Residents as well as visitors to
Turkey enjoy yachting. Over the past 40 years the sector has grown, and today a large
number of marinas dot the coastline between Istanbul and Antalya.
In Istanbul, yachtsmen will delight in splendid natural
landscapes, open seas and magnificent sunsets, as well as a voyage through
Byzantine and Ottoman history as they sail past impressive castles,
palaces and mosques.
After navigating the breathtaking Bosphorus and sailing under the two
enormous bridges which join Europe and Asia or meandering along the
mosque-lined Golden Horn or cruising in the coves and bays of the Princes'
Islands, you can return to one of the two large marinas in the area.
From the North Sea
through the European interior, yachts can sail down the European canal
system and the Rhine and Danube Rivers into the Black Sea harbours and on to
Istanbul - a safe and short way to reach the Turkish Mediterranean coast and marinas.
The Black Sea has a lush green coastal band where
the environment is protected and virginal. There are frequent coves and
fishing harbours and the weather is mild during
summer and winter.
Turkey's most established marinas lie on the southern
Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. These well-equipped harbours offer all the services
and provisions required.
Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir and Istanbul airports
provide quick links to all of Turkey's marinas. After an easy flight you
can board your yacht and sail off all within a day.
There are of course regulations on using foreign owned yachts in Turkish waters and
leaving them in Turkish marinas.
Yachts must enter or leave Turkey at official ports of entry: there are more than 30, including Istanbul, Izmir, Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and Antalya.
The Transit Log (yacht registration form) is a permit to sail in Turkish waters and to enter Turkish ports. Formalities are completed on this form at the port of entry. It is valid for three months and costs $25. It must be renewed when new crew join the yacht
or when the yacht is left in a marina for laying up.
Upon entry into Turkish waters, the foreign
yacht will be recorded in the yacht owner's or captain's passport by the
customs authorities. This record should be cancelled on departure for foreign ports or when leaving the yacht for winter lay-up.
Foreign yacht-owners can import spare parts and equipment for
use on their yachts duty-free. These spare parts and
equipment must be recorded in the inventory of the yacht.
Foreign-registered yachts may also obtain tax-free diesel fuel.
Both Turkish and foreign yachts are required to have authorization on
their Transit Log from the harbour-master while sailing between
Turkish ports.
If leaving for or returning from foreign ports, yachts are required to complete the full clearance procedure with the
customs, health and passport authorities.
Yacht owners or captains must surrender their Transit Log to the
harbour-master when the cruise is completed.
Foreigners may leave their yachts in Turkey at a licensed yacht harbour
for storage, maintenance or repair for two years, and may leave the country, but must take the documentation supplied by the yacht harbour to the regional customs office.
Yacht owners may leave their yachts for longer periods, up to five years,
provided that the yacht sails from the harbour at least once every two years.
(It is not necessary to leave Turkish waters).
At the end of five years, the Ministry of Tourism may extend
the permit.
Foreign-owned private yachts are permitted to sail in Turkish waters
provided that the owner is on board. Yachts owned jointly or by clubs or associations may be sailed by any one of four nominated joint-owners.
Private yacht owners may have foreign or Turkish
guests on board as long as
there is no commmercial undertaking.
Foreign yachtsmen are allowed to use their foreign-registered vehicles
in Turkey for six months in any one year, but their vehicles must be put into the marina customs bond (for up to four months, with a possible extension of two more months) while they are on the yacht.
Foreign yacht owners
cannot keep their yachts and their vehicles on their passports at the same
time, so it is advisable on entering Turkey if the yacht owner's wife or
friend has the vehicle recorded in their passport.
Regulations for foreign yachtsmen wishing to stay in Turkey differ
according to nationality involved. Visitors from the UK require a visa sticker which is obtained on entry and remains valid for up to three months.
Yachtsmen who wish to stay in Turkey for more than three months can apply
for renewal. If they leave Turkey for a foreign port and later return, a
new three-month visa will automatically be issued.
Of course, if you do not have the time, or the experience, to take your own yacht and wrestle with all this bureaucracy, you can learn to sail from Setur Marina Kusadasi.
Old or young, it's never to late to have a go. New horizons will open up to you from the start.
Our Team at the Black Sea Ship Builders and Sailing School have many years of helping the young at heart broaden their minds and discover a whole new world.
It's fun all the way, without compromising safety. Whether it be a day or a
week, single or group, we can cater for all needs. We are based at Setur
Kusadasi Marina Turkey in the Northern Aegean.
There are endless
opportunities to explore the fascinating bays and inlets of the Turkish
coast and nearby Greek islands. The whole area is rich in historical
sites, many of which are easily accessible to those arriving by boat.
Setur Marina in Kusadasi is one link in a long chain around the Turkish coast. It
offers all the usual marina facilities, always updating to
keep pace with yachtsmen's needs.
If you would like the “champagne lifestyle on a beer budget,” this is the
place to visit.
Contact Colin and Mary on 00902566815146 or mobile 05378665046
