TYPES OF GULETTES There are basically three types available of Gulet in Turkey, the standard Gulet, the Ayna Ketch and the Tirhandil. All three types are essentially motor sailing yachts, raising their sails when the wind conditions are most suitable. Of the three types, the Tirhandil is the most suited to cruising under sail.Trawl around the Internet and you will come up with a number of conflicting descriptions for each of the Gulet types and where they originated. For the prospective buyer of a Gulet all that is really needed, is to know the basic difference between the three types and the advantages and disadvantages of each depending on its intended primary function.

STANDART GULET The standard Gulet is similarly shaped to the Tirhandil with a rounded and undercut stern,but usually larger. The increase in dimensions, the addition of a mast or two and subtle modifications to the hull make more room for forward and central cabins, and of course make it more suitable for chartering.This is adaptation of gulets today for chartering more well.

ELUSIVE TIRHANDIL Despite generally being the superior sailing vessel of the three, have less aft deck space for Blue Cruise voyages, they are not as frequently commissioned by local builders and thus remain elusive. Yet it is the tirhandil, more so than the gulet, which carries the most traditional elements of Aegean sailing boats of the last two millennium.Its origins from the Bodrum area having two masts , a bow spirit and lateen sails.It is beak-nosed with a scoop stern and sample interior capacity.Tirhandils are workhorses of the Mediterranean last 2 thousand years and is similar to its cousin, the caique, and the Greek transport vessel called perama. The Greek equivalent of tirhandil is trechenderi.

AYNA KETCH (KETCH GULET)

This is the ultimate in Charter Gulet development, a compromise between a sailing Gulet and functionality as a spacious charter boat. More suited to motor cruising than sailing, though its design still allows some sailing opportunities in favorable wind conditions. The squared off and deepened stern allows for the inclusion of cabins below a raised rear deck, ideal for outdoor dining. The beam cross section is also deepened to eliminate as much as possible the inward slope of the hull in the cabins.It look like  gulet but has a squared off stern.The primary advantage over a gulet is to the passengers in the form of increased cabin space with an aft master cabin or separate crew quarters. Translated, ayna kic literally means "paneled rear" or "mirror-assed", depending on the preferred interpretation. Some local people call it as ketch because of the rigging.