Pros and cons for a Croatia week
- Space: a catamaran has more cabins and deck for its length, and a big saloon on one level with the cockpit. Good for four couples or a family.
- At anchor: a catamaran sits flat and rolls much less, so nights on a buoy or at anchor are calmer.
- Under sail: a monohull sails closer to the wind and feels alive. A catamaran stays level but is slower upwind, so crews motor more.
- Harbours and cost: a catamaran is much wider, needs a wider gap and often pays more a night. In the Split-Dalmatia county ports, catamarans pay twice the rate per metre. (Official source, ) On our Split week that could add €564. (From the operator, )
Side by side
A monohull is the familiar sailboat with one hull and a keel. A catamaran is a sailboat with two hulls. In Croatia, the catamaran vs sailboat choice comes down to room at anchor, berth width and cost. The table uses charter boats of about 12 m, the size our berth prices are for.
| Question | Catamaran | Monohull |
|---|---|---|
| Cabins and space | More cabins and bathrooms for the length. The saloon and cockpit are on one level. | Fewer cabins for the length. Snug below, with a smaller cockpit. |
| Privacy | Cabins sit in two separate hulls. | Cabins share one hull, closer together. |
| At anchor | Flat and steady. Rolls much less when a swell comes in from the side. | Rolls in a side swell. Some crews sleep badly. |
| Under sail | No heeling, so things stay put. Slower upwind. | Heels over, points closer to the wind and feels better to sail. |
| In a short, steep sea | Can slam under the bridge deck, with a jerky motion. | Cuts through it, with a steadier motion. |
| Speed | 6 kn on average, sailing and motoring. | We plan a 12 m charter monohull at about 6 knots on average, sailing and motoring, like a catamaran on average, sailing and motoring. |
| Width | 6.6 to 7.7 m (From the operator, ) | about 4 to 4.3 m (From the operator, ) |
| In harbour | Two engines, so it turns in its own length and backs in straight. But it is wide and catches the wind. | One engine, so it is harder to steer in reverse. But it is slim and fits a smaller gap. |
| Berth fees | Twice the monohull's price in 10 of 13 marinas we compared, for a July 2026 night. In the Split-Dalmatia county ports, catamarans pay twice the rate per metre. (Official source, ) Each marina's price | The price for its length. |
| Charter price | Usually more for the same length. (Measured by us, ) | Usually less. (Measured by us, ) |
| Fuel | Two engines, and more motoring upwind, so more diesel. | One engine, and more sailing. |
| Suits | Four couples, families with small children, crews new to sailing, anyone who gets seasick. | Crews who want to sail, smaller groups and tighter budgets. |
Overnight charges on the same route
This table compares the listed overnight charges on our plan for the Split route, for a 12 m boat at the seasons shown below. It leaves out the boat hire and the rest of the holiday. Where a night has its own catamaran price, the catamaran column shows it: Maslinica, Vis town, Komiža, Palmižana, Stari Grad and Milna. Anywhere else it adds a surcharge you can set yourself. (From the operator, )
The catamaran column uses each priced night's own catamaran rate or its county port fee, so we add no surcharge.
| Night and where you sleep | Monohull, 12 m | Catamaran, 12 m |
|---|---|---|
| 1Marina Martinis MarchiMaslinica, Šolta | €145 (From the operator, ) | €261 (Measured by us, ) |
| 2Vis town quay | €119 (Measured by us, ) | €179 (Measured by us, ) |
| 3Komiža town quay | €60 (Official source, ) | €120 |
| 4ACI Marina PalmižanaPakleni Islands | €140 (From the operator, ) | €280 (From the operator, ) |
| 5Stari Grad town quay | €60 (Official source, ) | €120 |
| 6ACI Marina Milna | €128 (From the operator, ) | €256 (Measured by us, ) |
| 7Your charter base in Split | Included (From the operator, ) | Included |
| Nights with a price | €687 | €1,251 |
| More on a catamaran | €564 |
Prices are one night for a 12 m boat in July and August, and in July and August 2026 for Maslinica. Komiža and Stari Grad charge the same all year.
