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Fiji Musket Cove Marina Entrance

Musket Cove Yacht Club located on Malolo Lailai Island in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji is both one of the easiest and one of the most difficult yacht clubs to join. For while membership is conditionally granted to anyone that arrives at the Musket Cove Yacht Club office, the condition is that you must have sailed into Fiji from another country, and not just another port in Fiji. Therefore, membership in the Musket Cove Yacht Club is a statement in itself of having accomplished a significant number of sailing miles in the South Pacific. Membership is for life, and the onetime lifetime fee is an extraordinarily reasonable 1 Fijian Dollar for the Captain and 5 Fijian Dollars for each crew member. Membership at the Musket Cove Yacht Club is honored for reciprocity at many worldwide yacht clubs, making this yacht club membership fee one of the best values in the world, if not counting, of course, the cost and time to sail to Fiji from another South Pacific country!

Musket Cove Anchorage Mamanuca Islands

Musket Cove - Fiji

Anchored in Musket Cove usually are cruising yachts from all over the world as this is a great stop on a worldwide voyage. Musket Cove Marina offers dockage for smaller cruising yachts and mooring balls. There are shower facilities, propane gas refills, diesel fuel and self serve laundry facilities, which are all hard to come by when cruising through the South Pacific and therefore welcomed by most worldwide cruising sailors. The Trader Shop offers a good selection on groceries and ice and on the marina grounds is a Tiki hut that can be used for barbeques with old or new friends met in the anchorage.

Musket Cove Yacht Club Welcome Sign

Musket Cove Yacht Club will serve as a mail stop for an additional charge for world cruisers and also offers a dinghy dock, water, garbage bins, telephones, fax and email. However no longer is the name of the yacht associated with a new member carved into the overhead beam, as that beam is full, and a great testament to the number of yachts that have been in Musket Cove over many years. Every September, the yacht club organizes and sponsors the week long Fiji Regatta which draws both locals and worldwide cruisers.

Musket Cove Resort Pool and Beach

Along with the Musket Cove Yacht Club there is also the Musket Cove Island Resort with single room bures, multi room villas, a restaurant, bar, spa, and gift shop that sells yacht club items. There is also a dive shop, offering diving and snorkeling, and other water toys and a very nice beach. Membership in the Musket Cove Yacht Club gives the right to use the resort facilities.

Fiji Beach

Musket Cove Yacht Club is well known to yachtsmen that have cruised through this area and should be a stop on a yacht charter through the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands.

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Sunrise in Santorini

Around 1624 BC, the volcano in the center of the island of Santorini, Greece blew its top, literally. This once round shaped island became a crescent shape with a deep hole in the center, way below sea level. With this final huge eruption, an ancient city on the island was completely buried and lost in a sea of ash. No lives were lost, as previous smaller eruptions had warned the citizens who had abandoned the city and fled the island. But who were these intrepid people? Of what civilization were they part? Many think that that this ancient lost city was actually the lost city of Atlantis. Visit Santorini on yacht charter see for yourself, and you decide.

Excavation of Akrotiri

Akrotiri is the modern name of the excavation of this city. The ancient name is still lost, but the civilization was believed to have links to the Minoan civilization due to inscriptions found in Linear A. As the city was buried in ash in one eruption, all is extremely well preserved down to food items found in storage jars.

View in Santorini

Excavations were started when the site was discovered in 1967, and remnants of an advanced civilization are being found. This civilization lived in three story apartment buildings, with an advanced drainage system. The many wall murals, furniture and other items found suggest a very wealthy population that lived in considerable luxury. This ancient city is believed to have been an important trading port city in the Aegean as various items found in the excavation are believed to have been imported from Cyprus, Syria, the Greek mainland, and even as far away as Egypt.

It was Plato that wrote of the legend of Atlantis, and clues in his story lead many to believe that the lost ancient sophisticated, wealthy and beautiful city of Atlantis that suddenly disappeared is really the ancient city being uncovered today on the island of Santorini by the excavations at Akrotiri. However Plato lived over 1000 years after the volcanic eruptions on Santorini, so much is speculation and legend. But do visit Santorini and decide for yourself.

