From 1 January 2023, there will no longer be permanent police checks at the border crossings between Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary. Clearing in and out of Croatian border ports will also no longer be necessary unless a crew comes from a so-called third country, for example Montenegro, Albania or Turkey.
The following border ports in Croatia will remain open for travelling by sea with third countries: Umag, Pula, Rijeka, Mali Losinj, Zadar, Sibenik, Split, Vis, Ubli, Dubrovnik and Cavtat. These harbours are open all year round for completing formalities, but there are no longer any seasonal border ports. However, Cavtat is not expected to be available for clearing in and out until May due to construction work on the harbour quay.
There are still differences of opinion as to whether a border port must be called at if a crew arrives in Croatia directly from Greece or Spain. According to the Schengen regulations, this is unnecessary as long as there is no stopover in a third country en route. This is also the view of the responsible Ministry of the Interior in Zagreb. Last autumn, however, a border official in the port of Cavtat told a skipper when clearing out that he would always have to clear in on his return from Greece, even after Croatia's Schengen accession. This information is incorrect, perhaps based on a misunderstanding.
Changeover to the euro in Croatia
The euro has been the sole means of payment in Croatia since the beginning of the year. Anyone still in possession of kuna can exchange them at the country's banks and post offices until the end of December. The currency reform has been accompanied by a general rise in prices. The inflation rate in February was 11.9 per cent (in comparison: Germany 8.7 per cent). The Croatian government is taking action against companies suspected of exploiting the changeover to the euro and adding a few percentage points to the already high inflation rate. The first fines have already been imposed. Nevertheless, there is one piece of good news: this year, Croatia has decided not to increase the tourist tax for guests or the fees for the permit.
There will be innovations in these marinas and destinations in 2023
Below are the most important changes for sailors in the harbours and on the islands of Croatia from north to south.
1st Savudrija
Croatia's northernmost harbour has rarely been visited by yachting enthusiasts as it is not a port of entry. This is likely to change now that the border is open, as the lagoon-like harbour bay offers good protection from most winds. When approaching the 3.5 metre deep and only twelve metre wide channel, you should keep as close as possible to the red beacon of the breakwater. The southern edge of the channel is marked by a green buoy, which is sometimes difficult to see. Entering and leaving the channel in heavy seas can be dangerous.
The operator of the campsite on the southern shore has anchored several buoys in the bay - presumably illegally - including four to six for larger yachts. In 2022, the equivalent of 2.20 euros was charged per metre of boat. The moorings at the breakwater and along the neighbouring quay are allocated to local fishermen. However, guests are often allowed to moor alongside one of the cutters. There are three restaurants in the harbour, which mainly serve fish dishes.
2. umag
Unlike in the past, the harbour town is hardly of any importance for completing border formalities. Unless you want to clear in from a third country in the upper Adriatic.
Nevertheless, the mooring fees in Umag were recently increased. They are now three euros per metre at the town quay, two euros at the buoy in the harbour bay and 1.50 euros at anchor. The helpful harbour master can be contacted via VHF channel 10.
There is a free anchorage, weather permitting, about 1,000 metres south of Umag in a bay open to the west at a depth of around five metres. The neighbouring old loading pier of a demolished cement factory is too high for most yachts to moor.
3. dalja
Local opposition to the marina planned on the eastern shore of the bay remains strong. It is therefore unlikely to be built.
4th Novigrad
Marina Nautika was transferred from its Austrian owner to a Czech investment fund. The fund also manages the new Marina Polesana in Pula and the SCT marina in Trogir.
The fees in the harbour bay outside the marina for berths or buoys are the same as in Umag. Only immediately east of the former customs pier in the Porporela basin is a fee of five euros per metre of boat length charged.
In previous years, some of the mooring lines at the Novigrad breakwater were too short for yachts over ten metres in length. There is also no electricity there, and water only flowed between 8 and 9.30 a.m. in 2022.
5th Rovinj
Despite its very high price level, the local ACI marina is experiencing increasing demand. This summer, a daily berth for all boats up to twelve metres costs 158 euros from April to mid-October!
6. pula
By contrast, Marina Polesana, which will open in spring 2022 on the central northern shore of the large harbour bay, also has down-to-earth prices this season. A day berth costs from 30 euros (for boats up to seven metres in length) and an annual berth from 2,515 euros. The expansion of the marina to over 1,000 berths is progressing. It can currently accommodate around 260 yachts in the water and 40 on land. A café bar also opened at the beginning of March, with a restaurant soon to follow.
