is essential to make the best of this country.
In recent years there has been a considerable easing of formalities for yachts.
Most cruising yachts sail in the southwest of the country, along the Mediterranean coast and the Aegean Sea, although the Sea of Marmara is also worth exploring and a sail through the heart of Istanbul is an exhilarating experience.
Charter companies, Stardust and Sunsail, are based in Bodrum, Gocek and Marmaris.
Turkey's history spans almost 10,000 years. Along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts there are acres of ancient remains - many world-renowned - from the ruins of Greek cities to sunken Roman harbours and crusader castles.
Although the Black Sea coast of Turkey lacks natural harbours, there are several sheltered ports while the spectacular coast can be enjoyed when day sailing from one such port to the next. Some of these ports tend to be crowded with local craft, so it pays to be there during the closed season for fishing, in July and August, when most trawlers are hauled out. A useful source of information for this part of Turkey's coast is to be found in the RCCPF files. See publications for the details.
Fuel - Diesel is difficult to obtain as tanker lorries can no longer supply small ports. New regulations require tankers to have a specific (and expensive) license to supply yachts, as opposed to gulets. Plan fuelling stops well ahead and carry spare cans. (as at July 2008)
Buy 20’ of chain for stern tying to rocks in Turkey. Chafe gear for lines used to tie to trees is necessary to avoid damaging trees. One can be fined for damaging trees. A 200ft line is necessary too.
Holding tanks are required in Turkey so sort out any holding tank problems. The "Blue Card Scheme" (see reports adjacent and restrictions) for the enclosed waters south of Gocek is now in place as of January 2011.

Turkey's climate is varied, but typically Mediterranean with hot summers and mild winters. Lighter winds prevail along the Mediterranean coast and nights are usually calm. There is a heavy swell along this coast. In summer, the Aegean is dominated by the northerly Meltemi wind, which blows from May till the end of August and at its peak can be very strong. The Black Sea has more extremes and is more humid with the most rain.

Weather Website - East Med/Turkey
www.meteor.gov.tr

Weather forecasts from Antalya every 3 hours available in summer time on VHF Chanel 67 preceded by an announcement on chanel 16. Same information is available on Navtex for current 24 hours with brief description of outlook for the next day.

Further forecasts can be obtained from marinaforecast.com.

GRIB Files (gridded information in binary code) for boats with internet access. Highly compressed GRIB files can be downloaded on slow internet connections or via email. Very useful as they give win speed and direction, surface pressure and rainfall rates. Times can be moved forward in 3 or 6 hour segments to show how the weather is expected to change. GRIB files are free unless higher resolution required in which case download a GRIB viewer from www.grib.us (preferably on land)

Turkey Weather Forecast.