Looking for Feedback On Croatia

[goboatingnow]

Undoubtably , places like Croatia and Turkey have got very expensive in the last few years. Turkey doubly so. What was a veru cheap vacation by european standards has become on a par with many European destinations.

If they ever join the EU , there will be nowhere left to go!!

Did the marinas in Beruit ever get fixed up back to its glory days!
Dave

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by jckb

I think you'll find that's a serious exaggeration.

The vast majority of Croatia anchorages are free of charge.

Concessions have been granted to lay fields of moorings in the most popular anchorages. This is to accommodate more boats. Anchoring close to these concessions is charged for to encourage people to use the moorings.

The tourist and maritime offices publish lists of these approved concessions; see Sailing the Dalmatian Coast, Southern Croatia | JimB Sail for links to the sites, and links to maps of the sites.

Locals are not allowed to charge for use of moorings or anchorages except where there are listed concessions.

That sounds to me like a good way to squeeze more boats into popular areas -

How about being charged double to anchor for a Catamaran, not tied to quayside or in a Marina ANCHORED!!!!!

That's a wee bit over the top methinks!!!

Cheers

[Rapanui]

To answer the query re the Vip 3g mobile broadband dongle. yes its 10 kuna (~1.5 Euro) day for up to 1GB. The dongle cost 199 kuna (~28 Euro). I am using it now in Croatia. Given the terrain here, reception is very good usually full 7.2 Mb/s but even works in totally landlocked empty bays at Edge speed (460kb/s). So far, never failed to connect. Any Tisak shop or a Vip outlet will sell them.

Having just caught up with the Croatia chat, I am a bit surprised at the negative vibes. So far have spent 5 weeks here this year which is our 4th year and have still to be charged for anchoring anywhere. As I have said before, marinas are hideously expensive ~1000kuna for 11.5m cat, town quays are expensive ~500 kuna, buoys not cheap at 200-300 kuna but there are loads of free and safe anchorages. If you insist in going to say Dubrovnik marina then prepare to lose an arm and a leg, but there are alternatives. Moor in Slano and take the bus or one of the islands and take the ferry. In Trogir, there is a useful free anchorage a 100 or so m from the Riva. In the last 2 weeks we have chosen to pay on 2 harbour quays and 1 harbour buoy, the rest have been free anchorages. I think those anchorages stand comparison with anywhere.

Stephen

[Katiusha]

Thanks for all the excellent info! We are finally heading that way, so might see some of you around while there

[monte]

Thanks rapanui, great info. Can you give us some more info on great anchorages? We would love to pencil some in before we arrive in a month. Glad to hear you are on your way Kat, where are you guys now? We are in the Pontines for a couple of days after a week in Rome, heading toward Capri and the Aeoliens.

[Steel sails]

We picked up the boat today in split at 5.00 pm now at the marina in Maslinica, western end of Solta paid around 200$ for a lagoon 500. Guess we will be looking for a nice anchor spot tomorrow.
Boats name is Indian Summer.
Regards
Paul

[Rapanui]

Monte,
As someone has just found out marinas are expensive, Maslinica on Solta is very nice but very expensive, been there once but just too expensive. However, in the right weather you can anchor just off the harbour with shelter from islands.
Anchorages off the top of my head close to Split:
Bobavisce (W Brac) anchor away from buoys or pay on buoys
Stinva (W Brac) lovely bay open to W
Stipanska (W Brac)
Pucisca (N Brac) on quay or anchor
Povlja (N Brac) on quay or anchor
Milna (W Brac) bays outside Milna
Necujam (N Solta)
Sesula (W Solta) anchor or free mooring by 2 restaurants
Trogir, free anchorage on W side, N of channel about 200m from Riva
Razetinovac (NW Ciovo) perfect shelter
Drevenik (W Drevenik Veli) Anchor, small free quay or pay for larger berth on breakwater
Vinisce (Mainland W of Trogir) anchor in perfect shelter, this is Bora bolthole for livabords
Sicenica (Mainland S of Rogoznica) anchor
Rogoznica anchor on E side of town or causway latter is close to good supermarket. Also srong weather bolthole in Eastern inlet
Stonica (N Vis) amazing inlet
Vis/Kut (N Vis) anchor in harbour, pick up buoys or go alongside in Kut. We make an exception and pay to go alongside here
Zavala (N side Starigrad inlet NW Hvar) Sometimes there are buoys and you pay otherwise anchor
Maslinica (S side Starigrad inlet NW Hvar) directly opposite Zavala anchor and a lovely 1km walk through the trees takes you to the ferry terminal and supermarket
Starigrad (Hvar) there are buoys a few yards from expensive quay, never been charged for a short shopping/lunch stop
Zukova (N Hvar) lovely bay quite sheltered
Lovisce and Manastir (Scedro) anchor or pick up restaurant buoy in exchange for meal
Mali and Veli Lago (NW & SW Lastovo) loads of places to anchor
Ubli (W Lastovo) can berth alongside just in front of fuel station, never been charged)
Skrivena Luka (S Lastovo) perfect snail shaped anchorage
Gradina (W Korcula) lovely anchorage or restaurant buoy, excellent food
Loviste (W Peljesac) perfect bay good shelter

