The Mare Nostrum II is a modern take on the gulet, a traditional vessel home to the southwestern coast of Turkey, although similar vessels can be found across the eastern Mediterranean. At 54m, 61m when including the bowsprit, this Mediterranean marvel is perfectly at home sailing within its native Turkish waters or in the French Riviera. It strikes the right balance between tradition, practicality and modern styling.

A traditional gulet is a displacement vessel that offers large volume, making it perfect for exploring and relaxing. This design is primarily aimed at the charter market and features a number of carefully considered design solutions and a clever layout package. It is based on an existing range of yachts that are chartered by a local company based in southern Turkey. One of the gulets it manages is called Mare Nostrum, and so using this as a base, we’ve created a new, more modern twist to bring the gulet into the 21st century.

Unlike most gulets, the Mare Nostrum II will be constructed in steel and aluminium. The engine room has been pushed below the waterline and onto the tank deck, where the crew mess and storage of provisions is also located. This frees up the lower deck for guest and crew accommodation, making the most of the vessel's volume.

"I am lucky enough to have spent a week a year on a gulet in southern Turkey, and have done so for the last five years. Therefore I have a good understanding of how they operate and what clients want from this type of vessel. They are such wonderful yachts to spend a holiday on. You go around the corner, drop anchor and then everyone jumps into the sea. Then when you are back on board, you get to relax on deck in the sun — it's marvelous."

 — Steve Gresham, Director

With this user experience to hand, it was important during the development of the design to ensure that the exhausts from the generators were channeled as far away from swimmers as possible. To achieve this, the exhausts have been directed up and through the masts, to ensure fumes are kept far away from guests. While the main propulsion engine exhausts are still at waterline, they are not running when at anchor.

A large shell door on the port side — above the waterline — sits flush with the hull and can be folded down to create a lovely bathing platform or act as a tender boarding point.

On the starboard side is a gym, which has a fold down platform too but at a slightly higher level, with direct access to the rest of the interior. It is designed to provide amazing views out to sea and to allow fresh air into the workout space. This can also act as a second boarding location with the use of a boarding ladder.

One of the characteristics of this design is the dining area. With the current boats managed for charter in Turkey, the wheelhouse is forward and the saloon is aft, leaving a gap in between with the dining table. This area provides a special experience for the owner and guests as it is mostly protected from the elements but it is still open. On the Mare Nostrum II, Gresham Yacht Design has incorporated a special lighting detail and an automated sun awning above. It allows the owner or their guests to cover the dining area during the day and then retract the awning at night to look up at the stars.

The wheelhouse is located forward, allowing the captain to see where he’s going when making passage. When at anchor, he can go outside to the helm station on the upper deck, so he can clearly see his anchor past the bow and crew aft of the stern attaching a line to land.

Specification:

LOA: 61m 

Length without bowsprit: 54m

Beam: 11m

Draught: 5m

Fuel tank capacity: 8,500 Lts

Fresh water capacity: 14,000 Lts

Grey water capacity: 4,000 Lts

Black water capacity: 3,000 Lts