Tips for Sailing in Croatia

Provisioning on board

There is unwritten rule that there is never enough food on a board:-) In Dubrovnik and Trogir there is supermarket directly in the marina. In ACI Split there is one small but well equipped shop. As it is always crowded there, we kindly recommend better priced supermarket outside of the marina, distanced 5 minutes walk.

Do not forget water, spaghetti, rice, instant soups, smaller package of milk or similar food which is always good to have while sailing. If you have booked bareboat charter from Trogir, there is a green market in the old-town with fresh vegetables and fruits. Split has also a green market in the center of old town (best way to go by taxi boat from ACI marina Split).

Boat fridges in all charter boats are smaller than one that you use at home, so these just fit the most important for the first few days of sailing vacation. If you didn’t get the opportunity to buy everything or forgot something, don’t bother yourself, on most islands in bigger places you can find supermarket to buy provision.

Regarding the kitchen work on board, it should be agreed in advance who does what, cooking falls on the person who has the most fun and experience, the other crew members are divided as auxiliary workers: preparation, cutting, stirring, mixing and finally Wash the dishes.

The most important thing is who you eat with and the mood of the crew, if there is the feeling of harmony and unity of the crew, everything tastes better 😉

Discover more about provisioning and dining on board in our blog:

Restaurants

Most of the restaurants accept credit cards as payment, but those without electricity (for example island Scedro) maybe will be unable to charge your credit card so cash is again the best solution. Always check the price list in any restaurant before choosing fish. Croatian fish is well known and some types are expensive. Even cheaper fishes are good, especially if they are grilled. Also with ordering mixed meat you will not make a mistake. Grilled vegetables or plain boiled are part of Croatian daily menu (chard for example). For Vegetarians Risotto or Italian pasta with mixed salad can be good choice! Kids of course like pizza, but  they should try grilled fish, mixed meat or “čevapčići”.

Some islands, which don’t have frequent connection to the mainland and are poorly inhabited, have no water pipes, so even a bottle of water can surprise you in price and the food came from “far away”, so everything could appear a bit more expensive.

Many restaurants now also offer mooring buoys in front of their restaurants. Some of them do not charge any fees for this, but expect that someone who uses their berth service should eat or drink in the restaurant. Since such berths in high season are often occupied, if you have a certain restaurant in mind, you should reserve both a table and a berth in advance, and clear whether the berth is included in price.

Moorings

Mooring fees vary from place to place. Mostly it depends of the season time (pre-season, high-season), the length of the boat and the service in the individual harbor or marina. In marinas, harbors and ports the prices varies between 4€ and 13€ per meter of length. Please note that in almost all marinas there is a 50% – 100% surcharge for catamarans, because of the width. In the high season it is also common that for a short mooring, you have to pay already half daily price. Therefore, it is good to plan an approximate sailing route in advance, having some alternative moorings to choose from.

Berths in Marinas

All marinas have reception, restaurants, showers etc. When arriving in any marina their staff will help you to find your berth place and take your boat documents to the reception. When leaving please do not forget to pay invoice and take your boat documents again with you. Some of spot marinas in Southern part of Adriatic are: marina Baotic, ACI Trogir, ACI Split, ACI Milna (island Brač), ACI Vrboska (island Hvar), ACI Palmižana (island Hvar), ACI Korčula (island Korčula), ACI Dubrovnik etc. Regarding northern part, there are Marina Kornati, ACI Piskera, Marina Punat, Pula. If there is bad weather forecast predicted, we kindly advice to look for a berth in a marina, since marina have the better facilities and protection. Also it is good after 2-3 days of sailing to spend a day in a marina, to fill up water tanks, wash your laundry, or charge the batteries on shore power. If you have rented a boat in peak season (July and August) and don’t have a berth reservation, try to reach the marina before 16:00h because it can be crowded. Price depends of boat length and season. Price can be checked online on the website of each marina. There are also some mobile apps (free of charge) where you have the phone numbers, berths and prices for most of the marinas and bays along the Croatian coast.

Berths in harbors and ports

Some smaller places as Jelsa, Komiza, Vis, Starigrad, Sipan, Lumbarda, Vela Luka, Orebic, Luka Slano will provide you mooring on a pier with water and electricity. Please mind that some islands as Mljet, Vis or Lastovo have own water provider service, but are not connected with shore (avoid cleaning of boat and long showering). Some places as Starigrad, Hvar, Korcula ,Vis, Veli Lago (Lastovo), Mljet will charge you for mooring buoys. Hvar town is expensive and if you do not look for party & wild night life it is better to avoid peak season and mooring stress in Hvar. We suggest to find a berth in a nearby ACI marina Palmizana or Vinogradisce bay, from where you can always have taxi boat to visit Hvar. Prices for bows in listed places are from 40€-90€. Ask the port authority what is included in price of the berth (water, electricity).

