The typical Gulet is a two-mast ship with gaff sails and several head sails. Usually the term is taken one more step ahead: a gulet is more or less everything, what is made from wood, has one or two masts and is rigged as sloop, ketch and schooner.
Recently also three and even four-masted ships are left to water and are being called Gulets. The large place at and under deck is characteristic. The cabins are nearly as largely as a modern hotel room, all have their own bath with shower and WC and on deck, where the life in the summer takes place, many sun mattresses and couch corners with or without sun protection are available. In the last years the trend to more comfort – with air condition, ice maker, micro-vave etc.- and good service became generally accepted.
The exact origin of the word “Gulet” is unclear. At the French coast the concept of a “Goulettes” is already known since the 18th Century. By now the definition of a gulet includes built wood ships and mirror-ketchs. There are even some people, who call ships that have been built from steel and fiber glass close to wood-similar ships, if they were built in Turkish shipyards and are comparable to the design of a gulet.
What is a Tirhandil?
A Trihandil is that centuries old workhorse of the Mediterranean and closely related to its sister, the Kaik. In addition to the family, the Greek transportation donkey belongs named Perama. The exact equivalent to the Tirhandil is the Greek Trechenderi.
The Tirhandil is a narrow, small fisherman boat having the characteristic of same ends in the front and in the back, one or two masts, lateen sail, as well as spirit and head sail. The boat could be moved with rudders, necessary in case of missing wind (or later on: striking engine). Tirhandil has been used for trawl netting by Greek and Italian fishers.
And what is an ayna kic?
A “ayna kic” is related to the Gulet, in contrast to it, has a more developed stern with cabins with an end similar to a mirror. The crucial advantage over a gulet is the larger place for guests and crew usually with two additional aft cabins.
For the increasing requirements of the blue travel tourism in the last years, more “ayna kic” are being build rather than gulets. Sailing purists however prefer clearly the Gulet and even more the Tirhandil. By the way, “ayna kic” translated means “boarded stern”.
While the Tirhandils with their narrow afterdeck are the better sailors, Gulets and Aynakics offer simply more place for vacation trips .
So now you know if you visited one of Turkish coastal ports the difference between the yachts you see.
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