First Impression: Carpe Diem II

Date toured: May 2007

Carpe Diem II is the second gulet—traditional Turkish motorsailer—put into charter in southwest Turkey by the same group of partners. Their third boat, Carpe Diem III, was scheduled to launch from a Turkish shipyard just about the time this review was being written, but Carpe Diem II is expected to stay in charter along with her newer sistership for at least this summer season and probably several more.
     That’s a good thing, I think, based on what I saw during my tour of Carpe Diem II with Capt. Sevinç Daşkiran. The boat was built in June 2005 and typically does about 16 weeks of charter each year between May and October, the prime cruising months in Turkey. Even given that busy schedule, Carpe Diem II was in good condition during my tour, no doubt at least in part because four of the six crew members have been working together onboard since the boat’s original launch.
     The captain told me Carpe Diem II has twin generators, which is important in Turkey because temperatures can get well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and some gulets cannot generate enough electrical power to run their air conditioners 24 hours a day. Capt. Daşkiran says that Carpe Diem II can, an important amenity during any charter in this region. 
     He also says guests are welcome to use his laptop computer for access to the Internet—but don’t expect service to be high speed (that’s a rarity onboard gulets in Turkey). Also, don’t expect satellite television, or even TV screens for watching DVDs. There is one small television in the master cabin, but no other guest cabins have TVs.
     On the plus side, Carpe Diem II is quite spacious compared with other gulets, thanks in part to her 115-foot length. The cabins, the main guest areas, even the showers feel big and roomy. The cabins with twin beds, too, are large enough to keep adults comfortable.
     Carpe Diem II is based in Bodrum, Turkey, but does most charters round-trip out of Gocek, which has an airport. The boat takes 10 guests at a lowest weekly rate of 24,500 euros per week, or about $33,000 at presstime--which is promoted as being all-inclusive.
     Contact any reputable charter broker for booking information, and of course to make sure “all-inclusive” really does include everything you expect.—Kim Kavin