BEWARE THE HELPFUL TURK...

Rita Hayman

(Rita, who is OCC Port Officer for Auckland, New Zealand, spent part of the summer cruising the Turkish coast aboard Peter and Paddy Oglivy-Stuart's Cougar. This was one of its more unexpected moments...)

`Beware Greeks bearing gifts', we have been warned, and Cougar's crew would add `and Turks offering to row a line ashore'!

We were anchoring behind a small rocky inlet, Baba Burno, just off the Turkish coast and were pleased when a dashing - if rather rotund - Turk indicated he would row our sternline ashore for us, thus saving one of the crew a swim. I, gullible as always, was most impressed when he turned down offer of payment, though he did graciously accept a can of cold beer. Another yacht was similarly welcomed, only they were treated to a very professional all-over massage in the cockpit as well! Philou shot looks of glee in our direction, and with the bursts of laughter from the neighbouring crew we all enjoyed a hilarious half hour.

Before he left in his small open boat Philou issued an invitation to have our evening meal at his restaurant. "I call for you in boat at 8.30! Is not far! Is very cheap!" etc, etc. We decided it might be rather fun, so enjoyed our customary G&Ts until the appointed hour. Along came Philou to collect the five of us, a total of eleven from the next yacht, and a few others also anchored close by. He fitted us all into his boat -- not a lifebelt or any other flotation device in sight, of course, no room for such non-essentials!

It seemed quite a long trip to the coast, and when his craft eventually stopped off a beach there wasn't a light in sight -- where was this `nearby restaurant'? However, the younger members of our crew, and the skipper, climbed over the side to wade ashore. I have it on good authority that Paddy was taken ashore on Turkish shoulders -- I was too intent on making sure I didn't slip from the `fireman's lift' my own gallant was providing to observe this. Also it was at this stage that one of my nice French sandals fell in the tide -- well, we were going out to dinner! We were deposited on a sandy beach, but then had to follow our escort over a rocky scramble to a road where a tractor-drawn trailer awaited us. All piled in onto a rather worn, dirty (valuable?) Turkish rug, then off along a bumpy road for a mile or two until we reached Philou's restaurant.

It all looked rather attractive, with candles lit on tables set outside in the cool of the evening. Insect spray was brought forth for the guests as the mosquitoes were moving in to feast. Philou's senior wife (we gathered he was entitled to four) shook each of us by the hand most courteously, and then a bowl of tasty but not very hot soup was placed before us. Next came a warm bean salad, followed by a plate of small pieces of meat for each of us. I found it tasty to chew but not easy to swallow -- consensus declared it to be goat meat. When we thought our meal was over along came a serving dish of small fish -- possibly quite nice, but my taste buts had taken such a beating by then that I didn't attempt them. I think it was at this stage of the proceedings that I felt warm hands on my neck and found I was on the receiving end of a neck massage! Peter said my face was a study, and I believe it is recorded on film. Paddy and Peter's daughter Nori was led off to an outside room for a more thorough massage, with husband Richard in hot pursuit and the rest of us not far behind.

By then we were all thinking of the return journey to Cougar, particularly the rock scrambling in pitch darkness. After paying the bill (at least twice the amount Philou had originally quoted) we duly boarded our truck again and were jolted along the road, to a different beach this time. No rock walking, mercifully, but we had to wade waist-deep to the boat as the water was too shallow for it to come close in.

Paddy and I are not tall and needed help in boarding, and Paddy bore purple bruises for some time after being rather unceremoniously rolled over onto the deck. I was more fortunate, but we were both soaked to the waist and on reaching Cougar lost no time in changing while Peter poured us a reviver. Definitely a never-to-be-forgotten evening during Cougar's summer cruise!