Greece, Leros island
May 10th, 2025
Leros – Nisyros – Tilos – Symi
Blue Star Ferry brought us back to Leros this year. Our Pakonis rental motorbike was waiting at the ferry dock with our boat’s name on it—very thoughtful, though we didn’t know! Since we couldn’t load all our bags onto one motorbike at 4 a.m., we ended up taking a taxi.
We stayed in the boatyard for four nights and launched the boat on the 14th. Moor–Dock now charges €8 per day to stay on board while on the hard (including bathroom, electricity, and water), a new policy we felt wasn’t ideal.
Other costs this year: motorbike rental €15/day, drinking-water fill €20, and two months of unlimited Wi-Fi €30.
Nisyros
We enjoyed souvlaki in Lakki every day for five days before sailing to Nisyros on May 15th. In Nisyros we stayed three nights for €24, filled 100 litres of diesel in Pali for €177, and completed the required check-in/check-out with the port police in Mandraki before heading on to Tilos.
Tilos : only 1 night on dock (fees = 16 €/night)
Symi
On the 20th we left Tilos and anchored in Panormitis with three other sailboats. The water was beautifully clear, but we listened to strong gusts of 45–55 km/h all day and night. By the next morning the weather had calmed, so we continued to Pedi harbour. I took a bus to Symi town for €2.50 one way.
We left Pedi on the 23rd and moved to Symi harbour so Stephen could repair the toilet pump-out before entering Türkiye. Dock fees were €46 for the first night (including power), and €54 for the next two nights. Of course, we also stocked up on white wine for Rob—many boxes! The dock fee for the third night was only €6.99.
On the 28th we checked out of Greece by boat in Symi.
- First we walked to Passport Control near the clock tower for the exit stamp.
- Then we took the stamped paper to the Port Police to complete checkout.
Before leaving, I bought pork chops from the Symi meat market, 0.5 kg of Symi shrimp for €25, and some bakery treats.
Symi – Marmaris – Fethiye – Göcek
We had an excellent 6-hour sail across—fast at 8–11 knots, with gusts reaching up to 40 knots. We arrived for check-in at 4 p.m., and docking was difficult in the choppy water. This year we paid €250 for the agent to handle entry formalities into Türkiye.
We spent our first night anchored at Akburun East, then met S/Y Endless Summer the next day at the İçmeler anchorage. We had to take a bus into town (40 TL one way) to the marina to get the black-water certificate. After that, Stephen finished repairing the outboard, and we remained anchored there until June 3rd.
Kargi Koyu (June 4th): We left İçmeler and anchored at Kargi Koyu for one night.
Ekincik (June 5th): We sailed to Ekincik marina to fill the water tank. They charged €40 per night, including water.
Fethiye (June 6th): With light wind along the way, we arrived in Fethiye at 5 p.m. and anchored.
Gocek (June 8–9th): Left Fethiye to Gocek for pump-out and stamp (fees 200 TL). Anchored in Fethiye Körfezi and docked at Binlik (Koyrucak). Next day moved to Deep Bay and made green curry with chicken.
Gemiler, Adasi Island – Kalkan – Kas – Kekova island
Gemiler, Adasi Island (June 12th): Left Fethiye; refueling at the marina was tricky due to channel 73 and ticketing issues. We struggled an hour with windless in the middle of the channel. Eventually anchored in front of Gemili Plaji beach surrounded by gulets—beautiful view.
Kalkan (June 13th): Motored from Gemili Plaji and anchored in Firnaz Yesilkoy Bay with S/Y Endless Summer. Next day headed to Kas.
Kas (June 14–15th): Anchored near Zaika, Kas Marina, accessible by dinghy. Mary Beth showed us a shortcut to town. After shopping for food, we moved to tie a rope on a buoy in Bayındır Limanı with pristine water, close to the Greek island “Megisti.”
On June 18th, we left Kas and sailed to Kekova Island, anchoring at the peaceful Kaleucagiz. Two days later, we moved to Sicak Koyu, a spot recommended by S/Y Bunty. The next morning, we enjoyed a beautiful breakfast at the only restaurant on the island. For me, Turkish breakfast is unmatched—a lavish spread with a variety of fresh dishes, reflecting how important a full table brunch is in Turkish culture. While I savored the food, Stephen worked on fixing the windless.
By June 22, we headed back, tying up at a buoy in Bayındır Limanı before returning to Kas. Local prices caught our attention—ground lamb cost 550 TL for just 500 grams!
On June 25, we anchored in Fethiye Harbour, taking care of supplies and fuel: diesel 7,965 TL, pump-out 385 TL, gasoline 548 TL, and water refill 200 TL. Two days later, we anchored in İçmeler, and by June 30, we set off for Bozburun.
Over the following weeks, we explored Bozburun, Datça, and Knidos. Our sailing adventure concluded on August 26, 2025, when we checked out of Türkiye, paying €100 in fees.
Bozburun – At Anchor
Returned to anchor in Bozburun. As before, we anchored alongside a very friendly Turkish family boat who made our two months here more enjoyable and never lonely. They were always ready to help or offer advice whenever we had a problem.
Ashore at Gordon Restaurant, Lynn, Yaya, and Gordon welcomed us warmly and treated us like family, reinforcing the strong sense of community we felt in Bozburun.
It has been a journey full of stunning scenery, best swimming, delicious food, and unforgettable experiences. Until next time—Symi awaits!
Next post : Symi – Port of Entry
Cleared in by boat at Symi, returning to Greece after three months in Turkey. Simple formalities and a comforting feeling of being back.
