Turkey
crewed overnight charter.

## Why sail Turkey

The Turkish Aegean is the most forgiving coastline we sail. Anchorages are deep right up to the rocks, the water sits at 24-26°C from June through September, and you can drop the hook in a different bay every night for two weeks without repeating yourself. Pine forest runs down to the waterline. The food is better than it has any right to be at quayside prices. If you want warm-water cruising without Caribbean flight times, this is where we'd send you first.

## Where you'll sail: the Aegean

Our three boats work out of the Gulf of Gökova, the Hisarönü peninsula, and the Fethiye-Göcek basin — call it the southern Turkish Aegean. The bases are Bodrum, Marmaris and Göcek. From Bodrum you reach English Harbour, Çökertme and Yedi Adalari (the Seven Islands) inside a day. From Marmaris you have Bozburun, Selimiye and the run across to Datça. Göcek opens up the Twelve Islands, Tomb Bay and the Yassıca cluster — short hops, deep coves, mooring buoys laid by the local gulet community.

None of this is open ocean. You're rarely more than two hours from the next safe bay, and most legs are 15-25 nautical miles. That's why we treat Turkey as the right answer for first-time bareboaters and for crews with mixed ability.

## Season and winds

The charter season runs late April to late October. Shoulder months (May, late September, October) give you 22-25°C, lighter winds and empty anchorages. Peak is July and August: hot (35°C+ ashore), busy, and reliably windy in the afternoon.

The Aegean has the **meltemi** — a north-westerly that builds through the day and drops at sunset. In the Gulf of Gökova it funnels and accelerates; F5-6 from 2pm is normal in July and August, sometimes F7. Mornings are usually calm. The pattern is predictable enough that you plan around it: long legs before lunch, swim stop in the lee of an island, short downwind run into the night's bay. The Hisarönü gulf and the Göcek basin are more sheltered — good for crews who don't want a daily blow.

Winter is off-season. Boats come out in November and go back in for April fit-out.

## Charter types

We offer three formats in Turkey:

- **Bareboat** — you skipper, we hand over the keys. Requires an ICC or RYA Day Skipper (or equivalent) plus a VHF certificate. The Turkish authorities check. - **Skippered** — our captain runs the boat; you sail as much or as little as you want. Right for crews without papers, or anyone who'd rather not park stern-to in a crosswind on day one. - **Cabin charter** — a berth on a shared boat, usually a week, mixed group. We run a handful of these in shoulder season.

Gulet (traditional wooden motorsailer) charters exist all along this coast but aren't what we do. If that's what you want, we'll say so and point you elsewhere.

## Costs

Ranges below are weekly, boat-only, in EUR. Fuel, food, harbour fees and end-cleaning are extra — budget 15-25% on top.

- Monohull 38-42ft, bareboat, shoulder season: roughly €2,500-4,500 - Monohull 45-50ft, bareboat, peak: roughly €5,500-9,000 - Catamaran 42-46ft, peak: roughly €8,000-14,000 - Skipper: roughly €180-220 per day plus their food - Hostess/cook: price on request — varies by boat size

Harbour fees in Turkey are modest by Mediterranean standards. Most nights you'll anchor free in a bay; a restaurant quay is usually free if you eat there (€30-60 for dinner for two). Marina nights in Bodrum, Marmaris or Göcek run €60-150 depending on length and season.

For exact pricing on a specific week and boat, message us on WhatsApp.

## Sample 7-day route from Göcek

A realistic week for a 45ft monohull, four to six aboard, June or September. Distances are short by design — this coast rewards slow.

- **Day 1 — Göcek to Yassıca Adaları.** Two hours west. Anchor between the islets, swim, sleep on the hook. - **Day 2 — Yassıca to Tomb Bay (Wall Bay).** Three hours. Lycian rock tombs cut into the cliff above the stern line. Tie to a tree. - **Day 3 — Tomb Bay to Ekincik.** Five hours west, the longest leg. From here you can take a local boat up the Dalyan river to the turtle beach and the ruins at Kaunos — worth the day. - **Day 4 — Ekincik to Bozukkale.** Four hours. Ancient Loryma's harbour walls run right down into the anchorage. Quiet, one taverna. - **Day 5 — Bozukkale to Bozburun.** Two hours round the corner. Quay night, gulet-builder town, the best fish dinner of the week. - **Day 6 — Bozburun to Sarsala.** Six hours back east, often a fast reach if the meltemi is on. Empty pine-backed bay, no village. - **Day 7 — Sarsala to Göcek.** Ninety minutes. Hand-back by 9am.

Swap any leg for a longer swim stop. Nobody we've sent here has complained about going too slowly.

## Getting there

Three airports cover the cruising ground:

- **Dalaman (DLM)** — 25 minutes to Göcek, 90 minutes to Marmaris. Most direct UK and European flights land here in summer. - **Bodrum (BJV)** — 40 minutes to Bodrum marina. - **Antalya (AYT)** — further east, useful if you're cruising the Lycian coast.

Most EU, UK, US and Australian passport holders get an e-visa or visa-free entry; check current rules before you book flights. Embarkation is normally Saturday 5pm, disembarkation Saturday 9am. We'll send a provisioning list a fortnight out — the Migros in Göcek and the Tansaş in Marmaris both deliver to the boat.

Right for: first-time bareboaters, families with kids who'd rather swim than sail hard, couples wanting two weeks of warm water and short hops. Less right for: serious distance sailors who want open passages, or anyone hoping for nightlife beyond a quayside meyhane.

A crewed charter is the full sailing holiday with none of the workload: a professional skipper (and on larger yachts a hostess and chef) handles the sailing, the cooking and the logistics while you relax.

It suits families, groups and anyone who wants to wake up in a new bay each morning without lifting a winch — multi-day, sleeping aboard, the itinerary shaped around you.