Turkish Single Star of The Bahamas:

Deep in the Bahamas: An extraordinary interview with Mehmet Balcı reveals the secrets of fishing

Instagram: amerikadaki.balikcii

First of all, can we get to know you? 

I was born in Ağrı in 1998x We are eight siblings. I spent my childhood in our village until the age of 5. Then we had to move to Bodrum due to financial concerns. We continued our lives in Bodrum by working with my family. I had to study until high school and then I started working to help my family. Members of my family still live in Bodrum. Each of them maintains their lives in their own profession.

What is life like at sea?

The sea is a big part of my life. The sea is for me what a battlefield is for a knight, what a laboratory is for a scientist. The sudden winds and waves that come up, it is very important for me to stand up to them, it is like winning a battle. Also, because we work as a team, we sometimes compare ourselves to the cogs of a machine. Each part has to work in harmony with the others. When we achieve this team spirit, this unity and harmony, it is very enjoyable for us to sail. When we combine our guests with this team spirit, it becomes much more meaningful. Because the sea is my living space and for me the sea is part of my life. Harmony and unity are very important here! 

When and how did your interest in the sea begin?

I was born in the east of my country, where there were vast plateaus and endless flat plains. When we moved to Bodrum, I saw the sea for the first time and compared it to endless plains. After a while, apart from swimming in the sea, I had a desire to be on that flat plain and integrate with it. I felt very free and at ease. As a person, I had a determined, hard-working, freedom-loving temperament. Most of my family members were interested in real estate business, but I wanted to break out of my shell and do something extraordinary, and my family respected and supported this decision. I started working as a sailor on gulets in 2016 and then continued with motor yachts. I have worked in all European countries that have a coastline. For the last 2 years I have been working with an American family in both the yacht and fishing sectors.

As the only Turkish competitor in the Bahamas, how did you become one of the thousands of American competitors?

My employer is a person who is interested in fishing and loves this field, we are like a family. Every time we went to the Bahamas, we were fishing at 32 feet and we started catching serious fish. Then we realised that when we worked in harmony with our team and our employer, we caught big fish. At the same time, we realised that the spirit of struggle and patience existed in each of us. When we combined these, we achieved great success. The equipment on our boat was also suitable for these races. When our employer said he had the equipment to take part in the races, we decided to join in. The first race we entered was on Walker's Cay Island, we did not finish the race, but we made a name for ourselves as the "Empire Sun Team". It was a great success for us relatively speaking. There are more races to come and we believe we will do better. Of course there are hundreds of racers here. It is very good to meet them and benefit from their experience, they are also surprised to see that I am Turkish, I have said before that I love the sea, I can integrate with it, so if there is something related to the sea, I am there. I look at the races from that point of view. I am happy to be here and to have this experience.

Let's talk about fishing competitions. Fishing in the Bahamas must be a very special experience, especially on the Abaco Islands! What are the most challenging spots and how do you overcome them?

The large island of Abaco and its bays form one of the largest semi-protected bodies of water in the Bahamas/Caribbean region. The Abaco Sea is an excellent cruising area for small boats, with harbours or sheltered areas often nearby and shallow anchorages almost always available. There are miles of secluded beaches and many settlements or towns with excellent marinas, restaurants and other services are only a few kilometres away. The people of Abaco are friendly and helpful; the tricky part is the bad weather from the south. Then you can't go fishing. It is also difficult to stay on the tiller. We usually tie up at the marina and wait for the weather to improve.

When you compare the races you have participated in abroad with the races in Turkey, what is the biggest difference? 

I have not taken part in any races in Turkey, but of course I am very curious. The friends here are very professional and very well equipped. Some of them are only interested in this area, their speciality is fishing. Of course I know that there are very big races in this field in Turkey and I would like to have this experience there in the coming times.

What are your future goals regarding your profession?

Honestly, I can't say anything very extraordinary about it, I'm a person who lives my life spontaneously. I am a person who can adapt very quickly to the place where I am, in this respect, I will try to make my profession much more successful than what is required in the place where I am. As I mentioned before, the sea covers a large part of my life, in this respect, whatever needs to be done at sea, I will do all of them much better professionally.

What is your motto in life?

I grew up in a very poor family, sometimes I could not finish my education. But I knew that I wanted to be successful and do something extraordinary. I always tried, I read the lives of many successful people and I trusted myself. I also have an exciting and adventurous temperament. Life gives you what you want. I try to be the best at everything I do, and I think I have achieved that, given where I have come from and where I am now. If I have to say a word on the subject, I can say "Be realistic and ask for the impossible", that is how I look at life.

What advice would you give to young people who want to be in your position? 

I would definitely say that geography is never destiny. I believe that individuals can transcend all boundaries and themselves if they want to. They should use their imagination and dream about what they want and then put it into practice and they will see that the universe will help them. At the same time let them experience and go beyond where they are and see new people, new places. They should never be pessimistic, they should believe that all the things they encounter will give them experience.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.

Banu Demir / The Sailor's Newspaper

Photos: Mehmet Balcı Archive