Chartering a boat in Croatia: licence, rules and safety

Licence and charter rules

Licence: Anyone operating a foreign-flagged boat or yacht in Croatian waters must hold a certificate authorising them to operate it. Canada's travel advice says recreational skippers must have an International Certificate of Competence (ICC).

Charter: For operating Croatian-flagged boats, the Ministry recognises foreign certificates as listed in its published MoU table, with limits set for each certificate. Many entries require a radio operator certificate as well if the boat has a VHF or GMDSS-VHF station.

Arriving by boat

Sail by the most direct route to a port of entry, clear immigration there, and get the vignette from the harbour master's office. You can be arrested for entering a non-designated port without telling the authorities.

Season and weather

Forecast: The Marine Meteorological Center of the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) in Split issues the Adriatic marine forecast on meteo.hr.

Rules on the water

Life jackets: Croatia's Ordinance on boats, small craft and yachts lists a lifejacket for every person on board, adults and children, in its equipment tables. Everyone on a boat faster than 20 knots must wear a lifejacket while underway unless they are in an enclosed space.

Dubrovnik: Within 300 m of the coast, in narrow channels and on approaches to harbours and anchorages, all vessels must keep a speed of no more than 8 knots.

Dubrovnik: Anchoring is banned closer than 150 m to the shore of a natural beach.

Dubrovnik: A foreign boat or yacht arriving from abroad must go by the shortest route to a port open to international traffic and buy a vignette. It may not anchor before it has the vignette, except in force majeure, which must be reported to the nearest harbour master's office.

Pula / Istria: Within 300 m of the coast, in narrow channels and on approaches to harbours and anchorages, all vessels must keep a speed of no more than 8 knots.

Pula / Istria: Anchoring is banned closer than 150 m to the shore of a natural beach.

Pula / Istria: In Brijuni National Park, boats may berth only in the port of Veli Brijun and anchor only in ports and mooring sites. They may not stop between the islands of Jerolim and Veli Brijun.

Pula / Istria: A foreign boat or yacht arriving from abroad must go by the shortest route to a port open to international traffic and buy a vignette. It may not anchor before it has the vignette, except in force majeure, which must be reported to the nearest harbour master's office.

Šibenik: Within 300 m of the coast, in narrow channels and on approaches to harbours and anchorages, all vessels must keep a speed of no more than 8 knots.

Šibenik: Anchoring is banned closer than 150 m to the shore of a natural beach.

Šibenik: Boats under 20 m may use the St Anthony channel into Šibenik at any time without permission, keeping to the right-hand side. Vessels of 20 m or more need clearance from Jadrija signal station, requested on VHF channel 9 ten minutes before reaching the channel entrance.

Šibenik: A foreign boat or yacht arriving from abroad must go by the shortest route to a port open to international traffic and buy a vignette. It may not anchor before it has the vignette, except in force majeure, which must be reported to the nearest harbour master's office.

Split: Within 300 m of the coast, in narrow channels and on approaches to harbours and anchorages, all vessels must keep a speed of no more than 8 knots.

Split: Anchoring is banned closer than 150 m to the shore of a natural beach.

Split: In the Pakleni Channel off Hvar, anchoring is banned within 0.6 NM of the islet of Galešnik.

Split: A foreign boat or yacht arriving from abroad must go by the shortest route to a port open to international traffic and buy a vignette. It may not anchor before it has the vignette, except in force majeure, which must be reported to the nearest harbour master's office.

Zadar and the Kornati: Within 300 m of the coast, in narrow channels and on approaches to harbours and anchorages, all vessels must keep a speed of no more than 8 knots.

Zadar and the Kornati: Every visitor to Kornati National Park needs a valid ticket for each day in the park. Tickets bought before entering the park are cheaper than those sold by rangers inside it.

Zadar and the Kornati: The Kornati park rules set a maximum speed of 8 knots in the park. In the strict protection zones (around Purara, Klint and Volić, Mrtovnjak, Kolobučar and the Obručan islets) boats may not sail, anchor or moor without the park's permission.

Zadar and the Kornati: In Telašćica Nature Park (Dugi otok) the 2022 rules ban anchoring and allow mooring only at marked places. Visitors must hold a ticket for their whole stay.

Hazards and warnings

Croatia has zero tolerance for alcohol when you are in charge of a yacht or boat, and heavy penalties.

Šibenik: In the St Anthony channel boats must not overtake (except in an emergency or for safe manoeuvring) or make damaging wash. Anchoring is banned in the channel and off its outer entrance.

Zadar and the Kornati: In the narrow Mala Proversa passage between Dugi otok and Kornat the speed limit is 5 knots, and sailing, anchoring, stopping and fishing are banned in and at the approach to the passage.

On the radio

Plovput's three coast radio stations, Rijeka Radio, Split Radio and Dubrovnik Radio, keep radio service running permanently (24/7/365). VHF channel 16 is for distress calls and VHF channel 70 for DSC calls.

Scheduled VHF maritime safety information broadcasts: Rijeka Radio uses channels 04, 19, 20, 23, 24, 81 and 85 at 05:30, 12:30, 19:30 and 00:30 UTC. Split Radio uses channels 07, 21, 23, 28, 81 and 84 at 05:45, 12:45, 19:45 and 00:45 UTC. Dubrovnik Radio uses channels 04, 07, 28 and 85 at 06:20, 13:20, 20:20 and 01:20 UTC.

Divers

The Center for Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine at Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka runs a hyperbaric chamber; its medical team is available 24/7.

Charter bases in Croatia