--- title: "How to book a yacht charter in Croatia" description: "Broker or direct, how to read a charter quote, the deposit, how many people the boat may take, and what the law says happens at check-in in Croatia." url: https://olasail.com/charter/booking/ updated: 2026-10-08 --- > The Markdown copy of https://olasail.com/charter/booking/, 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=Booking%20a%20charter%20in%20Croatia%3A%20broker%20or%20direct%2C%20the%20quote%2C%20deposits%20and%20check-in) # Booking a charter in Croatia: broker or direct, the quote, deposits and check-in A broker and a direct booking can both work. What protects you is a line-by-line quote, a contract that names the company running the boat, and a careful check-in. Nobody books every night of a sailing week ahead, because the weather decides: agree with the company what it arranges, such as a skipper, and book only the few nights that matter. 5 papers always on board (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) 7 things the law says the handover covers (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Photo: “Hvar” by [Jeremy Couture](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hvar_(4858219998).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized All 26 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on 8 Oct 2026: 12 from the operator, 13 from official sources and 1 measured by us. See every source 12 From the operator (operator) 13 Official source (official) 1 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). Updated 1 time since 7 Oct 2026. See changes Published 7 Oct 2026. Updated 8 Oct 2026. Before you pay a deposit - Ask who the contract is with, and who holds your money and the security deposit. - Get a line-by-line quote. The same boat can look very different in two quotes. [Read your quote](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#quote) - Agree what the company arranges, such as a skipper or food, and what your crew books itself. [Who arranges what](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#arrangements) - Count your crew against the boat's papers, not the brochure. A brodica may carry at most 12 passengers, and a jahta up to 12 besides its crew. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) ## Broker or direct A broker sells boats from many charter companies. Booking direct means dealing with one company and its own fleet. Neither is safer by itself. Ask the same questions either way. [What a sailor told us about two quotes](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#report-charter-quoteGap) ### Through a broker One contact for many fleets, and help to compare boats and bases. - Which company runs the boat, and at which base? - Who do you pay, and who holds the security deposit? - If the boat isn't ready on Saturday, who sorts it out? ### Direct with the company You deal with the base that hands over the boat. - Which boat exactly, by name and year? - What is in the transit log, and what is extra? - If the boat breaks down, how do you reach the base? ## Read your quote Tick each line your quote already shows. The rest become questions you can copy and send to your broker or charter company before you pay. - The boat by name, year and base: Two boats of the same model can be years apart. - The exact dates, and the season rate used: A low-season rate on a high-season date is a common mistake. - Any discount, and what it depends on: Early booking, a repeat guest or paying in full. - The transit log or charter pack, and what it covers: A fixed fee on most quotes. Ask for its lines. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) - The tourist tax: Each guest, each night, paid before you leave the base. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [What each cost is](https://olasail.com/charter/cost/#each) - A skipper or hostess, if needed: The day rate, where they sleep, and any cash kitty asked with a hostess. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Hiring a skipper](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/) - The licences and crew list they need, and by when: For a week without a skipper, companies ask for the skipper's licence and a VHF licence (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026), and the crew list by a deadline. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) A base that doubts your skills can put its own skipper aboard at your cost. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) - Extras, and their prices: The dinghy's outboard, bedding and towels, a paddle board. - The security deposit, and how it is held: The amount, the card it goes on, and when it is released. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) - A damage waiver, if offered: What it lowers the deposit to, and what it leaves out. - Payment dates and amounts: Your contract sets the dates and the amounts. - Cancellation terms: Ask what happens if you cancel, if the company cancels or if the boat isn't ready. - Check-in and check-out times: When you board on Saturday, and when you must be back. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) - A one-way fee, if you end at another base: The fee, the marina where you hand the boat back, and its check-out time. One company checks one-way boats out on Friday at 3 pm. