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Gulet: A boat type between sail and motor
A gulet is a traditional Turkish wooden boat whose design has evolved to include motor and sailing yachts.
Bodrum’s boatbuilding tradition
In 1933, Mehmet of Nami built the 10.5-metre Tırhandil Atilla for Ali Cengiz. Ziya Güvendiren was initially a carpenter specialising in doors and windows, and worked with his brother Ali Kemal on the build. He then gained experience in repairs, enlargements and smaller boats. With financial support from the Karakayalı family, he built the two tırhandils Tepecik and Güvendiren near Tepecik Mosque. Before building the fishing boat Mustafa, he also built a boat to plans by a shipbuilding architect from outside the area. Mustafa is considered the first gulet-type boat built in Bodrum.
Güvendiren passed his craft skills on to apprentices. Those from his circle who later became independent boatbuilders included Mustafa Denizaslanı, Mehmet Özyurt, Erol Ağan, Engin Denizaslanı, Ziya Tümay and Ali Kemal Denizaslanı. Their workshops and professional competition helped spread the building practices beyond a single workshop.
Design and onboard use
Gulets are on average 70 to 80 feet long, with a wide hull and two masts. The broad stern serves as a dining area, shaded by an awning. The spacious foredeck leaves room to move around and sunbathe. Below deck, there are typically four to six cabins with double or single beds. The layout therefore combines shared outdoor spaces with sleeping quarters in the hull. Compared with other types of yacht, their length, broad hull and use of the stern and foredeck are the most distinctive features.
The stern design also varies by region. Bodrum gulets have a more rounded stern and sit relatively low in the water. Boatbuilders in Marmaris and Fethiye developed higher sterns that provide additional space. Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye are on the Turkish coast, where the gulet tradition developed.
Wooden construction and terminology
The wooden hull links the gulet to traditional boatbuilding. Material selection and hull shape are important practical considerations in construction and maintenance; different hull designs and materials influence a vessel’s construction and use. “Gulet” refers to a boatbuilding tradition and design, while “sailing yacht” describes a boat with sails. A gulet can also be used as a sailing yacht; the evolution of the type includes both motor and sailing versions.
