Experience with Setur Marinas, Turkey?

[cjenkins]

Like many of you, I assume, we are re-thinking our sailing plans and considering alternatives. We had hoped to spend this summer sailing the eastern Mediterranean on our Lagoon 400, currently berthed in Barcelona. That's not going to happen.

I have booked a flight back to Barcelona in mid-September. If conditions permit, I hope to sail the boat east and take the boat out of the water and/or look for a winter berth.

One option is the Setur marinas in Turkey. I contacted them and received a written quote for a 12-month contract for 41,161 Turkish Lira (USD 6042 at the current rate). The contract includes one free lift and launch and up to 6 months storage on the hard. The contract also allows us to use other Setur marinas for up to 30 days each. We would have to choose a "home" marina and are then limited to the 30 free days at each of the other marinas.

Setur has ten marinas (Kalamis, Yalova, Ayvalik, Mytilini, Cesme, Kusadasi, Marmaris, Kas, Finike, and Antalya) and they suggested we home port in Finike because they have a lift that can handle the 400. We have traveled several times to Turkey, but only visited the Istanbul area.

Does anyone have knowledge and experience with the Setur marinas, or the towns where the marinas are located, that might help us consider where to put the boat for the year, assuming we decide to and can make it to Turkey in October? Facilities and services at the marina are obviously important, but we would also like to be near an interesting town that we can get to know while we spend some time winter berthing on the boat.

Thanks in advance.

Charlie

[yeloya]

Hello Charlie,

I don't know for which one of the Setur marinas you were quoted for this price. I assume, this was for Finike which is the cheaper one.
Setur martinas are one of the best and professionally managed narinas in Turkey. As you mentioned they have many marinas and they are all different not on only as a location but also in terms of size, wintering capacity, access to technical services., hence their prices
For example Setur Marmaris where we are cannot lift catamarans of even 40 ft and as they have very little space on hard, they keep the boats in water and allow hard docking of very short time only. But Marmaris Setur is in the heart of the city and has probably the best service capability in entire eastern Med.
Finike is a small town and has very little service option if any at all. The nearest airports are Antalya three and half hour, and Dalaman two and half hour.
PM me if you need any further info or would like to consider anothere marina option in Marmaris where we have special discounts.

Cheers

Yeloya

[Doubleplay]

Setur Marinas are owned by one of the biggest corporations in Turkey and excellent marinas. If your object is only spend the winter; Kas and Finike will have the nicest weather because of their southerly locations. My preference would be Kas which is a lovely place with all the amenities you would expect in a small modern town with friendly people.

[cuffy]

Charlie

We are currently half way through an 18 month contract at Kas with Setur and will agree the chain is excellent. We have stayed in most of the marinas this summer including a 2 week stay in Istanbul. As we were amongst a group we got an 18 month deal for the price of twelve but this promotion has now finished.
We could not get in to Cesme in August as they say they are full. 3 weeks notice.

Yeloya
Although we have winter 20/21 arranged at Kas we are interested in 21/22 so would be interested in your discounts. Could include a number of boats. up to 6.

[cjenkins]

Doubleplay,

Thanks for the information. The quote I received was for Finike marina and I don't know anything about the town. I would love to winter over in Turkey, but for now I can't even get to my boat in Barcelona. I have plans to travel there in mid-September, but I have very little faith that Americans will be allowed into the EU at that time. If I can get to the boat before the end of the year, we may just haul her out somewhere near Barcelona.

Maybe next year.

Charlie

[slug]

Originally Posted by cjenkins

Like many of you, I assume, we are re-thinking our sailing plans and considering alternatives. We had hoped to spend this summer sailing the eastern Mediterranean on our Lagoon 400, currently berthed in Barcelona. That's not going to happen.

I have booked a flight back to Barcelona in mid-September. If conditions permit, I hope to sail the boat east and take the boat out of the water and/or look for a winter berth.

One option is the Setur marinas in Turkey. I contacted them and received a written quote for a 12-month contract for 41,161 Turkish Lira (USD 6042 at the current rate). The contract includes one free lift and launch and up to 6 months storage on the hard. The contract also allows us to use other Setur marinas for up to 30 days each. We would have to choose a "home" marina and are then limited to the 30 free days at each of the other marinas.

Setur has ten marinas (Kalamis, Yalova, Ayvalik, Mytilini, Cesme, Kusadasi, Marmaris, Kas, Finike, and Antalya) and they suggested we home port in Finike because they have a lift that can handle the 400. We have traveled several times to Turkey, but only visited the Istanbul area.

Does anyone have knowledge and experience with the Setur marinas, or the towns where the marinas are located, that might help us consider where to put the boat for the year, assuming we decide to and can make it to Turkey in October? Facilities and services at the marina are obviously important, but we would also like to be near an interesting town that we can get to know while we spend some time winter berthing on the boat.

Thanks in advance.

