Turkish Gulet Yachts

Gulet, from the French golette (schooner), is a traditional Turkish broad-beamed wooden coastal sailing vessel with a raised bow, a broad, flat stern, a main foremast and secondary mast aft.

These days Turkey's wooden gulets are mostly configured as motor-sailers, with powerful diesel engines to provide primary power, and sails to provide additional power, or primary power in strong winds. This means you can sail silently when the wind allows, but go wherever you want reliably with motor power.

Gulets are particularly good as pleasure sailing vessels because of their broad beam, which gives them lots of deck space—particularly aft—and plenty of rooms for spacious cabins belowdecks.

Turkish gulets come in many sizes, from small 15-meter (50-foot)-long craft with the necessary equipment to large, luxurious 33-meter (108-foot) air-conditioned vessels with every convenience and luxury.

A gulet may have from 3 to 12 two-person cabins (for 6 to 24 people), but 5- and 6-cabin vessels capable of sleeping 10 to 12 voyagers are most common. (The 2- or 3-person crew usually sleeps in a lazarette at the bow.)

Many gulet cabins have private heads (toilets) and sinks, some even have private fresh-water showers, though communal showers are more common (if the vessel has a shower).

The stern deck of a gulet is broad, fitted with a low, wide cushioned bench all around which is perfect for lounging, reading, relaxing or napping. The stern deck area, shaded by an awning if the sun is hot, is large enough for a small table for games, drinks or simple meals. For sun bathing, the foredeck is the place.

A gulet's main cabin is fairly spacious, high enough for the tallest voyager to stand erect, with provisions for tables to seat all the voyagers for meals, meetings or evening entertainment.

Fittings and furnishings range from pine and stainless steel to rich mahogany and burnished brass.

Typical yacht charter agreements in Turkey include the yacht, crew, insurance, fuel for four hours' motoring per day (on average), standard port taxes and fees. Some meals, soft drinks, water and local (that is, Turkish domestic) alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, raki, brandy, gin, etc.) are included in some charter agreements, or may be ordered by the voyagers and paid for separately.

Crew tips/gratuities of 5% to 10% of the charter fee are traditionally given to the captain at the end of the voyage, to be shared among the crew.

Cabin Charter of Turkish Yachts

Blue Voyage Yacht Cruises

Important Yacht Charter & Cabin Charter Tips

Special Interest Trips

Recommended Itineraries

Where to Go

Turkey Travel Planner Homepage

Above, a Turkish gulet cruising Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

Below, shady stern deck of a big gulet.

Want to cruise with an archeologist? Peter Sommer is the guy!

Stern of a Turkish Gulet Yacht