You probably can’t escape that pre-holiday madness completely. But there are some things that you can actually do to start your sailing holiday in Croatia way more relaxed already and then make sure that you have the best, most recharging holiday ever!
To make sure that your Sailing Holiday in Croatia starts relaxed the minute you step off the plane and lasts throughout your trip, please spare a few minutes and read this article!
Monohull Sailboat Croatia
Monohull sailboats give you performance, freedom and the true feeling of sailing. There are thousands of bareboat sailboats in Croatia, ranging from 30 to 60 feet and from 2-6 cabins. If you want the enjoyment of pure sailing, we'd generally recommend a monohull sailboat.
Catamaran Croatia
Catamarans deliver great comfort and privacy, while providing a lot of communal areas to better enjoy your group (extra space for everyone). Catamarans don't heel ("tip") like a monohull, providing for a more stable feeling on the boat.
Power Catamaran Croatia
When it comes to finding the smoothest ride around, power catamarans are often a top pick. Without sails, these boats ride on two narrow hulls, instead of one wide one. This reduces wave impacts and increases efficiency. These boats are often utilized for charter by vacationers looking to spend a relaxing week or two afloat.
Motor Yacht Croatia
For speed sailing enthusiasts. Charter a motoryacht for total freedom to cruise on your own voyage of discovery. The motoryacht is yours for the holiday to explore the cruising area at your own pace. Motoryacht gives you total flexibility every day.
Before choosing a vessel, please bear in mind the following details:
How many people will be on board?
Does your group consist of pairs who can share the same cabin, or do some crew members requir a separate cabin?
Do you prefer comfort?
Do you require a skipper and hostess or not? If you need skipper or hostess services, please bear in mind that they sleep on board as well, so one of the berths (either in the saloon area or in a cabin) should belong to them.
Just like a car, the older a yacht gets the cheaper it will become. This is due to wear and tear on the yacht, including sun bleaching, fittings becoming worn and things not being as new and modern as they once were. All yachts will be in proper working order with everything working as they should, though please bear in mind that the older the yacht gets the higher the possibilty of breakages. Therefore you will find that all things being equal, an older boat will be cheaper than a newer boat.
We have three general categories of yacht age:
Crewed yacht charter is a type of charter when you charter a yacht, with a professional skipper and a hostess or a chef. It delivers ultimate holiday experience on the water since there will be nothing for you to do but enjoy at your own pace, on your own schedule: swimming, sunbathing, snorkelling, fishing, sightseeing, eating, drinking... continue the list yourself with your preferred holiday activities.
Skipper is in charge of sailing/maneuvering the yacht for you, making the itinerary according your preferences, giving you information about the area, spots to visit, turquoise lagoons for swimming and snorkeling, and restaurants with local food to dine in.
Hostess is responsible for ensuring the yacht is maintained/clean, provisioning, making 2 meals a day, breakfast and lunch (and snacks for the day). If you prefer to dine in the restaurant, we recommend to take a hostess for your sailing trip.
Chef is responsible for provisioning, making 3 meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner (and snacks for the day, not responsible for cleaning the boat). If you prefer the intimacy of your yacht for dinner, we recommend to take a chef for your sailing trip.
When it comes to packing for a seaside trip, you know the basics: dresses, swimsuits, flip flops, hat, sunglases and sunblock. However, there’s a few items novice sailors might not think to bring along.
Pack Light
First and foremost, pack light! Sailboat cabins can be pretty conservative in size (Catamarans are more spacious), and you don’t want to feel claustrophobic with unnecessary personal items cluttering up your space. Stick to one suitcase and be sensible with what (and how much) you pack. A duffel bag is recommended — rather than a hard suitcase — in order to fit your bag into tight spots or fold it up once it’s empty.
Motion Sickness Products
All-natural ginger chews or Dramamine which can be a bit more powerful for those who are really prone to it. Newly popular PSI wristbands: lightweight wristbands that use acupuncture pressure on the wrist to combat nausea. They’re affordable, surprisingly effective, and highly recommended!