Mooring buoy

For mooring buoys in bays, you have to pay between 1€-7€ per meter of length. The concessions for individual mooring buoys are issued for the sea area, not for the individual buoys, so it can happen that the concessionaire in the bay asks you to pay even though you do not use their buoy but are on your own anchor.

In some bays with restaurants the concessionaire is also the restaurant owner, in such cases there is usually no charge for the buoy but it is understood that you as a guest eat or drink something in the restaurant. Otherwise, anchoring is free everywhere, unless it is marked as prohibited (nature or national park).

Anchorage

Anchoring is possible in lot of bays, but please take care about the signs where is forbidden it is clearly signed. Always take care how local boats are anchored so you can see on which wind the bay is open. If plants and trees grow near the sea it is a sign that the place might be good for anchorage. If you are looking for quiet places for day swimming and maybe night anchoring where no one will charge you there are lots of places on your way. Most of the island offer several anchorage bay which are free of charge, but try to avoid them if it is not good weather forecast and better look for a berth in a marina or harbor. The best place to have swimming in clean first of last day of your charter is south side of Brač (bay Osibova, bay Maslinova or Lučice) or south side of Šolta (bay Livka, bayTatinja). Anchoring in National park Mljet will be charged but it includes entrance tickets to National park and 2 day stay.

What to visit while sailing?

Fishing & diving licence in Adriatic sea – Croatia

You may only fish if you have a permit, which you can obtain online. Recreational fishing is allowed all along the Adriatic, except in the national parks (Brijuni, Kornati, Mljet and Lastovo) and nature parks. Diving areas must be clearly marked by setting a red or orange buoy in the center of the area, or by displaying a diving flag from a high point on the boat being used to dive from. The maximum depth permitted for recreational diving is 40 meters.

More about fishing and diving in the Adriatic while on sailing vacation you can find in our blog.

Fishing license

Licence for recreate (not professional) fishing can be bought online here or some harbor offices (Trogir, Split, Hvar, Brac).  Please mind that many protected animals live in Adriatic sea: Dolphin, the Mediterranean monk seal, turtle, seahorse, shell Prstac, starfish (Asterina, Ophidiaster ophidianus), red coral etc. Half of the year protected are also: Lobster. Penalties are from 3.000,00€ to 15.000,00€.

Diving license

Possible only with diving licence (CMAS,PADi,SSI,NAUI,NASDS,YMCA etc.). We kindly recommend to have diving course in one of many licensed diving schools. Diving is prohibited in most of the areas(near marinas, in national parks, in protected Cultural areas etc.). Penalties are up to 3.000,00€.

Sailing with kids

If you have kids on board it is the best to bring their own life belts as maybe one that charter fleet have will not be suitable for your child. Contact us before your arrival so we can arrange some life belts which are suitable for small children. Do not forget: hat, sun-cream, mosquito repellent cream, sailing shoes, sunglasses…
Cover your child with light white T-shirt between 11:00-15:00 hour ( sun protection ). The boat can be very slippery, so let the children have rubber shoes most of the time (can be bought in supermarkets).
Children on board do not need much. The boat itself is fun to them. They especially like to play with the dinghy and jump into sea from the stern. When renting a boat pay attention to the cockpit, stern and always take a boat with Bimini.Teach your child to take part in the ship’s duties and enjoy the time together. Even withouth TV or Smartphone you can have a very pleasant time with card games, chess or fishing etc. Avoid to eat sweet while sitting in the cockpit because of the bees. Choose a shorter daily routes and bays where they can buy ice cream and have a “good run”. Penciles, paper, books and favourite teddy bear should not be forgotten.

More tips for ideal sailing vacation with children and family sailing in Croatia you can find in our blogs:

Some suggestions:

• Ensure the gangway is stable before leaving the boat.
• Do not drink water from the boat tanks.
• The boat’s electricity runs on batteries, so conserve energy by minimizing the use of lights, opening the refrigerator, etc., unless connected to 220V power in a marina or generator.
• Make sure at least one other crew member knows where the boat keys are and how to start the engine.
• If you are anchored and leaving the boat, leave the mast light on.
• Avoid jumping into the water after prolonged sun exposure, as sudden temperature changes can cause “shock.”
• Greeting the crew of another sailboat or ship is a tradition worth reviving—let’s bring it back into style!
• Likewise, helping someone with mooring may mean they—or another sailor—will assist you when needed!

Ultra Green Codex

• I will respect nature and the environment in every way.
• I will not throw trash into the sea.
• I will avoid discharging wastewater from the vessel near the coast or in sensitive and protected areas.
• I will not dispose of toxic or hazardous waste (e.g., oil, paint, spent batteries) into the sea, but will instead use designated marina waste facilities.
• I will promote and use recycling containers for glass, paper, and plastic.
• I will use eco-friendly paints, detergents and similar products.
• I will report environmental pollution and other environmental violations to the appropriate authorities.
• I will observe fishing laws.
• I will protect marine plants and animals.
• I will not buy or use products made from protected species or removed from underwater ecological sites.
• I will encourage fellow seafarers to protect the environment.