19 Aug - 20 Aug 2004 Anit Limani

Mediterranean Sea
Dardanelles
Republic of Turkey
Gelibolu Peninsula
Anit Limani
SY "Kamu II" at anchor, below the Turkish War Memorial.

Click below for a bird's-eye view of our anchorage:

Click here for a summary of this year's travels:
2004 Map

Swinging freely at anchor right between the Turkish War Memorial (Cape Helles) and the French cemetery and mourning for the more than 130,000 fine young men (total Allied deaths were around 21,000 British, 10,000 French, 8,700 Australians, 2,700 New Zealanders and 1,370 Indians; total Turkish deaths were around 86,700) who had been mislead and were sent to dead by their megalomaniac governments in the Gallipoli campaign during WWI.

Bridging for the first time ever the terminals no. 30+ and no. 50 on our ailing starter motor with insulated heavy-duty multi-purpose pliers in order to start our Perkins 4.236M diesel engine.

Trudging uphill through the Dardanelles against a powerful south-setting current of about 4 knots with the dream speed of 6 knots through the water (as measured with the ship’s log) but only making good 2 knots over ground (as measured with the GPS) and slaloming, with the Balkans (Europe) on port and Asia Minor on starboard, through a seemingly endless two-lane chain of cargo vessels and tankers.

Passing the historically meaningful Hellespont, so called from Helle, the daughter of Athamas, who was drowned here in the mythology of the Golden Fleece, which had also seen many daring swimmers complete the crossing, starting off with (i) Leander (who crossed in order to tryst with his beloved, the priestess Hero), followed by (ii) Lord Byron (who famously swam the Hellespont as a feat of his athletic prowess), onto (iii) the US ambassador of Turkey (1973 - 1977 CE), a certain Mr. Macomber (who did it for a still classified reason).