WE finished
our Turkish adventure today with a cruise on The Bosphorus to take in the view
of this metropolis from the famous stretch of water that divides Asia and
Europe.
For a
peaceful hour we followed the curves of the coast, looking at the elegant old
houses that line the shore, and keeping clear of the ships making for the Black
Sea which was only a few kilometres from where we were sailing.
We noticed
that all the ships were sailing in one direction, towards the Black Sea, and
our guide for the cruise told us that was because each 24-hour day was divided
into two blocks to ensure the safety of the maritime traffic.
It seems The
Bosphours – which links with the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles to form the
Turkish Strait – is the “world’s narrowest strait for international navigation’’
and desperate times call for desperate measures.
When the
ships are allowed to sail in every direction at the same time there are too
many accidents, with some prangs so severe that the damaged ships sailed into
the shore crashing into the expensive houses that line the coast.
So, for 12
hours a day, the ships sail in one direction, and for the next 12 hours they go
in the other.
After much
consideration the Turkish government decided it was cheaper to pay the ship’s
owners to have their vessels anchored in the shadows of Istanbul or the
protected water of the Black Sea, waiting for the necessary block to open they
need than it is to clean up the damage after a bingle.