The week is 123 NM (Measured by us, ), about 21 h under way on a catamaran at 6 knots. A monohull takes about as long. Set your own speed on the route
Marina prices in July 2026: catamaran vs monohull
Most Dalmatian marinas we compared charge a 12 m charter catamaran twice the monohull's price for a night in July 2026. That is 10 of the 13 that price a catamaran on a weekday, and the rest add 47% to 92%. A monohull's night costs €90 to €168, and a catamaran pays €69 to €168 more. That is per boat: a catamaran has more cabins for its length, so per person the gap is smaller.
Each sum is for one Tuesday night, from the marina's own 2026 price list: the daily berth with the list's charter and catamaran rules, plus any flat daily fee for water and power. On a Saturday-to-Saturday charter your first and last nights are at the base, so a Tuesday stands for the nights you pay elsewhere. The sums leave out Friday and weekend surcharges, waste fees, water or power charged by the meter, discounts and the tourist tax, which a charter crew pays at the base for every night aboard. (Official source, )
These are 2026 prices, not quotes for 2027, from 14 marinas, not all of Croatia. Marina Vlaška, Milna prints no year on its price table, and Marina Lumbarda, Korčula and Pasadur, Lastovo publish no price, so they aren't in it.
The sums are for a charter boat, and some marinas charge one more than a private boat. At SCT Marina Trogir, a charter boat pays at least the price for 14.99 m: €147 a day from 1 Jun to 30 Sep 2026 for a 12 m monohull. A charter catamaran pays the price for its own length plus 80%: €216 for 12 m. (From the operator, ) That rule gives the table its lowest extra, on our reading that it covers a visiting charter boat. At Marina Baotić, a charter boat pays 50% more for a daily berth. A catamaran pays €100 more on Fridays. (From the operator, ) Its list doesn't say what a catamaran pays on other days.
Length counts too, so ask the charter company for your boat's length overall, as the marina measures it. At ACI Marina Split, the list goes by length up to each whole metre, so a 12.3 m boat pays the 13 m price: €190 a day in July and August. (From the operator, ) And a price is not a berth: a catamaran needs a wider gap, so book the nights that matter. Booking a berth, and when to arrive
| Marina | Monohull | Catamaran | Catamaran pays | What’s in the sum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trogir to Split | ||||
| Marina Agana | €90 | €180 | Twice: €90 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. The list prints no VAT line and no year; the marina files it as its 2026 list. (Measured by us, ) |
| Marina Baotić, Seget Donji | €153.50 | Unknown Tell us about a catamaran's daily berth at Marina Baotić | The daily berth with the charter increase (€95 plus 50%), €6 for power and €5 for water. The list doesn't say what a catamaran pays on a weekday. Not in the sum: the €0.95 ecological fee, and €50 more on a Friday (€100 for a catamaran). The list prints no VAT line. (Measured by us, ) | |
| SCT Marina Trogir | €147 | €216 | €69 (47%) more | A charter monohull pays the 14.99 m price, a catamaran its own length's price plus 80%, with power and water included. Our reading: the list's charter rule covers a visiting charter boat; without it a 12 m monohull pays the private price, €120, and a catamaran 80% more. Not in the sum: the waste fee of 1% of the berth. (Measured by us, ) |
| ACI Marina Trogir | €150 | €300 | Twice: €150 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. Not in the sum: the waste fee of 1% of the berth in the marina's waste plan. (Measured by us, ) |
| Marina Kaštela | €132 | €264 | Twice: €132 more | The daily berth for a boat in commercial use, twice for a catamaran. Not in the sum: water and power, which the marina meters and charges on top. Our reading: the list's flat €70 for a commercial vessel's check-in and check-out is for a guest changeover there, not a night in transit. (Measured by us, ) |
| ACI Marina Split | €168 | €336 | Twice: €168 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. Not in the sum: 10% more on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and the waste fee of 1% of the berth in the marina's waste plan. (Measured by us, ) |
| Marina Lav, Podstrana | €142 | €272 | €130 (92%) more | The daily berth (€130, twice for a catamaran) and €12 a day for water and power. Not in the sum: the waste fee of 1% of the berth. The list doesn't say whether a catamaran's water and power fee doubles too. (Measured by us, ) |
| Šolta, Brač and Hvar | ||||
| Maslinica, Šolta | €145 | €261 | €116 (80%) more | The daily berth (€135) and €10 for water and power, each 80% more for a catamaran. (Measured by us, ) |
