SMYRNA

SMYRNA — 30m Gulet Thirty metres of traditional Turkish gulet, launched in 2003 and refitted in 2010, Smyrna belongs to that category of yacht that makes the Blue Cruise what it is: generous beam — 6.6 metres — unhurried lines, and deck space measured in acres rather than square metres. She cruises at 11 knots, which is exactly the right pace for the coastline she works: Bodrum, Göcek, Fethiye, Marmaris, and the long green inlets of Gökova and Hisarönü. Accommodation is arranged in four cabins, each with a double bed, for a total of eight guests. Every cabin has its own shower and heads, and air conditioning throughout — a detail that matters more than it sounds in an Aegean August, when the difference between a good night and a restless one is decided below deck. The interior saloon is built around large seating groups and a bar, with a stereo system and DVD player for evenings that run late, and backgammon and playing cards for the ones that don't. The galley is properly equipped — deep freezer, refrigerator, ice machine — which is what allows the crew to cook aboard at a standard you'd expect ashore, day after day, without provisioning becoming a preoccupation. Above, the deck layout does the real work. Sunbathing cushions, seating areas, tables and chairs, and enough service settings for a full complement of guests: the point is that eight people can spread out, find shade or sun, eat together or read apart, without ever queuing for a spot. A crew of five runs the yacht — meals, service, daily housekeeping, and the quiet availability that makes a week aboard feel effortless rather than organised. For time in the water, Smyrna carries windsurfing equipment, canoes, snorkelling gear and fishing tackle — enough to fill the long afternoons at anchor in Gökova, where the bays are the reason you came.