I blame my daughter in law. She casually asked if I'd ever seen the TV show, "Below Deck." One episode in and I was hooked. Since meeting Captain Lee, Ben, Eddie and Kate onscreen I have dreamed of chartering my own motor yacht. This year my dreams (sort of) came true.
We'd booked a budget break to Side in Turkey, flying into Antalya airport a couple of weeks before the school holidays (hurrah for home educating). I am a bit of a research freak so I thought I'd check out what there was to see and do above and beyond the stunning Roman ruins which I knew about as this is where we honeymooned decades ago.
We were travelling with our youngest (aged 15) and then our 19-year-old on hols from uni, our 23 year old and 24 year old.
We all love a boat trip so I looked into what was available apart from pirate boats featuring foam parties and lots of drinking - not that my older ones would mind that but my autistic youngest would NOT enjoy it.
Out of curiosity I checked out private charters and was astounded to realise that for under £300 we could book a cute little motor yacht with Side Yacht Rental for four hours including unlimited soft drinks and lunch. We could swim off the boat, borrow snorkelling and fishing gear and, best of all in my mind, sunbathe on bunny pads on the front of the yacht. We could take our own alcohol on board free but we decided not to do this.
I am suspicious by nature so it all seemed a bit too good to be true but after a What's App conversation with an equally cautious Turkish guy we agreed I would meet at the boat to pay a deposit three days before our trip, the day after we arrived in Turkey.
Fast forward to a VERY hot day in Turkey and we made our way to the marina in Side old town and soon found "our" yacht, the Pasa Bey. The Captain was not chiselled or uniformed but had a lovely smile.
The boat appeared to be missing a jacuzzi, deckies, stews and a salon or three but it did have a (teeny-tiny) swim deck, a bathroom and cabin useful for clothes changing purposes, a tiny galley where our lovely Captain chopped salad and astonishingly made proper chips in an oil filled pan perched precariously on a gas bottle, and a covered al-fresco dining area where we enjoyed freshly barbecued fish and chicken during a stop on the Manavgat river with a view of the ocean.
From the marina in Side we traversed from the harbour, past Apollo's Temple and out to sea where we anchored for a swim. There were cold drinks aplenty (water, Cocacola, Fanta and local juices) and a refreshing plate of watermelon. The breeze was amazing on such a hot and humid day, especially on the upper deck.
I spent quite a lot of time taking Below Deck style selfies to send to all my fellow Below Deck fan friends, to populate my profile pictures for years to come and enjoying the relief from what was stiflingly humid weather.
Lunch was amazing and plentiful with the homemade chips being a highlight. Even my youngest who suffers with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) ate some barbecued chicken and the homemade chips which anyone who has autistic children with ARFID will realise is nothing short of a miracle! The chicken and fish had been perfectly barbecued by a crew member in a shack on the beach - I bet that was hot work. (We chose in advance whether we wanted fish or chicken)
Heading back to Side after lunch our Captain said he would stop again for us to swim. It was a little choppier and as we passed Apollo's Temple again we thought he'd forgotten/run out of time/decided it was too rough. But bless him, with just 10 minutes to go to the end of our charter period he sailed past the harbour entrance and round to a calm bay where he invited us to swim as the sun set. What an amazing way to spend golden hour. We ended up having the boat for almost 5 hours making this a very good deal in my opinion.
If you are planning a trip to Side, Turkey and fancy your own Below Deck experience I would heartily recommend this charter company. Admittedly our boat was a little tired but if you wanted to spend more you could get a newer boat, add alcohol, birthday banners and all sorts of other extras into your charter. There were three slots available, morning, lunchtime and afternoon/evening which is the one we opted for to avoid the worst heat/UV levels. We had the added benefit of watching the sunset over the ocean.
We took UV shirts, hats and plenty of suncream - remember a boat is surrounded by water which will reflect UV even if you sit under cover.
In true Below Deck style we also took cash for a tip although lovely as he was our Captain did not get the $20K tip the BD crews are used to.
We delivered our deposit to the marina as I wanted to check there was actually a boat (suspicious as always) but they will send someone to your hotel to collect a deposit if you prefer. They will also arrange transfers from your hotel for an additional fee. We took the dolmus (public transport) there and paid for a taxi home which cost around £15 in total for 6 of us. That option did involve some walking but to be honest even with a private transfer I imagine you'd have to walk down through the old town to get to the marina as no vehicles are allowed in Side Antiq.
It's a beautiful town though and worth a trip to see the Roman ruins, shops selling "tributes" to every brand you've heard of (fakes basically although some are very good) and to buy ice cream from the charismatic ice cream salesmen who make you work for your treat!
The next day we did actually go on another boat trip on one of the many pirate-style ships. It was a good deal at 20 Euros each for a hotel pick up and drop off, lunch, boat trip to Manavgat and a coach trip to the famous Manavgat waterfalls and then to the main Bazaar. I'll write about that soon but I will say it was not a patch on our private charter. However it was a lot cheaper and useful to tick off things we wanted to do all in one day.
Disclaimer: We paid full price for our motor yacht charter. Views and opinions honest as always.