--- title: "Bareboat, skippered or flotilla charter in Croatia" description: "Can you sail a charter boat in Croatia yourself? What bareboat, skippered and flotilla weeks need and suit, with a six-question self-check." url: https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/ updated: 2026-10-07 --- > The Markdown copy of https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/, from OlaSail, a planning reference for sailing in Croatia, not for navigation. Every page: https://olasail.com/llms.txt [Report a change](https://olasail.com/about/corrections/#page=Bareboat%2C%20skipper%20or%20flotilla%3A%20what%20experience%20you%20need) # Bareboat, skipper or flotilla: what experience you need Go bareboat only if your skipper holds a licence and can reverse a 12 m boat into a crowded harbour in a breeze. If not, hire a skipper or join a flotilla for your first week. Photo: “Šolta Maslinica Hrvatska Uvala Šešula 2019 08a” by [Joadl](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C5%A0olta_Maslinica_Hrvatska_Uvala_%C5%A0e%C5%A1ula_2019_08a.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0 AT](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en), resized All 14 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on 7 Oct 2026: 8 from the operator, 3 from official sources and 3 measured by us. See every source 8 From the operator (operator) 3 Official source (official) 3 Measured by us (measured) Written by [Domagoj Franc](https://olasail.com/about/people/domagoj-franc/), editor. Reviewed by [Ivor Benko](https://olasail.com/about/people/ivor-benko/), skipper (Croatian skipper's licence, category C). Published 7 Oct 2026. The short answer - Bareboat: you are the skipper and the crew. Your skipper needs a licence and a radio certificate that Croatia accepts. [Which ones count](https://olasail.com/croatia/licences/) - With a skipper: a local skipper sails and moors the boat, and you need no papers. The charter company can add a licensed skipper to your booking: Sunsail, The Moorings, Ultra Sailing and Dream Yacht Charter all offer one. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Hiring a skipper: cost, cabin and tips](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/) - Flotilla: you sail your own boat in a group, with a lead crew who plan the route and help you moor. On a Sunsail flotilla you skipper your own boat. At its Croatian Agana base, you need a skipper licence and a VHF certificate. (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) - Not sure? Answer six questions about your crew. [Can we go bareboat?](https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/#check) ## The three ways, side by side | Question | Bareboat | With a skipper | Flotilla | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Who is in charge | Your skipper, one of you. | A local skipper you hire. | Your skipper, with a lead crew on another boat. | | Papers | A licence and a radio certificate for your skipper. | None for you. The skipper brings theirs. | Usually the same as bareboat. (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) | | Help in harbour | Marina staff usually help with your lines. On a quay or a buoy, you may be on your own. | The skipper moors, and can teach you how. | The lead crew meet you in harbour and take your lines. | | Your route | Your own. | Your own. The skipper can say no to a crossing in bad weather. | The flotilla's plan, with some days free. | | Cabins | All yours. | One goes to the skipper. (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) | All yours. | | Added cost | Nothing on top of the boat. | A daily fee, their food and a tip. (Measured by us, 7 Oct 2026) | A fee for the lead crew. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) | | Suits | A skipper who has moored stern-to before, with one able helper. | Non-sailors, families, and crews who want to learn. | Crews who can sail but have little harbour practice. | ## Can we go bareboat? Six questions about the person who will skipper, and the crew. Be honest: nobody sees your answers but you, and we don't keep them. 1. 1 Does your skipper hold a sailing licence and a VHF radio certificate that Croatia accepts? Not sure? Our [licence guide](https://olasail.com/croatia/licences/) lists which ones count. 2. 2 Has your skipper been in charge of a sailing boat of about 12 m (40 ft) for a week or more? In charge means making the calls, not crewing for someone else. 3. 3 Can your skipper reverse into a gap between two boats, under engine, in a side wind of 10 to 15 knots? This is how you tie up in most Croatian harbours: stern-to, with a line from the seabed to hold the bow. [Med mooring, step by step](https://olasail.com/moorings/med-mooring/) 4. 