Capt. Mustafa Onay
s/y Zarik II

Date interviewed: May 2007

How did you realize you wanted to become a captain?
The coastal city of Marmaris, Turkey, is my home. When I was on holiday in the summers, I would go out at sea. There was a fisherman in front of our house, and I would go out with him for a week at a time. From childhood, I loved the sea.
     I attended the University of Ankara, the technical school, to learn how to work with stainless steel for boat construction. It was the late 1970s, a bad political situation in Turkey, the civil war. So I came home and decided to go to sea for good.
 
What training did you undergo to become a captain?
I was a deckhand. It was the early 1980s and the charter business had just started in Turkey. I became a captain on the gulets [slow, traditional Turkish motorsailers].
     In 1983, I met Ghislaine Bruyere, a sailboat owner from France. I was on my gulet and she was docked next to me in the old harbor in Marmaris. She gave me lessons in English and French. One day, we went sailing on her boat, and it was really quite something. It was a proper sailboat. She gave me a lesson in how to really sail. I left my job on the gulet and became her mate. I would eventually become her husband.
     We worked onboard her 49-foot sailboat Zarik together until 1994, when I became the technical engineer for a charter company here in Turkey. I did that until 2001 while she kept sailing. In 2004, she bought a new sailboat, a 62-footer called Zarik II, and I came back.

What do you think makes Zarik II unique or special in the Turkish charter market?
Zarik II is a sailing boat. She actually sails, 10 to 12 knots. The gulets go about 6 knots, maybe even less.
     And our crew, Ghislaine and I, we are like a radar all day long, always aware of the actual needs of the guests. We always give them what they want before they say it.

How do you determine what itinerary you will set for a given charter?
The itineraries are suggested by the guest’s charter broker, and then Ghislaine and I look at the chart together with the charter broker to confirm. And then, if the guests arrive and they want to change anchorages when they are here, we are flexible.

What are some of your favorite cruising destinations, and why?
You should ask us what we do not like. There is so much here in Turkey to like, it would be easier to say the one or two places that we do not like.
     Ekincik Bay and the Dalyan River are not to be missed. I also like the bay in Gocek because it is beautiful but you also can go shopping onshore.
     The variety of the coast here in Turkey, it’s good sailing, beauty, history—you never get bored.
     I like the Greek islands, as well. The Dodecanese, especially Symi. The scenery of that city, when you come by sea, it is beautiful.

What features onboard your yacht do you particularly enjoy sharing with guests?
The cockpit area onboard Zarik II is very wide, comfortable and dry. And it is shaded, so you can sit here all day.
     In calmer weather, guests can go to the front of the boat to sunbathe while we set up for lunch here in the cockpit.

Describe a typical guest’s day onboard your yacht.
We like to sail early. Usually the guests want to sail in the morning, anchor for lunch and swim, and then sail again to a harbor to shop and dine at night.

What kind of charter guests are your favorites?
We like families, but adults as well.
     We do prefer Americans to Europeans. The Americans we have had onboard have all been educated, traveled, warm and generous. Many of the Europeans, they seem very blasé. We prefer the opposite attitude.

What else should CharterWave readers know about you and Zarik II?
We’re one of the only proper sailing yachts that calls Turkey home, so we tend to be booked at least a year in advance.
     But we do love it here, and we’re not planning to retire. We have plenty of years ahead and would like to have new people come aboard for charters.

Zarik II takes six guests at a lowest weekly base rate of $9,900 under Eastern Mediterranean Charter terms, which typically include breakfast and lunch only. Additional expenses will apply depending on your itinerary.

The yacht is not affiliated with any management company, though it does come highly recommended by many reputable, international charter brokers. Contact one by clicking here for more information.