What better way is there to share your experiences in booking and chartering a gulet than to partake in active dialogue? We view our gulet charter blog as a way to to become acquainted with you by sharing our gulet charter brokerage experiences over the years . We often stray completely and indulge in sharing tidbits about life in Turkey which have nothing to do with gulets.
Please feel free to contribute.
Get Routed is a motorcycle shipping company which organizes delivery of private motorcycles from Australia and New Zealand to various global destinations, to include Turkey, Spain and the USA for 2012.
For the 2012 Turkey tour, bikes arrive in Izmir on 26 March and the return shipment is on July 11 out of Barcelona. Riders are welcome to join owners Dave and Maggie for various legs of the trip, or riders may span out independently.
Turkish newspaper’s English edition of Hurriyet covered the 2011 Get Routed tour here.
Southern Cross Blue Cruising will again be organizing the optional Blue Cruise, Istanbul and Ephesus packages prior to the shipment’s arrival. Terms and conditions for the shipments are available on the Get Routed website, and drop us an email for full details of the available Turkey packages.
What do Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley, Steve Martin, Heather Locklear and Ava Gardner have in common? They are Melungeons.
As early as the 1600s, European settlers to the southeastern sections of the USA, especially the Appalachian Mountains, reported groups of long established, olive skinned, blue and brown eyed Caucasian families hosting Mediterranean customs. Calling themselves Melungeons, they were a shy people who intermarried with native American Indians and African immigrants, forming a unique ethnic group.
One theory is that Ottoman sailors may have been on board early exploratory Spanish and Portuguese ships to the new world, including 200 Turkish sailors left behind by Sir Francis Drake. They apparently remained and intermarried with African and Sephardic immigrants as well as with indigineous tribes with whom they may have had common traditions, including flat woven textiles. A recent DNA project has traced Melungeon DNA to include Turkic and Anatolian characteristics, i.e. the Anatolian bump and the shovel tooth which are common in Central Asian lineage.
Melungeons today are eager to recognize their unique ethnicity and have a number of heritage chapters devoted to tracing their background. Common Melungen surnames include Mullins, Collin and Gibson. Amazonhas a good choice of reading about Melungeons.
Excuse me while I check for my Anatolian bump.
Three excellent books have been added to our recommended reading list for Turkey. Paradise Lost is a wonderful historical account of the week in which Izmir was taken by Ataturk, with a detailed look at the many European decisions which led to the Turkish victory. Author Giles Milton follows the fate of several Armenian, Greek, Jewish and Levantine families as the city becomes engulfed and eventually destroyed by fire.
The Museum of Innocence is a powerful love story by Orhan Pamuk set as usual in his beloved Istanbul. The book is a much eaiser read than some of his other novels and a good introduction to his award winning work. Perking the Pansies is a hilarious, touching, and fresh look at expats living in Turkey through the eyes of a married gay couple who uproot their life in England to live in Bodrum and chronicle their story with sharp observation, wit and introspection. All of the above are available on Kindle. |
We liked this restaurant and its jovial proprietor so much in November, that we returned to the Gulf of Hisaronu in December to visit again.
Located in Mesudiye before Datca, Ogun’s Place is an informal, family run beachfront, open air restaurant with its own jetty and full facilities for sailors. Ogun’s colorful mother alone is worth a visit to this establishment.
Here is our own review of Ogun’s Place on Tripadvisor.
A 2000 launch, 4 cabin, 3 heads for up to 8 persons Bavaria 47 is for quick sale. Full electronics, double steering, battery charger, bimini, sun awnings, 59 HP Volvo engine, and 111 square meter sail area.
Asking price is 75,000 Euro.
For more information, contact us at info@bodrumyachtservices.com
Captain Muhammet Okumus
Never at a loss for wit, words or ingenious solutions to daily challenges, Southern Cross Timer’s Captain Muhammet Okumus is a colorful, energetic character with a beaming smile and twinkling eyes.
