• Well having the plane to yourself doesn't happen very often! We managed to blag some seats on an empty leg for a very relaxing flight.
  • "Oh my goodness" says Karen "It really is brand new!" Mete from Vedem Yachting can't wipe the grin off his face as Sun Mate gets ready for her first charter.
  • Sun Mate moored up stern to - the awning may not do much for racers but when the sun get's up you'll fall in love with it.
  • That's our Beneteau 343 on the right, and that's our dinner table in the foreground.

After collecting our brand new Beneteau 343 "Sun Mate' we had a short cruise on the first day and after getting used to her handling we moored alongside a small restaurant. Dinner was fabulous and we paid for the mooring and the meal the next morning, collecting some oven-fresh bread for breakfast.

  • Rob was always falling asleep whilst underway - as soon as the mooring lines let go he started snoring.
  • The Lycian coast is a gem, though the pilot book does suggest you try and stay in Turkish waters rather than straying into Greece - that's Rhodes on the horizon and we did sail close to Simi.
  • After the joys of sailing of off blustery Shoreham, the blue water and clean breeze of Turkey was fabulous. A brisk force four let Sun Mate pick up her skirts.
  • At home you have to watch for coasters and container ships, out here you keep a weather eye on passing billionaires - that's a red duster flying from the stern.

Not everybody wanted to get up in the morning - Rob seemed to spend his days either sleeping or eating. Light winds in the morning often meant using the donkey for a while until the warm breeze kicked in.