FAQ
Search our Archive of Frequently Asked Questions for answers you need
The options for a seven day itinerary in Croatia are so vast that it is hard to sum it up into one or two single itineraries.
Many factors will come into making this decision such as where you depart from, the type of vessel you are Sailing, the ability and nature of your crew, and most importantly, what sort of week you are after.
For first time visitor to Croatia, we often suggest the route from the Split region through the islands of Hvar, Brač, Vis and Śolta offer a great variety of hidden coves, calm bays and picture old towns to explore.
For more adventurous itineraries wanting to do more hours on the water, you can heat out to islands like Lastovo and Sušac to get away from the crowds and get full in touch with nature.
By far what you hear about the most is the ‘Split to Dubrovnik’ route. Which in our view is not a great 7day itinerary as there is a lot of travel time and it does not really allow for spontaneity or weather adjustments.
Sailing from the Split region around the islands in central Dalmatia would be the most common and loved route for first time visiting Croatia by sea.
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To sail in Croatia, you need to have a valid and accepted Skipper’s license as per this list. You also need to possess a valid and accepted VHF license (short range radio).
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As Croatia is now part of the Schengen zone, there is no need to clear in and out with customs when moving around countries within Schengen. If you plan to travel from Croatia to country such as Montenegro or Albania, then you would need to clear Customs out of Gruž in Dubrovnik.
As far as charter boats within Croatia are concerned there is no need to visit the Port Authority or Customs officers during your time Sailing within Croatian Waters.
This is such a common question we get asked and it is very much a subjective topic.
Croatia has many great marinas and ports that you can visit throughout your weeks Sailing here. There are large chains of marinas such as ACI marinas, Marina Frappa and the D-Marin chain.
In our view here at 45 Degrees Sailing some of the best marinas or more accurately ports to visit are they locally run lučka uprava, or port authorities, that manage town piers or rivas for nautical tourism.
Some of our favourites being:
Stari Grad, Hvar
Vrboska, Hvar
Kut, Vis
Luka Vis, Vis
Marina Martinis Marchis, Šolta
Milna, Brač
Korčula City, Korčula
Primošten
Zlarin
Ok.. we have a lot of favourites and there are many more to mention!
If you would like assistanve hand picking which of these amazing locations would suit you and your crew, get in touch with the team about our personalised Itinerary Planning Service
To sail in Croatia, you need to have a valid and accepted Skipper’s license as per this list. You also need to possess a valid and accepted VHF license (short range radio).
The American Sailing Association licenses are accepted in Croatia through the agreement with the European Union and the addition of the IPC license. International proficiency certificate.
You can apply for the certificate through the ASA if you hold a qualifying ASA certificate.
The IPC can also have a VHF endorsement included within the license. Which covers you for the VHF license required here in Croatia to charter a vessel.
A security deposit is the amount you leave on hold on your credit card or in cash at the charter office in case of damages to the boat. If on return, you have damaged the boat to the value of €1000 then you will have that deducted from your security deposit. If you damage the boat beyond the amount of the security deposit (let’s assume the security deposit is €3000 for this example) then €3000 is the maximum amount you will be charged. It is effectively the excess on the insurance policy the yacht has. If you return with no damage, then the entire security deposit is returned to you.
Deposit insurance is when you purchase a separate insurance policy to insure your €3000 security deposit.
In this instance say that policy is €400 plus a €400 refundable portion. If you return the boat undamaged then you will receive €400 back. But you have paid €400 for the policy. If you return with damage, then the maximum amount lost €800. So you just do not receive back the refundable amount.
insurance, damages, claim, credit card, deposit waiver
There are very few pump out stations around. Some marina’s do have them. The standard practice is to dump your holding tanks into the sea 3 or more miles offshore.
Yes it is! We drink the tap water here at home and on the yacht. All of the docks where you can fill your water tanks up on the yacht have potable water. Most charter yachts drinking water from the tank is fine as long as that charter company maintains the tanks properly.
No you do not. This is personal preference. All of the docks where you can fill your water tanks up on the yacht have potable water.
If you like to drink bottled water please bring reusable water bottles and buy larger containers to reduce the amount of plastic that is being consumed.
The only currency is accepted in Croatia is the euro 💶 €. As of 2022 the Croatian Kuna has been completely phased out. If you still have Kuna in your position, you can take it to the local post office (Pošta) to have it converted to euros.
money, euros, cash, currency
In general, the answer to this question is yes. You can store your luggage on board. Of course this will greatly depend on the size of your yacht and how many people and how many cases!
It’s good practice to bring soft luggage on Sailing holidays if you can. So that I can stow in smaller areas.
On larger boats you may have storage cabins like in the fore peaks of catamarans, that can take hard luggage cases.
This question is best directed to your charter agency or contact person once you have decided on your specific yacht. There is also the facility at most marinas for left luggage, that you can pay per item to store it there for the week.
Airport. This is the easiest answer, and safest option. There are other currency exchange outfits around some of the cities, and their rates are usually exorbitant as you would expect from a high traffic tourist destination.
From the Helm
45D Sharpen Up Flotilla
What is a flotilla? Flotilla’s have been popular in charter yacht areas like the Caribbean, Turkey and Croatia for years. It is essentially a group of chartered yachts that sail together on the same route. Usually headed up by a lead yacht and Lead Skipper, flotilla’s were made popular by
Admirals Passage vs Mariners Way
We’ve already written about our Sharpen Up Flotilla, why we created it and how it is different to other flotilla’s HERE. And we touch briefly on the two ways that you can join a Sharpen Up flotilla: Mariners Way Charter your own yacht from the Sharpen Up fleet (for example,