The winds are favourable again, the sea is calm, and I set off early – first to Eregli (to refuel) and then straight on to Istanbul. And again, just like before Sinop, the waves pile up an hour before I enter the Bosporus and shake me up considerably. Slaloming between waiting tankers and large transport ships, I sail quite carefree into the eye of the needle from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, between Asia and Europe. No radio traffic, hardly any shipping signals. I sail cheerfully into this busy “street” and look for my harbour. My harbour! – Yes, since Trabzon, I have a contact in Istanbul, Nasin, a brother of the local fireboat officer Kazim.
Nasin welcomes me, has already organised a berth next to “his” yacht and helps me clear customs with the port authorities. The procedures are surprisingly efficient (the port is privately run) and I book for two nights: I’m focusing on the essentials: the Hagia Sofia, a bazaar, a few trendy streets on the western, European side, and that’s it. I’ve been here before and know Istanbul – with around 16 million inhabitants, this metropolis is so huge, so diverse, so overwhelming that it can easily take your breath away. The many cultural influences that come together here are just too interesting. That’s why: short and sweet.
About Nasin: He is basically the private captain of a wealthy Istanbul resident; he maintains his yacht and is on call day and night whenever his boss feels like taking a trip on the Bosphorus or beyond. He becomes a valuable intermediary in and around the marina of this well-organised inner-city district of Istanbul. Fun fact: Shortly after my arrival, one of the boat neighbours brings me a new, magnificent Turkish flag … It is good practice for a boat captain to fly the flag of the country they are visiting alongside their home flag – but my Turkish flag is already badly battered and somewhat frayed. That’s not acceptable, not in Turkey, where huge red flags with the white crescent star decorate (or rather, outshine) the banks of the Bosphorus. I find this governmental exaggeration irritating, but I appreciate my neighbour’s gift. And I swap my Turkish flag with a winking smile. All the bystanders pat each other on the back and toast me.