| ACI Marina Milna | €128 | €256 | Twice: €128 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. Not in the sum: the waste fee of 1% of the berth in the marina's waste plan. (Measured by us, ) |
| Palmižana, Pakleni Islands | €140 | €280 | Twice: €140 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. (Measured by us, ) |
| ACI Marina Vrboska, Hvar | €110 | €220 | Twice: €110 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. (Measured by us, ) |
| Korčula and Dubrovnik | ||||
| Marina Korkyra, Vela Luka | €124 | €248 | Twice: €124 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. Not in the sum: the waste fee of 1% of the berth for a boat in transit. (Measured by us, ) |
| ACI Marina Korčula | €136 | €272 | Twice: €136 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included. (Measured by us, ) |
| ACI Marina Dubrovnik | €118 | €236 | Twice: €118 more | The daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power included. Not in the sum: water, which this marina meters and charges on top, and 30% more on Fridays and Saturdays. (Measured by us, ) |
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<figure> <img src="https://olasail.com/media/marina-tariffs-2026.png" width="1600" height="2141" alt="Catamaran vs monohull: what marinas in Dalmatia, Croatia, charge each boat for a July 2026 night"> <figcaption>Graphic: <a href="https://olasail.com/charter/catamaran-vs-monohull/">OlaSail</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a>. Measured by us from each marina’s own 2026 price list, read 26 Sep to 8 Oct 2026.</figcaption> </figure>
Handling in Croatian harbours
Most Croatian harbours moor you stern-to: you reverse into a gap between two boats, pass lines ashore, and pull up a lazy line (a rope tied to a weight on the seabed) to hold the bow. First-time skippers fear this more than the sailing. Med mooring, step by step
A catamaran makes the reversing easier. With an engine in each hull you can turn it on the spot and steer it straight back. Its weak point is size. It is wide, it sits high and it catches the wind, so a side wind pushes it about, and it needs a gap about as wide as two monohulls. In a full town harbour in July, that gap is rarer, so arrive earlier, or book where you can: booking a berth, and when to arrive.
A monohull is harder to steer in reverse, because it has one engine and one rudder. It is slim, though, so it fits a small gap and blows about less. On a buoy, a catamaran ties on with a line from each bow, and a monohull with one or two lines from the bow.
A catamaran also draws less water, so it can anchor in shallower spots. The 2025 rules still keep every boat 150 m from a natural beach. (Official source, ) Anchoring rules and fees · What changed since 2025, and what didn't
Which one for your crew
Pick the catamaran if most of your crew are new to sailing, if you have small children, or if you plan to spend most nights on buoys and at anchor. The flat deck and the separate cabins make a week easier to share. What monohull sailors told us
Pick the monohull if your crew want to sail, if you are four or five, or if the budget is tight. It costs less to charter, less to berth and less to fuel. For either boat, the week you pick matters as much as the boat, so compare quotes for the same week. At one Split-area company, a 12.35 m catamaran lists at 1.6 times the price of an 11.5 m monohull in May, 2.2 times in late July and 2.1 times in September (2027 weeks, before early-booking discounts). (Measured by us, ) What a sailor told us · How to read a charter quote
The maestral is the usual summer north-westerly, in settled weather. It builds from the sea through the morning, is strongest in the afternoon and dies away in the evening. (Third-party source, ) If you expect an afternoon marina arrival, read how to moor in a crosswind before booking the wider boat.
Either way, the skipper needs the same papers. Licences for sailing in Croatia Not sure you're ready to skipper at all? Take the six-question self-check
Common questions
- What are the disadvantages of a catamaran in Croatia?
- It costs more to charter and to berth, it is slower upwind, and it needs a wider gap in a full harbour. Most Dalmatian marinas we compared charge it twice a monohull's price for a July night. Marina prices for both boats The boat costs more too: at one Split-area company, a 12.35 m catamaran lists at 1.6 times the price of an 11.5 m monohull in May, 2.2 times in late July and 2.1 times in September (2027 weeks, before early-booking discounts). (Measured by us, ) Before you book a berth, check the marina's price for your boat's length and beam. Marinas in Central Dalmatia
- Is a catamaran easier for beginners?
