Private Yacht Charter FAQ's
A 7-day private sailing charter is the ultimate yacht holiday in Croatia experience that gives your an exlusive opportunity to explore Croatian coast at your own pace. Whether you rent a crewed, skippered or a bareboat sailboat, you can expect a relaxing, hassle-free cruising adventure between idyllic Adriatic islands.
Yacht chartr prices vary and generally depend on the season period, yacht model, size, age & equipment. We recommend that you first make your budget plan cossidering your expectations and tavelling style. The cost for a 3-cabin sailing yacht in July and August is between 2.800 and 3.500€ per week.
- Skipper 1.120€ per week (payable at embarkation)
- Tourist tax 1.35€/day/person
- Marina and port fees on the route (if anchoring free of charge) from 60€-150€/berth/night
- Food and beverages on route (for skipper also) Betwen 30 & 50€ per day per person
- Fuel for boat on average 100€/week
A private yacht trip is the perfect choice for anyone with a little bit of adventurous spirit desiring to spend a special kind of a vacation. Yacht charter holiday is suitable for everyone - a group of fun-loving friends wanting to bond or party in natural surroundings, families with kids, couples, searching for a romantic week and all adventure seekers that want to have a unique traveling experience. Sailing holiday is suitable for people feeling young at heart and want to make the best of their vacation.
First you should fixe a departure date and preferred destination (Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar or Pula). Before you hire a suitable yacht for your tour, there are 4 things that you should keep in mind:
- What type of a yacht do I rent? What yacht suits your needs (catamaran or a sailboat)
- How many people are coming? Bear in mind that trip lasts 7 days, so hire a comfortable and big enough yacht to suit your group size
- What is my estimated budget? Setting the estimated budget is important before sending your inquiry
- What are my vacation expectations? Please share your itinerary wishes and route preferences so that we can tailor a trip to suit your needs.
We recommend you ranting a comfortable vessel with enough space for all the people coming along and a separate cabin for your skipper. If you are not sure about the yacht type and size, our agency will be happy to recommend best possible option for your group.
You can start by sending the inquiry form and specify your holiday expectations. Your yacht charter booking is guaranteed after the 50% of the deposit is paid. The rest of the amount should be transferred no later then 4 weeks before your embarkation. Our crew will guide you through your booking procedure, so don't worry, and leave yourself into our capable hands. Feel free to ask us anything, no question is too hard for us.
When it comes to yacht charter holidays in Croatia, there are three holiday types available:
This is the most luxurious and relaxed way to spend your holiday on Adriatic. The skipper, hostess and chef are already in the yacht's inventory. They will take care of all the commodities aboard like shopping, cleaning and cooking. Full board meals are also included and multitude of items on crewed Croatia catamaran and luxury sailboat charters.
A 7-day skippered private yacht tour is probably the most affordable, relaxing and flexible option. Skipper is already included, while hireing a hostess/chef is also an option. Our skippers are knowledgeable and know the sailing areas as the back of their pockets. They will take care of the check in procedure at the marina, help you embark and provide you with best tips regarding your weeky tour.
3. BAREBOAT YACHT CHARTER
Chartering bareboat yacht in Croatia is most affordable option. However, it demands a certain level of self-confidence, sailing experience, and knowledge about the places where you are about to navigate. If you are a skilled skipper with a valid ICC boat license, you gain the ultimate freedom for your holiday route and itineraries. A bareboat charter gives you extra privacy aboard and provides an excellent chance to improve your sailing knowledge. Find some extra information in our blog about BAREBOAT vs. CREWED CHARTERS
In Croatia you can charter almost everything that floats. But a private one-week charter, with the option of overnight is possible if you charter Sailing yacht, Catamaran or Motor Yacht. With sailing yacht, you are mostly dependable on winds, but it will give you more sailing pleasures and quiet with minimum fuel consumption. Multi-hulls are much wider, stable, spacy and comfortable. Extra commodity means higher rental price, larger costs on fuel in berths and marinas.
Catamaran is really somewhere between a motor boat and a sailboat. However it guarantees even more space when it comes into the quality of living aboard. Most of the charter catamarans have a flybridge assuring even more usable outside space and opens amazing 360o views while sailing. If you want to move faster and your main concern is not large fuel consumption, simply hire a motor yacht.
Less consumption maen less exhaust into the sea. Especially if you stay most of the time under sails. When you hire a sailboat in Croatia you also gain the unique opportunity to embrace the land's amazing landscapes in full authenticity. It will elevate your sailing experience on a higer level.