Santorini Anchorage and Quay

Unfortunately, until further notice, the ongoing excavations at Akrotiri are closed to the public, but there as a very good museum in the town of Thira, with many artifacts from the excavations, photos and information on what is being found and what is being conjectured. And while you are there, enjoy the stunning beauty of the caldera inner crescent, created so many centuries ago by this volcanic force of nature.

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Tremiti Islands; San Domino & San Nicolo

Located in the Adriatic Sea, the Tremiti Islands of Italy sit just 22 nautical miles off of the Garano Peninsula on the east coast of Italy. Parts of this island group today along with the Garano Peninsula form the Garano National Park. These islands, also known as the Pearls of the Apulian Adriatic Sea, are just waiting to be explored on a yacht charter out of Bari, Italy. And the intrepid and well seasoned sailors can cruise the Tremiti Islands and then continue across the Adriatic on their yacht charter to cruise along the coast and through the islands of Croatia.

Tremiti Islands, San Nicolo Fortress

Tremiti is from an ancient word for "tremors", as these islands are all volcanic in origin. Rising out of the Adriatic Sea, they are surrounded by beautiful clear waters. Now a tourist destination, this group of five main islands and numerous crags peaking out of the water’s surface, has had a varied history including being the location of internment for both Julia the Younger, Augustus' granddaughter during Roman times and for political prisoners of Mussolini in the 20th century.

Tremiti Islands,San Domino

Of the five main Tremiti Islands, San Domino, San Nicola, Caprara, Cretaccio, and Pianoso, only San Domino and San Nicola are inhabited. San Domino is the most visited today by tourists as this island has the only sand beach in the whole island group. San Domino is also a beautiful island, covered in vegetation including blooming myrtle, and geraniums. Although the largest of the Tremiti islands, San Domino can still be walked across in 20 minutes.

Tremiti Islands, San Nicolo Fortress

San Nicola is where the bulk of the population of the Tremiti Islands resides and has the only year round inhabited village, along with a monastery, once home to the monk Nicola, where his remains are buried. Legend states that anytime the remains were tried to be removed from the island a huge storm whipped up from sea foiling the attempt. San Nicola is a rough and craggy island with a wilder feel than San Domino. An extensive fortified castle and abbey form an impressive silhouette against the rocky cliffs, and are open to visitors to be explored.

 Tremiti Islands,Rocky Crag

Caprara Island is the furthest from the coast of Italy and is covered with caper plants. Cretaccio is a big block of clay, with no vegetation and Pianoso is so small, as the name suggests that sometimes during storms, waves wash right over the highest point of this island, which is just 15 meters from sea level.

Tremiti Islands,dinghy dock

Relatively unknown, the Tremiti Islands are a great yacht charter location offering beautiful waters, history, fresh seafood cuisine and are definitely away from the maddening crowds.

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Turkish Gulets on charter along the Turkish Coast

A traditional Turkish working vessel, the Turkish Gulet is now being built for yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey. Twenty years ago or so, the Turkish Gulet for charter was a new concept, which has now evolved into a luxury charter vessel offering an exceptional charter value. And the charter location is nothing short of exceptional as well, through the crystal clear waters of southern Turkey along the ancient trading routes. Here at Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters, we have been to Turkey dozens of times and love this charter option and cruising location, especially for the value offered for the price.

Turkey, Gulet Charter, Boatyard Bay Tersane

Built originally of Turkish pine, many Gulets now are built of solid mahogany with beautiful joinery and interior woodwork and varnish. Usually with four to six guest staterooms, each stateroom has a large ensuite bathroom. Gulets are very beamy vessels, which provides enormous interior living space along with great big wide decks for sunning, dining and lounging. Gulets do have masts, however generally Gulets move underway by the engines rather than sails as a large very comfortable moving platform from which to explore the Turkish coast.

