In this article, I'll share with you my approach on how to choose a gulet, hire a yacht and be happy about it.
In my opinion, the preparation for a yachting holiday needs more efforts and attention than a land-based vacation in a hotel. First of all, because such a holiday is usually much more expensive than staying in the hotel. And as a client and a guest you should be sure that you paid that money for something truly right and prime.
Many various details should be known about and remembered in advance before signing a contract to charter a gulet.
Photo from Internet
Let's start from the basics first.
WHAT IS A GULET?
A gulet is a wooden motorboat, usually with two masts and sails, cabins with ensuite facilities, a saloon, a separate crew area, and spacious open decks perfect for the guests to relax, socialize, have good time and leisure.
Gulet CARPE DIEM 7 on anchor in Croatia
Internet photo
Today we rent gulets to sail along the picturesque coast of the Mediterranean countries, stop by in different ports, villages, enjoy island-hopping, discovering local culture & traditions, and historical heritage. These are real floating fully functional villas. And they became popular for such purpose in the mid of the last century. Before that time gulets were used for fishing and cargo transportation. And of course, they looked smaller and didn't have all that comfort and luxury that they offer today to their guests.
WHERE IS IT COMMON TO RENT A GULET?
This type of crewed yachts is popular in Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro and less in Italy, Spain. There are few gulets in Asia.
Usually, gulets are built in Turkey. Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye are the most popular cities for constructing these boats. For those who are interested to see the process but don't have the access to a shipyard, it's possible to see how gulets are built just under the clear sky in the village of Bozburun - a popular yachting destination in Turkey.
Me chilling onboard spacious gulet JUNIOR ORCUN
HOW MUCH DOES A GULET CHARTER COST?
I'd say that this is the type of crewed charter yachts that can fit any budget. You can hire a gulet in Turkey for 2,200 Euro per week (for 4 guests onboard). This is a low-budget gulet with one mast, and it is perfect for a small family with kids or two couples. Low-budget doesn't mean bad or super low quality. On the contrary, there are many nice boats in this price range.
There's also a gulet that costs more than some motor yachts. She is one of the most luxurious (or the most luxurious) gulets available for charter in Greece and Turkey. Her name is DAIMA. Her charter rate is 75,000 Euro per week in July and August plus expenses and VAT. She is a real masterpiece offering super luxury accommodation and high-class service.
So answering the above question - the price range is between 2,000 Euro - 75,000 Euro per week.
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER ABOUT GULETS
Just a small clarification - a gulet isn't a wooden boat that's used for daily cruises with lots of people onboard and loud music coming out of its decks, animation, fixed route and the absence of freedom regarding what to do with your stay onboard. This association with gulets isn't right.
ARE GULETS BETTER THAN OTHER TYPES OF CHARTER YACHTS?
I'd say it's totally subjective when it comes to deciding what type of yacht is better for charter. It depends only on your taste and needs. Gulets are not better than motor yachts, sailing yachts or catamarans. They are just different. Prices, the level of comfort, the way you feel yourself onboard and many other factors make the whole picture. Each yacht category has its advantages and disadvantages.
The following information will help you to understand if a gulet charter is for you or no. As a specialist I'd like to share all my knowledge with you, so you can have your own opinion and make the best decision for a yacht charter type. I believe that you as a client, as a guest of a yacht, deserve the best vacation!
UNDERSTANDING THE GULETS
A gulet holiday is very popular, especially in Turkey. Every summer both, Turkish people and foreigners come down to the coast of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas to rent a gulet and go on a classic Blue Cruise trip along the Turkish coast - the land that's full of history, mystery, authenticity, great nature, food, shopping, and hospitality of the locals.
A gulet cruise got its world fame around 30-40 years ago. Some of the people I know and my friends were the first to organize and hold yacht charter shows in Turkey. They were the first ones to show gulets to the yacht charter agents from around the world so that they could recommend gulets and Turkey itself to the clients. All of these professionals and dedicated travellers organized gulet holidays for Robert de Niro, Barbara Streisand, Demi Moore and her family, Tina Turney, the members of the British Royal family and many, many more famous and world-renowned persons.
As you can see, gulets are popular among travellers of various calibre.
By the way, I also worked on a gulet based in Turkey. Her name is CLARISSA. It was an amazing experience I chose to live through right after university. This is one of the reasons why I'm so passionate when talking about gulets.
LENGTH OF A GULET
Usually, the length of a gulet varies from 15 to 45 meters.
