Opinion purchasing a gulet in Marmaris

[fupisana1]

Buying a boat in Marmaris Turkey
Hello and thanks in advance,
I'm buying a 57' gulet in Marmaris, Turkey through a broker. This transaction is being conducted remotely and I am asking if anyone has experience with Kamil and Sue at Yachtworld Yachting in Marmaris.
You may respond by Private Message if you wish to be anonymous.

This transaction requires a great deal of trust and I've been impressed by them thus far, but any information good or bad would be very helpful.

Fupisana

[Kenomac]

Think twice before buying a wooden gulet. You're buying a massive amount of pine immersed in water. Literally, a boatload of work.

[fupisana1]

Thanks for your response.
The wooden hull was dried over a season and then epoxied. Is that any better?

[noelex 77]

I would echo Ken's concerns.

Gullets look great, but are often constructed of soft timbers for a short life. When they reach near the end of their life they are sold.

They are also typically a high maintenance boat that is not very seaworthy despite their size. Be very sure you know what you are doing before proceeding.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

I would echo Ken's concerns.

Gullets look great, but are often constructed of soft timbers for a short life. When they reach near the end of their life they are sold.

They are also typically a high maintenance boat that is not very seaworthy despite their size. Be very sure you know what you are doing before proceeding.

+1. The only good thing about these is that they look beautiful. Extremely high maintenance, essentially disposable, motor vessels with sails for decoration. If you must have one, have it built new in Bodrum to your specifications and under close supervision.

And buying a used gulet - remotely? Shudder.

[Xlantic]

Originally Posted by fupisana1

Thanks for your response.
The wooden hull was dried over a season and then epoxied. Is that any better?

I understand "epoxying" a wooden hull doesn't protect it and is counterproductive. You should research this in detail before proceeding.

[seasick]

Gullets, like Ferro-cement boats, are easy to buy but exceedingly difficult to sell.

[SY DELMA]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

+1. The only good thing about these is that they look beautiful. Extremely high maintenance, essentially disposable, motor vessels with sails for decoration. If you must have one, have it built new in Bodrum to your specifications and under close supervision.

And buying a used gulet - remotely? Shudder.

Totally agree! No way! Never buy anything in Turkey remotely, especially boat, especially gulet. Do your own research on site. (I live here for over a decade).

[PappysSailing]

Also keep in mind, as I found out the hard way, that some marinas in U.S. will not allow wooden boats.. especially older ones. Others might allow, but in at least one case I found, insist on an ongoing service/maintenance record from qualified shipyard w proven experience w these boats. Two main reasons were higher % of these tend to sink or catch fire at dock... then abandoned. Check insurance rates also.. many ins companies won't cover. Having said that, yes they are pretty boats, but, but, but. Good luck, Pappy

[Flipp]

I have been chartering Gulets in Turkey, ( and Croatia which is where many aged Gulets go) for the last 30 years. And I have observed them being built near. Bodrum and the standard of build is absolutely different from the standards of real well built seagoing fishing boats in the UK or the U.S. They are not expected to last very long, and there is no way you should be buying one that is more than 5 years old. Even that will be a rapidly depreciating asset.
I know that they look like a lot of boat for the money, but be very very careful and if buying remotely , insist on getting a qualified marine surveyor to report.

[fupisana1]

Thanks to all who have responded. I got the message and on to plan B.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Fupi.

[CarinaPDX]

Glad you are taking the advice. The outcome would certainly have been bad.

The gulets built for the locals, for tourism, are meant to be pretty and cheap. The pine does rot, so the expected life is maybe 10 years. There is quite a business in selling the used ones to unsuspecting foreigners, and (just for you) they are highly marked up. Few are built for sailing even though they do have masts. They are not intended for ocean sailing and would be dangerous. And then there are the insurance and registration problems.

During my 4 years in Marmaris I made it over to a boatyard west of there that was constructing two gulets. The one for a local was all pine, including the backbone, with lots of knots and warping. The other one was being made for a foreigner and it was well built of quality wood, although I would still not take that design out on the ocean. So it is possible to find quality gulets, but they are the exception and usually in foreign hands. And they are still very high maintenance wooden boats.

Final thought: in Turkey, trust no one. They are not bad people but their custom is to win negotiations at all cost: raising prices and misrepresenting things is all part of the game.

Greg

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by fupisana1

Thanks to all who have responded. I got the message and on to plan B.

Don't let it put you off boat ownership. There are plenty of great boats available.

Start a thread listing your sailing goals and requirements and I am sure you will get some good suggestions to start you off in the right direction.

[Kenomac]

Start by placing a well constructed fiberglass hull and deck high up on your list of must-haves on a boat. The less maintenance, the better. Im in the middle of polishing the hull on our now 12 year old boat. With some minor gel coat repairs done by me, the hull looks as good as the day it was first launched. It hasn't had a good polish in 10 years. The work will take four days, around 20 hours... all done by yours truly.

If it was a wooden boat, I cant even imagine the amount of time and money that would have been spent on the hull over a ten year period.

[Manos1955]

Originally Posted by fupisana1

Buying a boat in Marmaris Turkey
Hello and thanks in advance,
I'm buying a 57' gulet in Marmaris, Turkey through a broker. This transaction is being conducted remotely and I am asking if anyone has experience with Kamil and Sue at Yachtworld Yachting in Marmaris.
You may respond by Private Message if you wish to be anonymous.

This transaction requires a great deal of trust and I've been impressed by them thus far, but any information good or bad would be very helpful.

Fupisana

We do not know the intended use as you do not disclose this info.

I will agree that a gulet IS NOT a sailing boat.

BUT if you intend to live aboard for some years, in the area ( Turkey or the Greek Islands) a gulet is not a bad choice.

Certainly you will not be able to sell this boat to NOONE after 2 or 3 years, however if you have amortize it - you will not care. By saying this, you should buy this boat really cheap