The southwestern coast of Turkey offers some of the most beautiful yacht charter itineraries in the world. Ancient ruins are available to explore, pristine bays glisten in aquamarine colors, and local towns are built around bazaars where you can haggle for silk rugs, leather goods, and more.

In recent years, demand has declined for yacht charter in Turkey because of the instability in the Middle East—an unfortunate situation given that the unrest has not affected the Turkish coast at all.

“People looked at a map of the world and saw that Turkey was about an inch away from Iraq, where there has been war now for a number of years,” says Yachtstore charter broker Gina Robertson. “That was an unfortunate reaction. People are now realizing just how far a world away the Turkish coast is from the Middle East. It’s an entirely other place, one that offers some of the finest cruising and best charter values in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

One of those exceptional values is the 106-foot motoryacht Nira, a 2007 build that takes 10 guests with five crew. She has availability this summer on Turkey’s southwestern coast with a base in Bodrum.

“In the Western Mediterranean, for a motoryacht of Nira’s size and caliber, the weekly base rate would be far higher,” Robertson says. “In Turkey, however, the market is different. Her weekly base rate is low by comparison, at just €42,000, but you still get a first-class motoryacht experience.”

Among Turkish sailing yachts, Robertson is impressed with the 144-foot gulet Mare Nostrum.

“Gulets are the traditional motorsailers of Turkey, and in the past few years, a few yacht owners have been building gulet-style boats in the quality of Western charter yachts,” Robertson says. “Mare Nostrum is one of these gulets, offering traditional Turkish looks with top-notch Western amenities at a weekly base rate of €45,000.”

The charter season in Turkey can run well into September and October thanks to typically warm temperatures. Contact Robertson for additional information about yachts available in Turkey this summer.

With more and more luxury charter yachts purchasing stand-up paddle boards for guest use, Yachtstore charter broker Gina Robertson climbed aboard one recently in South Florida to see just how challenging they are to use.

“I can see why they are becoming popular, because they’re easy to learn but difficult to master,” Gina says. “The base is big, like a surfboard, and as soon as someone shows you how to hold the paddle properly, you can try to stand up and go. I thought it would be easy in a flat, calm sea, but, boy, was I surprised. Even when you think it’s calm, that water is moving, and you really have to use your core and leg muscles to stay balanced. It was a great workout.”

Some charter guests prefer to kneel or sit in the lotus position on the boards, but Robertson says anyone with a generally active lifestyle should be able to attempt standing up on the first day out.

Atlantica

She also believes stand-up paddle boards are a great activity for a group or family aboard a charter yacht because they can cover a lot of area quickly, just as kayaks might.

“These stand-up paddleboards are all the rage because the Hollywood stars are using them, but I can really see anyone enjoying them,” Robertson says. “It’s even become a phenomenon in South Florida for college kids on spring break. They go out on the ocean and paddle at night. They’re having a blast.”

Charter yachts that offer stand-up paddle boards include the 135-foot Christensen Atlantica, the 98-foot Westship Destiny, and the 141-foot Feadship Silver Cloud. Contact Robertson today for more information about these yachts, or others that offer great water-sports fun.

Just as with New England, the U.S. Great Lakes are seeing an unusual number of yachts available for charter this coming summer season.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Michigan, USA.

The Great Lakes typically only welcome a handful of charter yachts each summer because of the time it takes yachts to cruise there from winter bases in the Caribbean. It’s much faster and easier for yachts to get from the Caribbean to the Bahamas, New England, or even the Mediterranean, since visiting the Great Lakes requires a cruise either up the U.S. East Coast and across the St. Lawrence Seaway, or up the river systems that dissect the U.S. Midwest.

Captivator

This transit challenge of course does not affect charter guests, who step onboard the yachts long after the repositioning for the season is complete. And once in the Great Lakes, the handful of charter yachts there enjoy a great deal of itinerary options. There are small towns to explore along with large cities such as Chicago, islands where cars are prohibited and horseback riding is the norm, lakeside beaches, freshwater scuba diving, woodland  hiking, and remote anchorages where a single yacht can typically have all the scenery to itself.

Lukousaurus

Charter yachts with availability this summer in the Great Lakes include the 84-foot Palmer Johnson Captivator and the 87-foot Broward Lukousaurus. While these yachts might seem small in more developed yachting locales such as the Caribbean and Mediterranean, in the Great Lakes a motoryacht larger than 80 feet is a true sight to behold. Guests will feel like kings and queens of the region.

Yachtstore charter broker Gina Robertson can help you book either of these yachts or others that move to the Great Lakes this summer.