Turkey

Xone Superyacht Group

Gulets may not have the glitz and glamour of superyachts, but they certainly have character. These custom, hand-made vessels are typically Turkish and after walking down the jetty at <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="TYBA Yacht Charter Show - 2022">TYBA Yacht Charter Show 2022</a>, it was immediately clear that they are a point of pride for all those involved – from owners down to crew. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/226277/image/large-6a32ebba7d1d754ffb1ffa6cc7e5d994.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/226277"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4332" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Silver Moon34.55m (113'4&quot;)Kulach Yachts2010">Silver Moon</a> is a prime example; launched in 2010, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4332" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Silver Moon34.55m (113'4&quot;)Kulach Yachts2010">Silver Moon</a> has been well-loved by the Kulacoǧlu family – not only for private vacations but also for gulet regattas. “My father used to enjoy racing her,” <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4332" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Silver Moon34.55m (113'4&quot;)Kulach Yachts2010">Silver Moon</a>’s owner, Burak Kulacoǧlu, said. “But in more recent years we decided to add her to the charter fleet. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/82739/image/large-6664dd0221581f2a9d5e254eba456603.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/82739"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/82738/image/large-5029811b5dab5ae239ffb4613385fd3f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/82738">For that reason, we stopped signing her up for events as we wanted to minimise wear and tear.” Owner’s representative and charter broker Afroditi Eleftheriadou, of Sundance Yachting, added: &nbsp;“Each winter we’ll shore her up; she’ll be out of the water and well cared for. We enjoy adding new details and upgrades each year.” A charter vessel that’s well-loved brings benefits: repeat clients. “We’ve had clients pay cash, on the jetty as they leave, for the following season. And we also have a client who's booked a full-month for the last 11-years now.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227063/image/large-ab4504c91ae053f2ba6d5c556402b12c.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227063">Sidled up alongside <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4332" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Silver Moon34.55m (113'4&quot;)Kulach Yachts2010">Silver Moon</a> was the 2021-built 42-metre Long Island which showcased a novel approach and a growing trend in the gulet scene. She’s a gulet done differently and isn’t a harbinger to traditional yachting. Her builder <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5014" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="TurkYacht (Company)">Turkyacht</a> penned her interior to emulate that of a boutique hotel, with clean minimalist detailing and a finish that you’d expect on a motor yacht. &nbsp;“These modern styled gulets are becoming more commonplace now; and there are a few designed with a large swim platform and staterooms on the lower deck, emulating the GA of a motor yacht” yacht broker, Nicolò Venturi of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6711" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ocean Yachting Srl. (Company)">Ocean Yachting</a>, explained. &nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227068/image/large-6e13cf7ebead4cea95dd903e2b94c7c4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227068">Another modern take on the gulet was constructed not in Bodrum, as most typically are, but further north in the metropolis of Istanbul. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/752" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mengi Yay Yachts (Company)">Mengi Yay Yachts</a>, the well-reputed motor yacht builder, launched the 47.35-metre gulet <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4588" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Seleda47.35m (155'4&quot;)Mengi Yay Yachts2021">Seleda</a> just last year and enlisted <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5521" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="BTA Design (Company)">BTA Design</a> to curate a crisp and modern interior. While <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4588" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Seleda47.35m (155'4&quot;)Mengi Yay Yachts2021">Seleda</a> wasn’t docked at Göcek for <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="TYBA Yacht Charter Show - 2022">TYBA</a>, she’s still a prime example of a gulet done differently.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227077/image/large-c3653d960a352ccf145bb4cecdd87f66.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227077"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227076/image/large-f40b7ee45b1e63332d79549f6a34ac85.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227076">By and large though gulets are traditional: rich mahogany throughout, generous in space and clearly well-loved at sea. The quality and finish are certainly scalar; and as diverse as the yachts themselves – there’s no skirting that fact. But for many that’s not that an issue, as to cruise the coastline of Turkey what better way to do it than in a vessel that has a long heritage. The other major perk is that the amount of space on offer easily overshadows that of a sailing yacht of a similar size. The general consensus at the event was that there isn’t a typical gulet charter client; politicians, retirees and party-going 18-30-year-olds. I was continually reminded that guests are just as varied as the yachts themselves, and that the region offers something for everyone.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/226278/image/large-c41599479af5bc7c47c10faa36002c01.