Sailor’s Newspaper: Can you briefly introduce yourself? How did your maritime career begin? What drew you to the sea?
Orkan Güler: First of all, I would like to thank you for your kind request. I was born in 1967 to a German mother and a Turkish father. Our family originally hails from Istanbul's Suadiye district. I consider myself "old school" in both name and lifestyle, as foreigners would describe it.
I wouldn’t say I come from a lineage of grand admirals or innate seafarers, but like every native of old İstanbul, I grew up closely connected to and at peace with the sea. In his youth, my father used to catch swordfish and set lobster traps in the waters off Suadiye.
My late uncle Murat Güler was Turkey’s national swimmer and the first Turk to swim across the English Channel in 1954. Another late uncle, İsmet Güler, had a boat named "Hülya" built by the renowned shipwright Harun Ulman in the 1950s. While attempting to launch the boat into the sea from the Suadiye Beach Road using oil-soaked planks and a slipway, a tram operating on Bağdat Avenue couldn't stop and collided with the boat, making headlines at the time with the story: "Tram Crashes into Boat!"
Another family tale recounts a day when Atatürk visited Suadiye Beach and the Suadiye Hotel, owned by my late grandfather Mustafa Güler. Atatürk chose to walk on the sand instead of the rugs laid out for him as he visited the hotel.
Gazi Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK at the Suadiye beach.
I spent my childhood, primary school years, and youth in Pendik, in a waterfront mansion located near Pavli Island. It had its own pier, boathouse, and even a lighthouse-like tower.
Tower at the Pendik and Orkan 3 boat
I attended college in Germany and Belgium, then returned home to work in various sectors.
Living by the sea, constantly gazing at it day and night, is a privilege. This interaction sparked my love for the sea, beginning with fishing endlessly from our pier and later advancing with a 3-meter wooden dinghy powered by a 4-horsepower outboard motor my father gifted me.
During the summers, I would row my dinghy to and from my primary school near the Pendik Promontory. Later, I learned to sail an Optimist dinghy at the Pendik Yacht Club and thus my journey in maritime life began.
In the 1970s, before it became a military zone, Pavli Island was a public haven, offering a sheltered harbor for boats due to the breakwater later connecting it to the mainland. It was a popular weekend destination for yacht owners of the time.
Taking advantage of our mansion’s proximity to the island, I spent my weekends wandering among the artistic wooden sailboats moored there. I would row my small dinghy to the lee of the anchored boats, admiring every detail without disturbing anyone. The scent of rakı, dampness, humidity, and linseed oil emanating from these boats was captivating.
Some of the boats I vividly remember include Aloha, Koç, Escapade, Antares II, Mig-Nig, Anabella, Safari, Lili, Maşallah, and Toy. Among these was also "Kısmet," Sadun Boro’s famous sailboat. Thanks to my German heritage through my mother, I met Sadun Boro, his wife Oda, and their daughter Deniz during those years. Deniz and I used to play in the cabin of "Kısmet."
As the years passed, I acquired a 7-meter wooden motorboat and my first sailboat, "Orkan III," a 1981 design by Willem De Vries Lentsch Sr., built in Kartal by İsmail and İbrahim Gümüş. This boat marked the beginning of my decision to live entirely on the sea.
Lone Star
Over the years, I restored various boats, including a 11-meter Van de Stadt design sailboat named "Perdida," a 13-meter Grand Banks 42 trawler named "Mood Indigo," and a 16-meter Jongert Trewes ketch named "Lone Star."
Lone Star
Currently, I live aboard "Kokona Mou," a 17-meter wooden yacht built by Sefer Yıldırım.
As my passion for boats grew, I had the opportunity to personally meet legendary boat designers like the late Athar Beşpınar and Cafer Seyfioğlu, studying their designs and benefiting from their insights. In the later stages of my life, I was fortunate to turn my passion into a profession, solidifying my knowledge and experiences. I can confidently say that I made significant contributions to some of the most renowned companies in the industry, serving as a technical manager and helping them achieve their current top-tier status—even if my contributions have long been forgotten by them. For example, I led the complete restoration of a 45-meter wooden motor yacht that had sunk in Greece, bringing it back to life within two years and securing its RINA class certification. This project was carried out in Tuzla, Turkey, where I served as the project manager.
In 2013, I transferred to Hanse Yachts AG in Greifswald, Germany, as a Quality Control Manager. Hanse Yachts produces not only Hanse-brand yachts but also MOODY, DEHLER, and FJORD yachts. Later, I worked in another German city overseeing Jeanneau group yachts' technical operations.
In 2020, I returned to Turkey and have since been living aboard my boat in Yalova. I now manage restoration projects as a turnkey project manager and oversee quality control for various yachts. I believe I am one of the few in the country capable of undertaking full-scale restorations that address every aspect of a yacht with the expertise of a true seafarer.
S. N: How did working with large companies shape your maritime experience?
O.G: I believe there is no limit to learning and self-improvement. Working for large companies and meeting their high standards of quality and technical expertise has been a source of pride for me. For instance, while serving as Quality Control Manager at Hanse Yachts in Germany, approximately 800 boats were produced annually on their production line. Each of these boats bore my signature of approval in their quality control files. Being a Turkish mariner who grew up in Turkey and serving in such a role at a German shipyard is something not everyone gets to experience.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.
The article series will continue…
Banu Demir / The Sailor's Newspaper
Photograps: Orkan Güler / orkanguler@hotmail.com
