Jet lag, which I seemed immune to in my youth, is a terrible thing. Last year on a trip with many connections to Turkey, I arrived exhausted, and my body's clock simply refused to adjust. But as I sailed out of Bodrum for Marmaris aboard the magnificent Hic Salta the day after I landed, it was tough feeling even a little sorry for myself. If you have to be a zombie, being one as the sole passenger aboard a sailing yacht in the eastern Mediterranean is not a bad way to do it.

And oh, what a sailing yacht she was! Schooner-rigged and built of wood, this 139 foot gulet accommodates 10 guests in five en suite staterooms and carries a crew of six. Hold up! Did I start to lose you at gulet?