4 Has your skipper anchored for a night, and checked the anchor held? Bays fill up in summer and chains cross. You need to know when to leave. 5. 5 Can your skipper read a marine forecast, and change the plan because of it? The bura, a strong northeast wind, can arrive fast. The right call is often to stay put for a day. 6. 6 Is there a second person aboard who can steer, handle the lines and help moor? Mooring takes two: one at the helm, one at the bow. 0 of 6 answered Answer all six to see what we suggest. Each answer counts. We only suggest once we have all six. A guide, not a test: the charter company and your own judgment decide. ## What the law asks, and what companies ask Two different things. The law sets the papers. A charter company can ask for more, because it is lending you its boat. We asked three Split charter bases in September 2026. Get your own company's answer in writing, with the quote, before you pay. [How to read a charter quote](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#quote) What the law says Your skipper's papers The law sets which licence and radio certificate your skipper needs. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [Which ones count](https://olasail.com/croatia/licences/) A hired skipper You need no licence. Everyone aboard still goes on the crew list. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) Experience The law asks for the papers. It doesn't test how you handle the boat. What charter companies ask Your skipper's papers Sunsail and The Moorings ask for a licence on the Ministry's list (at least an ICC, RYA Day Skipper, ASA 103, US Sailing Basic Coastal Cruising, SLC or IPC), a VHF licence, and at least 5 days or 100 miles as skipper on a yacht of the same size. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [What sailors told us about check-in](https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/#report-licence-ask-checkIn) A hired skipper The charter company can add a licensed skipper to your booking: Sunsail, The Moorings, Ultra Sailing and Dream Yacht Charter all offer one. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Ask for one when you book. Experience A base can ask your skipper to show their skills. Ultra Sailing and Angelina both say that if the skills fall short, they put an official skipper aboard at your cost, and if you refuse, the contract ends with no refund. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Ask what the base asks for, in writing, before you pay. [What happens at check-in](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#checkin) ## What each is really like, day to day ### Bareboat Sunsail gives 6 pm as its usual boarding time at Marina Agana, its base near Trogir, and sells a 3 pm start as an extra, so the first night is often at the base. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Which base suits your flights and your route is in [choosing a base](https://olasail.com/charter/bases/). Each morning you read the [DHMZ marine forecast](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026), plan the day and leave by 9 am, before the afternoon wind. A day on our Split route runs from 13 to 28 NM. (Measured by us, 25 Sep 2026) You aim to arrive early enough to find a berth. Our Split week is for an intermediate skipper. Two open crossings, the longest about 17 NM from Šolta to Vis. First crews: settled weather, or take a skipper. [Seven days from Split](https://olasail.com/routes/split-seven-days/) Then comes the hard part: reversing into a gap, stern-to, with other crews watching. In a marina, staff help. On a town quay or a buoy you are on your own. For many first-time skippers, the harbours are the hardest part of the week. [Med mooring, step by step](https://olasail.com/moorings/med-mooring/) ### With a skipper The skipper meets you at the base, gives the safety briefing and plans each day with you. They make the weather calls and handle the harbours, and most will let you steer, trim the sails and learn. They also know which konoba (a family-run tavern) to book. You give them a cabin. And you pay for the skipper’s meals aboard and ashore, or agree an allowance with the charter company. (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) They may say no to a crossing in a strong wind. That call is why you hired them. [What a skipper does, and doesn't](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/#does) ### Flotilla A briefing on the lead boat each morning gives the route, the weather and tonight's harbour. You sail your own boat, alone or in company, and the lead crew meet you in harbour to take your lines. Some evenings are group dinners, and some days are free to go your own way. A middle