Small wooden boats may have 2-3 cabins. Bigger ones have 5-8 or even 18 cabins. This means that a gulet can easily accommodate a group of 36 guests. Such vessels are popular among large families who plan a reunion or groups who like to travel together for a yoga tour or some corporate travel event.
A gulet GRAND ADMIRAL (45 meters) accommodates 36 guests onboard. Her weekly charter rate is around 28,000 Euro and higher (it depends on a month when you rent her). This means that a charter onboard a larger gulet doesn't necessarily cost more. On the contrary, it may cost even less if you calculate per person. 28,000 Euro divided by 36 guests is 777 Euro per person for a week-long holiday on a gulet. It's only 111 Euro per person per day with a chance to see so many places around the Turkish coast and have exclusive access to the most beautiful sea in the region.
If you travel with just a few companions, then it's better to rent a smaller gulet. However, you should know that the rate for such yacht may be either around 2,100 euro per week for 4 people, for example, or higher - for examples, similar to the huge GRAND ADMIRAL hosting 36 people.
SAILS AND THE GULETS
A cruise on a yacht with sails is an absolutely unique pleasure that one should definitely experience. My captain from gulet CLARISSA often opened sails for our guests. And it was always an impressive moment for everyone. I will always remember that magical time when a huge canvas of white cloud unfolds over your head, playing with the wind. In this very moment, the world stops turning around and you find yourself in the middle of a meditation.
I would suggest hiring a gulet with functional sails. Both adults and kids will love it and save these memories for many, many years.
Not all wooden yachts have sails. Some have, but they are just for the decoration. Therefore, ask your agent if a gulet you plan to rent has sails or no. Some low budget gulets have sails, and use them very professionally. So don't believe if someone tells you that "cheap" yachts have sails only for the esthetic purpose.
You can find great small gulets in Bodrum that won sailing regattas. Their captains will be super happy to show you their mastery.
THE CREW AND THE GULETS
You can charter a gulet only with a crew. When it comes to a sailing yacht, they may be rented bareboat, without the crew. With gulets, it's not like that.
Usually, there are 2-7 crew members working onboard. There are separate cabins for the team to stay in. Normally their cabins are in the bow. The number of crew depends on the size of a yacht.
The crew consists of the captain, deckhands, a steward or a hostess, a housekeeper, a chef, and sometimes an engineer.
The captain is responsible for everything and everybody, including the safety onboard, navigation, decision making, documentation, provisioning. The captain is the boss of the yacht.
Deckhands or seamen help the captain with various matters. They also do the yacht cleaning and look after the yacht's equipment. They assist guests with water sports activities.
The chef cooks all the meals and snacks for the guests: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Before the charter, he or she receives your preference list of food and drinks and creates a menu accordingly. No one is ever hungry onboard a yacht.
A hostess or a steward serves the table, cleans it, prepares drinks for you, looks after your personal belongings, helps to organize onshore activities, plays with kids, cleans the cabins if there's no housekeeper, makes the beds and do many other activities to make your holiday a totally carefree experience.
It is a blessing to have a crew onboard. Each member is there to take care of all your wishes, dreams, and needs. They are like caring parents who wish you only the best and make you relaxed and happy.
Dedicated crew of the gulet DARE TO DREAM (Internet photo)
YACHT CHARTER ITINERARY
Freedom is one of the most important concepts why you should rent a yacht. Therefore, in most cases, you can choose an itinerary according to your preferences. You will visit ports, harbours, bays, islands that you wish.
There are few things to know about gulet charter itineraries in Turkey. Fethiye, Gocek, Marmaris, Bodrum are the main ports where gulets are based. You can start and finish a cruise in one of these towns. Usually, there's no delivery fee if you rent a gulet from Bodrum, even though she is based in Marmaris.
You can also visit the Greek islands on your way if the yacht agrees to that. I'm talking about the nearby Dodecanese islands. All the expenses for visiting Greece are paid by the charterer (customs fee, taxes, fuel, etc.).
Dalyan River cruise in Turkey (Internet photo)
Sometimes it happens that you like a specific gulet, and would like to charter her from Marmaris, let's say from the 23rd of August. However, on that day this yacht finishes a charter in Bodrum. She won't be able to make it on time to Marmaris for your embarkation in the evening. In this case, either you should also go to Bodrum which is only 2 hours away by car from Marmaris (if you're already there), or you lose one day of a charter, and embark the yacht on the 24th of August in Marmaris where she comes to pick you up from Bodrum.