Thats just the ones close to Split, fingers getting tired so suggest you get 777 Harbours and Anchorages. Its cost will be less than paying for one night's berthing, and you can identify sheltered anchorages easily using its sketch chart based format. Listen to the forecasts religiously at 0745, 1445 and 2145 and chose your anchorage accordingly. Mainly the strong weather comes from SE and NE with occasionally stronger than normal NW winds. Also remember, that just because harbours have alongside berths does not mean they are safe. The only nasty times we have had have been on lazy lines in strong winds. The problem then is that it can be very difficult if not impossible to get away safely and the only option is to trust to the mooring. Places like Vis town quay in a NE blow or Muna on Zirje in NW blow can be dangerous and there are many other examples.

[jckb]

One of my web site users sent in this neat map of anchorages around Split:

http://goo.gl/maps/MtUSo

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by monte

Thanks rapanui, great info. Can you give us some more info on great anchorages? We would love to pencil some in before we arrive in a month. Glad to hear you are on your way Kat, where are you guys now? We are in the Pontines for a couple of days after a week in Rome, heading toward Capri and the Aeoliens.

We're anchored in Golfe du Porto Corsica since yesterday. we'll go slowly down the coast and leave from Bonifaccio for Messina when the NW starts blowing (should be this Friday). Had a wonderful overnight sail (5 kn in 7-8 kn 60 degrees wind most of the way - who says that cats don't sail to windward?) and I even did two shifts with the baby

We have the 777 anchorages book. If you don't find it, lmk and I'll try to scan and email relevant sections.

What are you doing for Internet in Italy? Vodaphone? How's the coverage?

Oh, our total Customs visits to the boat are up to four
We also tried to get an exit stamp from Schengen in passports. Visited Cannes, Antibes, and Nice ports. Only Nice port does any sort of checkout, but they only check in/out professional seamen. They sent us to an airport. In Cannes airport they looked at us as if we were crazy. In Nice they said that they can only check out passengers leaving by plane and that we should go to port authorities since it's their job.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Katiusha

We're anchored in Golfe du Porto Corsica since yesterday. we'll go slowly down the coast and leave from Bonifaccio for Messina when the NW starts blowing (should be this Friday). Had a wonderful overnight sail (5 kn in 7-8 kn 60 degrees wind most of the way - who says that cats don't sail to windward?) and I even did two shifts with the baby

We have the 777 anchorages book. If you don't find it, lmk and I'll try to scan and email relevant sections.

What are you doing for Internet in Italy? Vodaphone? How's the coverage?

Oh, our total Customs visits to the boat are up to four
We also tried to get an exit stamp from Schengen in passports. Visited Cannes, Antibes, and Nice ports. Only Nice port does any sort of checkout, but they only check in/out professional seamen. They sent us to an airport. In Cannes airport they looked at us as if we were crazy. In Nice they said that they can only check out passengers leaving by plane and that we should go to port authorities since it's their job.