7th Brijuni Islands National Park
Berths in Brijuni harbour and at the buoys in Sveti Nikola bay have been increased in price by 10 to 30 percent, depending on the length of the boat. From 1 June to 30 September, yachts between eleven and 18 metres in length will have to pay 270 euros. This includes ten visitor tickets for the crew. The off-season rate is around 30 per cent cheaper.
8. polje
The bay is located on the western side of the Kamenjak peninsula around one nautical mile north of the southern tip of Istria. Yachts anchor there at depths of between three and ten metres. The coarse pebble beach on the eastern shore attracts many swimmers in summer. It can get noisy during the day, but is quiet in the evening and at night. About 200 metres east of the beach is the "Istarska Farma" farm with a rustic restaurant, a small petting zoo and a children's playground. Last summer, the landlord anchored two buoys in the bay for guest crews for the first time, one of which was for small boats. Whether they will still be there in 2023, however, is questionable. Small fishing boats are moored behind the now renovated pier on the northern shore.
9th Medulin
Be careful when approaching at night: the white leading sector of the beacon on the southern western shore of the entrance to the bay was outshone by the red sectors, at least last summer, and was therefore unusable.
10th Trget/Rasa Bay
The boxes for electricity and water on the floating jetties are currently not in operation. They are being converted from tokens to two-euro coins. Transit guests are usually allocated a berth on the outside of the main jetty. However, there are no murings there yet, so you have to moor alongside. This is not advisable in Jugo. An alternative is the neighbouring buoy field. The harbour master can be contacted on +385/99/819 69 35.
11. povile
A breakwater was recently completed in front of the small village around two nautical miles south-west of Novi Vinodolski. Up to six berths for guest yachts are planned on the inside of the breakwater.
12 Klenovica
Last summer, a Y-shaped jetty was added to the harbour basin, which has offered good protection for several years. Around 40 boats and yachts up to eleven metres in hull length can moor here. A small sanitary facility is also being planned.
13. Baska/Island of Krk
The western pier has now been extended by 100 metres as planned. However, construction work is still ongoing, including on the breakwater. It looks like the harbour will therefore only be usable to a limited extent this season.
14. bay Bracol
The small pub about two nautical miles south-west of Baska, which had been closed for a long time, reopened last summer. For small boats with a shallow draught, there were a few mooring rings off the northern shore. Yachts, on the other hand, have to anchor. Beware, there is a heavy chain at the bottom of the bay around 70 metres south of the restaurant!
15 Osor
The channel between the islands of Cres and Losinj has been closed for several weeks due to necessary renovation work, which is expected to last until May. And be careful, at the edge of the buoy field south of the channel there is an improperly disposed concrete base just a metre below the water surface. The exact position is 44°41.457' north, 014°23.679' east.
16th Luka Jadriscica/south coast of the island of Cres
South of the small harbour of Pogana, the buoys were back last summer after an interruption of several years.
17th Mali Losinj
The swing bridge over the Privlaka Channel has been out of order since autumn 2022 and cannot be opened until further notice. You can call the Mali Losinj harbour administration on +385/51/23 20 20 to find out about the current situation. Depending on the water level, the bridge has a clearance height of between 1.50 and 2.00 metres. The small sanitary facility in the town harbour of Mali Losinj was also closed last year, as was the INA boat refuelling station there. This is also likely to be the case in 2023.
18. island Unije
The harbour expansion is almost complete. There are now several mooring rings for yachts. A floating dock may still be anchored on the south side.
19. island Susak
The southern area between the ferry pier and the harbour basin has silted up again. The water depth there could be well below one metre this year if it is not dredged. Yachts moored on the west side of the ferry pier that are not carefully moored also run the risk of being damaged by swell when the ferry arrives. The harbour master's warnings and advice should not be ignored. Alternatively, you can also use the buoy field to the east of the harbour.
20th Ilovik Island
On the east side of the harbour channel, the buoy field was extended southwards to the beacon.
21. islands Ist and Molat
No drinking water could be bunkered in Ist harbour last year either, and only occasionally in Molat harbour and Bruglje on Molat. Both islands, like many others, are supplied by tankers. The water reservoirs are emptying faster than in the past due to increasing demand.
22nd Novalja/Island of Pag
Behind the breakwater to the south of the petrol station, a 100-metre-long floating jetty with mooring places has been built. Now there will also be water and electricity at the jetty.
23rd Povljana/Island of Pag
Last September, a licence was awarded for a marina with 200 berths, which is to be built in the northern part of the extensive bay. Construction work was scheduled to begin in the autumn, but nothing has happened so far.
24th island of Vir
The passage between the island and the mainland, which has been silted up and closed for many years, is currently being dredged to a minimum depth of three metres and widened to 40 metres. The work is due to be completed in spring 2024. The clearance height of the bridge over the fairway will remain unchanged at nine metres.
