In March 2025, the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure published a new regulation entitled "Rules on the Safety of Maritime Navigation in Inland Waters and Coastal Seas of the Republic of Croatia and the Manner of Supervision and Management of Maritime Traffic". The regulations, which are currently only available in Croatian, comprise 120 pages and contain important information that recreational skippers should be aware of.
More safety the goal in Croatia
Article 49, which describes the regulations for sailing along the coast and organised bathing beaches, is particularly relevant. According to this article, boats must keep to the following minimum distances from the coast or the barrier of a regulated bathing area, depending on their length:
- under 15 metres in length: 50 m
- 15 metres to less than 30 metres: 150 m
- 30 metres and above: 300 m
According to Article 50, motorised gliding (motorboats, scooters, jet skis) will in future only be permitted at a distance of at least 300 metres from the coast.
Anchoring with shore lines
Article 53 of the regulation regulates where anchoring is now permitted or prohibited in Croatia. According to para. 7, it is now forbidden to "moor vessels on the shore in such a way that the boat or its accessories are 50 metres or more from the shore". This wording is not easy to understand. It most probably means that the boat (or a part of it) may not be more than 50 metres from the shore when anchoring with the deployment of shore moorings.
The preceding paragraph 6 stipulates that mooring lines and anchor chains must not obstruct the passage of other vessels. This regulation makes sense, because in the past it was not uncommon to see owners of (large) yachts stretching their mooring lines across the bay and thus blocking access to other boats.
Anchoring prohibited in front of "natural bathing areas"
However, not all of the new rules are likely to meet with approval in Croatia. Paragraph 9 "Anchoring is prohibited" states under point 5: "At a distance of less than 150 metres from the shore of a natural bathing area".
The term "natural bathing area" is defined in the new regulation under Article 45, para. B as follows: "A natural bathing place is a bathing place that has been declared and labelled as a natural sea beach in the spatial plan of the local self-government unit."
In the official nautical chart set "Male Karte" of the Croatian Hydrographic Institute at a scale of 1:100,000, you have to look for many of the popular small bays with a magnifying glass, many are not even labelled and there is certainly no entry or symbol for a "natural bathing area".
"Natural bathing areas" not listed anywhere
There is also still no official list of "natural bathing areas". How are you supposed to know whether you are anchoring illegally in front of a "natural bathing area" or not? It is a well-known fact that people in Croatia not only swim on beaches, but also on rocky coasts where you can jump into the water and somehow climb back ashore (using a ladder or steps).
To this day, none of these places are signposted from the sea. There are hundreds of anchorages along the coast and on the islands in small bays and fjords, most of which are also used for swimming. In many places, boaters cannot keep a distance of 150 metres from the shore because the bays are too narrow and the water depths further out are already too great. If they were declared "natural bathing areas", they would no longer be used as anchorages.
Mixed initial reactions in Croatia
Initial reactions on site are mixed. Wilfried Preuß is travelling with a trailerable Flying Cruiser and says: "I can no longer afford marinas. If I'm no longer allowed to anchor close to the shore, Croatia is probably no longer an option for me." However, the purpose of the new regulation is also emphasised: "It serves the safety of boat crews and bathers. I would be delighted if our charter guests abide by it," hopes Mirna Jaksic, base manager of Sunsail and The Moorings in Marina Agana.
The new regulation can be found in the Official Gazette Narodne Novine NN 52/2025
If you have already gained experience with the implementation of the new regulation on site, please let us know: mail@yacht.de
