50 JULY 2019ROUND EUROPE WINDSURF
I
ntuition, and a willingness to read meaning into the
appearance of dolphins, had persuaded me that a
winter break was advisable. There had been various
things unsettling me: the potential for very harsh Black
Sea weather, the leaky condition of my drysuit, a worn out
connection between board and sail, and the unresolved
problem of how to sail the heavily transited Bosphorus Strait
without getting arrested. So, from Istanbul I skipped back to
the UK, to see family, and also to preserve sufficient time on my
visa for the sailing ahead. The break gave time to consider that
whilst reaching Russia remained the goal of the sailing, it didn’t
provide a sense of closure to the journey. And I was still having
persistent daydreams about the possibility of ending the journey
where it began, at Grense Jakobselv on the Norway-Russia
border. Was there a viable river / sea route through Europe
back to there? Perhaps. But I conceded that I didn’t have the
appetite for the uncertainty such a trial would involve. This
liberating admission spurred some research. Then I stumbled
upon the EuroVelo cycle network, and in particular EV13, the
Iron Curtain route, which goes from southern Europe right up
to Grense Jakobselv. If the shoe fits...
I also heard from Edhem Dirvana, a Turkish sailor and
fantastic guy with connections to the coastguard, press and navy- result! - Bosphorus permissions sorted. Then a replacement
drysuit, fin and extension arrived, and I’d run out of reasons to
wait. Before getting hooked on the easy life, it was time to do
cold Turkey.
BOSPHORUS
Mid-March and Edhem has everything under control. The
day after returning to Istanbul I sail to the Asian side of this
Eurasian megacity. Then we search for a day with a southerly
wind to help beat the Bosphorus current, a continual stream
from the Black Sea that flows at its strongest at this time of
year. But with no southerly wind forecast we instead settle on
a day when a moderate northerly looks likely. Coastguard and
press are notified. The cameras roll and seconds after launching
I fall in. I can sense Edhem’s concern, his reputation being on
the line here as well as mine, but it goes better after that. The
current in places matches that of the renowned tidal races. In
old times they towed boats through here. But now the banks
are walled and the water races through. Opportunity to escape
the current is limited. Thank God there is decent wind. Even
so, some parts are a real battle. If tactics are wrong, the wind
lulls, or the main channel is sailed, then progress is negative.
Each bend is hard fought. We link a few corners and make it
under a bridge, a campaign victory! Then another few hundred
tacks, and the second bridge is behind us. We reach halfway,
where Edhem has arranged for me to stay at a waterside house
with a quay. Our coastguard boat escort peels away.
A week later, after some media training from Edhem, and apresentation I make a hash of but learn from, and again with
north wind, we complete part two. It is easier this time. The
channel is wider and there are fewer ferries criss-crossing the
strait. The third suspension bridge is the last. Edhem has been
with me all the way and follows out to where the first Black
Sea waves are felt. For me it’s a big deal that the route has
remained 100% continuous and independent. However far I
get, the Bosphorus is now part of the track. Thanks Edhem.BLACK SEA
First landing is a tea stop where I get a taste for Black Sea
cold water and shorebreak. Good fortune allows an escape
with mast and sail intact. I push on to Sine. For the next
three days the wind blows onshore and is biting cold. More
waiting is psychologically uncomfortable, but the sea state
would be bruising on the board, and this is now the nurse-it-
home stretch.More settled weather arrives, and I link together
some days. The feel of the Black Sea is more reminiscent of the
Barents Sea than the Mediterranean. It is usually lonely, grey
and cold. There are many seabirds: grebes, terns, divers and
gulls. There are also many dolphins, rarely a day passes without
seeing short-beaked common dolphins, common bottlenose
dolphins, and harbour porpoises. Fishing boats are typically
industrial sized. I’ve not seen any pleasure craft outside of
harbours. It has also rained a lot. There are a few theories
about how the Black Sea got its name. My guess would be that
the simply descriptive is favourite; to the old world traders,
the contrast with the colourful Aegean would have been very
apparent. A sadly unmissable feature of the Black Sea and
enclosed seas in general is plastic. The stuff is everywhere. In
Turkey is it not helped by poor infrastructure. Household
waste landfill sites are quite common. And in places the waves
are eating into the sea cliffs of plastic. That said, there are still
considerable differences between how effectively different
towns deal with their trash. Near fishing harbours there is also
very typically polystyrene from broken fish crates. Near places
nice for a picnic there is trash from picnickers.
The apathy towards plastic pollution is a bit dispiriting.
What hope then for the bigger issue of the climate crisis? But
in Turkey, as elsewhere, I have also met educators and young
people who are the start of a wave of environmental awareness
that will only grow. I choose to remain hopeful, for what other
option is there? We either fight for our planet or give up on
the future. Better to go down fighting, finding solidarity in
the cause. From recognition of the common threat, crisis can
bring unity, action, and change.CHALLENGES
The sailing and coastline has been varied and interesting. There
has been the occasional day to raise the pulse, either because
of waves or stronger winds. There are frequently conditions
that are dangerous for small craft, and the hypothermia risk
in event of prolonged immersion is real. I give the Black Sea
the full respect I give all seas. But I am not the same sailor
who sailed round Britain back in 2015, or who set off from
Norway in 2017. I’ve seen a lot of sea now, have been scared
on occasion, and am mentally toughened as a result.“THE SAILING AND
COASTLINE HAS
BEEN VARIED AND
INTERESTING.”
Jono takes a break on
approach to Amasra, Turkey.
PHOTO Jono Dunnett.