Clothing
For clothing we recommend several t-shirts, a couple pairs of short and swimsuits, windbreaker or light rain coat, hat, and sunglasses. For shoes, a pair of street, boat, and water shoes are recommended. It’s best to go barefoot on the boat to keep it clean. If you want to wear shoes you can wear something with non-marking soles and good grip. Linens and towels are included, but you might want to pack a separate beach towel. (It is possible to rent out your beach towel for the week.)
You may be packing for sunshine, but don’t forget that it can get chilly and misty in the evenings. Do not forget a waterproof windbreaker (if it’s a little insulated, even better). If it does rain during your trip, you’ll want to keep your clothes dry.
Hygiene Products
Travel size shampoo, soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste. Earplugs and eyeshades are great for light sleepers.
Convenience Items
Depending on what sailboat you end up on, you may be stuck with limited use to power outlets. Sometimes there are only one or two outlets on the boat to be shared with every on board. Bring a power bank so you can charge your phone and camera at your convenience. If you’re a light sleeper you must pack ear plugs and an eye mask in case the motor starts up early or the sun shines through the porthole. “Dry Bags” or ZipLock bags for money and electronics. Matches, playing cards, flashlight, small bag for beach trips, and a small notebook or journal for writing notes about the trip!
Stuff you DO NOT need to bring:
Cooking and eating implements and utensils.
Navigation tools and charts.
First aid kit. All boats have them on board.
Ladies: First leave the expensive jewelry at home. Then, forget bringing a lot of makeup and a hair dryer.
Most importantly, worries.
Just for fun:
Sailboats often fly flags to show where they have come from. If you have any flags that you would like to fly, from your country, state, university, favorite sports team, etc. feel free to bring them along! Hammocks and inflatable floats are fun too if it’s not a windy day!
With our Sailing Croatia Holiday you have the flexibility of no fixed agenda, no preset ports of call like on a cruise ship. As a guest on a private yacht charter you can change your mind if you get to a port and it's too crowded, or you realize you'd like to stay longer where you are! If one port falls short of your expectations when you get there move on early to the next place!
Use these samplers to help your mind wander through the options before settling on an itinerary that works for you. Consider your ideal ports of call as well as which activities will entartain your group best. We are here to help guide you in terms of logistics and "can't miss" spots.
Don't struggle to much with planning your perfect itinerary by yourself. Once on board, your crew (Skipper & Hostess) will learn your preferences and help you plan your sailing vacation unique to you and your group. Take advantage of their local knowledge and let them show you the best hidden gems Croatia has to offer.
Good to know:
In Croatia you have several marinas in each region. It is very important that you remember the right name of the marina that your boat is moored in. You will get the marina info and contact number of your skipper that will be waiting for you in the marina. Usually the meeting point is at the entrance of the marina or at the reception of the marina. For less struggle in our package we offer organized Airport transfer. The driver waits for you at the airport exit and takes you directly to your designated marina.
Please note that all the services in Croatia are paid in local currency Kunas.
In restaurants, shops and supermarkets you can use credit cards as well, but not everywhere, so it is always recommended to have some cash in local currency with you. Most of the excursions and restaurants on the islands are cash only, even some mooring fees are also cash only. Don't worry, there are a lot of ATMs on your way where you can withdraw enough for your needs.
Good to know:
Security deposit (returnable) for the boat can be paid in cash or credit card. Please check day limit on your credit card before arrival.
When you charter a yacht in Croatia, you will also need to provision it!
There are two basic ways you can provision your boat for your sailing holiday in Croatia:
Recommended groceries to buy for your sailing trip in Croatia?
Breakfast - take lots of easy to eat foods like milk and cereal, bagels, english muffins and toast bread, eggs and lots of fruit.