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/226278">Gulets, of course, aren’t the only way to enjoy the Turkish waters, and <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="TYBA Yacht Charter Show - 2022">TYBA</a> represented the scene with the likes of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2428" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="ADA Yacht Works (Company)">ADA Yacht Works</a>’ 49.9-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/7254" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="All About U 249.9m (163'9&quot;)ADA Yacht Works2019">All About You 2</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/112" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Custom Line Spa (Company)">Custom Line</a>’s 37-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4397" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Thalyssa37.8m (124'0&quot;)Custom Line Spa2012">Thalyssa</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/212" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Benetti SpA (Company)">Benetti</a>’s 37-metre motor yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1172" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Quest R36.6m (120'1&quot;)Benetti SpA2008">Quest R</a>. Just across the Bungus Bay, Göcek, was a star-studded line up of superyachts at the newly acquired Port Azure. The marina is the first dedicated superyacht marina in Turkey. It boasts 20 berths and the capacity to dock anything up to 120-metres. Over the weekend Bungus Bay with a hive of activities with everything from gulets to 110-metre superyachts milling around. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/75444/image/large-7440fda2eda05c616066707823fb874b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/75444"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/75447/image/large-1bd46d96049498b589314710411d1c41.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/75447">To get a feel for the chartering experience in Turkey, I caught up with Omer Zarif, Captain of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1172" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Quest R36.6m (120'1&quot;)Benetti SpA2008">Quest R</a>. “Just in this region alone we have great diversity,'' Zarif explained. “For those looking to party and enjoy the nightlife then Bodrum is the place to be. If you’re looking for a quiet place to drop anchor and relax then Göcek and its surrounding bays are the ideal cruising ground. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227071/image/large-c1c25b335dc6ab24a4f1f1124b3f1995.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227071">I like to recommend my guests to start in Göcek and then travel up to Bodrum.” The time of year is also likely to steer your course as July and August are extremely warm in Göcek. Turkey is blessed with a long six-month season; so the four months that bookend these high heats are more favourable for some.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227069/image/large-f33b0239db10127b212bf2f4f0e5a252.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227069">Yacht charter isn't just about the vessels themselves, though, as the quality and experience of the crew plays just as important a role for shaping the experience. I was reassured time and time again of the commitment to develop a “family” onboard. The Captain of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2911" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sea Dream45.0m (147'8&quot;)Aegean Yacht2005">Sea Dream</a>, Ümit Çetok, for one, recently moved ship with a number of his crew. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4332" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Silver Moon34.55m (113'4&quot;)Kulach Yachts2010">Silver Moon</a> has run the same crew for six years, while Ilana, the Chief Stewardess onboard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1172" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Quest R36.6m (120'1&quot;)Benetti SpA2008">Quest R</a> has been serving her for 11 years. Just three examples, but the sentiment reverberated down the jetty. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227065/image/large-4363798688734f4790304cc696000177.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227065">“Experience isn’t everything though,” Serhan Cengiz, Managing Director of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6712" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vela Dare Yachts (Company)">Vela Dare Yachting</a> and Committee President of <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="TYBA Yacht Charter Show - 2022">TYBA</a>, said. “And training is just as important. You need a strong balance.” The rest of the <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="TYBA Yacht Charter Show - 2022">TYBA</a> committee are of the same mind, organising lectures and seminars at universities, İzmir 9 Eylul University Tourism Management Faculty and affiliating itself with the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5780" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Xone Superyacht Group (Company)">Xone Superyacht Academy</a>.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227066/image/large-37fc7103ae9e96cbd6ef7784313835b9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227066">As a charter destination, Turkey speaks for itself. The coastline is gorgeous, the nation is awash with culture and archaeological wonders, and the marine life is rich. What was reassuring is that the local industry is working holistically and is driven to promote and develop each facet: yacht maintenance, crew quality and a commitment to preserve and enrich the landscape and yachting experience.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/227070/image/large-83a7bbb0ecf7a7a7e1f6a5c981a6e9d6.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/227070">

Turkey as a chartering destination 

As a charter destination, Turkey speaks for itself. The coastline is gorgeous, the nation is awash with culture and the marine life is rich.