#1: [10-Apr-05] (incomplete)

02-Jul-2005 -- Having failed on our first attempt at this Confluence, we were determined to succeed on the second visit and also try to capture 42N 33E during the same weekend, if time permitted.

As on the first excursion, we headed north of Ankara, although on this occasion we reached Abana late on the Friday evening, so we could have a fairly early start on the Saturday morning. Thankfully, the weather on Saturday morning was fine with none of the fog that greeted us on our first visit.

We drove the short distance east to the marina in search of the friendly group of fishermen we met on our first visit and although they were not there when we arrived, they soon appeared after a few phone calls. They had two boats to choose from and we were pleased that they chose the larger of the two; this relief was short-lived as the engine refused to start and we had to transfer to the seaworthy, albeit smaller boat.

Captain Serdal and Kamil soon steered the boat, passed the small lighthouse, out of the harbour, and headed for the Confluence about 2 km NE of Abana. During the twenty-minute trip to the point, Serdal and Kamil advised that fishing was restricted during May and June, and catching Palamut (Bonito) was banned until September. Hamsi (Anchovy) and Barbunya (Red Mullet) were a common catch especially in cold weather.

Upon reaching the point, we had some difficulty in trying to get the boat close to "all zeros" on the GPS, although after a few circular manoeuvres we managed to get a good reading.

About 1 km from shore with a good view of land