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Gulets
Traditional gulets are typical
wooden sailing boats, built in the shipyards
of the southwestern coast of Turkey.
Generally broad-beamed and wide-bottomed
with superior seagoing qualities, the gulets
typically feature one or two (sometimes
three) masts with sails, though mostly, they
motor-cruise through the waters at a
leisurely speed of 8–10 knots. Built of
pine, chestnut, mahogany timber and teak,
with a pointed fore and rounded aft, both
spacious decks are ideal for lounging and
sunbathing. Dining is mostly outdoors, on
the aft deck.
Gulets include comfortable cabins, shower,
WC, living room and sun terrace. They are
designed to fulfill the needs of a
comfortable daily life and are equipped with
engine and sail power. As they are heavily
built, sail power can only be used under
convenient weather and sea conditions.
These traditional wooden sailing vessels
were once used by the fishermen in the
bountiful waters of Aegean and
Mediterranean. Master craftsmen, working
primarily out of Bodrum on the Aegean coast,
have adapted these vessels for luxury
motor-sailing, while preserving their charm
and grace and redesigned them in accordance
with today’s contemporary needs.
Today’s gulets offer unique opportunities
to explore the more secluded and hidden
harbors of Turkey while preserving the
authentic charm of another era and they
differ in size, standard and passenger
capacity.
In general, the aft deck of a gulet is
used as the dining and relaxation area
whereas the front deck serves as the sun
terrace. Even though these boats still
reflect their traditional design of the
fishery and transportation periods, the
expanded areas of the contemporary planned
boats, are nowadays fitted out with modern
accessories, equipment and offer larger
space.
There are basically three types of gulets
available in Turkey. The Standard Gulet, the
Ayna Ketch type and the Tirhandil type. All
three types are essentially motor sailing
boats which raise their sails when the
weather and wind conditions are suitable. Of
the three types, Tirhandil is the most
suited to cruising under sail and this is
actually the original vessel from which the
Gulet and Ayna Ketch are thought to have
evolved. Originally, Tirhandils used to
serve as sailing cargo boats collecting and
delivering goods around the Eastern
Mediterranean since Roman times.
Another specific feature of the gulets is
that they are completely hand-made. As
mentioned above, these precious handicrafts
are made out of pine, chestnut, mahogany
timber and teak. They regained their
importance in 1960’s thanks to “The
Fisherman of Halicarnassus” Cevat Sakir
Kabaagacli and his close friends, a group of
famous writers and scientists like Azra
Erhat, Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu. They were the
ones to first discover the great pleasure of
blue cruising along the shores of Caria ve
Lykia. Their experiences during the cruise
introduced to the world the “gullets” and
the concept of “Blue Voyaging”. The life
style on board, the beauties of nature
turned their blue cruise experience into a
philosophic activity and inspired today’s
charter trips.
Gulets are fitted out with all kinds of
comfort and equipment and provide relaxing
and memorable vacations for all guests.
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