Like having an experienced local skipper in your pocket

Yes. Croatia is one of the easiest places in the Mediterranean for a first charter. There are hundreds of islands close to each other, many sheltered bays and marinas, and very small tides. In Dalmatia, a steady northwest wind (the maestral) blows on summer afternoons when the weather is stable.

What makes it harder is the local detail: marinas where you dock stern-to between other boats, bays that are safe in one wind and dangerous in another, sudden summer storms (Neveras), and limited water on some islands. This local knowledge is what Skipper Hotline gives you: an experienced local skipper on WhatsApp before and during your trip.

For most crews, June and September. The sea is warm (around 22 to 24 °C), the summer winds are steady, and there are fewer boats than in July and August.

July and August are the warmest months (sea around 24 to 25 °C), but also the busiest and most expensive. Popular bays and marinas are full by early afternoon. May and October are cheaper and quieter, but the sea is cooler, some restaurants and buoy fields are not open yet or are already closed, and the weather changes more often. Summer thunderstorms (Neveras) can happen in any summer month.

Skipper Hotline plans your route for the month you sail in: where to go, and what time to arrive to still find a place for the night.

For a first charter, Kvarner and the Zadar region are the easiest.

The Zadar region (Sukošan, Biograd and the Kornati) has many buoy fields, so you can find a safe place for the night even if you are not yet confident with anchoring. Kvarner (Krk, Rab and Cres) is the least busy region, with green islands and quiet towns, but it has fewer buoy fields, so you will anchor more often. It is also easy to reach by car from Central Europe, and Rijeka airport is on the island of Krk.

The Split region is more challenging for a first charter in July and August, because of the crowds and the logistics. It is extremely busy and harder to organize, water is limited on the outer islands, and on Vis you can't reserve a berth or a buoy at all.

Istria is easy to reach and has good marinas, but fewer islands nearby. Dubrovnik has the old town, Mljet and the Elaphiti islands, but fewer islands and longer distances between stops.

Skipper Hotline supports all these regions and helps you choose the base that fits your crew, your travel plans and your experience.

The boat is the biggest cost, and its age makes a big difference. In 2026 price lists, a 40 ft sailboat with 3 cabins cost roughly:

• 7 to 12 years old: about €1,200 to €1,600 a week in April and October, and about €2,500 to €3,200 in July and August.
• 1 to 4 years old: about €1,500 to €2,000 a week in April and October, and about €3,700 to €4,500 in July and August.

May, June and September are in between. Many boats have discounts of 30 to 40 percent on these prices, so the price you pay is often lower. A catamaran of the same length usually costs 1.5 to 2 times as much as a sailboat.

On top of the boat, plan for the transit log and final cleaning (about €180 to €350), tourist tax (about €1.30 to €2 per person per night), fuel (about €150 to €250 for a sailing week), marinas (about €100 to €150 per night for a 40 ft boat in season) or mooring buoys (about €50 to €80), national park tickets, food and restaurants, and a skipper if you need one (about €200 to €250 per day plus food).

Mixing nights at anchor, on buoys and in marinas keeps the cost down. When you book through Skipper Hotline, you pay the same price for the boat, and the assistance is included.

The main booking season is January to March, so there is no need to book in the autumn before. At the moment there are more charter boats than customers, and many boats have discounts of 30 to 40 percent all season. That is why booking earlier or later doesn't change the price much.

The real reason to book early is choice. Early in the season you can pick from more boats and get the one that best fits your crew, route and budget, for example a newer boat with a bigger water tank and a bow thruster, at a base marina that is easy to leave and return to. Last-minute bookings are possible, but with less choice.

Send Skipper Hotline your dates, crew size and region, and we send you a shortlist of boats with an honest comment on each one.

Yes, if you sail without a hired skipper (bareboat charter). The skipper needs a boating license recognized by the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, for example an ICC, RYA Day Skipper or higher, many European national licenses, or the Croatian "Voditelj brodice" license. Some US certificates, such as ASA, are also on the Ministry's list.

Unless your license already includes radio, you also need a VHF radio certificate (SRC), because practically every charter boat has a VHF radio. The charter company checks the original documents at check-in.

No license? Hire a skipper, or take a course first. Not sure your license is accepted? Send it to Skipper Hotline and we will check it for you.

Yes, but it is not advisable to charter without proper training. A license shows that you passed an exam. It doesn't prepare you for stern-to docking in a full marina, for choosing a safe bay for the night's wind, or for a sudden storm.

The best preparation is the Skipper Hotline Skipper Training in Punat on Krk: 7 days with short theory and a lot of practice, including docking drills, anchoring and buoys, sailing, safety, and 3 days of cruising around the nearby islands.

