Yacht Charter In Croatia The Most Frequently Asked Questions (2020 update)

People who have never rented a yacht and finally decide to try this exceptional experience can easily get in the position of a discrepancy between what they want and what they think they need. Yacht charter is different in many ways from renting a villa or room in a hotel. This is the reason why you need to have a good think about your yacht charter in Croatia, and of course, share your thoughts with charter professionals who will support you with their knowledge and recommendations. Check out the most frequently asked questions from our clients and get some ideas for your sailboat cruising in Croatia.

1. Should I hire a sailing boat or a catamaran?

This is mostly the question of your preferences. Catamarans, in general, offer more space and comfort onboard than sailing boats. Its also a great choice for sailing for beginners since its more stable than a sailing boat due to two hulls. On the other hand, mooring fees and fuel expenses are also higher on catamarans than on sailing boats. The same statement stands when it comes to rental prices.

2. Which skipper license is valid to operate a vessel in Croatia?

A list of skipper licenses is provided by Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure. Before you, as a captain, confirm your sailing certificate it is best to check or to send a copy of your license to our office so we will check if its on the list of accepted licenses. In addition to the skippers license, the captain must also possess a VHF license. You can also see the list of recognized licenses here.

3. Is it possible to make a food supply on the islands?

Yes, it is. Please note that this refers to inhabited islands only. Bigger Croatian islands such as Brac, Hvar, Korcula or Vis also have post offices, banks, pharmacies and other facilities you might need during your sailing charter in Croatia.

4. Whats included in the charter price of sailing boat?

Charter price includes accommodation in the agreed period, and with all equipment necessary for several days of land-independent cruising. If you are having your Croatia bareboat charter from the boats home port, you wont need to pay berth in that port at all. Other charter boats that have another homeport than the one you are taking it from have berth included only the first and last day of the rental period.

5. How do I find out more about charter legality and propriety?

sailboats for charter, like other types of bareboat charter vessels, need to have official crew list, boat documents, pre-paid tourist taxes and VAT. These documents are provided to you on the charter reception office during the check-in procedure.

6. What are the costs of daily berths in Croatian marinas?

In Croatia, there are ACI marinas (government-owned marinas chain) and privately owned marinas. Prices don't vary significantly between them, and on our web domain, you can see prices of berth in ACI marinas. Prices vary under several factors like period of the year, day in the week (berth from Friday to Sunday is more expensive than from Monday to Thursday) and boat length. Marinas in Croatia also provide electricity, water access, shops, showers and toilettes, laundry services, etc.

7. Can we do a One-way yacht charter in Croatia from Split to Dubrovnik?

One-way charter is possible depending on availability and at an extra cost. For our sailing boats and catamarans, we require the check out to be on Friday morning until 9 am. This is so because it takes 16 hours for us to bring the boat back from Dubrovnik to Split. The reason why we charge one way is that we need to cover the costs of the skipper who is returning the boat to the home port, fuel for this voyage and the cost of another person that needs to be on board with skipper. If you want to have a one-way yacht charter in Croatia, always communicate it before the booking confirmation so you can be aware of all conditions.

8. Is it permitted to sail outside of Croatian territorial waters?

This depends on how certain boat/yacht is registered. This can easily be check-in boat documents, but we always advise to mention this when you enquire about a boat. To make an example, if you are going from Croatia to Montenegro with a boat, you need to respect border procedures, and these are to check out from Croatia in Cavtat and check-in in Montenegro port of Zelenika. Going with a boat to another country comes at a certain cost.

 9. Why do we need to leave the security deposit and what is it?

If you are having bareboat charter Croatia, you will for sure need to leave a security deposit on check-in. After your yacht charter, the whole deposit will be returned to you, unless some damages or loss of equipment have occurred. In case of damage or losses, the deposit will be kept in the amount needed for the repair or the purchase of damaged or lost equipment. Leaving a security deposit is also mandatory if you have hired a skipper. In such a case, the said deposit cant be used to cover the costs emerged due to skippers negligence, bad operation of the vessel or its equipment. Many charter companies (including ours) have the option of damage waiver, which is essentially insurance of security deposit to leave a smaller amount of monies for deposit.

10. Is it possible to charter a vessel for less than a week?

This is possible. Even though most of the charters go from Saturday to Saturday, our fleet has several vessels that are possible to be rented in any-day combination during the entire charter season. This means that you can charter a boat from e. g. Thursday to Monday. We are also very open to shorter charters in the low season.

11. How do I book a yacht?

You can get in contact with us by email, phone, Skype or social media. We always try to talk with our clients to find out more and offer the most suitable alternatives. What we also do is that we are applying GDPR procedures and rules, which means you wont be harassed by a dozen unwanted emails and that your personal information will be used strictly for pre-defined purposes.

12. Do I have to hire a professional skipper?

If you are having bareboat sailing in Croatia and dont have a valid license and enough of sailing experience, this is mandatory. Having skipper on board means that you have no responsibilities regarding the boat itself. Skippers are also very often sources of useful information just imagine how many recommendations can give someone who sails for a living. We are here for you to find the best skipper.

13. I have sailing experience but do not possess a license. What do I do?

If you are into renting a yacht in Croatia, the person that is navigating the boat must possess a valid license, corresponding to Croatian rules and regulations. There is a possibility to take an exam in one of the Croatian port authorities the certificate is obtained the same day. In case you opt for this, We are keen to help you in organizing the exam and can let you know all the necessary details in time (i. e. the price of the exam as well as the exact time when and the place of the exam). Otherwise, you can get a license from some of the countries that have licenses accepted by Croatian authorities.

14. Are skipper services included in the rental price?

If you are having bareboat charter Croatia, then the skipper service is an extra cost on top of the charter price. This cost goes from 150 200 EUR per day plus food and drinks for the skipper. Slightly lower prices are for hostess service. When we talk about yacht charter in Croatia with a crew, then their service is included in the charter price.

15. Where does the skipper sleep?

This primarily depends on the yacht type. On a sailing boat, the skipper can sleep either in a salon or in a cabin. If you have skippered yacht charter on a sailing boat, we advise you to provide a cabin for a skipper, so salon can be easily used by everyone on board. Catamarans always have small cabins for one person in each hull bow. Larger crewed vessels have crew quarters where the crew sleeps.

16. What yacht suits me the best (type and size)?

This is the question whose answer every client that is looking for a yacht charter in Croatia should know. Thats why we ask our clients certain questions when they make an inquiry. The most important would be to know if you want to have a bareboat charter (and maybe hire a skipper if you dont have the license) or you are closer to choose a fully crewed yacht. Its good to know some answers before you make your inquiry, because more you know, the better will be a recommendation from our side. So, you might ask yourself:

• How many persons are in your group?
• What kinds of cabins are the best?
• Is it better to have more double bed cabins or twin bed cabins?
• Do you want something comfortable and luxurious, or a simple sailing boat is enough?
• Do you need a skipper?
• Or you would like to have a whole crew including captain, chef, hostess and deckhand?
• Would you like to do a cabin charter on a larger vessel?

Also, if you have some special requests it would be ideal to mention them before we start yacht offer selection.

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