Stories of Cemal Kaptan, one of the names from the founding days of Setur Marinas Çeşme, take us back many years.

Sina Sunay, Setur Marinas Çeşme Front Office Representative

Cemal Kaptan, one of the oldest captains of Çeşme, witnessed the early days of Altın Yunus and Setur Marinas Çeşme. The marina is not just a workplace for him, he cannot get away from it.

Cemal Kaptan is a Çeşme local who has devoted his life to Çeşme and the sea. Having been there since childhood, having grown up with the sea, having existed in the sea, he knows the wind and the waves of Çeşme better than anyone else. He started working on a tirhandil in 1982, when he was just 17 years old. He then became the captain of a gulet. He spent his days around Setur Çeşme marina and hotel, then known as Altın Yunus marina. As a matter of fact, he has a memory in every corner.

He remembers the great interest of tourists in Çeşme during the time he was a captain. He says that the marina would get its share from the peak times of the hotel and that it was quite busy. But he also emphasizes that it is now even more crowded in the short season during the summer months.

His memories are filled with the winds of Çeşme. He always stood by his boat in the winds that got stronger towards evening. Of course, as a seasoned captain, he was used to the winds of Çeşme, but he still could not help checking and keeping an eye on his boat.

Cemal Kaptan's favorite spots at the marina are the green breakwater and the marina café. The green breakwater is where his boat used to be moored. He feels as if he is going through the old days when he passes by the breakwater. The café, on the other hand, is a place of sheer joy for him. He cannot help telling young captains at the café in the evenings about his old captain’s days. Indeed, the smell of wooden boats always brings back the past.

The sea is not just a profession for him, it is life itself. When asked if he likes the old or the current version of the marina, he does not hesitate to say that he likes the current version better. When there are more people and they fill the marina with joy, especially in the summer, time stops passing in his mind, and today meets yesterday.

Although Cemal Kaptan is currently enjoying retirement and a quiet life, he still cannot do without seeing the marina. He cannot resist sitting in his favorite corner in the evening and watching the sun set.