Bye Bye Istanbul: A Maritime Farewell

I met Levent and Özge DEMİRBAŞ years ago at Martı Marina.

They became our neighbors on the pontoon where we were, a few boats ahead.

Their warm relationships with boat owners and marina staff, their passion for the sea, and being musicians led to the beginning of a different friendship.

With their very well-maintained 1982 Gibb Sea 37 boat, the house they bought and lived in within Orhaniye Village, even the music studio in its garden, at a young age

they had started to become people of this place.

Time would show whether this passion was temporary or permanent.

Well yes, we had witnessed many times those who came and went back just as they came.

But they took root thoroughly, and over time they even moved their relatives here.

A house among the trees within the village, the path leading them to their boat had become the center of their modest life after Istanbul.

Levent was working as a sound engineer in Istanbul, recording music albums, doing their mixing, and producing the final product.

Özge, a food engineer, was working as a nutritionist in Istanbul.

Recently, she was also helping Levent with his work in the studio.

Organizations, events, business relationships...

Their work life was becoming increasingly intense, and the things to do wouldn't fit into 24 hours.

Rush, rush, rush.

Work, work, work.

Our workload was telling us to leave these places after a while.

Every year we would come to Orhaniye, rent a house, and stay here for a long time.

Even while working, our minds were on the sea and in these places.

After a while, we started staying in Orhaniye for a month, two months, where we initially came for just 3 days. 

Eventually, there were times when we stayed for 7 months and... 

The music industry entered a crisis in 2013. 

We decided to turn this into an opportunity to move to Orhaniye, to be on the seas. 

The music industry had already collapsed, we could no longer see our future. 

While saying we might close the studio in 2 years, we decided to transfer the system here.

We prepared the boat we had bought in 2011 and kept at Fenerbahçe marina.

We thought we had overhauled the boat there, but when we set sail, we realized that what we did at the dock didn't work at sea.

We finished the problems that started at sea, at sea.

Levent is a graduate of the Maritime School's electronics department, but he had never encountered sailing.

They came from Istanbul to Orhaniye in an adventurous way with their sailboat in 9 days.

We knew the rules, we didn't receive training. 

We came to Orhaniye through trial and error, paying the price.

We moored our boat at the marina and started living between the boat and the house we bought in the village.

Over time, we grew to like this arrangement and got used to it.

It was time to completely break away from Istanbul.

We sold our house there.

We loaded the studio onto a truck and said "Bye Bye Istanbul."

We set up our studio here with all the conditions from Istanbul, even with the latest world technology standards.

Setting up studios is another area of expertise for Levent, and he has set up many studios in Istanbul.

Relocating and setting it up here wasn't difficult for them.

In fact, they enjoyed setting it up. 

Chickens at the door, cows behind the garden wall...

We pay great attention to insulation in this type of studio. 

Here, we said we're in a village anyway and took insulation lightly.

In the end, we realized we made a mistake; rooster sounds were getting into the recordings.

These became the charm of the work for us.

Özge's profession is one where the easiest job can be found and done here as well. 

The region is full of tourist facilities and hotels. 

They are obligated to employ food engineers. Of course, it's difficult for them to find engineers for 6 months and relocate them here for 6 months. 

But despite this, she hasn't continued her profession. 

What does she do?

I've been doing outdoor sports for 12 years. 

I walk on the Carian trails. 

For 4 seasons now, I've completed the 509-kilometer Lycian Way 3 times by walking.

Now I've formed my own team and I lead them.

We have a hiking group with 25,000 members. 

Based on requests from there, we organize amateur hikes.

According to them, dealing with the boat's maintenance takes longer than spending time at sea. 

Özge stays on the boat most of the time. 

There is no winter or summer for them.

Özge loves April; cold sea, calm environment. Levent prefers October because he loves the warm sea. 

Even November is beautiful. 

The sea is beautiful until December.  

Calm and mild. 

We can go ashore and explore around.

The entire gulf, the coves are ours.

So have they adapted, are they happy, can they earn here what they earned there?

Leaving Istanbul and continuing your work here has its disadvantages as well as advantages.

When living in the city, we couldn't see some things in that chaos, so our standards drop.

Here we are a bit more selective. 

We don't jump on every album. 

We are engaged in more artistic, more detailed work.

Here, in terms of work quality, we are better compared to Istanbul. This is how it should be anyway.

While we were slaves to the system there, here we can be selective.

Of course, this is reflected in the budget, but psychologically the benefit is much greater.

But over time, we also noticed this; while income decreases here, expenses also decrease.

Especially as a woman, it's very advantageous. 

Özge's mother and aunt have also settled here. 

They pay half of Istanbul's rent. 

Grocery shopping is not different from Istanbul, but there are more items you don't need. 

For example, excess clothing and such.

You spend the summer with one or two dresses.  

No hairdresser, everyone's home and boat is the café and restaurant.

Fuel consumption is low. 

We even make bread at home.

There isn't much variety in food.

We buy whatever comes to the market.

Supermarkets were expensive, but a chain market opened this year, prices have balanced out. 

Still, prices are high in summer.

Besides her sporting activities, Özge is receiving training to acquire a new profession.

Here you can change your profession.

I'm doing my 2nd degree at Istanbul University. 

I'm studying Geography. 

After graduation, I want to teach classes at the village school.

As we conclude our interview on their boat anchored in Orhaniye Bay, I ask them what they would like to say lastly.

In our opinion, material wealth is not more important than health. 

We were worn out.

Now, we see those 7-8 years in Istanbul as a loss.

We wish we had come earlier.  

Let us also state this; it depends on expectations. 

We also saw many people here who couldn't find what they were looking for and became disappointed.  

Lastly, we would like to say this;

We cannot be held responsible for those who come inspired by us and end up disappointed.