What were Customs checking for?, anecdotally there does to be more checking of non EU boats lately

Dave

[Katiusha]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

What were Customs checking for?, anecdotally there does to be more checking of non EU boats lately

Dave

How long the boat's been in EU and whether we're chartering. Once they did a cursory glance through the boat, but after I told them off for nearly breaking the fridge handle they stopped

It's been four times in two months. Our friend with a Latvian flag was boarded ten times this year as he's hanging out in the same spot and has family members visiting. All of this in the South of France and only while we're anchored out.

[monte]

Ah nice to hear you are on your way. Internet in Italy - Vodafone 15G/m 35 euro, or TIM is the same, both good coverage. Haven't tried TIM yet but skype works with Vodafone. Currently we are in the Pontines, tied to a free wall in Ventontine, beautiful little island. We will be heading toward Naples tomorrow and Sicilly in about 1 week. We shouln'd be too far behind you We haven't been approched by any officials in Italy yet, but we have seen them around. They spoke to a few yachts in the anchorage in Ponza but we had to dinghy to town before they visited us

[Palarran]

I'm in Montenegro now. I ran into Rapanui in Trogir. The anchorage he describes is very good and convenient.

A few thoughts. It was very expensive to clear in. 400 euro for a 30 day vignette. The ACI marina in Dubrovnik is way, way over priced. If you have a charter boat you will probably have a small anchor and not enough chain. We had to routinely anchor in 40 to 60' of water. At least 4 times I saw many boats dragging at the same time. They seem to loose it at about 15 knots of wind.

I had a Lagoon 50 hit me at 3:30am when tied up to the outer quay wall at Korcula. Another Sunsail bumped me twice when anchored in Lopud. IMO you really need to pay attention to the Bura. Not so much because of you having a problem, but everyone around you.

If you clear in at Cavtat you have to drop anchor and med moor to the customs quay. It can be a real goat rodeo. Go to the Police and customs first, then the port authority. The officials are really into being official. We tried to clear out in Gruz and they wouldn't do it. They made us go back to Cavtat because we where going to Montenegro.

My favorite island was Korcula. Stari Grad was excellent and a must see. Lastovo was nice but I'd prefer to stay at Polace on Mljet. Hvar and the Pacleni Islands where over-rated in my book.

We liked Croatia but didn't love it. Since arriving in Montenegro I can say I do love it here. In fact, the bay of Kotor is probably the most beautiful spot I've ever seen on water. The people here have been very nice and it is not expensive. Pizza is around 6 euro. Tomorrow we will fill up on duty free diesel at .75 euro per liter. That's half what Gouvia charged. I have to get 600 liters so basically coming to Montenegro has made me money.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by Rapanui

To answer the query re the Vip 3g mobile broadband dongle. yes its 10 kuna (~1.5 Euro) day for up to 1GB. The dongle cost 199 kuna (~28 Euro). I am using it now in Croatia. Given the terrain here, reception is very good usually full 7.2 Mb/s but even works in totally landlocked empty bays at Edge speed (460kb/s). So far, never failed to connect. Any Tisak shop or a Vip outlet will sell them.

Having just caught up with the Croatia chat, I am a bit surprised at the negative vibes. So far have spent 5 weeks here this year which is our 4th year and have still to be charged for anchoring anywhere. As I have said before, marinas are hideously expensive ~1000kuna for 11.5m cat, town quays are expensive ~500 kuna, buoys not cheap at 200-300 kuna but there are loads of free and safe anchorages. If you insist in going to say Dubrovnik marina then prepare to lose an arm and a leg, but there are alternatives. Moor in Slano and take the bus or one of the islands and take the ferry. In Trogir, there is a useful free anchorage a 100 or so m from the Riva. In the last 2 weeks we have chosen to pay on 2 harbour quays and 1 harbour buoy, the rest have been free anchorages. I think those anchorages stand comparison with anywhere.

Stephen

Hey when you go for the fuel absolutely make sure you tell them you want duty free fuel as it comes out of a different bonded by customs tank.

A few have been caught after the fuel was in the tank.... Cheers

[Katiusha]

Thank you for the info, all!
Is the water warm in the bays by now?

My in-laws want to come visit but only if the water is warm (they heard that Adriatic is cold and they like water to be over 25C). I have no opinion on the matter as anything above 18 is warm for me...