Finding Moksha: Off the Grid

There are 31 days that, for ease of communicating the fact, I simply didn't exist for throughout July and August. During this time it was 18hr days (give or take) with the owners and there guests on board cruising around the Turkish coast. Heading south from Kusadasi and eventually dropping the guests in Finike we basically went explored every bay and cove this coast has to offer. Other "major" towns of note in order of appearance included Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye, Kas and Kaleucagiz (actually most of the spellings aren't right because most of these places have those weird squiggles and dots under and over the letters, but you get the picture).

Overall is was a really cool place to see. Even though this place is as Arid as Mars, there were some amazing landscapes, some that reminded me of the Whitsunday's and others like Pittwater just north of Sydney.

There is a thing called "Island Time", which you do experience on many Pacific Islands (hence the name) where life is so slow and relaxed that there really is no need for a watch, you wake when the sun comes up, have lunch when you cast a minimal shadow, and go to bed when twilight is over. I have experienced Island Time quite a bit where you live your life around what the waves or wind is doing. I have also discovered "Boat Time" which is similar, but not because it is relaxing, you basically live your life around what the guests are doing, taking them to beaches for swims, wakeboarding or kayaking - there is no need for a watch, and after a few days, even what day it is has long left the brain.

When I decided to do this, my heart and head were always on getting on a sailing yacht and not wasting my time on a motor yacht. Sure after tips it probably doesn't pay as well, and as there is less crew,, the work is a bit harder, but actually having the sails up and sailing these things does get the blood flowing and makes it worth it. Of course being asked to steer the boat down the coast for a few hours on a beam reach in 15-20kts with all the sails up was no biggie - even if we did have Andrea Bocelli playing on the sound system with the guests all lapping it up in the sun.......... yeh no biggie!