Istanbul is the only major city in the world where a motor yacht can cruise the strait dividing two continents, anchor off a Byzantine palace, and cross to a pine-forested island group for lunch all within a single morning. The four motor yachts based in this area navigate the Bosphorus, the Princes Islands and the Asian shore of the Marmara Sea as a single contiguous charter territory, offering a combination of urban spectacle and natural anchorages unavailable anywhere else in the Mediterranean. The Bosphorus passage is the defining experience: the twin suspension bridges overhead, the Dolmabahce Palace on the European shore, the Rumeli and Anadolu fortresses at the strait narrowest point and, on a clear day, the snow-covered peak of Uludag visible above the Asian coast. The Princes Islands, a group of nine car-free islands 30 minutes by motor from the city, provide the contrast: pine forests, Victorian Ottoman architecture, horse-drawn carriages and clear water for swimming. Motor yachts in Istanbul range from 35-metre displacement vessels fitted for slow harbour cruising to faster 45-metre semi-planing hulls capable of running out to the Black Sea and back in a day. Charter rates start at approximately 40,000 euros per week for a well-fitted 35-metre yacht and rise to 150,000 euros for the largest vessels in peak season. The advance provisioning allowance of 25 to 30 percent covers fuel, food and marina costs.
