10 Boating tips for beginners in Croatia
Whether you are a beginner in boating or just boating in Croatia – we’re sure you’ll find some interesting and useful information.
1. Preparation is key
Plan your route before the trip. Having a back-up plan in case weather or other conditions do not allow the original plan is also a good idea. If you will not be hiring a skipper we will be happy to help out but you should have a good idea of where you would like to go and what you would like to do. When you are making these plans keep in mind some boat’s features that might limit your boat trip (e.g. depth and height of your boat). In addition, you should check the weather and wind conditions in Croatia before your trip to be as prepared as possible. The official Croatian weather forecasts can be found on the meteo website. It might also be a good idea to check the Norwegian site.
We’ll provide a weather report when you arrive to our office and point out if there are any warnings but checking for regular updates of the weather conditions means staying on the safe side. Let us know if you have children or pets on board and you require a safety net. Ready for the next tip for sailing?
2. Life-jackets & Safety Equipment
It is important to be aware of all the safety rules and have the necessary safety equipment on board. Stay on the safe side and make kids wear a life jacket at all times (especially during sailing). During check-in procedure we’ll show you the location of all safety equipment and it’s a good idea to also brief your crew about it. A more detailed guide on how to be safe on board read our previous blog.
3. Refueling
When refueling be careful which fuel you choose (inboards usually take diesel and outboard engines petrol/gasoline, if you are not sure, double check with our staff) and check that the nozzle is properly inserted.
4. Brief your crew!
Introduce your crew to the boat, the safety procedures and how to use the safety equipment and radio in case you as a skipper will not be able to do so.
5. Anchoring
“Anchor as though you plan to stay for weeks, even if you intend to leave in an hour.” – Tommy Moran.
This is also an important tip for beginners in boating. Check the navigational charts and guides to find the best possible location for anchorage (keep in mind depth, wind, currents, permissions and vicinity to land).
6. Always one call away
In case of emergency or any kind of concern or if you just need to ask something, you can call our base manager or the base attendant that handed over the boat to you during the check-in procedure. If you want to read more on our check-in procedure read one of our first blog posts.
7. Papers and Documentation
Always have your papers in order and ready for police or port authority control. They usually check IDs, boating and VHF license, crew list, and boat documents.
8. Watch out where you are going
Power boats are not allowed to plane within 300 m from the coast, otherwise you might be facing fines from 130 to 2.000 €. Make sure that your boat is always at a safe distance from other boats at sea. Also keep in mind the depth of the area.
9. Waste disposal and Black water tanks
Save your garbage until you reach a marina, where you might even be able to recycle some of it. Here is a map of all the recycle Bin locations along the coast. We can work together to keep the sea clean for generations to come. Emptying of black water tanks is allowed at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or inquire if the local marina has a black water tank disposal system.
10. Please be nice to our boat!
Take care of the boat and the equipment as if it were your own and make sure your crew does the same. As you have checked-in to a good boat, don’t forget that the next client would also enjoy this privilege.
So here you have your 10 most important tips about boating. We’d love to hear any of your questions about sailing in Croatia or if you wish to add something to our boating tips for beginners list.