To narrow your choice, you should also estimate how much space do you need and how high your budget is. Larger the group, bigger the yacht, bigger the yacht, larger the cost. When you plan to take a sailing trip with children, catamaran cruise might be a better choice. If you stay on a budget, then a sailing yacht with 2 steering wheels and bathing platform (which is perfect for kids) should do. To devide the costs it is common that 2 families rent one catamaran. One hull for one family.
You can imagine sailing yacht as a large mobile home with everything you need already for a week of a care-free living on board. Yachts come in all sizes and types. Ranging between 2-8 cabins, measuring from 30-80 foot from economy to luxury line. Among 4.000+ sailing yachts for chartering in Croatia, you will certainly find a yacht to suit your needs. Your final decision mostly results from your holiday expectations, habits and the budget.
Active Sailing crew will be happy to help and recommend the best sailing yacht to fit your standards and the budget.
Catamaran is much wider and stable and also brings larger cost for the marina fees and final rental price. Sailing yacht is perhaps a better choice for the first-time sailors on budget and the people who love adventure and in search for extra sailing experience. For its volumes, we recommend multi-hull for families with kids and clients who prefer commodity, extra privacy and unlimited space on board.
See also our blog about the differences between catamarans and sailboats.
Private sailing trips with Croatian charters usually last 7 days. Starting and ending on Saturday with standard time of embarkation after 15:00 and disembarkation by 09:00 the next Saturday. It is mandatory to return back to base on Friday evening for diver's inspection. It is also possible to book a short sailing trip upon your request. Short options are possible in the off season in April, May, June, September and October.
No. Your skipper navigates the yacht for you, so just relax and enjoy in your trip. If you desire, you are welcome to learn some sailing skills. Our skippers will be happy to show you the basics of sailing and navigation if required.
With plenty of sun, Croatia is one of the sunniest European destinations. Climate along the Adriatic coast in summer is quite dry and hot. For sailing trips in summer, bring bathing suite, extra swimming towels, and your personal wardrobe. It is highly recommended to bring handbag, duffel bag instead of a plastic suitcase and remember to pack light
8 Things you shouldn't forget:
- boarding pass and reservation documents
- sun protection (sun lotion, sunglasses for UV protection, hat)
- bathing suit or a swimsuit (3-5 pairs)
- your passport, or personal ID, enough cash
- swimming towels
- your personal items (prescription pills, medicine for allergy...)
- a wind stopper or a wind breaker in summer a long-sleeved cardigan would do
- positive vibes (leave your worries at home)
Please read about the Sail Croatia Packing List for newbies.
We will send you the boarding pass with all the details as you've completed the full payment for your booking. You can contact your skipper for itinerary details, time of embarkation and route options. The skipper fee is paid in cash to skipper directly at the check in. On crewed catamaran charters the captain and a hostess are already included in the final yacht charter price.
- communicates with skipper regarding the guest's wishes on itinerary and organizes meals in restaurants
- keeps all areas on yacht clean and tidy
- handels the provisioning throughout the trip (shopping for supplies, stocking boat's lockers before and during the sailing trip)
- prepares and serves two light meals daily (breakfast and one simple lunch). Extra meals are option with an additional fee.
- washes the dishes, cleans the galley and salon
Every vessel is equipped with 220V household plugs, but they only work when connected ashore with a power cable. Most boats have 12-volt DC power on board. While sailing, you can use the 12V plug-in as your phone charrger. There is at least 1 USB charging socket installed on every yacht that works also offshore, without being plugged in the marina.
It all depends upon where your chosen destination is. We will inform you 3-4 weeks before the departure where the yacht is moored specified in your boarding pass so that you can make your travel arrangements. You can also contact your skipper, and he will share all the necessary information on you whereabouts. If you are coming by plane, there is always enough transfers and taxis there to take you to marina on time. We can also arrange your taxi transfer if needed.
If you travel by car, you can always find free space in marina. Embarkation is on Saturday from 15:00, check out at the same spot the next Saturday before 09:00. Return by Friday evening for underwater inspection is Mandatory for every charter in Croatia.
That is mostly up to our guests, and their general satisfaction at the end of the cruise. On our Crewed Croatia charters gratuities are discretionary, but it's customary to acknowledge the crew effort. We also believe, that the outstanding performances should be rewarded.
The usual tip for services aboard skippered yacht charters in the Mediterranean is 15-20% of weekly skipper fee and 5% of the full amount for the crewed luxury charters. The gratuity should be paid in cash to your captain.
