The construction of a Gulet
In the last decades a part of the Turkish shipbuilding industry has developed and specialized in the construction of these wonderful Motorsailer. Along the southern coast of Turkey there are lots of shipyards building Gulets, but only few of them are really professional and legalized to do so, especially for the foreign client. In fact, in Turkey the shipyards, in order to build, refit, or simply do the ordinary maintenance on foreign boats, must have a particular state permit which is very difficult to obtain. This is to protect and safeguard the customer against the shipyards.
Therefore, making a choice between the different shipyards, projects, estimates, materials, permits and anything else which is required to a buyer, can be really difficult and risky for a profane, not so familiar with all the technical / legal aspects of the country. Inexperience can lead to reckless choices with a very high risk. In fact, our 25 years of work and knowledge in this specific nautical sector, have enabled us to select and collaborate with the best shipyards only, with whom we have mutual relationships of esteem and trust.
Thanks to our international prestige, we are also agents for some of them.
With our operating company in Turkey, with the experience made in so many years, together with a thorough knowledge of the bureaucracies involved, we assist you throughout the whole purchase process. Our advice is of primary importance in the various phases of construction: we evaluate the best project with you, we offer our supervision during the construction, ensuring that times and costs are respected and that Gulets are delivered with a high level of quality and safety and with the necessary and original certifications and classifications.
Our responsibility is to guarantee that the shipyard strictly complies with the construction contract, the technical specifications and the schedule agreed. The quality and control of the jobs, of the equipment and of the products supplied, can be also assigned to a professional and trusted supervisor chosen by the buyer.
At this point, many of you wonder about the price required for the construction of a Gulet. On the market there are shipyards building a 24-meter Gulet with 5/6 cabins for around 1.500.000 Euro and others asking for around 2.800.000 Euro.
Clearly the considerations are quite easy: with the first amount it is impossible to have a boat built according to parameters of safety, aesthetics and navigability conditions following the international regulations and standards.
Furthermore, we need to pay attention to the contracts because many shipyards, just to take the order, offer attractive prices that, however, are going to increase at every stage of work in progress.
Techniques and materials for the construction of the hull
In this chapter we wish to clarify the various types of construction of the hulls, since there is still confusion and distrust in this regard.
Traditional planking: The structure in wood is covered with wooden boards such as pine, very good provided that it is marinized, or with wood of higher quality, as teak, iroko and mahogany, which are nailed and caulked to waterproof the hull. This type of hull requires a constant and careful annual maintenance. We suggest to anyone interested in the purchase of this particular kind of hull to be very careful as, should the boat have not been regularly maintained, they could face serious problems with the hull.
Classic laminate hull: The structural parts and the hull are built as follows: the tree trunk, generally in mahogany, is divided into strips, dried and selected for their quality, which are then joined together to make boards of the same thickness. Finally, these boards are put one on the other and glued together with epoxy resins to form the beams. In this way, the characteristics of mechanical resistance of this type of wood are higher than those of the traditional planking, thanks to the choice of the strips and to the elimination of all the natural defects, as well as the use of synthetic glues with high resistance, both mechanical and temporal. These hulls do not require a standard annual maintenance, it is enough to make it every 4 or 5 years. The application of the glues however has to be made at certain temperatures and not all shipyards follow this rule. The risk is the formation of bubbles and consequent osmotic processes, much more serious than the change of a simple planking board.
Spoon laminate hull: There is also the spoon laminate technology. In this way, all wooden parts, generally mahogany or woods of great quality, are carved in an elliptical shape and then fixed together with a synthetic glue of high resistance.
Under the water line (underwork hull), two or more layers of thin but resistant boards are applied, glued and pressed together, in order to have a good waterproofing.
After the plywood is fixed, epoxy resins are applied both to the hull below the water line and above it (upperwork hull).
Once this work is finished, the hull is painted.
Also this kind of hull does not need yearly maintenance, it is enough to make it every 4 or 5 years.
Regarding the dimensions of the boards used for the hull, usually the width is of 5 cm. and the height is of 7 cm.
Another difference between the classic laminate and the spoon laminate is that in the first case there are boards of 2,5 cm. of thickness in the first layer and of 1,5 cm. in the second and third layer, while in the spoon laminate there are boards of solid wood of 5 cm. of thickness in every layer.
Steel hull: Some Turkish shipyards in the recent years have become more specialized in the construction of Gulet with steel hulls, deckhouse, bridge and interior furnishing in high quality wood, with a good result in terms of safety and aesthetics outlook and a corresponding great decrease in maintenance costs as well. At present, there are some Gulets on the market with this type of hull, but for the most part longer than 24 meters. This kind of hull requires very little maintenance, but also in this case it is not enough that the hull is made of steel to ensure strength and safety, as this depends mainly on the type of steel used, on the welding performed, on the sandblasting and, of course, on the seriousness of the shipyard that has built it!
Why refitting a Gulet?
Very often we have potential buyers who would like to buy a gulet for private use but, even more, for commercial use.
Of course, not everybody has important figures available for purchasing from the beginning a boat already in perfect conditions and suitable for registration and market requirements.
The main point is that gulets not so expensive, and therefore not so recent, not in very good conditions and for the most part not in compliance with EU regulations, in case of requirements required for registration in Europe, they need some jobs and, very often, the change of the engine if produced after a certain period.
For those who instead are already owners of a gulet but who would like to refit the boat due to extraordinary maintenance, personal taste or commercial needs, having the boat in perfect conditions also means keeping a good value in case of sale.
In the last years, we have therefore tightened up a deep and detailed collaboration for the refitting service with a few selected Turkish shipyards. In the past, this service was not so much required, at that time the best solution was to build a new boat as the costs were still affordable.
We would like to highlight that a refitted boat can never be considered as a new one but thanks to the refitting, it is possible to make your boat closer to your needs, both aesthetic and functional. The refit can also be made separately on each of her parts.
If the gulet is an old model, through a good refitting it is possible to install new systems and technologies, or turn her according to a new, fresher and more modern style or, if the hull is made of wood, simply allow it to be better preserved.
A good refitting also means:
• Respect of the original layout or study and change of the planimetry of the inner spaces
• Care for details
• Repairs
• Woodworking and wallpaper works
• Maintenance or reconstruction of electrical and plumbing systems
• Anti-osmosis cycles and painting
• Mechanical, electrical and electronic assistance
• Interior design and decoration
• Total repainting with modern painting cycles, gelcoat and epoxy resins
• Total sandblasting
• Internal and external design assistance with professional engineers and architects of the sector