Lunch - take enough sandwich fixings for the week and lots of seasonal vegetables like fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and other veggies for making quick and great fresh salads. As it’s not so nice to eat a sandwich every single day, and as you will be often at the beach, you can also have some lunches out on land. Stick to easy foods for lunch like pasta or chicken/tuna salads as you will probably sail or moore somewhere that sea might not be always calm.
Dinner - You can make easy dinners by centering them in the cockpit or simply go out for dinner. That’s what most people prefer to do.
Drinks - take lots of water. The golden rule is minimum 1.5 liters/person/day. You will probably never drink that much, but water is inexpensive. You will definitely end up drinking more juices and beer than you do at home. And don’t forget the coffee if you are a morning coffee drinker! Your boat will most likely have at least the most simple kind of coffee maker.
Snacks - Don’t forget to bring lots of snacks – food that is easy to get out when you are hungry while under sail. Snacks are especially good at happy hour, after of swimming and snorkeling while you are waiting for everyone to get cleaned up and for dinner to be ready. Salami, cheese with some olive oil and olives are always welcome.
Condiments - Basic spices, mayonnaise, ketchup, etc.
Spices - If you use a lot of spices, you might want to consider bringing some from home. Put them in small zip locks which are also packed very easily and it will save you money instead of buying full size spice containers for a week’s trip. Premarinating food at home will also take less spices.
Supplies - Don’t forget things like paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, garbage bags and zip lock bags!
Take in consider that refridgerators on boats are not the same as the one you have at home! They are smaller and they have no exact temperature cooling abilities. They only cool when the motor is running or when connected to 220V shore power, so consider that your fridge may not keep everything as cold as you like. The fridge and freezer are often combined. So, start out with lots of ice in your cooler and fridge, run your engine every day to cool off the fridge or go to places which are equipped with electricity. (If your boat is equiped with the generator, your fridge can work 24/7).
Mooring fees
Mooring buoys (estimated 30-60 Euro per night, 1.6 x for catamaran) offer seclusion and privacy. Marinas (80-150 euro per night, 1.6 x for catamaran) have cafes, restaurants, showers & toilet facilities along with shore power and fresh-water refills for the yacht. In our experience a mixture of the all options gives the best balance through the week for most groups.
Excursions
If you want to see more of Croatia, you can go on one of many on shore or water excursions - experience local history, culture and cuisine and activities such as diving, zip-lining and shopping. Sometimes you just need a simple transportation to a nearby city or beach, and you can do what you please once there. The types of shore excursions offered usually depend on the cruise itinerary. For example, some spots are excellent for water activities, and another for a wine tasting or visits to museums and historic buildings. Prices can range from as little as €10 per person to hundreds of euros, depending on what's included or how exclusive the experience is.
National park fees
There are areas in Croatia that are declared as National Parks - island Mljet, island Lastovo, Kornati islands, waterfalls of river Krka etc. And if you visit them you have to calculate an entrance fee. Some national parks have the entrance fee for the whole boat, and some of them per person.
Dinning out
For sure you want to try some local Croatian dish when sailing in Croatia. Don't miss out on fresh fish and 'Peka' (dish under the bell). The prices for a nice dinner, with starters and a glass of wine, start from 30-35 € per person.
Activities while afloat
What to do when you find a perfect anchoring spot? There are several activities that can bring a smile on your face:
SUP (Stand up paddle board / 120€ per week) - a fun and relaxing activity that most anyone can do, it is also one of the best workouts out there.
SEE KAYAKING (120€ per week) - Kayaks have long been a popular addition to private yacht charter and are a fantastic way to get out and explore an anchorage spot.
SNORKELING - Easy enough for children, and exciting enough for even the most jaded traveler. We recommend that you bring your own snorkeling equipment or buy one while in Croatia. Basic set (mask and snorkel) you can find already from 15 € - 20€.
Get in touch with your booking specialist and let us help you organize your perfect Sailing Holiday in Croatia!
Sail and explore the Coast of a Thousand Islands!
