Safety on The Sea in Croatia

Follow @FindCroatia

The chief responsibility for the safety of the vessel and the crew lies with the skipper and the crew itself. It is, nevertheless, good to know that the National Maritime Search & Rescue Centre, the Harbourmaster’s Office, Police vessels, the Croatian Navy and special-service vessels are always standing by to assist in safe navigation, accident prevention, and to provide assistance in the case of an accident or breakdown.

• The National Centre for Search and Rescue at Sea (SAR) with its headquarters in Rijeka, coordinates search and rescue missions as required and with other neighbouring countries. If necessary, military vessels, fishing boats and other vessels, including air-planes and helicopters that find themselves in some aquatorium are also included in rescue missions. To rescue someone in danger, timely and coordinated efforts of all participating in the rescue are often most important. Along with the Centre, port authorities (of which there are eight) are also on duty 24 hours a day. Therefore in the event of distress on your or some other vessel, one of the participants in this system should be notified as quickly as possible.
• 24 hour watch service – On channels 16 and 10. The National Centre for Search and Rescue also always has the telephone number 9155 available and it also reacts in the GMDSS system. Other than the telephone number 9155, knowing how to use radio stations and sending signals via the GMDSS system, it is also good to know the telephone numbers of port authorities. The port authorities have more than 55 vessels at their disposal which can be used in all weather conditions and on the territory of the entire Adriatic aquatorium. You may also contact port authorities when you need meteorological or other information and not only when you need help. (You may obtain a list of all telephone numbers, including those of port authority branches, in every port authority office or branch.)
• The Croatian marine police have about forty vessels at their disposal, distributed among seven police administrations. With the aid of these vessels they carry out monitoring of the state border, 950 kilometres long and monitoring of internal waterways. Other than monitoring, the marine police also participate in search and rescue missions at sea.
• The Public company Plovput and the Croatian Hydrographic Institute are also responsible for safe navigation on the Adriatic. The basic task of Plovput is care for the maintenance of marine routes and radio services, within its competency are all lighthouses and port lights, or more than 1000 marine signalisation facilities, while the Hydrographic Institute conducts scientific research, developmental and professional projects connected to safe navigation on the Adriatic, hydrographic-geodesic measurements of the Adriatic, marine geodesic activities, planning and drafting of marine maps and nautical publications and also carry out oceanographic research and research of the underwater geology. Plovput is responsible for the maintenance of marine radio services which it carries out through the coastal radio stations in Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik. Their activities encompass: watch service (VHF ch 16 and VHF DSC ch 70), radio services for safe navigation (VHR radiotelephone and NAVTEX system), medical advice and assistance services (VHF radio telephone), commercial radio services (VHF radiotelephone), state administration radio services (Centre for search and rescue, port authorities…)Plovput is also involved in the modernisation process of marine telecommunications through the new Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

More about Sailing Croatia