Murat Erkurt bought the boat in England last year and had it restored in Ipswich.

“The boat was brought to Split, Croatia, in a bigger vessel, and I sailed here from Croatia in two weeks,” Erkurt said. The boat, named “Dafne,” is one of three identical boats built 102 years ago. During the restoration, the boat was equipped with state-of-the-art sailing devices.

“I resided in Bodrum because of my passion for the sea and boats,” Erkurt said. “And I bought Dafne to participate in wooden boat competitions to be held in Bodrum. Three of the same boat were built in 1907, but the two are gone. So, ’Dafne’ is the one and only of its kind.”

Erkurt was welcomed in Bodrum by his wife, his 3-year-old son and many other people. His wife and son carried a banner that read “Welcome home, Father.” Sailors and boat enthusiasts showed great interest in Dafne,” anchored in Yalıkavak Port Bodrum Marina.

Doğan News Agency.