--- title: "Sailing in Croatia: where to start" description: "What sailing in Croatia is like, and what to sort first: the season, licences, weather and forecasts, the anchoring rules and safety." url: https://olasail.com/croatia/ updated: 2026-10-07 --- > The Markdown copy of https://olasail.com/croatia/, 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/) # Sailing in Croatia: where to start Sailing in Croatia usually means a Saturday to Saturday charter week of short hops between islands, a few hours a day, with a marina, town quay, buoy or bay each night. The coast had 216 nautical ports in 2025 (Official source, 25 Sep 2026). Most crews charter a boat for a week from [Split](https://olasail.com/places/split/) or [Trogir](https://olasail.com/places/trogir/) and sail between the islands. The hops are short, and there is a marina, a town quay (a town's public harbour wall), a buoy field or a bay for every night. What catches first-timers out is the rules, from licences to anchoring, and the wind. The bura can arrive fast. The jugo builds over a day or two and brings a big swell. 123 NM (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) our week from Split 13 to 28 NM a day's sail on that week 2 to 4½ h under way a day at 6 kn Photo: “Zdrilca - panoramio” by [Dejan Sekuloski](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zdrilca_-_panoramio.jpg), [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), resized All 19 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on 5 Oct 2026: 3 from the operator, 14 from official sources and 2 measured by us. See every source 3 From the operator (operator) 14 Official source (official) 2 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. Published 7 Oct 2026. [Report a change](https://olasail.com/about/corrections/) ## Start here: five things to sort first The season, licences, weather, the anchoring rules and safety, in the order most crews need them. Each one links the guide that covers it in full. 1 ### The season The main season runs from May to October. July and August are the busiest weeks, with the fullest harbours and the highest charter prices, and the weeks either side are quieter. Which month suits you depends on the wind, the water and your budget. - Wind: 3 days with gusts of 25 kn in June, the calmest month (Measured by us, 26 Sep 2026) - Sea: The sea in Split measured 23 °C on 25 Sep 2026 (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) - Prices: Charter prices peak in July and August, and are lowest in April and October [Guide Best time to sail in Croatia, month by month Which month suits your crew: wind, crowds, sea temperature and prices](https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/) 2 ### Licences To take a boat out without a hired skipper, you need certificates that Croatia recognises, and usually a VHF radio certificate too. A charter company can ask for more than the law does, so check both before you pay a deposit. No licence? You can still go with a hired skipper or on a flotilla. [Bareboat, skipper or flotilla](https://olasail.com/charter/bareboat-skipper-or-flotilla/) - The law: An ICC issued under UN Resolution 40 counts for private use or bareboat charter, if its "valid for" box shows C for coastal waters. Its other limits still apply (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) - Radio: A foreign licence on the list counts only together with a radio certificate, when the boat has a fixed VHF radio (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) - Companies: 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) [Guide Licences for sailing in Croatia: ICC, VHF, and what US, UK and Australian certificates cover What the law asks of a skipper, and what charter companies ask](https://olasail.com/croatia/licences/) 3 ### Weather and forecasts Summer afternoons often bring the maestral, a steady breeze from the northwest. Two other winds matter more. The bura is cold and gusty, blows from the northeast and can arrive with little warning. The jugo blows from the southeast and builds a big swell. Read the official forecast every morning, and the evening before a crossing. How each wind behaves, and which forecast to trust, is in our [weather guide](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/). - Warnings: DHMZ gives green, yellow, orange and red warnings for each county and for the sea areas, among them Central Dalmatia (Srednja Dalmacija) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Radio: Split Radio reads the weather in English and Croatian on VHF channels 07, 21, 23, 28, 81 and 84, at 05:45, 12:45, 19:45 and 00:45 UTC (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [Official forecast DHMZ marine forecast (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) Official marine forecast and warnings](https://meteo.hr/prognoze_e.php?section=prognoze_specp¶m=jadran) [Guide Bora, jugo and maestral: sailing weather in Croatia How the main winds behave, and which forecast to read each morning](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/) 4 ### Anchoring rules The rules on where you may anchor changed in 2025, and many sailors misread them. The one people ask about most: No anchoring within 150 m of a natural beach, under the 2025 ordinance (Official source, 25 Sep 2026). Some bays are now buoy fields with an operator who charges for the night. How much each one costs is in the guide. The