25th Zadar
The Tankerkomerc company has been operating its marina in the city harbour for many years without a licence. It has failed in all instances with its position that the water area belongs to it and not to the Republic of Croatia. An appeal to the Constitutional Court was also unsuccessful. A few weeks ago, it upheld all of the court decisions. So it remains to be seen what happens next.
26th Sali/Dugi Otok
For the past year, only yachts up to 13 metres long, four metres wide and with a draught of 2.50 metres have been allowed to enter the port, which is currently being expanded, via a marked narrow fairway. Mooring at the south quay. Many crews who took a shortcut coming from the north in 2022 and passed through a restricted zone were fined around 400 euros by the harbour master. There was a 30 per cent discount for payment on site.
27th Nature Park
The day ticket for boats and yachts has become up to 50 per cent more expensive. It now costs 100 euros from 1 June to 30 September for yachts between eleven and 18 metres in length (90 euros in advance). In the low season, the ticket is a third cheaper.
28th Kornati National Park
Last year, a court in Sibenik sentenced eight former car park attendants to heavy fines. They had sold counterfeit tickets and pocketed the proceeds. As a result, the national park suffered a loss of at least 60,000 euros. It is not yet known whether the fees will be increased this year. At the beginning of April, the 2022 prices were posted on the website, online booking did not work and the administration did not respond to enquiries.
29 Drage
In the small village on the mainland coast a few kilometres north of Murter, a marina with around 200 berths for yachts up to 30 metres in length will open in 2023. Contact: www. marinadrage.hr/en , info@marinadrage.hr , telephone +385/91/237 77 22.
30th island of Murter
The bascule bridge to the mainland will only be open for 30 minutes on Mondays and Fridays at 9 a.m. until the end of May 2023. After that, the operating times have not yet been finalised. As in 2022, it may only open daily at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
31st Tijat Island
The "Spirito" restaurant on the uninhabited island was built illegally. Local politicians and authorities knew about it, but looked the other way. It was only after citizens from Vodice protested and informed the media that the restaurant was ordered to close in July. Nevertheless, it continued for a while. However, when a journalist who wanted to report on the disregard of the order was physically attacked, the measure was probably full and the restaurant was closed. It will not open again; the landlord wants to move to the island of Kaprije.
32nd Skradin
The ACI buoys that were forcibly removed in 2021 will apparently not be replaced for the time being. Anchoring in the bay was rigorously prohibited last summer.
33rd Rogoznica
The berth in front of Marina Frapa will cost a flat rate of 60 euros in 2023. Compared to the previous year, this is an increase of 50 per cent! This price also applies to the buoy field in Sicenica Bay, a few kilometres south-east of Rogoznica.
34th island of Solta
The German owner of the marina in Maslinica wants to build another marina in the neighbouring bay of Sesula soon.
35th island of Vis
Some of the buoys in front of Komiza harbour are far too close together for boats over ten metres in length. In addition, swell is often to be expected there. All in all, this is a very bad combination that can lead to boats moored at the buoys colliding.
36th Sucuraj/Island of Hvar
The new ferry terminal was put into operation in July 2022. Since then, there has been a little more space in the harbour.
37th island of Lastovo
The nature park fee has been increased by up to 50 percent and is now 40 euros for yachts between eleven and 18 metres in length from 1 June to 30 October. The three-day ticket costs 80 euros. The buoys of the nature park administration cannot be reserved in advance.
38. island of Korcula
There are some illegal buoys in the Banja bay. Those belonging to the beach bar "La Banja" are free of charge for its guests. Last summer, a private individual demanded up to 60 euros for the other buoys. Instead of a receipt, he gave the crews a bottle of homemade schnapps. Construction work has begun on a ferry harbour immediately to the east of the entrance to the bay.
39th Trpanj/North coast Peljesac peninsula
The harbour quay has been extended by 50 metres to the north-east since the autumn. The construction of another breakwater is planned.
40th Stonski Canal
A road bridge is currently being built over the fairway to Ston. It is expected to have a clearance height of 30 metres.
41st island of Mljet
The fees for the national park in the west of the island have been increased by around 25 per cent. The day ticket costs 100 euros for yachts between eleven and 18 metres in length in the high season (1 June to 30 September). Online tickets are 10 to 20 per cent cheaper.
42. slano
The "Nono" restaurant on the eastern shore of the bay, which had been closed for several years, was taken over by a new tenant and is now open again under the name "Ordinacija". There are five free moorings for guests on a jetty, but the water depth is less than 1.50 metres in places!
Author: Karl-Heinz Beständig