- In harbour, often yes: two engines make it easier to turn and reverse. Under sail it gives less feel for the wind, and its size makes it harder in a crosswind. A first-time skipper still needs the licence and the practice.
- Is a catamaran faster than a monohull?
- Not on a charter week. Charter catamarans are heavy and slow upwind, and in light summer winds both boats motor a lot. We plan with 6 kn for a catamaran. Set your own speed on the route
- Do catamarans pay more in Croatian marinas?
- Yes, in most. In July 2026, 10 of the 13 Dalmatian marinas we compared charged a catamaran twice the monohull's price for a night, and the rest added 47% to 92%. That is €69 to €168 more a night. Outside summer the extra can be smaller: at ACI Marina Milna, a catamaran or trimaran pays twice the price on a daily berth from 1 Jun to 30 Sep. The rest of the year it pays 50% more. (From the operator, ) In the Split-Dalmatia county ports, catamarans pay twice the rate per metre. (Official source, ) Marina prices for both boats
- Can a catamaran moor on a town quay?
- Yes, stern-to like any boat, if there is a gap wide enough. Where to stay the night
- Which is better if someone gets seasick?
- Usually the catamaran. It doesn't heel, and it rolls much less at anchor.
What sailors told us
What sailors told us about the boats and their prices. We haven't checked these reports, and they don't count in our checks above.
One sailor was quoted two very different prices for the same boat and dates. The cheaper quote turned out to be a low-season rate.
Lots of charters are by people that sail monohulls at home. Cats are more by the numbers since their feedback to the crew is a lot more subtle.
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Photos on this page
Kut, Vis town, island of Vis. Photo: “J32 421 Vis-Stadt, Lučica” by Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized
Pakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Pakleni otoci - panoramio (4)” by Dejan Sekuloski, CC BY 3.0, resized
Hvar town harbour, the quay. Photo: “Hvar Town through the Yachts” by Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, resized
Marina Punat, Krk. Photo: “Sailboat leaving marina Punat” by Yacht Rent from Croatia, CC BY 2.0, resized
ACI Marina Milna, island of Brač. Photo: “Milna - ACI marina” by Silverije, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized
Changes to this page
Changes to this page's facts and text, with the reason. A sailor's "still right" is not a change.
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Marina Agana added: €90 for a 12 m charter monohull and €180 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Marina Baotić added: €153.50 for a 12 m charter monohull, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth with the charter increase (€95 plus 50%), €6 for power and €5 for water. The list doesn't say what a catamaran pays on a weekday.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in SCT Marina Trogir added: €147 for a 12 m charter monohull and €216 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: a charter monohull pays the 14.99 m price, a catamaran its own length's price plus 80%, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in ACI Marina Trogir added: €150 for a 12 m charter monohull and €300 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Marina Kaštela added: €132 for a 12 m charter monohull and €264 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth for a boat in commercial use, twice for a catamaran.
Measured by us. Why: first check
Show all 15 changesShow fewer changes
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in ACI Marina Split added: €168 for a 12 m charter monohull and €336 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Marina Lav added: €142 for a 12 m charter monohull and €272 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth (€130, twice for a catamaran) and €12 a day for water and power.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Maslinica added: €145 for a 12 m charter monohull and €261 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth (€135) and €10 for water and power, each 80% more for a catamaran.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Milna added: €128 for a 12 m charter monohull and €256 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 at Palmižana added: €140 for a 12 m charter monohull and €280 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Vrboska added: €110 for a 12 m charter monohull and €220 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 added: €124 for a 12 m charter monohull and €248 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 in Korčula town added: €136 for a 12 m charter monohull and €272 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power and water included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's Tuesday night in July 2026 added: €118 for a 12 m charter monohull and €236 for a 12 m charter catamaran, for a Tuesday night in July 2026: the daily berth, twice for a catamaran, with power included.
Measured by us. Why: first check
A charter boat's daily berth in SCT Marina Trogir added: a charter boat pays at least the price for 14.99 m: €147 a day from 1 Jun to 30 Sep 2026 for a 12 m monohull. A charter catamaran pays the price for its own length plus 80%: €216 for 12 m.
From the operator. Why: the operator's own page
First published .