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) ## Who arranges the skipper, berths and food? Before you pay, agree with the charter company or broker what they arrange and what your crew arranges itself. Ask for any extra service and its price to be added to the written quote. - Can someone book the whole week for us?: Not every night ahead, and nobody can promise it: the weather decides where a boat can sail and stay, and most town quays and buoy fields don't take bookings. What works is a skipper, booked with the boat, who agrees the route with you (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) and books berths and dinners as the week goes, while you book the few nights that matter before you go. [How far ahead to book](https://olasail.com/moorings/booking-a-berth/#ahead) - Boat and contract: Get in writing the boat's name, the company that runs it, the company your contract is with, and a phone number at the base. [Broker or direct](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#broker) - Skipper: Book the skipper through the charter company, or get its approval for one you bring: a paid skipper needs the Croatian category C licence. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Agree where they sleep, their food and what the service includes. [Before you book a skipper](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/#checklist) - Overnight stops: Your crew, or your hired skipper, usually books each night during the week. ACI takes online bookings even on the day you arrive. (From the operator, 8 Oct 2026) Most town quays and many buoy fields take you on arrival. Keep the plan open to the weather: ACI refunds nothing if you cancel after 2 pm the day before, bad weather or not. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [How far ahead to book](https://olasail.com/moorings/booking-a-berth/#ahead) - Restaurant berths: Your crew or skipper books the table and the berth together, and asks whether the berth is free with dinner or has a fee. In July and August popular restaurants are often full, and some need booking up to a week ahead. [What to ask when you book](https://olasail.com/moorings/restaurant-moorings/#ask) - Food: Agree who buys the food or orders it delivered, and when it must reach the boat. [Food, water and fuel](https://olasail.com/charter/#food) - Route: An OlaSail route you save or copy is a plan, not a booking: nothing on it is reserved. With a hired skipper, share the pace and stops you would like before you book. They are wishes: whoever skippers the boat decides each day where to sail and stay, by the forecast. [What a skipper does](https://olasail.com/charter/skipper/#does) ## How many people the boat may take This is where groups get caught out: the law sets one limit, and the charter company often sets a lower one. [What sailors told us](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#report-charter-crewLimit) What the law says How many people A brodica may carry at most 12 passengers, and a jahta up to 12 besides its crew. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) The crew list The charter company registers everyone aboard in the Ministry's eCrew system, at the latest when the boat leaves. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) What it holds For each person: name and surname, gender, date, place and country of birth, citizenship, place and country of residence, and the type and number of their passport or ID (Annex 1). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) What charter companies ask How many people Many cap the crew at the number of berths, even when the boat's papers allow more. Ask for the number in writing before you pay. [What sailors told us](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#report-charter-crewLimit) The crew list They ask for the crew list by a deadline: 14 days before at The Moorings, one or two weeks at Ultra Sailing (its terms say both), and at least 3 days before check-in at Dream Yacht Charter. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Changes Send the names early, and tell the company about any change before you arrive. The printed crew list stays on board, to show an official who asks for it (Article 22). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) ## Deposits, waivers and paying The law asks a charter boat for third-party insurance. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) We found nothing in it about the security deposit, the damage waiver or deposit insurance: those are in your contract. - The deposit: Without a damage waiver, Sunsail holds €5,865 for a 40 to 49 ft monohull and €7,600 for a 42 to 44 ft catamaran on a Visa or Mastercard; with its daily damage waiver, €800 and €1,037. Ultra Sailing holds €1,600 for a 12.4 m monohull and €2,500 for a 12 m catamaran, in cash or as a card hold. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Ask which cards the base takes: a debit card may not work. - A damage waiver: A fee that lowers what you lose if something breaks. Read what it leaves out before you pay for it. - Deposit insurance: A separate policy from an insurer that repays a deposit you lose. - Paying: Pay by card or bank transfer to the company named in the contract, and keep every receipt. - The insurance: A charter boat must have third-party liability insurance that also covers Croatian waters (Article 4). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) ## Check-in At the handover the company must check the skipper's competence, hand over the boat's papers, show that the equipment works, and brief you on safety, the rescue numbers, what to do after an accident and the weather warnings (Article 25). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) You and the company both sign a record of the handover, in two copies. One stays on board (Article 25). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Plan the Saturday around the base. Split Airport to ACI Marina Split: 26 km by road, about 30 minutes, without traffic. Summer Saturdays take longer. (Measured by us, 26 Sep 2026) [Choosing a base: the airport, the first night and Saturday traffic](https://olasail.com/charter/bases/) ### Our check-in list 1. Film the boat, inside and out, with the base technician beside you. Note every mark on the record. 2. Run every system: engine, windlass, toilets, water pump, fridge, lights and instruments. [What sailors told us](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#report-book-r-systems) 3. Check the dinghy and outboard, the anchor chain's length, and the sails and reefing lines. 4. Find the safety gear: lifejackets for everyone, the life raft, flares, fire extinguishers and the first aid kit. [The safety check before you sail](https://olasail.com/croatia/safety-and-emergencies/#before) 5. Check the papers. On board you must always have proof that the boat is seaworthy, proof of the skipper's qualification, the third-party insurance, the crew list and the handover record (Article 26). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) 6. Brief the whole crew, not only the skipper: where things are, and what to do if someone falls in. 7. Save the base's phone number, and the sea rescue number, 195. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [Who to call in an emergency at sea](https://olasail.com/croatia/safety-and-emergencies/#emergency) The skipper's licence and radio certificate: [Licences for sailing in Croatia](https://olasail.com/croatia/licences/). (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) ## Check-out - When: Back in the base marina the evening before you leave: by 5 pm at Sunsail and Dream Yacht Charter, by 6 pm at The Moorings and Ultra Sailing, for fuel and the check-out. You sleep aboard and leave the boat by 8.30 to 9 am on Saturday. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) - Fuel: Fill the tank before you come in, and keep the receipt. Leave time for a queue at the fuel dock. - Damage: Tell the base about anything that broke as soon as it happens, not at check-out. Compare what they find with your check-in video. - The deposit: Ask when it will be released, and get the check-out record signed. ## Common questions - Is it cheaper to book a yacht charter direct or through a broker?: It depends on the company and the week. Compare line-by-line quotes for the same boat, dates and extras. [Read your quote](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#quote) - How many people can a charter yacht take in Croatia?: A brodica may carry at most 12 passengers, and a jahta up to 12 besides its crew. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) The company may allow fewer, often the number of berths. Ask in writing. [How many people the boat may take](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#people) - What does the crew list need?: Each person's name, birth date and place, citizenship, residence and passport or ID number. The company registers it before you leave. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Can we check the boat is real?: The Ministry of the Sea has a free public search of the boats in its register. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Ask the company for the boat's name, and search for it. - What if the boat breaks down?: Call the base first. Write down what broke and when, and keep your messages. [What a sailor told us](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#report-book-r-generator) ## 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=Booking%20a%20charter%20in%20Croatia%3A%20broker%20or%20direct%2C%20the%20quote%2C%20deposits%20and%20check-in) [Other ways to help](https://olasail.com/about/contribute/) ## Sources 26 facts from 19 sources, last checked 8 Oct 2026. [ACI's general terms for online daily berth bookings, in force from 22 Jul 2026](https://aci-marinas.com/general-conditions/), Article 7.7: cancellation within one hour (Booking on the day at ACI marinas, cancelling a booking at ACI marinas) (From the operator, 8 Oct 2026) [Ultra Sailing's base pages and questions](https://ultra-sailing.hr/faq-yachtcharter-croatia/), FAQ "What is included in the charter price" (The transit log fee, the last day of the week) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Ultra Sailing: Oceanis 40.1 "Azorian" (12.43 m, ACI Marina Split): its extras