In this blog you will learn about:

• How Turkish gulets existed in history?
• Blue Cruise and Turkish Gulets
• Which characteristics do Turkish gulets have?
• Which kinds of Turkish gulets are there?

Turkish Gulets Existence in History

The Aegean coast and the Aegean Sea offered a very ideal settlement for many civilizations in history, so it was a very suitable geography for boats and boat building throughout history in accordance with trade activities and wars.

The tradition of boat and shipbuilding unique to the region embeds the culture and methods of countless civilizations that have lived here throughout history. You may recall civilizations like: Carians, Minoans, Ionians, Lycians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, Ottoman Empire and finally, Turkey.

These boats, whose manufacturing center was Bodrum at that time, were first called Schooner and later Gulet. Gulets have been built and used for military purposes, commercial cargo transportation, fishing sector and tourism sector since the Ottoman period.

Blue Cruise and Turkish Gulets

The Blue Voyage performed by The Fisherman of Halikarnas and his friends, which started with trips aiming to integrate with nature rather than entertainment, gained worldwide fame over time and played a major role in promoting Bodrum to the world with many areas including sea tourism.

Turkish Gulet

In line with the demand created by the Blue Voyage, the gulets in Bodrum also started to take shape and underwent various changes. These changes were not only limited to the equipment of the boats, but also affected their form and structural elements. In the 1950s, gray painted and mastless gulets, mostly used in fishing, were manufactured in Bodrum, and in 1965, sailing gulets began to emerge. With the development of tourism, gulets have also changed and developed, and their size and comfort have increased. With the beginning of the use of gulets in the Blue Voyage, the priorities for commercial use in the form of the boat were replaced by aesthetic-oriented priorities, allowing it to reach the contemporary gulet form seen today.

Characteristics of Turkish Gulets

Classic Bodrum gulet is in the category of boats most suitable for charter with wide and high cabins, its wide aft deck sunbathing and resting area known as bangaca. With its structure suitable for the sea and harsh weather and its hull structure providing high volume, the gulets have served in accordance with the commercial purposes mentioned above. Turkish gulets, which were modernized and redesigned with their form, equipment and decoration, turned into an export product and started to be operated as charter boats in Mediterranean countries such as Croatia, Italy and Greece.

Turkish Gulet

Gulets are usually made of thick, strong, wood cuts. Wood can be obtained from different kind of tree kinds. Wood is one of the strongest materials in boat construction. With the right treatments and with the right care, it provides years of trouble-free use. It is heavy and can act more stable in inclement weather.

Different Kinds of Turkish Gulets

Gulets are custom-designed boats. With this feature, there are different types of gulets in terms of posture and functionality.

• Tirhandil

Tirhandil, the oldest known type of gulet, is still used frequently today. This type, which most reflects the style of traditional Turkish maritime, is generally used as sailor boats, but is also suitable for blue cruises. Tirhandil gulets, which are not very long, have pointed sterns and are built between 15-20 meters on average. Tirhandil gulets, which are smaller than the Karpuzkıc and aynakıc, are an ideal gulet for those who love to sail.

Turkish Gulet Tirhandil

• Karpuzkıc

Karpuzkıc gulet, which is the most common production, is narrow and relatively small due to its low stern form and oval shape. Thanks to this structure, it prevents you from being affected by bad weather conditions and offers a comfortable experience. Although the stern area is narrow and small, they have compensated for this with large sunbathing and living areas. The size of the karpuzkıc, which usually varies between 15 and 40 meters, is a perfect fit for long blue cruises due to the comfort of its living spaces.

Turkish Gulet

• Aynakıc

Aynakıc gulets are those that have a relatively flat design and a raised,  aft stern, unlike Karpuzkıc. Thanks to these designs, they differ from traditional gulets.

Aynakıc gulets have the largest internal volume compared to their size. It can have more or larger cabins than normal gulets. Same as in the others, design changes can be made in many aspects such as the number of cabins and cabin widths. The most suitable gulet type for large companies needing more cabins and more space for more people.

Turkish Gulet

Feel free to consult us for better pick of gulet kind for your Blue Cruise holiday in Turkey or outside Turkey.

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