Turkey, Gulet Charter, the ruins on Gemiler Island

Fully crewed, all is provided on board from typical fresh Turkish food to Turkish Nouvelle Cuisine, depending on the price range. A nice selection of Turkish wines are now available from boutique wineries along with artisan olive oils and breads. However the best value of all, that cannot be duplicated in any other location is the beautiful coast that is filled to the brim with history, and historical and archeaological sites, from the ruins of the Lycian city of Caunos on the Dalyan River to the Castle built by the Knights Hospitalier in Bodrum that now houses a museum of underwater archeaological discoveries from the many shipwrecks through the centuries that occured along the ancient trading route.

Turkey, Gulet Charter, Lycian Tombs on the Dalyan River

Start your Gulet charter in Gocek, Marmaris, Bodrum, or even in the Greek Dodecanese Island of Rhodes. There are countless itineraries available, and you could charter in this area numerous times and still not see if all. And if history is not your balliwick, just relax on the broad decks of the Gulet and enjoy a swim or snorkel over an ancient harbor before dining on fresh Turkish cuisine washed down with Turkish beer or a boutique Turkish wine. It is all available and at a great price in Gulet charter along the southern coast of Turkey.

Turkey, Gulet Charter, Marmaris, and the castle ruins

For information on individual Gulets for charter, please click the word "Gulet" throughout the blog, as each is linked to a different Gulet option.

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Traditional Turkish Bath

The age old Turkish Bath or Hamam, as it is often referred, is a traditional part of Turkish culture that is a treat to experience when chartering along the coast of Turkey. Believed to actually be related to the ancient Greek and Roman baths, the Hamam has now evolved into a specific cultural tradition that is all Turkish. The Turkish Bath was perfected by the Selcuk Turks who developed this traditional Hamam bathing in answer to Islamic religious views on the importance of cleanliness, however the Hamam soon developed into far more than a bathing location, and quickly became the social and political center of daily life, or the golf course or men's club of yesteryear. And women were not excluded from the bathing or social aspect of the Haman experience, but the sexes were separated as they are even today in a traditional Haman.

Turkish Bath Ruins

Traditional Turkish Bath Steam Bath Room

Still in use today are the traditional checked cloths or Pestamal, used to wrap around the body in preparation. However in most locations, flat plastic sandals have replaced the wooden clogs, or Takunyalars, some of which were highly decorated with inlaid mother of pearl. Many of the Hamams were built during the Ottoman Empire, and those still in existence today are identifiable by the domed roofs pierced with bits of colored bottle glass to provide a misty light in the interior of the main bath room.

Turkish Bath center marble washing dias

The traditional Turkish Bath begins by changing into a Pestamal and donning a pair of Takunyalars in a changing room and after passing through a cooling room, enter into the traditionally domed room filled with heated steam. In the center of the room is a large marble slab and around the edges of the room are cubicles or benches around water taps. The ritual starts by relaxing in low seats along the edge of the domed room and pouring warm water over oneself with a Tas or special Hamam bowl. (Antique Hamam bowls can still be found throughout much of Turkey and are a great souvenir of this unique tradition). Once suitably warmed, with skin softened by the repetitive dousing with warm water, it is time to recline on the marble slab in the center. There a washer person, once a non Islamic slave, provides a soapy bath, with suds created by blowing into a large muslin bag drenched in soapy water, and a massage, scrubbing the body all over with a loofah. For those not in the know, a natural loofah is a plant seed pod in the cucumber or gourd family that grows on a vine all over Turkey. Being fully scrubbed with a loofah exposes a new clean layer of skin. One then steps under running cool water and out into the relaxing room for another massage with oils or just a relaxing drink of apple tea or chai.

Natural Loofah Growing

After a traditional Turkish bath, you will emerge much cleaner than when you arrived with baby fresh skin having experienced full exfoliation by natural loofah. And by the way, the professional washers will provide a healthy scrub with muscles well toned by years of vigorous use of the loofah. And remember, the purpose is not for pampering, but for cleanliness and you will feel clean after and at a much more reasonable price than most spa exfoliation treatments.

Natural Loofah Dried

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