4th TYBA Charter Show 2023
by Guy Nowell 20 May 2023 03:37 PDT
5-9 May 2023
Dressed up to party. 4th TYBA Yacht Charter Show 2023 © Guy Nowell
The scientists tell us that 'blue' is good for us. Proximity to the water causes a reduction of the stress hormone, cortisol, and an increase of ever-calming serotonin.
Add 22 degreesC of Turkish sunshine, blue skies, gentle breezes across the dock in Göcek, Anatolia, and liberal doses of Turkish hospitality in the form of some astonishingly good local rosé, and - even though the show was last week - the inclination to get on a plane and escape from a hot, sweaty, and rainy Hong Kong is very attractive.
We've not been to a charter show before. It's a B2B event, not B2C. The object of the exercise is to get the boats and the charter brokers in one place, and put the latter on the former so that they know what they are selling to their clients. It's a shopping trip for brokers and a market stall for the boats and their management. The doors are wide open, and there are no By Appointment Only signs. We're not talking world premières or latest models. We're not selling boats; we're selling space on boats, and very comfortable space it is too.
Being Turkey, most of the 54 vessels on display are Turkish gulets (say it: 'goo-lette'), a traditional fishing boat shape that has morphed into a species of luxurious passenger vessel, much like Chinese junks have been bred into modern pleasure junks. Charter gulets come in all sizes, but the standard is around 30-40m LOA, with accommodation for 10-12 guests in well-appointed en suite cabins, acres of chilling space on deck, and a ballroom-sized saloon below. Gulet cruising involves moving at a stately pace from one picturesque anchorage to another, enjoying the scenery, and not being in a hurry (so as not to spill that delectable Turkish rosé).
Anatolia is one of the cradles of western civilisation. Think Hellenic culture, temples to Aphrodite, Diana, and Astarte; think the Hittites, the Crusaders, early Christianity and the Gospels; think viticulture, loukoum, and halva, and the development of trading and seafaring There's enough history, philosophy and mythology hereabouts to keep an enquiring mind occupied forever. Bring a book. Switch off the wi-fi. Eat figs and feta, nibble on walnuts and pistachios, and slather rich and syrupy preserves over the nutty Turkish bread - "such sweet jams meticulously jarred as God's own Prophet eats in Paradise."
Back to the show: mornings presented seminars on regulations, charter contracts, cruising routes, the history of wine and other subjects essential to the understanding of charter operations. Evenings consisted of 'yacht hops' that gave an opportunity see crew working in hospitality mode. The bit in between was devoted to visiting and viewing boats, and al fresco lunches on board. Tough work, as the saying goes, but someone has to do it.
At the end of five days of sybaritic research, we know that a week's charter in the eastern reaches of the Mediterranean is definitely a bucket list experience. The Turkish coast has so much to offer, and you can throw a biscuit across to the Greek islands of the Dodecanese. Kos is less than 9nm across the water from Bodrum, and Rhodes is only 45nm from Göcek. The oldest known shipwreck in the world (c. 1320 BC), at Uluburun, is just around the corner. In fact there's so much to see and do on this coast, that a week is never going to be enough. You may well end up joining the company of modern day pilgrims who return to Anatolia year after year to discover just a little more.
After five days of broker visits and 'open house', the yacht captains were reporting a promising season ahead. Charter season runs from May to October, six months of unrelenting hard work: one Captain reported to us that his boat is now booked up for the whole season bar two weeks. The pause between charter parties can be as little as six hours: for a crew of four to spring clean and launder a 40m boat inside and out, re-provision, and collect their thoughts for the forthcoming week is no mean feat. As a charter guest you are cruising, but spare a thought for your onboard hosts. Driving and maintaining the boat, cooking gourmet meals, and attending to your general pampering is more than a full-time job. Stewardesses retrieve mooring lines, and Captains help with the washing up. It is - literally - all in a day's work.
The TYBA Charter Show involved 54 luxury charter yachts ranging in length from 20 to 64 meters, the largest being 'Running on Waves', a three masted schooner built in 2011 and refitted in 2021. There were nearly 300 charter brokers, agents, marine professionals, and media are here to inspect the goods, meet with the yacht owners, captains, and crew, and learn first-hand what these beautiful and impressive yacht have to offer their charter clients.
Sail-World Asia is indebted to TYBA for the invitation, and particularly to Günes Aysun (TYBA President), Serhan Cengiz (TYBA Show Committee President) and Özgür Cengiz (TYBA Board Member). We look forward to staying in touch, and helping to further connect boating in SE Asia and boating in Turkey.