Gulet vs Catamaran vs Motor Yacht vs Sailing Yacht: Which Boat for Turkey?
Gulet vs catamaran vs motor yacht comes down to group size, speed and how calm you want the ride. A gulet suits families and larger groups, a catamaran gives a wide, stable deck, and a motor yacht covers distance fast. A sailing yacht is for those who want to sail under wind.
In short
- Gulet: Traditional wooden boat, usually two-masted, 14–35 m; wide deck and shade for groups.
- Catamaran: Twin hulls; heels no more than 10–12 degrees and rolls less than a monohull.
- Motor yacht: Fast, with a comfortable interior; suits small and medium groups and longer routes.
- Speedboat: The fastest type, with small capacity; for half-day and hourly hire.
- Sailing yacht: Quiet sailing under wind; suits couples and small groups.
- Blue cruise: Gulets, motor yachts, sailing yachts and catamarans are all available with cabins.
Gulet vs catamaran vs motor yacht vs sailing yacht at a glance
The five boat types for rent in Turkey differ in space, speed and motion. This table compares them on the points that matter most for a day trip or a blue cruise.
| Boat type | Key feature | Suits | On our site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulet | Wide deck, shade, wooden build | Families, larger groups, full days and blue cruises | 15–38 m, 2–9 cabins; day gulets up to 30 guests |
| Catamaran | Twin hulls, wide and stable deck | Space and a calm ride; families | 11.33 m, 6 cabins, 10 guests |
| Motor yacht | Fast, comfortable interior | Small and medium groups; longer routes | 6–12 guests in 3–5 cabins |
| Speedboat | Fastest type, small capacity | Half-day and hourly hire | Offered for short hire |
| Sailing yacht | Quiet sailing under wind | Couples and small groups | 16.06 m, 5 cabins, 10 guests |
The last column describes the boats listed on our English pages in October 2026. Each boat's capacity, cabins and facilities are on its own card.
What is a gulet?
A gulet is a traditional wooden sailing vessel with two or three masts, most often two. Gulets are built mainly in Bodrum and Marmaris and are usually 14–35 metres long.
Gulets once worked in fishing, sponge diving and trade. Bodrum-type gulets with added cabins and deck seating appeared in the early 1970s, to carry tourists along the coast.
Today almost all gulets run on diesel engines, and many are not rigged for real sailing. Their strength is space: a wide deck, shaded seating and room for a group to eat together.
The gulet is also the boat of the blue cruise. Writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, exiled to Bodrum in 1925, sailed with friends on sponge divers' gulets and helped popularise these trips. See our gulet charter page for the boats.
Catamaran
A catamaran has two hulls set wide apart, which makes it very stable. Cruising catamarans heel no more than 10–12 degrees, even under sail, and roll less in waves than single-hulled boats.
For guests, that means a flatter, calmer ride and a wide deck. It is a good fit if anyone in your group is prone to seasickness or if you travel with young children.
Catamarans also draw less water than single-hulled boats, so they can reach shallower water. On the other hand, they take up more space in a marina.
Motor yacht and speedboat
A motor yacht is the choice for a fast, comfortable day with a well-fitted interior. It suits small and medium groups and longer routes, such as a day to Orak Island from Bodrum.
A speedboat is the fastest type but carries only a few guests. It suits half-day and hourly hire, when you want to see many bays in a short time.
Both are hired from the harbour for the day or a few hours. See Bodrum boat hire or Göcek boat hire for the options in each harbour.
Sailing yacht
A sailing yacht is for those who want the boat to move under wind, quietly and without engine noise. It suits couples and small groups who want the sailing experience itself.
In summer, the meltem wind blows from about mid-May to mid-September and is strongest in the afternoon. It brings the steady breeze sailors look for, as explained in our month-by-month guide to blue cruise season.
On a sailing yacht the boat heels under sail, so it moves more than a catamaran. Ask the captain to plan longer passages in the calmer morning if anyone feels unwell at sea.
Which boat for which trip?
The right boat depends on the kind of trip as much as on the group. Use this table as a starting point.
| Your trip | Boat types to consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Full day with a family or a large group | Gulet, catamaran | Space, shade and room to eat together |
| A few hours or a half day | Speedboat, motor yacht | More bays in less time |
| A longer route in a day | Motor yacht | Speed and comfort |
| A quiet trip under sail | Sailing yacht, catamaran | Sailing with the wind |
| A blue cruise of several nights | Gulet, motor yacht, sailing yacht or catamaran with cabins | Cabins and crew on board |
For several nights at sea, see the Fethiye blue cruise and Marmaris blue cruise. In Marmaris you can also book a single cabin instead of the whole boat.
How to choose: five questions
- How many are you? Check the boat's capacity and, for overnight trips, the number of cabins.
- How long will you be out? Short hires favour speed; full days and cruises favour space.
- Does anyone get seasick? A catamaran moves least; on other boats, sit in the middle.
- Do you want to sail? Choose a sailing yacht or a catamaran; many gulets motor rather than sail.
- What should be on board? Each boat's page lists its facilities, what is included and the house rules.
For how prices, durations and bookings work, read everything you need to know about boat rental in Turkey.
Sources: Wikipedia (Gulet; Blue Cruise; Catamaran); Andrea Yachting boat hire and blue cruise pages and boat listings (October 2026); Andrea Yachting, month-by-month guide to blue cruise season (meltem). Last updated: 24 October 2026.
