ABOUT BLUE VOYAGE
FISHERMAN OF HALIKARNASSUS
The novelist and short story writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı (1886 - 1973 ) was sent to exile to Bodrum for a period of three years, in 1925. He enjoyed the simple life he led there and spent most of his time with fishermen, with whom he felt a common love of nature. He also had a deep interest in history and acheology. Having only the fishing boats as a means of tranportation, he started exploring the nearby coasts. When his exile period was over, he chosed to stay in Bodrum. Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı went on to books and articles about his excursions and experiences. Because of his love for Bodrum and the lifestyle he led, he was later called ' The Fisherman of Halicarnassus' the latter being the ancient name of Bodrum.
In the fallowing years he started sharing his experiences with friends he invited either from İzmir or İstanbul. In all of these voyages, one of his closest confidants, the writer and an art historian Sebahattin Eyüboğlu (1908 - 1973 ), was always present. It was Sebahattin Eyüpoğlu, who made these floating pilgrimages a tradition and named them "Blue Voayages".
But the rustic fishing boats of the earlier Mavi Yolculuk have been replaced by a new type of boat, a wooden sailing vessel made only either in Bodrum or Marmaris, called a gulet. Unfortunately, although Blue Voyages are becoming more and more popular everyday, they risk losing their original cultural character. A new defination of Blue Voyage seems to be chartering a yacht and cruising from bay to bay for relaxation and water sports. But diehards still take the cruise not only to have fun but also to discover and support the coast's tremendous historical heritage.
Routes
There's an immens variety of places to visit and to stay while sailing along the Turkish Coast and the Greek Aegean Islands. Many different routes to enjoy your cruise combine swimming and visiting historical places.
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