Boat Charter in Croatia

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As Croatia is popular sailing destination, boat rentals with or without a skipper is one of the fastest-growing businesses.

The last ten years have seen the number of charter vessels increase from five hundred to about three thousand vessels, with most of the rental boats ranging in length from forty to fifty feet.

The reasons driving this massive growth is certainly the suitability of the Croatian coast for sailing, in its beauty, and in the possibility that in one, two or three week trips in a rented boat every day be spent in enjoying a different landscape.

Only companies registered in Croatia can operate charters in Croatia, and the ships they rent must fly the Croatian colours. There are more than 150 such companies. They are in Croatian, foreign or mixed ownership and for the large part own new and modern vessels. Among them are the Croatian subsidiaries of some of the best-known global charter companies.

About eighty percent of the vessels available for charter are sail boats while the rest are made up of various kinds of motor boats, motorised vessels, mostly luxury yachts.

The employees of charter companies operating in Croatia are for the most part experienced sailors and skippers. A detailed list of all charter companies registered in Croatia can be found in the Torns in Kroatien, Sailing in Croatia, La Voile en Croatie and the Crociera nell Adriatico Croato published by More Magazine, the Croatian sailing and boat review, and most of these companies can be found on the Internet site of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (www.hgk.hr).

Always check to see of the company renting a boat to you is properly registered, this being most easily visible from the charter concession documentation that must be kept with the boat documentation, and take care to have all crew members properly entered into the Crew List form.

Importan Info: In order to hire a boat in Croatia on which you would be the skipper, you must possess a sailor’s certification of qualification issued in line with navigation regulations in your country of origin or authorisation from the Republicof Croatia (A, B, C). If there is a maritime UKV-RTF station (VHF) on the vessel, one of the crew members must possess the appropriate authorisation to operate the station.

Of course, you can sail in Croatia with a vessel hired out in another country. In that case you fall under regulations regulating the entry of vessels under foreign colours.

Effectively, with the proper vignette a foreign charter vessel is free to sail Croatian waters under the condition that they do not change the crew during that time.