Blue card and experiences in Turkey in 2017

[Squeaky]

Good evening:

I realize that there are only a few of us left in Turkey this year but I would like to pose a couple of questions in hopes that I could get some information from others on this forum.

1. Have you been bothered this year concerning the Blue Card? If so, please explain.

2. Have you found any of the authorities unfriendly or difficult?

3. Have you found a change in marina prices? Up or down?

4. What has been your experience generally compared with previous years?

Part of my reason for asking is that I encountered a couple I have known for a couple of years the other evening and they are hell bent on getting out of the Med as they now feel that it is a very unfriendly place for anyone owning a non-EU yacht. I have not done much sailing this year but I also have not experienced anything that I would term as unfriendly or negative which leads me to wonder why many yachtsmen/women are avoiding Turkey this year.

Cheers

Squeaky

 

[sailaboutvic]

Good evening:

I realize that there are only a few of us left in Turkey this year but I would like to pose a couple of questions in hopes that I could get some information from others on this forum.

1. Have you been bothered this year concerning the Blue Card? If so, please explain.

2. Have you found any of the authorities unfriendly or difficult?

3. Have you found a change in marina prices? Up or down?

4. What has been your experience generally compared with previous years?

Part of my reason for asking is that I encountered a couple I have known for a couple of years the other evening and they are hell bent on getting out of the Med as they now feel that it is a very unfriendly place for anyone owning a non-EU yacht. I have not done much sailing this year but I also have not experienced anything that I would term as unfriendly or negative which leads me to wonder why many yachtsmen/women are avoiding Turkey this year.

Cheers

Squeaky

Squeaky , I can't answer your question , why people aren't going to Turkey ,
but the way things are going on in other parts of the Med , it wouldn't surprise me to see people returning back to Turkey .
I for one be interested in see replays to your posting .

 

[nortada]

Squeaky , I can't answer your question , why people aren't going to Turkey ,
but the way things are going on in other parts of the Med , it wouldn't surprise me to see people returning back to Turkey .
I for one be interested in see replays to your posting .

Irrespective of Flag, no problems in the Western Med - friendly and accommodating as always.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Irrespective of Flag, no problems in the Western Med - friendly and accommodating as always.

Thanks but that's not telling me any thing about Turkey in today market ,
over 25 years sailing from one in of the Med to the other so yes have to agree as a rule they are friendly although at time we had a few problems

 

[nortada]

Thanks but that's not telling me any thing about Turkey in today market ,
over 25 years sailing from one in of the Med to the other so yes have to agree as a rule they are friendly although at time we had a few problems

Wasn't meant to, just responding to your quote about 'the way things are going on in other parts of the Med' to confirm these problems do not exist west of Malta.

Must admit, given the current state of affairs, with the exception of Cyprus, I wouldn't choose to visit the Eastern Med but l'm a whimp!

 

[sailaboutvic]

We don't have a problem visiting any where including North Africa coast ,
Off cause next year could be a very different story , Croatia has new charges which are just stupid so that off but we like to go back to Turkey , only thing stopping us is the black tank business, not that we not got one as we have but we have no top pump out fitting .
A return to Tunisia is on the cards for early next year .

 

[jacaldo]

Having only sailed in the Greek med. In Turkey why can't you empty your tank at sea? Would the authorities know?

 

[sailaboutvic]

Having only sailed in the Greek med. In Turkey why can't you empty your tank at sea? Would the authorities know?

Some year back in Turkey , they brought in the blue card , every boat should have one , and each time to have a pump out the card get marked , in reality very few check are made , but there have been reports of fines in pass year , each time we been there we never was check but we did get a pump out now and then , with the boat we have now , although it has a black tank there no pump put so the only way to empty is out at sea .

 

[macd]

Vic, arranging a pump out may be simpler than you suppose. Several forumites have a system where the pump-out pipe simply connects via a (valveless) "T" fitting on the pipe from holding tank to seacock. Not exactly a trivial job, but a great deal simpler than introducing a standpipe into the holding tank itself.