way. Ask the company whether a skipper can come for the first day or two only, and who pays for the skipper's trip back to the base. Sunsail, Ultra Sailing and Angelina don't offer it in their published terms. ## What each adds to the cost On top of the boat, the berths, the fuel and the food, which every crew pays. Bareboat Nothing The cheapest way, if you are ready for it. With a skipper €1,610 For 7 days at €230 a day, the middle of the rates four Split-area charter companies publish, or €268 each for six. Plus their food, and a tip if you give one. (Measured by us, 7 Oct 2026) [What a skipper costs](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/#cost) Flotilla From £3,045 Sunsail sells a flotilla as one price for the boat with its lead crew: from £3,045 in low season and £5,215 in high season from its Agana base, against £1,015 and £4,615 for the same base bareboat. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [Price your own week, with a skipper](https://olasail.com/charter/cost/#calc-skipper) ## Common questions - How much experience do you need to bareboat in Croatia?: By law, the right licence and radio certificate. In practice, a week in charge of a similar boat, and the confidence to moor stern-to under engine in a breeze. [Take the self-check](https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/#check) - Can we hire a skipper for part of the week?: Ask the company whether a skipper can come for the first day or two only, and who pays for the skipper's trip back to the base. Sunsail, Ultra Sailing and Angelina don't offer it in their published terms. - Where does the skipper sleep?: On board, ideally in a cabin of their own: [where the skipper sleeps](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/#cabin). - Do we tip the skipper?: It is up to you: [tipping a skipper in Croatia](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/#tipping). - Is a flotilla a party holiday?: No. A flotilla is a group of charter boats sailing one route with a lead crew. Party weeks, where you book a cabin on a skippered boat with other guests, are something else. ## Help keep this page right Found something different on the water this season? Tell us what you found. We check it with the source before anything changes. [Report a change](https://olasail.com/about/corrections/#page=Bareboat%2C%20skipper%20or%20flotilla%3A%20what%20experience%20you%20need) [Other ways to help](https://olasail.com/about/contribute/) ## Sources 14 facts from 18 sources, last checked 7 Oct 2026. [Sunsail: flotilla sailing](https://www.sunsail.com/sailing-vacations/flotilla-sailing), What is a flotilla? You skipper your own yacht (Papers on a flotilla) (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) [Sunsail Agana base and sailing qualifications](https://www.sunsail.com/uk/destinations/mediterranean/croatia/agana), Agana qualifications required: ICC or RYA Day Skipper and VHF and How much does it cost to charter a yacht in Agana: starting prices by charter type, low and high season (Papers on a flotilla, the flotilla fee) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [Fair Wind charter FAQ](https://fairwind.hr/faq/), Where does the skipper sleep? Saloon sleeping arrangement and Skipper meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner (Where the skipper sleeps, the skipper's food) (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) [Sail Club Croatia 2026 price list](https://sailclubcroatia.com/media/17624200142806_98jrph.pdf), Skipper: a cabin or forepeak to sleep and Skipper plus provisioning (Where the skipper sleeps, the skipper's food) (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) [Fair Wind 2026 price list](https://fairwind.hr/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PRICE-LIST-2026.pdf), Crew services: skipper plus nourishing (The skipper's food) (From the operator, 4 Oct 2026) [Sunsail: book your extras before your charter](https://www.sunsail.com/about-us/extras), "Add a Skipper/ Cook" (Adding a skipper) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Show all 18 sources Show fewer sources [The Moorings: Croatia yacht charter costs (a blog post)](https://www.moorings.com/blog/how-much-does-a-croatia-yacht-charter-cost) (Adding a skipper) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Ultra Sailing: sailing with a skipper (Croatian)](https://ultra-sailing.hr/hr/plovilo-sa-skiperom/) (Adding a skipper) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Dream Yacht Charter: skippered FAQs](https://www.dreamyachtcharter.com/faqs/skippered-faqs/) (Adding a skipper) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [The Moorings' page for its Agana base (useful