lines-ashore limit changed on 25 Apr 2026 (Official source, 26 Sep 2026). What else changed since the 2025 rules: [What changed for sailors in Croatia since 2025](https://olasail.com/journal/what-changed-since-2025/), in our journal. - Lines ashore: Tied ashore, no part of the boat or its gear may be 70 m or more from the shore. The anchor chain counts from the tip of the bow or stern to the point where it enters the water (Article 53) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Who charges: Only a company with a concession for that anchorage, or the port authority inside a public port, may charge you for anchoring. Anywhere else, nobody may (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [Guide in Moorings Anchoring in Croatia: the rules, the fees and who can charge you Where you may anchor, and who may charge you for it](https://olasail.com/moorings/anchoring-rules-and-fees/) 5 ### Safety Save the emergency numbers and the radio channel before you leave the dock, and make sure the whole crew knows them. [Safety at sea](https://olasail.com/croatia/safety-and-emergencies/) says who to call and what to say on the radio. Our [safety page](https://olasail.com/about/safety/) names the official sources, and the [weather guide](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/#tonight) says how to pick tonight’s harbour when the wind turns. - Emergency: 112 for any emergency (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Sea rescue: 195 for sea rescue (MRCC Rijeka) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Radio: VHF channel 16 to ask for help at sea (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Ferries: More than 20,000 passages a year go through the Split Gate, over 10,000 each way, two to three times more in summer, and about 30% of them fast craft. On 14 Jun 2026 a passenger ship and a sailing yacht collided there. Keep a lookout astern (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [About this site Safety and limits Why this is a planning guide, and the official sources to use at sea](https://olasail.com/about/safety/) [Guide Safety at sea in Croatia: emergency calls, storms and fast ferries Who to call, what to say on the radio, and where the fast ferries run](https://olasail.com/croatia/safety-and-emergencies/) Also planned for this section: National and nature parks by boat: tickets, rules and mooring. [Every guide in Sailing in Croatia](https://olasail.com/guides/#croatia) [Guide Croatia vs Greece for a sailing holiday Winds, island hops, charter and mooring costs, taxes, licences and season](https://olasail.com/croatia/croatia-vs-greece/) ## Your first week, from six months out Where these five fit into the rest of your planning. The steps with a light blue dot have their guide in this section. [The full plan, with every guide](https://olasail.com/guides/#start) 1. 1 Around half a year before Pick your month [Best time to sail in Croatia, month by month](https://olasail.com/croatia/best-time-to-sail/) 2. 2 Five to six months before Choose how you sail, and which boat 3. 3 Before you pay a deposit Check your licences [Licences for sailing in Croatia: ICC, VHF, and what US, UK and Australian certificates cover](https://olasail.com/croatia/licences/) 4. 4 4 to 5 months before Set a budget and book 5. 5 1 to 2 months before Decide where to sleep 6. 6 2 to 4 weeks before Plan the route 7. 7 The week before Watch the forecast [Bora, jugo and maestral: sailing weather in Croatia](https://olasail.com/croatia/weather-and-winds/) 8. 8 Saturday Board the boat Guide in Sailing in Croatia The times are our planning advice for a July or August week. For June or September you can often start later ## Where to sail: we start with Central Dalmatia The islands between Split and Vis: [Šolta](https://olasail.com/places/solta/), [Brač](https://olasail.com/places/brac/), [Hvar](https://olasail.com/places/hvar/), [the Pakleni Islands](https://olasail.com/places/pakleni-islands/) and [Vis](https://olasail.com/places/vis/). Short hops between the islands, and open water only if you go out to Vis and back. We add a region only once we have checked it. - [Where to sail in Croatia: the regions compared Every region, and the ones we have checked](https://olasail.com/places/) - [Central Dalmatia by boat The islands, harbours and bays between Split and Vis](https://olasail.com/places/central-dalmatia/) - [Seven days from Split Our planned week, with a place for each night and a Plan B for the wind](https://olasail.com/routes/split-seven-days/) - [An easy first week from Trogir Short hops in sheltered channels, for a first week as skipper](https://olasail.com/routes/first-week-short-hops/) - [Split to Dubrovnik in a week A one-way week through Vis, Korčula, Lastovo, Mljet and Šipan](https://olasail.com/routes/split-to-dubrovnik/) - [Two weeks from Split: Korčula, Lastovo and Mljet A two-week loop south through Korčula, Lastovo, Mljet and Šipan](https://olasail.com/routes/two-weeks-from-split/) Distances measured along our planned line with our route tool. Hours at 6 kn, our planning speed until you set your own on the route page. ## From our journal Dated reports, each with its own evidence: the rule changes from the official texts, and the official port statistics. [Every report in the journal](https://olasail.com/journal/) [What changed for sailors in Croatia since 2025 The new limit for lying tied ashore, the beach rules, new