Transitions and Silver Linings

When you get given lemons, make lemonade, the saying goes.  When global strife, neighbouring civil war and a refugee crisis conspired to decimate Dave Stanley's Yacht Charter company's bookings this year, he picked up his brushes, dusted off his easel and got painting.  The fruits of this spurt in creativity are on show in Bodrum this month.  The most frequently heard comment at the exhibition opening  was " Wow Dave, we had no idea you were so talented", but we now learn that Dave trained under prominent Australian painter and sculptor Ian Bowie.  And all the time we had him down as a yachtie with a penchant for motor bikes.

Several of the painting explore the refugee dilemma and Dave generously auctioned one of his works and donated the proceeds to Bodrum Humanity, who are working to ease the plight of all those in dire need in the Bodrum area.

If you can't get along to Pannonica Jazz in Bodrum to see Dave's pictures, drop into his web site http://www.davestanleypaintings.com/  and  if you're thinking of a holiday cruising the Turkish Coast and Greek Islands, Dave hasn't given up the day job and can be contacted via Southern Cross Blue Cruising web site.  This is going to be one of the best years to sail the Aegean - the bays will be quieter than they've been for a couple of decades - almost as good as the 1980s and 90s when I had the luck to sail these coasts.