--- title: "What changed for sailors in Croatia since 2025" description: "Since April 2026 a boat tied ashore in Croatia may lie further out. What else changed: the 2025 beach rules, rules near Šibenik, fees at anchor and ACI Žut." url: https://olasail.com/journal/what-changed-since-2025/ updated: 2026-10-07 --- > The Markdown copy of https://olasail.com/journal/what-changed-since-2025/, 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/) Journal Rules and fees 7 Oct 2026 # What changed for sailors in Croatia since 2025 Since 25 Apr 2026 a boat tied ashore must lie under 70 m from the shore, where the limit was 50 m. The 2025 beach rules still stand, three places near Šibenik and Biograd have new rules, and ACI Žut's piers are closed. Under 70 m tied ashore, since 25 Apr 2026 (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) 150 m from a natural beach, since 2025 (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) €10 Vinišće: a night at anchor, 10 m boat (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Closed the piers at ACI Žut, since 25 Jun 2026 (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) 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) All 28 facts on this page name their source, the latest checked on 5 Oct 2026: 6 from the operator, 19 from official sources, 1 measured by us and 2 from third-party sources, such as pilot books and magazines, so treat those 2 as a guide. See every source 6 From the operator (operator) 19 Official source (official) 1 Measured by us (measured) 2 Third-party source (third party) 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. In short - Lines ashore: under 70 m. Since 25 Apr 2026 the whole boat, its chain included to where it enters the water, must lie under 70 m from the shore. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Beaches: unchanged since 2025. Anchor at least 150 m from a natural beach, and keep your swinging circle 50 m outside a rope line. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) - Near Šibenik and Biograd: no sailing in the St Anthony channel, no anchoring in the Krka channels to Skradin, and 8 kn for every boat in the Pašman strait. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) - Fees and closures: at anchor in a county port you pay 50% of the berth fee, and ACI Žut's piers have been closed since 25 Jun 2026. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) ## What changed, and when We read the 2025 ordinance, its 2026 changes and the port authority's fee rules on 26 Sep 2026, and ACI's notice about ACI Žut on 5 Oct 2026. This is the order things changed in. 1. 29 Mar 2025 A new maritime safety ordinance comes into force. It sets the beach distances and a limit of 50 m for boats tied ashore. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) 2. 25 Apr 2026 The ordinance changes. Boats tied ashore may lie further out, under 70 m from the shore, and there are new rules for the St Anthony channel, the Krka and the Pašman strait. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) 3. 25 Jun 2026 ACI closes the piers at ACI Žut, in the Kornati, until further notice. The anchorage stays open. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) 4. 1 Aug 2026 A news report shows receipts for anchoring in Vinišće, west of [Trogir](https://olasail.com/places/trogir/), from the county port authority. [What it charged](https://olasail.com/journal/what-changed-since-2025/#fees) (Third-party source, 26 Sep 2026) 5. 5 Oct 2026 Our last reading. Each rule below links the official text we read, and its source mark shows the day we read it. ## Lines ashore: further out since April 2026 Tying a stern line to a rock or a tree is normal in Croatian bays. The 2025 ordinance limited how far out you could lie to 50 m. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) The 2026 changes raised the limit, so the boat must now lie under 70 m from the shore, and said how to measure it. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Measure to where the chain enters the water. The chain counts as part of the boat, from the tip of the bow to the point where it goes in. That point must be under 70 m from the shore. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Not to scale. Not for navigation. You may still not tie ashore inside a beach's waters, or where a cable or pipe comes ashore. The limit was 50 m until 24 Apr 2026. The change came into force on 25 Apr 2026. If a briefing or an older guide still gives you the old limit, go by the official text. ## Before and after, rule by rule What the 2026 changes did to the rules a charter crew is most likely to meet. The left column is the 2025 text, the right the text in force since 25 Apr 2026. | Rule | Until 24 Apr 2026 | Since 25 Apr 2026 | | --- | --- | --- | | Lying tied ashore | Less than 50 m from the shore. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | Under 70 m, with the chain measured to where it enters the water. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | | Pašman strait, off Biograd | 8 kn only for boats of 15 m and over. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | 8 kn for every boat in the marked parts. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | | St Anthony channel, into Šibenik | Boats under 20 m pass at any time, on the right. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | The same, but no sailing in the channel. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | | The Krka to Skradin | No article of its own. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | No anchoring in the St Josip and Skradin channels, except in their bays, and 8 kn up to Skradin. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | | An organised beach's rope line, under way | Under way, a boat under 15 m kept at least 50 m from an organised beach's rope line, a boat of 15 to 30 m 100 m, and seaplanes 300 m (Article 49). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | The April 2026 changes moved only seaplanes, from 300 m to 100 m. For boats the distances are the same as in 2025. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) | Every anchoring rule in force today is on one graphic in our anchoring guide: [Anchoring rules 2026 at a glance](https://olasail.com/moorings/anchoring-rules-and-fees/#at-a-glance). ## The 2025 beach rules still stand The rules people argued about most in 2025 did not change in 2026, and they apply to every boat, not only to cruise ships. How far to keep from natural and organised beaches, and how to pass a beach's rope line, are in our [anchoring guide](https://olasail.com/moorings/anchoring-rules-and-fees/#beaches), with a "Can I anchor here?" check. - Off Hvar town: No anchoring within 0.6 NM of Galešnik islet, at the western entrance to Hvar town, out to the line from Cape Špartibutin to Cape Kovač (Article 67). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) ## New rules near Šibenik and Biograd Three changes of 25 Apr 2026 matter to crews sailing from the charter bases in North Dalmatia, or north from Split to the Krka. Photo: “Marina from the hill” by [ristok from Helsinki, Finland](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marina_from_the_hill.jpg), [CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), resized ACI Marina Skradin on the Krka, from the hill above the town. The new Krka rules run all the way up to its harbour. - St Anthony channel: Sailing is forbidden in the St Anthony channel, the way into Šibenik harbour (Article 66). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) Go through under engine, on the right side of the channel. - The Krka: No anchoring in the St Josip channel, or in the Skradin channel from Cape Oštrica on Prokljan up to Skradin harbour. Boats up to 15 m may anchor, and people may swim, only in the channels' bays, inside their outer edge (Article 66a). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) From the line between the Martinska light and Crnica bay up to Skradin, go no faster than 8 knots (Article 66a). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) From the inner end of the St Anthony channel to Skradin is about 9 NM by water. (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) - Pašman strait: In the marked parts of the Pašman strait, off Biograd, every boat, yacht and ship keeps to 8 knots (Article 64). (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) ## Fees: paying at anchor in a county port The rule on who may charge you is the same as before. 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) What is new is where crews meet it. On 1 Aug 2026 a news report showed receipts from the Split-Dalmatia County Port Authority for nights at anchor in Vinišće, a bay inside one of its ports. In summer 2026 the county port authority charged €15.15 a night to anchor a 10 m boat in Vinišće and €21.24 for a 14 m boat: half the berth fee, plus a 1% waste fee. (Third-party source, 26 Sep 2026) The port authority's own rules say what it may charge there. More bays may follow. In 2024 Split-Dalmatia County adopted a plan of 69 places for managed anchorages, with 109 buoy fields for up to 1,857 boats. It is the basis for future anchorage concessions. (Third-party source, 26 Sep 2026) What a public port may charge at anchor, the fee in Vinišće and the catamaran rate are in our anchoring guide: [Who can charge you, and how much](https://olasail.com/moorings/anchoring-rules-and-fees/#fees). ## Closed: the piers at ACI Žut ACI Žut sits on the island of Žut, on the way into the Kornati. In a normal season ACI Žut has 120 berths and 15 mooring buoys, open from 1 Apr to 31 Oct. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) Photo: “Marina zut 1” by [Roberta F.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marina_zut_1.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), resized ACI Marina Žut in 2006, with yachts on its pontoon. Today its piers are closed. - The piers: ACI closed the piers at ACI Marina Žut on 25 Jun 2026, until further notice, for technical inspections and checks of the structure. You cannot berth there. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) - The anchorage: The Žut anchorage in ACI's concession stays open as usual. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) - If you booked: Guests with a berth booked were offered a berth at ACI Marina Piškera for the same dates and on the same terms, or a full refund. (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) - Today: On 26 Sep 2026 ACI's page for the marina still said its pontoons and restaurant are closed until further notice, and that its other facilities work as usual. (From the operator, 26 Sep 2026) - On the water: ACI lists 15 anchoring buoys at Žut, and says the anchorage continues to operate as usual while the pontoons are closed. (From the operator, 30 Sep 2026) Before you go, check ACI's own page for the marina. We read it again each time we update this report. ## What didn't change - Anchoring outside a concession or a public port is still free. Nobody else may charge you. