Anyone who has ever spent time around boats will tell you that their dream is to sell up and spend their life cruising the world on their boat.
For the lucky few, or maybe the brave few, this dream can become a reality. Many people want to head for the Caribbean others for the South Seas but a lot just want to potter round the Med.
The good thing about the Med is that if you are from the UK, you are not that far from home and family, and there are lots of places to visit that are fairly close together and don't require crossing an ocean to get to.
We have met people who are living on all sorts of craft, from plastic gin palaces to a home-built wooden ketch. The one thing they all have in common is the desire to fulfil the dream instead of just thinking about it.
It's hard though, to give away or sell all the possessions that you thought you couldn't live without and walk away from the house and home that you have waited for all your life, and swap it for a compact plastic box that probably leaks, and costs a fortune to maintain.
The best description of a boat that I know is: A hole in the water that you pour money into. So why do we do it? Because it's there, it's fun, it's simple: no one is telling you what to do and where to go; you are your own boss; you can come and go as you please, and you get to go to interesting places and meet some really fascinating people - not the ones who talk about it, but the ones who actually get out there and do it.
We have a boat in the Kusadasi Setur Marina called Zoza, a typical Turkish boat made out of wood, built in Istanbul. With the help of our Turkish friends Mustafa and Sadik we transformed it into a lovely little floating home. We use it for trips to Samos, Chios, Bodrum, and most of all the Milli Park were we can drop anchor in a little cove were we can swim in the clear waters and try to catch dinner.
Our neighbours have lived on their boat for some time, coming from Birkenhead via Spain, and Greece. Now long time residents of Kusadasi, they say that living on a boat is never dull. There is always something to do, and there are frequent visits of friends and family to look forward to. There is always someone passing to talk to or dropping in for a coffee.
Since we came here some 15 years ago the marina has undergone huge changes. If only we could turn the clock back! Now we are fenced in like animals and many boat owners feel it is time for a move.
Our Danish friend Knud and his cat Freya sailed his little boat Anne Kristine from Denmark to Kusadasi - some feat single-handed. He says it's the climate that brought him to this shore and the adventure. He's just back from a trip to Kos. Great to be single, he says: “I just up anchor and go where the wind takes me.”
Charlie, a Turkish captain, looks after a large luxury yacht. Along with his wife and crewman they keep this ship spotless and ready to go at a minute's notice. He has lived the life of the sea for 30 years now and tells me that when he retires he will sail off into the sunset with his wife for a hard-earned rest.
At one time in there were as many as 100 boats in Setur marina, from all corners of the globe, that were full time live-aboards. Now only five remain.
Although we all speak in different languages there is a common bond and language of the sea that allows us all to communicate. We hold our own “parliament” daily (putting the world to rights). We are always pleased to see friends old and new, and pass on any local knowledge that may be useful.
Our marina offers all the services you may need, either for a short stopover or a major refit. If it's a paint / varnish job you need then Ozbek is your man. If your engines are playing up talk to Manfred. Maybe your upholstery or sails have seen better days? Then call Bashir. And as for your laundry, the marina service is first class.
There is also a wide selection of places to eat and drink within the marina, to suit all budgets. There is a swimming pool and tennis courts, but it is 24-hour access to the sea that makes this marina very desirable to serious mariners.
From here you can sail north towards Izmir, and Cesme, up into the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul and on to the Black Sea. South for Bodrum, Antalya, Cyprus and on to wherever the fancy takes you.
The picture you see from seaward is one you will never forget, ever-changing. You can spend years discovering places to stay and look at and that's just along the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Greece too is a very important part of your travels: Kos. Rhodos, Samos, Chios, Lesvos and Crete are just a few of the thousands of islands dotted all over this part of Europe, with breathtaking sea views, food and good folk on each and every one, not to mention all that history.
If this sounds like the life for you, call me on 05378665046 for impartial advice (I am not employed or involved with any of the companies I have mentioned.)
