Scot couple off on their second world tour
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Christine Drum Berkaya
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 13, 2009 00:00
BODRUM -International yachtsmen and women gathered Friday night at a yacht storage yard in Bodrum to bid farewell to a Scottish couple who were to set sail the next day.
It was no ordinary summer’s sailing that Susan and David Mackay were setting off on, but a cruise around the world on their 16-meter yacht, the "Voyageur," and it was not their first circumnavigation, but their second.
When asked why they were doing it a second time, Susan flashed a smile and said, "Because we enjoyed so much the first time! As soon as we got back, we said we will have to do it again."
Yatlift, a yacht maintenance and storage yard, in Bodrum’s Içmeler threw the party, complete with food, drink and a performance by a belly dancer. It has a tradition of having a party for launches, for new yachts or for the end of the summer sailing season for its usual clientele of foreign-flagged yachts.
The Mackays were obviously enjoying the party even if they were slightly overwhelmed that it was in their honor. They even joined in dancing with the bellydancer; it was the first time they had seen a performance.
Between drinks, Susan said, "Yes, I am a bit nervous, as it is such a big undertaking." She said they planned to sail as soon as they launched in the morning, with their first port to be the Greek island of Kos. They will then sail across the Mediterranean for the Canary Islands before they set off across the Atlantic for the Caribbean, where they would join the circumnavigation group Arc, when the full circumnavigation actually starts. They said they would be returning to the Caribbean in 2012 via the Cape of Good Hope and the eastern coast of South America.
When asked if they had been sailing all their lives, Susan said, "No, we only took it up after we were so lucky as to be able to take early retirement."
"I hope we have put in enough money into Bodrum!" she said, pointing to her new croc shoes. "I bought these here yesterday; we bought the Voyageur here in Yatlift, after we came two years ago with our smaller yacht. We have re-fitted it and sailed Turkish coasts."
Their agent pointed out the one problem in their departure: Getting a transit log for yachts now requires a Turkish identification number for tax purposes, an impossibility for foreigners. They had to pay agents up to 200 euros to get something that costs 10 Turkish Liras. But Susan, whom David refers to as "the captain," didn’t mention the flaws, smiled and promised, "We will be back!"
When asked why they were doing it a second time, Susan flashed a smile and said, "Because we enjoyed so much the first time! As soon as we got back, we said we will have to do it again."
Yatlift, a yacht maintenance and storage yard, in Bodrum’s Içmeler threw the party, complete with food, drink and a performance by a belly dancer. It has a tradition of having a party for launches, for new yachts or for the end of the summer sailing season for its usual clientele of foreign-flagged yachts.
The Mackays were obviously enjoying the party even if they were slightly overwhelmed that it was in their honor. They even joined in dancing with the bellydancer; it was the first time they had seen a performance.
Between drinks, Susan said, "Yes, I am a bit nervous, as it is such a big undertaking." She said they planned to sail as soon as they launched in the morning, with their first port to be the Greek island of Kos. They will then sail across the Mediterranean for the Canary Islands before they set off across the Atlantic for the Caribbean, where they would join the circumnavigation group Arc, when the full circumnavigation actually starts. They said they would be returning to the Caribbean in 2012 via the Cape of Good Hope and the eastern coast of South America.
When asked if they had been sailing all their lives, Susan said, "No, we only took it up after we were so lucky as to be able to take early retirement."
"I hope we have put in enough money into Bodrum!" she said, pointing to her new croc shoes. "I bought these here yesterday; we bought the Voyageur here in Yatlift, after we came two years ago with our smaller yacht. We have re-fitted it and sailed Turkish coasts."
Their agent pointed out the one problem in their departure: Getting a transit log for yachts now requires a Turkish identification number for tax purposes, an impossibility for foreigners. They had to pay agents up to 200 euros to get something that costs 10 Turkish Liras. But Susan, whom David refers to as "the captain," didn’t mention the flaws, smiled and promised, "We will be back!"