list](https://ultra-sailing.hr/boats/oceanis-40-1/azorian/), extras list, the "HOSTESS" lines (The cash float on crewed boats) (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" and each company's return times (The licence level companies ask for, the details on the crew list, the last day of the week) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [The Moorings: resumes and requirements (licences, experience, crew list)](https://www.moorings.com/yacht-charter/resumes-requirements), the crew list deadline (The details on the crew list) (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 and Article 5 (The details on the crew list, when a base can refuse a crew, the deposit. Split: Ultra Sailing's times) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Show all 19 sources Show fewer sources [Dream Yacht Charter: Base Guide Bareboat Trogir (undated PDF)](https://www.dreamyachtcharter.com/wp-content/uploads/nausys/base_documents/101164/BaseGuide_Bareboat_EN-6ab778a1a750c-Trogir.pdf) (The details on the crew list, the last day of the week) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Sunsail: security deposits and yacht damage waiver](https://www.sunsail.com/about-us/legals/yacht-damage-waiver), "YDW Daily Fees and Security Deposits" (The deposit) (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) [Ultra Sailing: sailing with a skipper (Croatian)](https://ultra-sailing.hr/hr/plovilo-sa-skiperom/) (What a skipper does, Ultra Sailing) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Sunsail's page for its Split-area base (useful information)](https://www.sunsail.com/yacht-charter/mediterranean/croatia/split/useful-information) (The last day of the week) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [The charter ordinance (Pravilnik o uvjetima za obavljanje djelatnosti iznajmljivanja plovila), Narodne novine 42/2017](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2017_04_42_972.html) (Papers on board, what the handover must cover, what the crew list holds, the printed crew list, the insurance the law asks for, the handover record) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure: Search and rescue at sea: MRCC Rijeka keeps a 24-hour watch on 195](https://mmpi.gov.hr/search-and-rescue-7010/7010) (The sea rescue number) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure: public search of boats (Javni pretraživač plovila)](https://mmpi.gov.hr/more-86/javni-pretrazivac-plovila-17818/17818) (Searching the boat register) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [The boats and yachts ordinance (Pravilnik o brodicama, čamcima i jahtama), Narodne novine 13/2020](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_01_13_223.html), Article 4 and Article 81; Article 48 (How many people a boat may carry, a paid skipper's licence) (Official source, 26 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) (How many people a boat may carry, the crew list) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [Changes to the charter ordinance, Narodne novine 73/2020](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_06_73_1416.html) (Who pays tourist tax, and when) (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 radio certificate) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [Our measurement on OpenStreetMap roads with the OSRM route planner, from the airport to the marina, without traffic](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) (Split Airport to ACI Marina Split) (Measured by us, 26 Sep 2026) Photos on this page - Hvar town, island of Hvar. Photo: “Hvar” by [Jeremy Couture](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hvar_(4858219998).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized - Split. Photo: “Aerial view of Marina Split in Croatia” by [dronepicr](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_Marina_Split_in_Croatia_(48608758207).jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), resized - Pakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Pakleni otoci - panoramio (4)” by [Dejan Sekuloski](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pakleni_otoci_-_panoramio_(4).jpg), [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), 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 - 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 (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) 26 facts, last checked 8 Oct 2026. [See every source](https://olasail.com/charter/booking/#sources) [Guide Choosing a base Split, Trogir, Šibenik, Zadar or Dubrovnik: the airport, the first night and Saturday changeover. Compare the bases](https://olasail.com/charter/bases/) ## Keep planning [All guides](https://olasail.com/guides/) [Charter planning What a sailing week really costs The boat, marinas, buoys, fuel, food and the deposit, added up](https://olasail.com/charter/cost/) [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/) [Charter planning Bareboat, skipper or flotilla? Who each way of sailing suits, and the experience a bareboat needs](https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/) [Charter planning How yacht charter in Croatia works Boarding, check-in, the deposit and check-out, in order.](https://olasail.com/charter/)