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) - The beach distances of 150 m and 50 m are the same as in 2025. (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) - The fee rules in Vinišće are the port authority's rules of June 2023, with changes in 2025 and 2026 that touch only a few dry berths. (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) ## 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=What%20changed%20for%20sailors%20in%20Croatia%20since%202025%3A%20anchoring%20distances%2C%20new%20fees%20and%20closures) [Other ways to help](https://olasail.com/about/contribute/) ## Sources 28 facts from 10 sources, last checked 5 Oct 2026. [ACI's notice to ACI Marina Žut guests, 25 Jun 2026](https://aci-marinas.com/notice-to-marina-zut-guests) (The piers at ACI Žut, the anchorage at ACI Žut, berths booked at ACI Žut) (From the operator, 5 Oct 2026) [ACI Marina Žut: its page on aci-marinas.com](https://aci-marinas.com/marina/aci-zut/), note under About and Services in the Marina (The size of ACI Žut, ACI Žut today, the buoys at ACI Žut) (From the operator, 30 Sep 2026) [Changes to the maritime safety ordinance, Narodne novine 40/2026](https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2026_04_40_495.html), Article 6 and Article 3 (The 2026 changes to the ordinance, lying tied ashore, speed in the Pašman strait, anchoring in the Krka channels, sailing in the St Anthony channel, speed on the Krka, passing an organised beach's rope line) (Official source, 26 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 (Lying tied ashore, 2025 to 2026, the 150 m anchoring rule, distance from an organised beach, the anchoring ordinance, speed in the Pašman strait, 2025, the St Anthony channel, 2025, the Krka channels, 2025, passing a rope line, 2025, anchoring near Galešnik islet) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [Split-Dalmatia County Port Authority: Port fee rules (Pravilnik o lučkim pristojbama) of 21 Jun 2023, with the 2025 and 2026 changes](https://www.lusdz.hr/Portals/0/adam/Documents/4T8EmwsaZUyU-OIRrV9Ykw/Files/Pravilnik%20o%20lu%C4%8Dkim%20pristojbama/PRAVILNIK%20O%20LU%C4%8CKIM%20PRISTOJBAMA%202023.pdf), Articles 5 and 14; Table IX (The fee in Vinišće) (Official source, 26 Sep 2026) [gov.hr, Nautics: concessioned anchorages and fees (the government nautical guide)](https://gov.hr/en/nautics/1558) (Fees in a public port, who may charge you) (Official source, 25 Sep 2026) Show all 10 sources Show fewer sources [OpenStreetMap, read 5 Oct 2026: the shortest water path from the inner end of Kanal Sveti Ante (its navigation line) across Šibenik bay to where the coastline ends at the Krka's mouth, 2.5 NM, then along OSM's Krka river line to abreast of Skradin harbour, 6.3 NM](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) (Šibenik to Skradin) (Measured by us, 5 Oct 2026) [SeaHelp news: anchoring fees in Vinišče](https://www.sea-help.eu/en/news-general/anchoring-fees-vinisce-croatia/), Sections "How are the fees calculated?" and "Legal basis" (Vinišće: the anchoring fee in 2026) (Third-party source, 26 Sep 2026) [HRT Radio Split: Predavanje i okrugli stol o županijskim nautičkim sidrištima](https://radio.hrt.hr/radio-split/vijesti/predavanje-i-okrugli-stol-o-zupanijskim-nautickim-sidristima-11553047), paragraph 1 (The county's plan of anchorages) (Third-party source, 26 Sep 2026) [HRT Magazin: Posidonija, morska livada, sve se više uništava zbog sidrenja](https://magazin.hrt.hr/price-iz-hrvatske/posidonija-morska-livada-sve-se-vise-unistava-zbog-sidrenja-11611015), the county official's quotes (The county's plan of anchorages) (Third-party source, 26 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 - Skradin, on the Krka river. Photo: “Marina from the hill” by [ristok from Helsinki, Finland](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marina_from_the_hill.jpg), [CC BY-SA 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), resized - ACI Marina Žut, island of Žut, Kornati. Photo: “Marina zut 1” by [Roberta F.](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marina_zut_1.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/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 - 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 - 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 (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) 28 facts, last checked 5 Oct 2026. See every source [Guide Anchoring in Croatia Every anchoring rule, the fees and who can charge you, with a "Can I anchor here?" check. Read the guide](https://olasail.com/moorings/anchoring-rules-and-fees/) ## Read next [All reports](https://olasail.com/journal/) [Moorings Anchoring in Croatia Every anchoring rule, the fees and who can charge you.](https://olasail.com/moorings/anchoring-rules-and-fees/) [Where to stay the night Marinas, town quays, buoys and anchorages, each with its source.](https://olasail.com/moorings/) [Journal Croatia's nautical ports in numbers What the official 2025 statistics say, in seven charts.](https://olasail.com/journal/nautical-ports-2025/) [Safety and limits The official charts, forecasts and notices to use at sea.](https://olasail.com/about/safety/)