There are many inclusions in a private yacht trip that you pay before the departure, so that you don't encounter any hidden fees during your trip. But there ar the some costs that can vary so the y are difficult to estimate (food, fuel consumption, transfers, island tours,...). We recommend a budget 20-30€ per day per person for food and extra 10-20€ for transfers, bars and marina fees.
THE USUAL YACHT CHARTER INCLUSIONS:
- 7-day yacht rental
- end cleaning, handling fee and charter base costs
- bed linen, cooking gas
- towels (only for bathroom use)
- Wi-Fi connection up to 5GB
- outboard engine and dinghy
THE EXTRAS:
- skipper from 150€-200€/day (Payable at embarkation)
- sojourn/tourist tax 1.35€/person/day
- fuel for the boat app.100€/week for a 45-foot sailboat
- port and mooring fees, national parks (from 60-120€ for a 45-foot sailboat)
- taxis and transfers (water taxi 10 -20€/person)
- various water toys (SUP aprox. 100€ per week)
Fuel consumption on a 45-foot sailing yacht is approx. 4L/hour. On a 40-foot catamaran is double, Motor yacht consumes app. 70L/hour. The engine runs approx.1-2 hours/day and the rest we leave it to the gods of the wind if the favour us.
The final sum also depends on the wind conditions, your itineraries and also the fuel prices during the season. On a sailing yacht fuel cost can be really negligible. Somewhere between 70 and 120€ per week. Catamaran around 200€.
Local port fees start at 40€/night for a 40 foot sailing boat (6 persons) and it can go up to 100€. For catamaran is extra 50%. It depends on the boat length and marina quality service. Price usually includes fresh-water refill, shore power, toilet and bathroom facilities. Buoy charge ranges from 25-35€. Anchoring is free of charge. A mixture of above options gives the best balance through the week for most groups.
The charm of a private sailing trip is in flexibility. The route itinerary can always be tailored with your skipper before embarking. The itinerary demands vary form one clinet to another, that is why is difficult to speculate the exact port and marina costs during your week.
That is why the mooring fees are usually excluded from our package price. The same thing is with the national parks and transfers. You can decide on spot what itinerary suits you best and what to visit or not. Skipper can give you some tips where to dock or moor to save some money.
We usually say that a yacht is an »apartment on water« with a far better view. Each sailing boat has spacious cabins for 2 persons, with double / bunk beds (160x200). The cabins are bright and comfortable and absorb plenty of light through the with side windows. Even the largest yacht has the capacity of maximum 12 persons.
There is also a large bed in the salon which we don't recommend especially if you want more privacy and space. One cabin or salon bed belongs to your skipper. We tend to accommodate our guests aboard accordingly to their wishes. Don't bring your bed linen, pillows and blankets, because they are already included. This is how a sailboat cabin looks like:
Absolutely! Nothing is better than a delicious meal cooked by a capable chef on board. A double gas cooker with oven is installed on every sailboat.
There is at least 1 bathroom with a shower installed on a sailboat and one shower outside with cold and hot water. You ned to bear in mind that the water tanks have limited storage, so be careful how much you consume, or you will constantly need to refill in the marinas.
Food and beverages are usually not included in your charter price.
It is impossible to speculate the cost on provisioning, since it all depends on client's habits and traveling style. Only in cases where APA is included ( advance provisioning allowance) and charter includes also a hostess to provide for boat's supplies.
It is rcommended for the guests to supply the boat before the embarkation. Your skipper can help you with giving you some tips on wher and what to buy. Every marina in Croatia has shops and supermarkets, where you can buy as much as you need for one week. Your sailing itinerary always includes plenty of stops You can always buy fresh bread from the market, fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and fish. It is also expected to take care of skipper's food and meals.
Breakfast and a quick afternoon snack can be prepared on board. You will have lots of options to dine in local restaurants, that our knowledgeable skippers can recommend. If you are dining outside, it is customary to invite your skipper to join you at the table. If you prefer to dine in privacy, your skipper can eat separately. Please assure some pocket money for his meals.
APA is the money that client pays in advance with charter price, so that we can take this money from our account and give it to the skipper. With that money skipper and hostess buy provisioning & food before and during your charter). Skipper also pays mooring fees, fuel and park entrances with that money. APA is very practical for the skippered charters and for the clients who don't want to bring much money with during charter and like their groceries to be purchased in advance. Skipper and hostess collect bills for everything they paid from APA, than at the end of charter, skipper returns the remaining money to the client.
Yes. On all our private skippered yacht tours It's customary to pay for your skipper's expenses for the week. That means that you take care of his meals and drinks during your trip. It is obligatory to pay the local tourist tax for every person on your boat (including the crew) for the number of days aboard. This is payable in cash at the charter office.