Charlie

I spent a few weeks in Kusadasi

It was ok

I’m not a fan of turkey

If possible stay in Greece

[cuffy]

Originally Posted by slug

I spent a few weeks in Kusadasi

It was ok

I’m not a fan of turkey

If possible stay in Greece

Any suggestions for a catamaran in Greece? Very interested.

We do live aboard year round so some community is important

[Doubleplay]

Originally Posted by slug

I spent a few weeks in Kusadasi

It was ok

I’m not a fan of turkey

If possible stay in Greece

I wonder why you are a not a fan of Turkey?? Btw Kusadasi is the oldest marina in Setur chain and the town is nothing but a cruise ship port.

[Doubleplay]

Originally Posted by cjenkins

Doubleplay,

Thanks for the information. The quote I received was for Finike marina and I don't know anything about the town. I would love to winter over in Turkey, but for now I can't even get to my boat in Barcelona. I have plans to travel there in mid-September, but I have very little faith that Americans will be allowed into the EU at that time. If I can get to the boat before the end of the year, we may just haul her out somewhere near Barcelona.

Maybe next year.

Charlie

I've never been to Finike but I kept a boat(Dehler 36) in Turkey under US flag for 7 years and I have only positive things to say about most marinas I visited and country as a whole. I think it's the best and safest place in the Med for long term stay and US dollar goes a long way.
PS: We spend time in Montana every year bird hunting and love it.
Al

[Simonradiohead]

Turkey is one of the best sailing / cruising areas we've tried.. so good that we kept our boat there for 5 years. In particular we kept our boat at Setur Oren (about 30 miles east of Bodrum) in the Gulf of Gokova.. We also had 2 of the 5 years in marti Marine in Orhanye in the Gulf of Hisaronu. Setur marina is excellent - no complaints at all - Marti Marine was a nice marina , but went down hill due to financial difficulties (3 owners in 2 years) and which showed in the quality of the marina staff.. In my opinion, having tried both - Turkey is better all round than Greece

[cuffy]

Simon

Did you stay aboard for the winter??

If yes any community and how was the winter climate??

[Simonradiohead]

We didn't stay over winter, but left the boat there in the water. The climate is very good so we sailed last in late Oct, early November - when most of the little pontoon side taverna's in the bays close (until about Easter).. Oren is really an authentic Turkish holiday resort - its a working town so open all year round, but much quieter in winter.. Plenty of places to explore in the area tho.

[yeloya]

Originally Posted by cuffy

We do live aboard year round so some community is important

ıf so, Yatmarine in Marmaris can be an option. They can haul all kind of cats + there is a number of foreign community leaving there and has a good facilities to spend time. It's a bit far away from Marmaris (half an hour drive) but the city of Marmaris also is not very lively in winter.

Cheers

Yeloya

[Simon.Sails]

Sorry to hijack your thread but I would love to crew your boat to Turkey for a week or two in Autumn if that's an option for you? I just got my Competent Crew cert, and would gladly contribute to food, gasoline, upkeep cost just to get some sea miles and experience on a catamaran.
I'll be glad to receive a PM if interested, Simon

[chuckr]

I spent 3 winters in Turkey and all in a Setur marina. The first 2 years were in Kusadasi where we have friends who keep their boat all year. They are not Turkish but live in Kusadasi year round except in the summer when they are sailing.



!st year in Kusadasi was great and we got a lot of work done for a trip to the Black Sea. When we left they offered me a contract for the following winter and I said i would agree if i got one of 4 slips. They said that would be ok and i signed and gave deposit. When i got back i wanted my slip and they said well they are taken but we will work on it and put me in the worst slip they had. One night the winds and seas came in and I had the boat next to me banging against me and trying to climb my side. At 0200 i had to call to get help to get the boat off me. No one was available but they got a guy out of bed who did come and help. The next day i went in and said you told me i could have one of those 4 slip and when i got here you said soon. But then they told me they were all long term rentals and could not move any of the boats and i would have to stay where i was -- I told them i wanted my money back and i wanted it within 24 hours and sent several emails to Setur Corp. Soon the marina manager wat at my boat saying we will move you to where you were last year and work it out. I told him his staffed lied to me and he said and kept saying the customer is always right but you did not tell us when you would be back so we rented everything - i sent more emails to Corp - I also got responses from Corp --

That manager also raised all the rents for the people in the yard and the people we had prep our boat had to leave as the work was not there to support them and the remaining ones I would never ever use.

The good side is I understand that manager was replaced and our friends said it is well run now.



I also spent one winter in Marmaris and WOW -- what an experience. Went in with a broken thru hull that was closed but an issue. Without hesitation they hauled me out and got a guy to replace the thru hull and back in the water. All winter when the winds set in i watched the dock guys put extra lines on some boats and walk the docks to ensure all was safe. It was as professionally run as anywhere in the world.



While in Marmaris they came up with the 30 day free. I left there for the summer sailing season and used all the Setur marinas all the way to Antalya and i can tell you each was so professional and a wonderful place to stay.



Go with Setur they are great.