David's Diary: Thursday, July 17, 2003

Ekincik Limai to Tomb Bay, Skopea Limami

We took our time this morning and didn't leave Ekincik Limai until after 11:00. We motored for a while until the daily breeze finally filled in. We got Dragonsinger sailing nicely, but the autohelm was having trouble in some of the gusts. As we rounded a point I got Kevin to steer by hand and encouraged him to get a feel for Dragonsinger and to keep her "in the groove".

Having Fun Making Waves

We are heading for Skopea Limami, an inlet with many bays just south of the town of Gocek. Our friends on both Nowornot and Linnea highly recommend the area. Late in the afternoon the wind died and I put the engine back on. It's another hot day, so Kevin and Allen sit on the swim grid at the stern of the boat and stick their legs in the water. They were giggling and laughing as they splashed each other. Their feet left individual wakes in the water and I thought it looked neat as I peered down at them from the helmsman's seat.

Tomb Bay, Skopea Limami

It was late afternoon when we finally got anchored in Tomb Bay. We were all hot and a few minutes after we arrived we were all in the water. The water temperature was 30C so it felt more like a warm bath. Karalee went for a long swim with her snorkel and fins. Kevin found a rope tied to a tree that hung over the water. He spent time swinging out over the water, letting go, and landing with a big splash.

After dinner, Karalee and I went up to the foredeck. The wind had died and the lights of the boats around us were reflected in the still water. Next to us a Gulet played the soothing sounds of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. It was dark by then so we sat together and looked up at the stars.