WHERE TO CRUISE IN TURKEY WHEN ON A GULET CHARTER VACATION?
It's hard to say what's the most popular yacht charter route in Turkey. Some people like Bodrum peninsula, its bays, restaurants, vibrant life. Others prefer Hisaronu gulf and the Bozburun peninsula with its amazing nature and small villages dotted around. Some travellers choose to stay around Gocek, Fethiye, Kekova, and Kas.
It all depends on your mood and what experience you as a charterer wish to have. Options are various and include discovering a very rich historical heritage, natural wonders, shopping, partying, spa procedures or even all together.
With the help of a yacht charter agent, you'll have a tailor-made yacht charter itinerary to match all of your expectations and even beyond that.
HOW MANY PLACES CAN YOU SEE DURING ONE WEEK CRUISE IN TURKEY?
It can be approximately three different locations per day (a town, a historical place, and a beautiful bay). Usually, your gulet cruises around 3-4 hours per day, and that's enough to see a variety of places located on the Turkish coast. There's no need to be in a rush and try to see all the places in one voyage.
GULET LAYOUT
Some gulets are very similar to each other. Some remind big and luxury sailing yachts. Nevertheless, they usually have in common the following features:
- wide hull which makes them more stable on the water, plus the cabins are sometimes more spacious than onboard other yacht types;
- one or two masts;
- sails;
- spacious decks with a dining table, a coffee table, lounge cushioned area, sun mattresses, a bar, and a ladder for easy sea access;
- a saloon with an extra dining table and a bar;
- cabins with ensuite facilities;
- a galley;
- crew quarters;
- engine room.
Aft deck usually features the captains' bridge, a dining table with chairs, and a lounge area with cushions where it's amazing to spend some relaxing time during the cruise or lay down after breakfast with your favourite book or music.
The aft deck is protected from the sun with a tent. In the evening it can be removed, so you enjoy a dining experience under the stars. Sometimes this tent is not removable.
Foredeck usually features small dining or a tea table with sofas, where it's marvellous to spend some time in the evening, to watch the sunset and relax. There also can be a jacuzzi in that area.
As gulet with Jacuzzi (Internet photo)
Midship features a sundeck where you lounge under the sun on the comfortable mattresses.
The saloon of a gulet can be small or quite spacious. It depends on the yacht's size. There should be a dining table, some chairs and a sofa, a bar, a TV with DVD player, music system, and other entertaining equipment.
Saloon with a bar (Internet photo)
On both sides of the saloon, there are guest cabins. Each stateroom features a bed or two, some storage lockers, and ensuite facilities with a shower or a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink. It's like a real hotel room. There may also be a TV and a DVD player in the cabins.
Usually, all the cabins are air-conditioned. Some gulets (of low budget category) don't have A/C, but they should have at least a ventilator.
Master cabin is the largest onboard. There also can be cabins with twin beds, with one double and one twin beds, a VIP cabin which is similar to a master one, and a standard double bed cabin.
Twin cabin
There are towels and bed-linen in each cabin. There should be a hair-dryer in each bathroom too, so you don't need to carry one with you.
The galley is usually located in the lower part of the gulet, behind the saloon. The chef's working day usually lasts from 7 am until 8-9 pm.
Sometimes there is a TV on the aft deck, so in the evening, after dinner, you can watch a good movie while staying on cushions under the starlight sky.
As I mentioned earlier, there's a special ladder on each gulet for easy sea access from the yacht. Some gulets also have comfortable swimming platforms similar to the ones you can see on the motor yachts.
INTERNET AND GULETS
Most of the gulets nowadays offer free access to the Internet while cruising in Turkey. If you visit the Greek islands, there may not be the internet or it may be at extra charge.
In most of the places along the Turkish coast, the reception is good. So you'll be online to post those amazing photos from your vacation and check the emails if needed.
COFFEE AND GULETS
If you're a fan of coffee, then you need to have your favourite drink served during a gulet cruise. Please, specify with the agent which coffee machine is available onboard a gulet that you plan to book.
If they don't have the machine to serve your preferred drink in a way you like it, sometimes the captain can find it for the cruise or rent it for an extra charge. There's always a way for the flexibility and personalized approach when it comes to chartering a yacht.
The beginning of our breakfast onboard gulet CLARISSA in May, 2018
WATER TOYS AND GULETS
A yachting holiday isn't only about having an amazing culinary experience and swimming all day long, visiting interesting places on your way. It's about having great and fun time with a Jet Ski, water skis, a canoe, a paddleboard, a seabob and many other water toys options.