There are other bonuses with such a set-up:
1. The tank and much of the plumbing can be almost entirely evacuated should repairs be necessary.
2. if you open the seacock, the pump-out station can take as many litres as you like (for recording on the Blue Card), even though it's only seawater

 

[sailaboutvic]

Vic, arranging a pump out may be simpler than you suppose. Several forumites have a system where the pump-out pipe simply connects via a (valveless) "T" fitting on the pipe from holding tank to seacock. Not exactly a trivial job, but a great deal simpler than introducing a standpipe into the holding tank itself.

There are other bonuses with such a set-up:
1. The tank and much of the plumbing can be almost entirely evacuated should repairs be necessary.
2. if you open the seacock, the pump-out station can take as many litres as you like (for recording on the Blue Card), even though it's only seawater

That sounds like a plain Mac , another winter project.

 

[truscott]

We were based in Turkey for a number of years. Wintered in Greece last winter and after cruising this Spring and Summer from Crete to Croatia and back to the Ionian, we are now taking some time to replenish the cruising kitty. In the seven years we have spent cruising Turkey, we have not found the Blue Card to be too difficult to work with. Our holding tanks are gravity based with a deck mounted pump out fitting, a breather line mounted well above the water line and the toilet outlet, all fitted to the top of the tank (the pump out point has a pipe running internally to the bottom of the tank) and at the bottom a simple line running to the seacock. We had new tanks made up and installed in Marmaris and they were very reasonably priced. Sadly at installation they neglected to connect the pump out point for one head to the actual holding tank. We did not notice for 7 years. Our Blue Card was duly logged for 50 Liters a time despite only ever sucking air! Make of that what you will!

As for the rest of the stuff written about Turkey.... for those that don't want to visit, by all means don't. For those that are more open minded, everyone we spoke to over the winter about cruising Turkey seems to have had a fantastic time (we were pretty confident that they would).

For our part, we had a fantastic time cruising to Croatia and back.

We are heading back to Turkey eventually. Still got the Black Sea to see.

PT.

 

[Resolution]

Been out twice so far this year and are heading back out on Monday for a final fortnight.
We were flagged down of Turgutreis by a coastguard cutter in June, had our papers checked and returned all very politely. I do have a Blue Card and we have a pump out at Port Iasos about twice a year, just in case anyone checked it. The rest of the time we pass through Greek waters and leave them a momento.
Expect to renew my annual berth at Port Iasos next week, under £4000 for my 42 footer, which compares well to twice that back in England on the Hamble.
Most of the Turks we meet out there are really welcoming, helpful and pretty good on the food and boat maintenance fronts! It is a great place to sail.
But we do have a twinge of anxiety when using the airport, a possible bomb target. (Rather like when anywhere in central London.)

 

[Resolution]

Just back from a lovely two weeks in Turkey, mostly in the Gokova Korfezi. Excellent weather, some really super sails, including topping ten knots under genoa alone! No problems with coastguards, although they were visibly around a lot. Some marina prices very competitive. The new marina at Oren was cracking value at Euros 25 for a night, including water, electricity, immaculate toilet block and a Migros supermarket. Ditto the new marina at Gulluk. Renewed my annual contract at Port Iasos at less than one third of what it would cost me in the Hamble!!
As usual most Turks were super -friendly, the food in restaurants is often scrumptious and good value compared to the UK. Just don't talk politics, everyone there is unhappy and worried what may be around the corner.
The wife and I cannot wait to get out again next year.

 

[Norman_E]

As some of you may know I have kept my boat in Turkey, at Yachtmarine, since 2006. My sailing this year was cut short by my heart attack, but Turkey was the same friendly place as always. I did pump out, at the pump out station in Gocek. I have never had a problem with local officialdom, and when I went out of Turkey at Kas in order to check in and out in Kastellorizon I found that I could not remain in the harbour there. The agent in Kas arranged for me to return that night to Kas, where the Customs and Port Police came to my boat and checked me back in with a new cruising log All very friendly, and I cannot wait to go back again next year.