rules near Šibenik, and fees at anchor](https://olasail.com/journal/what-changed-since-2025/) [Croatia's nautical ports in numbers What the official 2025 statistics say about berths, boats in transit and how full the ports were](https://olasail.com/journal/nautical-ports-2025/) ## Planning your yacht charter The boat, the crew and the charter week have their own section. [How yacht charter in Croatia works Saturday boarding, check-in, the deposit, food and water, and check-out](https://olasail.com/charter/) [Croatia sailing guides: plan your week All our guides by section, including the ones we are still writing](https://olasail.com/guides/) ## 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=Sailing%20in%20Croatia%3A%20where%20to%20start) [Other ways to help](https://olasail.com/about/contribute/) ## Sources for this page 19 facts from 19 sources, last checked 5 Oct 2026. [Fair Wind 2026 price list](https://fairwind.hr/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PRICE-LIST-2026.pdf), Bavaria C38 (2024): €1,800 a week from 14 Mar to 25 Apr and 10 to 31 Oct, €4,400 from 11 Jul to 15 Aug (Charter prices by month) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [Sail Club Croatia 2026 price list](https://sailclubcroatia.com/media/17624200142806_98jrph.pdf), Elan 40.1 (2022): €1,950 a week to 24 Apr and from 3 Oct, €4,550 from 11 Jul to 14 Aug (Charter prices by month) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [Waypoint 2026 price list](https://waypoint.hr/price-list-2026/), Bavaria C 38 (2024): €1,850 a week to 18 Apr, €2,750 from 3 Oct, €4,250 from 18 Jul to 15 Aug (Charter prices by month) (From the operator, 5 Oct 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) [Plovput radio service: maritime safety information and its broadcast schedule](https://www.plovput.hr/en/radio-service/maritime-safety-information-msi) (Split Radio weather times) (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) [DHMZ weather warnings by county](https://meteo.hr/naslovnica-upozorenja-zupanije.php?tab=upozorenja) (Weather warnings) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Show all 19 sources Show fewer sources [Changes to the maritime safety ordinance, Narodne novine 40/2026](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2026_04_40_495.html), Article 6 (The 2026 changes to the ordinance, lying tied ashore) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [gov.hr: 195, the maritime search and rescue service](https://gov.hr/en/195-maritime-search-and-rescue-service/1188) (The emergency number, the distress channel) (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: Traffic and navigation study, Split, Ploče and Dubrovnik (Prometno-plovidbena studija), v3.1, Dec 2014, by the Faculty of Maritime Studies Rijeka for the Ministry](https://mmpi.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/arhiva/MMPI%20-%20South%20Adriatic%20v.3.1%2022-12_14.pdf), sections 3.1.4 and 4.2.1 (Ferry traffic in the Split Gate) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure: Press release on the serious accident at the Split Gate, 14 Jun 2026](https://mmpi.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/PRESS/Priop%C4%87enja/Priopcenja_26/MMPI%20Priopcenje%20Teska%20pomorska%20nesre%C4%87a%20kod%20Splitskih%20vrata%20LKST%2014-6_26.pdf) (Ferry traffic in the Split Gate) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [Croatian Bureau of Statistics: Nautical tourism: capacity and turnover of ports, 2025](https://podaci.dzs.hr/2025/en/97070) (Nautical ports) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [DHMZ sea temperature readings (Temperatura mora)](https://meteo.hr/podaci.php?section=podaci_vrijeme¶m=more_n) (Split: the sea today) (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 ICC, the radio certificate) (Official source, 25 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) [The maritime safety ordinance (Pravilnik o sigurnosti pomorske plovidbe), Narodne novine 52/2025](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2025_03_52_685.html), Article 53 (The 150 m anchoring rule) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) [gov.hr, Nautics: concessioned anchorages and fees (the government nautical guide)](https://gov.hr/en/nautics/1558) (Who may charge you) (Official source, 25 Sep 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 count from Open-Meteo's historical weather data, a model and not measurements, for the open sea west of Vis, 2021 to 2025 (Windy days by month) (Measured by us, 26 Sep 2026) (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) ## Photos on this page - Ždrilca, Pakleni islands, off Hvar town. Photo: “Zdrilca - panoramio” by [Dejan Sekuloski](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zdrilca_-_panoramio.jpg), [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), resized - Saskinja bay near Maslinica, island of Šolta. Photo: “Ocean near Maslinica on Solta in Croatia” by [Lennartbj](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ocean_near_Maslinica_on_Solta_in_Croatia.jpg), [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), resized - Hvar town, island of Hvar. Photo: “The Spanish Fortress in Hvar, Croatia” by [Steve Jurvetson](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Spanish_Fortress_in_Hvar,_Croatia.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 - 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