Gulets of lower costs don't have a big variety of the water toys. They also usually don't have a tender with a fast outboard engine to run water skis or a wakeboard, for example. Such gulets carry something like a canoe, a SUP, snorkelling and fishing gear. But there's a solution. In most of the bays there are special boats that offer a good selection of water toys equipment to be used while your gulet stays in that bay.
By the way, the fuel that is used for a tender to run specific water toys (water skis, wakeboard) and a jet ski is not included in the charter rate.
AIR CONDITIONING AND GULETS
Most of the gulets have A/C onboard. You don't need it much in May, June, September and October. However, if you rent a yacht in Turkey in July or August, I'd say it's a necessity. If not an A/C, then at least a fan. It gets very hot.
You don't care about the heat in the day time, because you can cool off in the sea. At night it's hot in the cabins. An alternative for those who dislike A/C is to sleep outside, on the decks under the stars. It's quite romantic, isn't it?
A/C usually is not available onboard low budget gulets. Other gulets may have it but can't run it 24/7 because their generators can't handle it. So it may be available only during 8-12 hours per day. Please, specify this question with a charter broker. I like ventilators even though they're louder than A/C.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A GULET CHARTER VACATION IN TURKEY?
- 24/7 service and care of the crew, who does their best for you to be happy and relaxed;
- Staying in amazing bays where you swim in the turquoise and quiet water, snorkel, fish, and dive among sunken ruins of the ancient civilizations and shipwrecks;
- Following the steps of the ancient civilizations and discovering their heritage on the Turkish soil;
- Exclusive access to the beaches and islands with your private floating villa;
- Enjoying sunbathing without a need to fight for the place under the sun;
- Share wonderful moments with your closed ones;
- Hundreds of colorful photos to hold memories;
- Extra few kilos from eating chef's delicious meals;
- Watching sunrises and sunsets from the deck of your yacht;
- A real odyssey to know that a life can be full of wonders.
In reality this list is very long. I'm sure you can add many more points if you've ever been onboard a yacht and had an amazing time.
My journey onboard gulet MARE NOSTRUM in Turkey (music Ray BLK feat. SG Lewis - Chill Out)
NEGATIVE MOMENTS AND GULETS
I recommend a gulet holiday to everyone. However, I am a realist and I understand, that not all people may like it. As in life, something may go wrong during the trip or you simply don't like a holiday on water. This is normal and happens in other parts of our life.
You may be disappointed if the A/C breaks during the cruise or you won't enjoy the service of your crew, the route you approved for your cruise will have some deviation, or there won't be freshly caught fish onboard for lunch, although there will be other food for sure.
Yet, for each point mentioned above there's always a solution. With careful and dedicated service of your charter broker many moments can be solved. Yes, I do recommend to book a yacht through a reliable and knowledgable broker as he or she will defend your rights in front of the yacht owner or his/her representative, and will make sure that impossible becomes possible as much as the circumstances allow.
Plus, usually an agent has a good network of partners who may help even in the extremE times when a yacht needs to be substituted.
We know how important your holiday is, how expensive it is and that you should be happy during and after this vacation and not stressed.
I really hope that one day you'll step onboard a gulet and have an amazing time in Turkey. And I'm here to assist you.
I also hope this guide was more or less useful for you. I'm always at your full disposal at dream@katerynayachts.com.
Warmest regards,
Kateryna
EXAMPLES OF GULETS AVAILABLE FOR RENT IN TURKEY
NAGEHAN (15 meters)
2,450 - 3,150 Euro per week
3 cabins for 6 guests
AZURA (24 meters)
4,900 - 8,400 Euro per week
4 cabins for 8 guests
PRENSES GULCE (22 meters)
4,200 - 6,000 Euro per week
5 cabins for 10 guests
MISS B (29 meters)
23,100 - 31,850 Euro per week
4 cabins for 8 guests
DAIMA
65,000 - 75,000 Euro per week
5 cabins for 10 guests
P.S.: you can rent some gulets for few days and not for a week.
P.S.S.: And if you're afraid of the seasickness, just know that gulets are very stable on the water. You won't cruise to the open seas, unless you want to sail from Bodrum to Santorini, for example. In Turkey passages are short and smooth, so you should be feeling quite good. Plus, in Turkey usually, the weather is very good in summer, without rains and strong winds.
There are always ways to enjoy!
Magnificent COBRA KING gulet (Internet photo)
Comments