EMYR expenses

[affinite]

Hi all
I'm considering doing the Eastern Med Yacht Rally in 2014 (If its still going)
I know that one or two forumites have done this rally in the past and I'm interested to know if you could give me some indication of your costs and expenses. Things like Fuel, Food, Excursions, Pirate Costumes, Baksheesh etc!
Thx
Steve

 

[Swagman]

Hi Steve,
We did it is 2006 and IMHO it was our best summer sailing ever - so hope you decide to give it a go.
The rally then cost $250 per person. We were two up so total $500 for the two months marina and entry fees.
We had good winds so hardly motored down the Turkish coast, but used used more down and back up the Levant. Can recall topping up in Lebanon on way down, and same in Israel on way back to Turkey, but filled to the brim when in Egypt. Maybe a total of 250 litres. Fuel was cheap, if I recall correctly they charged us foreigners something between 10 and 25p per litre.
The EMYR ran a short bus excusion at each port usually paid for by the local council. Most boats went, if only to enjoy the aircon. The girls tended to view the passing sites. Most guys had heads nodding before the second corner. EMYR also had welcoming parties at each prt. Some very swish at Palaces / hotels, some more modest on the jetties. All FOC. Perhaps half of those parties also provided grog, where not we tended to BYO red wine in 2 litre coke bottles so not to offend anyone.
Eating out (off the toursit strip) was not expensive in either Turkey or the other countries. We'd tend to eat on board half the time. Plenty of drinks parties on each others boats. We brought far too much cheapo wine from Lesbos aand found the Lebanese and Israeli wines readily available, good value, and much better than the cheapo Greek!
Again shoreside shops and markets were cheaper once you got outside Turkey, but we did not find that expensive either.
Our pirate coastume cost maybe £5 in the UK before we went. A torn shirt, eye patch, sash and plastic sword is more than adequate.
We did take up on some of the 'extra' paid excursions to go see places like Damascus, Palmyra, Jerusalem, Cairo etc, but sorry can't recall what each cost. They were not OTT as if so I'd have remembered. I am pretty sure if you go to the EMYR site they'll have a guide to current tours and prices. You don't need to do them all, but with sometimes 3 / 4 days in each port, they do provide a diversion and part of the reason we did it was to see inland as well as the coastline.
Finally we also got together with 8 other pals after the rally ended and booked our own trip from Israel over to Jordan / Petra / Wadi Rum etc with a private guide and small bus. If you are in the region it would be rude not to consider something like that also.
Theres quite a few photos on our blog if you go back to that year in the photo gallery.
Good luck if you do it.
JOHN

 

[njamesphoto]

we have also been recommended doing it and probably will if its all ok then.

 

[affinite]

John
Thanks for the info - Id really like to read your blog but cant seem to navigate back to 2006 ?
Doh - just reread your post - "look in photo gallery"

 

[Swagman]

John
Thanks for the info - Id really like to read your blog but cant seem to navigate back to 2006 ?
Doh - just reread your post - "look in photo gallery"

Hi,
Yes - you'll find most of the older photos in the current blog gallery, and all the old words remain on the old blog at http://www.yotblog.co.uk/swagman/page29/&thisy=&thism=&thisd=. Sorry if you want to get a visual impression you'll need to match the two up - but all the photos in that old blog went awol and its too hard to put them back now.
Cheers
JOHN