As Başak Mireli continued her world tour with Ömer Öcel, our article series entered its third phase. While Mireli was occupied with being "the first Turkish woman sailor to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo", it was left to Ömer Öcel to provide updates on their progress. Through this series, we aim to shed light on both a significant historical achievement and the complexities of sailing.

 

 

Ömer Öcel, Başak Mireli

 

Captain Başak makes history

 

On December 23, I bid farewell to Captain Başak in Mindelo as she embarked on her solo Atlantic crossing. The following day, I traveled by plane from Mindelo to Lisbon, then on to Paris, before finally arriving at Saint Anne Bay in Martinique where the boat "Kısmet Güzelim" was anchored. It was the afternoon of December 24 when I arrived. Together with all the other friends we started waiting for Başak.

 

I was a guest on Ali Can Sürekli's boat, "Kısmet Güzelim," where my main responsibility was to monitor Başak's position, speed, and direction every half hour during her solo Atlantic crossing. While in Saint Anne Bay, Martinique, I also spent time with our friends who warmly welcomed me. Upon arriving, we went to dinner with Alpel and Nilüfer on their boat, Rüyam II, which was anchored nearby. Alpel and Nilüfer are Canadian citizens who have a 38-feet catamaran and been sailing in the Caribbean for over ten years, arriving in November each year and returning to Canada before the hurricane season starts in June. Levent, who was also with them, runs a döner shop in La Marin marina with his wife, Guylaine, and has been serving as an honorary consul for Turkish sailors visiting the island for over 15 years, following in the footsteps of Hakan Öge and Ekrem İnözü.

 

Can was very hospitable and made me feel at home on his boat, as if I were on my own. The presence of Can's guests Sofi from Germany and Boghdana from Ukraine, whom he had crossed the Atlantic with, added a new dimension to our time together. Given that Can and I had children who were older than them, I felt like an uncle while Can took on the role of a father.

 

As we waited for Captain Başak's arrival, our days were filled with following and supporting her journey from afar. Meanwhile, boats that had completed the Atlantic crossing began to arrive in Martinique, bringing new friends into our circle. Among them were Yalçın and Marie on their Tire-Bouchon boat from the USA, heading towards the Mediterranean, and Banu and Simon who were doing a boat transfer. They contacted me on Instagram, expressing their desire to meet Captain Başak. Marie even wrote a wonderful article for the French sailing magazine, Voiles et Voiliers.

 

On January 16, after a long wait, Captain Başak Mireli, also known as the "Sultan of Atlantic," finally arrived in Martinique, marking her historic achievement as the first Turkish woman sailor to complete a solo Atlantic crossing.

 

Due to the presence of many Turkish and familiar foreign boats, the exhaustion from the long crossing, and the arrival of Captain Başak's mother on January 23rd (who will stay until February 6th), we decided to extend our stay in Martinique. Our exploration of the island began with a picnic in Salinas, followed by renting two vehicles and taking a tour of the waterfall and rum factory with a group of 16 people. We also visited the slave village, botanical garden, slave monument, Grand Anse bay, and Saint Pierre, where the effects of the eruption of the Pelee volcano in 1902 are displayed as an open-air museum.

 

 

Devastating earthquake news

 

Learning about the devastating earthquake on February 6, which happened on the same day we were seeing off Captain Başak's mother, brought an overwhelming feeling of pain to us even though we were thousands of miles away. Sometimes, experiencing a tragedy from afar can be even more challenging because you feel helpless and a great sense of guilt for not being able to do anything to help.

 

For almost a month, we were preoccupied with news of the earthquake, and the looming possibility of a devastating one striking Istanbul filled us with dread. Understandably, we found it difficult to focus on anything else during this time. Even a month after the earthquake, we were disheartened by the hurtful and derogatory comments left under our sailing video, suggesting that we were ignorant of the disaster in Turkey. Nonetheless, we are aware that with everyone doing their part to the best of their abilities, the healing process will be made easier. Our own contribution is to strive to excel in our work of sailing.

 

We observed that even after a considerable amount of time had passed since the earthquake, some individuals were still attacking those who called for calm. However, it was disheartening to see that these same individuals quickly shifted their focus from the earthquake to the upcoming elections. It seems that the majority of people have become indifferent towards the recent earthquake and those that may occur in the future. Those who had demanded normalization, accountability for the earthquake damage, and preparation for the next earthquake now seems to be ignored. It is our hope that the elections will be a turning point towards normalization.

 

 

Time in the Caribbeans

 

Following our visit to Martinique, we traveled to St. Lucia to reunite with Tuğçe and Emre. The joy of being reunited with our loved ones after a long hiatus was invaluable. With a strong team already established, we navigated between the bays of St. Lucia and Martinique, relishing the experience of sailing between the "squalls" - a dreaded occurrence during the season. We were able to witness a level of performance from the boat that we had not seen in a long time. There is something special about traveling by boat and experiencing the solitude that comes with it, while sailing from one bay to another with a skilled and delightful crew, striving to achieve the best possible performance in ever-changing weather conditions, as Başak refers to it as being "alone on the boat".

 

After bidding farewell to Tuğçe and Emre on February 22, we made the decision to head to the northern islands, as we needed to be in the south before the hurricane season. We met up with Ozi in Martinique-St. Pierre and traveled to Dominica together.

 

Dominica is often referred to as "the most beautiful island in the Caribbean, with a unique green hue," according to guidebooks. The island's natural beauty is matched by the warmth of its people. We explored the island's waterfalls and rainforests with friendly guides who could turn even a simple Indian River tour into a memorable experience. We reunited with our New Zealand friends Kim and Ben at Mero beach and set sail for Guadeloupe in three boats.

 

When we arrived at the Des Saintes islands in the south of Guadeloupe, we were greeted by an unexpected change in weather direction, causing boats in popular bays to struggle against the waves. So we sought refuge in Anse Fideling, a pristine bay surrounded by turtles and with no movement in the leaves, reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Kujira and I stayed in this tranquil bay for 4 days, taking advantage of every opportunity to snorkel and learning the intricacies of snorkeling. Kujira is an Amel-Maramu with ketch rigging, a type of boat we had been searching for to test sail since we began our journey. We were impressed with the stability and ease of handling the ketch rig, despite its smaller sail area and less performance compared to our larger boat. Overall, we found it to be a more comfortable option for long-term sailing due to the better load distribution.

 

As we continued sailing along the west coast of Guadeloupe, we began to feel like exhausted tourists in a hurry. We realized that we didn't want to rush our way up north only to have to hurry south again before hurricane season. Therefore, we altered our course and decided to head south instead. Balancing the exploration of new places, the constant movement from one location to another, and boat maintenance can be more exhausting than one can anticipate.

 

We have started considering spending the hurricane season in the ABC Islands or Colombia rather than staying in the Caribbean. However, we are aware that being at sea means you cannot make firm plans or schedules and must go with the flow without overexerting yourself.

 

To follow Başak Mireli and Ömer Öcel:

 

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHG-6tma05QnjlJVoXWCvw?app=desktop

 

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sailing_istanbul/

 

Photographs: Marie Cecille Duvernoy, Başak Mireli, Ömer Öcel