Gulet – Motor-Sailer in the Port of Alanya
- Written by Portal Editor
Gulet – The gulet is a wooden, broad-beamed, usually two-masted motor-sailer that is currently utilized as a tourist attraction along the Turkish coast.
Strictly speaking, the term is limited to those two-masted vessels where the helm station is positioned between the two masts. In common usage, however, almost any passenger motor-sailer catering to tourists is referred to as a gulet.
Gulets have been built in Caria (particularly in Bodrum and Marmaris) since antiquity; for millennia, they served as the primary type of merchant sailing vessel, transporting amphorae filled with olives and wine, along with many other precious goods, along the Turkish coast.
Their rigging has evolved over time; today, they are typically rigged exclusively with high sails.
Modern gulets—still crafted from wood in Bodrum, nearby Bozburun, Marmaris, and Fethiye—have become a vital and distinctive element of Turkish tourism.
They have undergone further development and are now equipped with engines and, in some cases, modern navigational gear.
They are prized for the warmth and unique atmosphere imparted by their wooden construction. Consequently, multi-day boat excursions—often referred to as "Blue Cruises"—are a popular offering today.
Gulets typically operate under motor power. Due to their modest sailing performance and a shortage of experienced sailors, their sails are rarely hoisted.
Gulets have been built in Caria (particularly in Bodrum and Marmaris) since antiquity; for millennia, they served as the primary type of merchant sailing vessel, transporting amphorae filled with olives and wine, along with many other precious goods, along the Turkish coast.
Their rigging has evolved over time; today, they are typically rigged exclusively with high sails. Today's gulets—still crafted from wood in Bodrum and nearby Bozburun, as well as in Marmaris and Fethiye—have become an important and distinctive part of Turkish tourism.
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Boat Tours in Turkey – Something New Every Day Aboard Gulets