If you are dining outside, it is customary to invite your skipper to join you at the table. They will rarely turn down an invitation to dine out as a member of your party, but they also won’t mind dining separately if you prefer more privacy. Please note that skipper will need 1 warm meal per day so kindly assure some pocket money for his meals (around 30€ per daily meal should be enough).
Please remember that your skipper and hostess are your best tripsadvisors - you cannot beat local knowledge.
Your sailing itinerary generally depends on current weather conditions. That is why it is impossible to set the exact route in advance. Your skipper is there to monitor the wather forecast and will recommend best itinerary considering the situation at sea. He will try to make your sailing holiday as comfortable and safe as possible, so please bar with him. In case of a bad weather, your skipper will adjust sailing dynamics following the maritime regulations and local forecast warnings.
Safety at sea is always first
Most important is, that the full safety aboard is assured for our guests. This is only possible to follow the directions from your skipper and respect the sea. In this case, we kindly ask our guest to be patient and understanding to ease skipper's work.
As we sailors use to say: "You can't change the direction of wind, but you can always adjust the sails"
On private Croatia sailing trips is mandatory to make a certain security deposit for the possible damages caused on a yacht during your charter week. Deposit is the insurance(assurance), that you will return the vessel back in its previous condition. Guests aboard are responsible for any direct damage caused by their negligence (clogging the toilet, vandalism, damaging the yacht or its parts deliberately,..).
The deposit is charged at the embarkation and it is refundable, if the boat is returned undamaged. The deposit amount is set by the charter policy (depends on the boat length, age and insurance rate) payable by VISA, AMEX, EUROCARD, DINERS or cash). If you wish, we can arrange a deposit insurance with non-refundable fee (app 10% of the full insurance sum) It can be pre-charged.
The damages caused regarding the skipper's navigation (sail damarges, hull,...) are covered by the skipper's insurance policy.
In case of damages, the charter establishes the amount of the damage that is charged by the valid charter's price list.
Yes. But please let us know that you want it insured. Deposit insurance is the sum that you cover the damages. And it is non-refundable. The amount depends on the yacht age and length. Usually the amount is from (150-400€).
Not covered - fee for unblocking toilet, lost dinghy and/or outboard engine, gross negligence damage and missing fuel.
Yes. One-Way options (Split - Dubrovnik & Zadar - Split) or vice versa, are available. Please also note that one way fee costs extra 300-500 Euros with re-fueling included. One-Way itineraries do not include the port fees at disembarkation. We ask all our passengers to disembark by 10AM on Friday, to allow enough time for your skipper to return the yacht back to the base marina.
Yes. Although the official check in and check out charter days in Croatia are Saturdays, we've launched a special Wednesday - Wednesday charter program. You get plenty more by coming on Wednesday such as:
- less crowds at the airports, streets and marinas
- more space to park your car in the marina
- a full weekend at sea
- no queues on gas stations
- faster check in and check out
Think casual and sporty
What to wear, generally depends on the sort of trip, the trip length, and the season. Sailing trip in Croatia or in any other country usually takes 7 days. That is why I suggest that you pack everything that you need for one-week. Bear in mind, that wind, sun and water are the 3 factors that you should count on. If your sailing trip is in summer season (middle June, July, August) pack accordingly to the weather. The air temperature peaks 30 (86F) and the sea temperature at constant 25 (77F). Beginning of June and late September just deduct 5 degrees in average.
Wherever you take, please don't overpack, don't complicate and please don't take hard suitcases, take a soft or a duffel bag. Here are some tips on what to pack:
- Swimwear take at least 3 pcs.
- Shorts 2-3 pieces of board shorts and 2 pieces of casual shorts
- Shirts for a week you'll need 5-7 t-shirts, one with long sleeve, a cardigan or a light pullover
- Dress Clothes a pair of decent button-down shirts or casual sundresses are excellent choice for a nice dinner on island Hvar or Vis.
- Shoes It's a fact that you will be barefoot all the time, but 1 pair of shoes with a rubber sole is a must have on a sailboat. Mostly to avoid scuff marks and ensure that you don't slip. A pair of flip flops and a pair of tennis shoes in case you go hiking the islands
- Hats Take a hat with strings if possible. You don't want your hat to be ending in the blue Adriatic
- Waterproof jacket or waterproof windbreaker - you might need one in case of strong wind combined with rain (especially in off-season)
- Other (but also essential items) underwear, 3-4 pairs of socks, sailing gloves (bike or fitness gloves)