Gulet is a traditional wooden motor-sailing vessel meant for comfortable cruising. The history of gulets is somewhat veiled in secrecy. It remains uncertain how gulets got their name - whether it comes from the Italian word "guletta" or the French word "goullette". This schooner type of vessel is used as a sweeping net, trawl net or sponging vessel in Turkey in the Aegean and Mediterranean.
Gulets we know today are known as the Bodrum type of schooners. They date back to the beginning of the 1970s when they were created as a result of the need to carry tourists who began visiting the Aegean region and especially Bodrum and Marmaris at the end of the 1960s, to nearby bays. These gulets had chambers and seating on the back of the deck as opposed to gulets used in fishing or sponging till those years.
Although charter gulets do sail when the winds allow, they are most of the time propelled by engine power. They are configured as motorsailers, with diesel engines to provide primary power, while sails offer additional strength.
Gulets have a raised bow, a broad, flat stern, the main foremast and a secondary mast aft. Their broad beam provides plenty of deck space and spacious cabins below decks.
Gulet Charter Types and Services
Gulets come in many sizes, ranging from small 15-meter-long craft to luxurious 33-meter air-conditioned vessels with every convenience and luxury imaginable. Charter gulets offer hotel-like accommodation in comfortable air-conditioned cabins with bathrooms and enough storage for all your luggage. Charter gulets also have plenty of communal space - a large salon with a bar, lots of deck space for sunbathing and other activities, as well as an outside dining and lounge area at the stern. Gulet's stern deck is broad with a wide cushioned bench perfect for lounging, and a large table for games, drinks and meals. The salon is spacious and high enough for somewhat taller guests, with enough table space to seat all travellers for meals, meetings or evening entertainment.
Charter gulets have an experienced and professional crew that comprises a captain, sailors, and a chef. Their job is to take care of your safety and provide you with comfort during your cruise, while the chef will prepare you fresh meals with high-quality local ingredients.
There are two gulet charter types - a private gulet charter and a cabin charter.
A private gulet charter offers you ultimate comfort and privacy, as well as high flexibility regarding the menu, itinerary, and provisioning. A charter gulet's crew is wholly dedicated to you and your party.
A cabin charter is a more economical and more convenient alternative to chartering the entire boat since you do not have to have company to charter a cabin. This is a pleasurable way of vacationing that allows you to meet different people. However, you do not have complete freedom since the itineraries and ports of embarkation and disembarkation are fixed and cannot be altered.
Find a gulet in your dream destination
B&B Gulet
B&B Gulet is ideal to charter for you and your partner. If you think the whole sailboat would be too big for you but you still want to enjoy that unique feeling only sailing can bring, opt for Bed & Breakfast Gulet. You get a bedroom and breakfast. Hence the name. We can promise that on a gulet, it's never boring. You will meet new people and it is always dynamic. That's the list of B&B Gulets.
The all-inclusive gulet charter is a whole different story. You will also be provided with a bed but the difference between a B&B Gulet charter and an All Inclusive is that an All Inclusive gulet charter gives you the full package for the biggest enjoyment. You wouldn't have to worry about a thing. All meals are being prepared for you and the same goes for the drinks too. Of course, one always can choose their package which can be tailored to your specific taste. For example, you can drink only soft drinks without alcoholic beverages, or you can decide to skip dinner and eat in a restaurant. The choice is yours to make and with an all-inclusive gulet charter, you have many of them.
Gulet Charter Holidays
By chartering a gulet, you get a different kind of sailing holiday. It is a very comfortable and carefree cruise on a boat that offers quality accommodation, as well as privacy and the best service possible. Another benefit of a charter gulet is the possibility to make the itinerary according to your wishes.
Gulet charters vary in size, boat quality, service, and equipment. The higher the price, the more you get for your money. Charter gulets usually have three to eight cabins providing accommodation for up to sixteen guests. A typical gulet charter agreement includes the gulet, crew, insurance, and fuel for 4-5 hours of sailing per day without port taxes and fees. Half board is in many cases included in the price.
Typical Day on a Gulet Charter
A typical day on a gulet ship is not as different from a day on board a sailboat. Except there is less sailing done. The first day on board a gulet looks like this.
Upon the arrival of the gulet, you are assisted into your cabin. Once you settle, there will be a welcome meeting held on deck. This meeting will also include the briefing regarding the route, as well as the security briefing about life on board.
The cruise starts right after the meeting, or the following day, depending on the weather conditions and guests’ arrival times. The usual duration of cruising is 3 to 4 hours per day. Charter gulets usually visit a bay or two every day. The best part of the day is spent sunbathing, swimming in some lovely bay, using the boat's fishing equipment, water-skiing, snorkelling or something else, depending on what the gulet is equipped with. You can also spend time reading or playing games. If you moor in a port, you can spend the day sightseeing and exploring the shore around the port. Dining is normally outdoors, on the aft deck, in a port or anchored in some secluded bay, depending on the guests’ wishes.
Evenings are spent moored in a port or anchored outside the harbour, depending on the availability of places in the port and the preferences of the guests. Guests can also spend the evening outside the charter gulet, exploring the port town, having dinner in a restaurant or enjoying the local nightlife.