information)](https://www.moorings.com/destinations/mediterranean/croatia/agana-yacht-charters/useful-information), "Cruising Grounds / Licenses" (The licence level companies ask for) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Ultra Sailing (Ultra d.o.o., Split): general terms and conditions for charter](https://ultra-sailing.hr/booking-terms-and-conditions/), Article 7 (When a base can refuse a crew) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Sunsail's Croatia page](https://www.sunsail.com/yacht-charter/mediterranean/croatia) (Split: boarding time) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [DHMZ marine forecast for the Adriatic (English)](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran) (The marine forecast) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure: list of recognised foreign certificates (Priznate isprave), table of 21 May 2026](https://mmpi.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/MORE/More%205_26/TABLICE%20MoU%20HR-EN%2021-5_26/TABLICA%20MoU%20HRV%2021-5_26.pdf) (The list of recognised licences) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure: Instructions for charter companies (Uputa za obavljanje charter djelatnosti), version 1.3, July 2026](https://mmpi.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/MORE/More%207_26/Nautica%209-7_26/UPUTA%20ZA%20OBAVLJANJE%20CHARTER%20DJELATNOSTI%20U%20REPUBLICI%20HRVATSKOJ%2008.07.26..pdf) (The crew list) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) Our sum: the middle of four Split-area companies' published skipper rates for a 38 to 45 ft monohull (Waypoint €200 a day, Fair Wind €1,540 a week, Ultra Sailing from €230 a day, Sail Club Croatia €250 a day), rounded to €10 (A day with a skipper, in euros) (Measured by us, 7 Oct 2026) Our route tool, along our planned line (redrawn 25 Sep 2026; days 3, 6 and 7 through our plan's stops, joined from the solver's legs of 26 Sep 2026, on 5 Oct 2026) (Distances and hours for every day) (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) Our route tool, along our planned line (The longest day) (Measured by us, 25 Sep 2026) Photos on this page - Uvala Šešula, next to Maslinica, island of Šolta. Photo: “Šolta Maslinica Hrvatska Uvala Šešula 2019 08a” by [Joadl](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C5%A0olta_Maslinica_Hrvatska_Uvala_%C5%A0e%C5%A1ula_2019_08a.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0 AT](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en), resized - Telašćica Bay, heading for the Kornati islands. Photo: “Voilier à Kornati” by [julien](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Voilier_%C3%A0_Kornati.jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized - Marina Punat, Krk. Photo: “Sailboat leaving marina Punat” by [Yacht Rent from Croatia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sailboat_leaving_marina_Punat_(19497124969).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized - ACI Marina Trogir, Čiovo shore of the Trogir channel. Photo: “Trogir marina 053” by [Ante Perkovic](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trogir_marina_053.jpg), [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), resized - Trogir, the channel between the old town and Čiovo. Photo: “Trogir” by [Nick Savchenko from Kiev, Ukraine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trogir_(20799192775).jpg), [CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), resized (From the operator) (Official source) (Seen by us) (Seen by a sailor) (Measured by us) (Sources disagree) (Third-party source) [How we check](https://olasail.com/about/how-we-check/#labels) 14 facts, last checked 7 Oct 2026. [See every source](https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/#sources) [A first week to try Seven days from Split A week planned on the chart, with a Plan B for each day. Two open crossings, the longest about 17 NM from Šolta to Vis. First crews: settled weather, or take a skipper. See the route](https://olasail.com/routes/split-seven-days/) ## Keep planning [All guides](https://olasail.com/guides/) [Charter planning Hiring a skipper: cost, cabin and tips What a hired skipper does, where they sleep and how tipping works](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/) [Moorings Med mooring, step by step How to moor stern-to on a town quay or in a marina, pick up a buoy and tie ashore](https://olasail.com/moorings/med-mooring/) [Sailing in Croatia Do you need a licence to sail in Croatia? What the law asks of a skipper, and what charter companies ask](https://olasail.com/croatia/licences/) [Route An easy first week from Trogir Short hops with no open crossing, for a first bareboat week.](https://olasail.com/routes/first-week-short-hops/)