On why his nickname is ‘Mo’: Because some North Americans are afraid of Muhammets.
On why he chose the vocation of captain: Flexibility, freedom and my love of the sea.
Most difficult aspects of his work? Ensuring safety without interfering with the holiday.
Best part of the job? The people and making them happy.
On why he chooses to captain on Southern Cross Timer over a motoryacht: I can’t sail with joysticks.
On sailing versus motoring: I always prefer sailing whenever possible because my people love it, sailing is green and it saves my boss money (said with a wicked grin).
Meet Mo yourself! Southern Cross Timer has prime weeks still available for 2012. Enquire now to get your preferred dates. Mention Mo Captain and we’ll throw in a free airport transfer to Bodrum harbor from Bodrum-Milas airport for your group. We promise it won’t be on his moped.
We are thrilled with the launch of Haydi, as the gulet charter market has few, high standard three cabin yachts.
With one master, one double and one twin cabin, Haydi has flexible sleeping arrangements and is perfect for small groups wishing a high end experience. Yuksel Captain and deckhand Kerem are well known to us and we have complete confidence in their professionalism and service.
Haydi is a true double ender, known as a ‘tirhandil‘ in Turkish. The tirhandil is the original Aegean working boat design and a purist’s delight. With all the creature comforts, state of the art electronics and carefully chosen finishing touches, Haydi promises to thoroughly please her clients.
Southern Cross Blue Cruising is the central agent for Haydi. She charters from 1200 Euro per day in low season to 1800 Euro per day in high season. Contact us for full details and availability.
Far closer to the Turkish mainland than to its bigger sister Rhodes, the quaint little island of Kastellorizo is also known as the island of Meis (Megista).
In her glory days during the nineteenth century she boasted a population of 10,000, which is now down to just 450. Kastellorizo is tranquil, quiet and a perfect destination for Blue Cruisers seeking crusader castles, acropolises, waterside tavernas and the stunning Blue Grotto cave.
Kastellorizo is easily accessed with a Gocek/Finike itinerary. Your gulet can enter privately with EU immigration and departure fees, or you can hop onto the ferry from the harbor in Kas, Turkey for a day excursion.
Turks are particularly good musicians, and there will often be a budding pop star amongst your gulet crew. Local tunes are a mixture of Anatolian stories infused with Aegean and Mediterranean melodies with Eastern elements. You can expect to hear a fair bit of Turkish music during your Anatolian travels, from taxi cabs, shopkeepers, local concerts and if desired, on board your gulet.
What makes Turkish music so unique are its lyrical elements and pentatonic makams (melody types). The Guardian newspaper recently had an excellent article about Turkish music, including excellent audio samples. Additionally, a comprehensive site dedicated to the history and style of Turkish music can be found here.
Meanwhile, contemporary, popular and much loved Bodrum band Oojami has been recognized internationally but continue to play regularly in Bodrum throughout the season.
Remember, during your Blue Cruise, you’ll be expected to try your hand at the saz, or at least dance on deck.
Sevast Pikou on the Greek island of Pserimos is less a restaurant than a private Hellenistic garden with your very own Greek mama, all a stone’s throw away from Turkey.
Owner ‘Elisabeth’ (because we cannot pronounce her real name without stuttering) doesn’t have a menu and will lead you by the hand into her family kitchen, bubbling away with kettles and pots.
Fortunately, the Greek health and safety ministers have never visited her, and probably have no plans to.
During our last visit, we were treated to flagellot beans in a thick tomato sauce, fish tarama, and Greek chicken in a stifado sauce. While not a big ouzo fan, it was most appropriate with this lunch, though Elisabeth also serves the best wine-in-a-box that I have had since college days. Children play football around the tables, cats wait patiently for a tidbit, the local priest comes in for a strong coffee and grandma snores away the long summer afternoon on the sofa. This is real food.