If you mainly need docking practice, take the docking training (2 to 3 days). If you prefer individual teaching, book private lessons with one of our instructors. If you don't want to skipper alone yet, you can hire an instructor or a skipper for the whole charter week.

After the training, Skipper Hotline stays with you on WhatsApp during your charter as an experienced local skipper. It is support after the training, not a replacement for it.

If nobody in your crew has a recognized license, you have to. A skipper costs roughly €200 to €250 per day plus food, and needs a cabin. It is a good choice if the crew has no sailing experience, if you want a completely relaxed holiday, or for a large catamaran in high season.

If you want to be the skipper yourself, prepare with training before the trip: the Skipper Hotline Skipper Training, docking training or private lessons. Then sail with Skipper Hotline on WhatsApp as your backup, or take an instructor on board for the whole week. When you book your boat through Skipper Hotline, we can also arrange a vetted local skipper.

Most marinas and town quays in Croatia use stern-to (Mediterranean) mooring. You reverse into a narrow gap between two boats, pick up a mooring line (lazy line) that is fixed to the seabed and tie it at the bow, and tie two lines from the stern to the pier. For new skippers this is the most stressful part of the week, mostly because of crosswind, prop walk and full marinas on changeover days.

What helps: a base marina with enough space (we avoid the narrow ones), a bow thruster, a clear job for every crew member, and practice. The Skipper Hotline docking training in Punat on Krk (3 days on a sailboat or 2 days on a catamaran) is repeated stern-to and side-to docking, buoy pickup and anchoring in real marina conditions. During the charter we also help you with tricky moments on WhatsApp, for example how to leave a tight spot using spring lines.

These are the ones we see every season:

• Planning too many miles, with no time for swimming and no spare day for bad weather.
• Arriving at popular places after 15:00 in July or August, when buoys and berths are already taken.
• Choosing tonight's bay without checking tonight's wind direction and the thunderstorm risk.
• Looking only at the average wind in one weather app and missing the gusts and thunderstorms.
• Running out of water, or having no cash for buoys. Most buoy fields take cash only.
• Leaving fuel for Friday afternoon, when the fuel stations near the charter bases have the longest queues.
• Buying the Kornati National Park ticket inside the park, where it costs double.
• Booking a boat that is too big for a small or new crew.

Skipper Hotline is built to prevent exactly these mistakes, with a route that fits your crew, daily weather advice and local tips.

Most charters in Croatia run from Saturday to Saturday. Check-in is usually around 17:00 on Saturday, and the boat must be back at the base on Friday evening, often by 18:00, for the check-out inspection.

So keep the first day short: shop for food, check the boat carefully, and either stay in the base marina or sail about 2 hours to an easy, sheltered place nearby. On the last day, stay close to the base, refuel early in the morning and keep the last leg short. If strong wind is forecast for Friday, it is often smarter to come back on Thursday evening. Skipper Hotline plans both days into your route, so the week starts and ends without stress.

Pack light and soft: a soft bag instead of a hard suitcase (there is little storage on board), shoes with soles that don't leave marks, a hat, sunglasses and strong sunscreen, a light windproof jacket for the evenings, a headlamp, a snorkel mask, a power bank, and cash for buoys and small konobas (local restaurants).

Sailing gloves help with the lines, and every boat booked through Skipper Hotline comes with a pair as a welcome gift. Subscribe to the Skipper Hotline newsletter and we send you our full skipper and crew packing list.

A simple rule: one double cabin per couple, and don't plan to sleep in the saloon. As a guide, 4 people need a 36 to 40 ft boat with 2 or 3 cabins, 6 people a 40 to 46 ft boat with 3 or 4 cabins, and 8 people a 45 to 50 ft boat with 4 or 5 cabins, or a 40 to 45 ft catamaran.

Bigger is not always better on a first charter. A longer and wider boat is harder to dock and costs more in marinas. Some things matter more than the brand: the water tank (for 6 people we look for at least 450 liters), a bow thruster, a furling mainsail if the crew is new, and the age and maintenance of the boat. Skipper Hotline filters boats by these points, not only by price, and tells you which one we would choose ourselves.

Both work. A catamaran gives more space and privacy, stays flat at anchor and while sailing, and with two engines far apart it turns easily in tight spaces. But it costs 1.5 to 2 times as much to charter, marinas usually charge about 1.5 times the sailboat price (some charge double), fewer berths are wide enough, and its high sides catch a lot of wind when docking.

A monohull is cheaper, sails better upwind and fits into more marinas. For families and groups who want comfort, a catamaran is great. For crews who want to really sail, a monohull is often more fun. Skipper Hotline helps you choose based on your crew, budget and route.

Look further than the price. The same boat model can be well maintained by one company and in poor condition at another. Some base marinas are narrow or open to the wind, which makes leaving on Saturday and returning on Friday stressful, especially in strong wind. Check the age of the boat, how the company maintains its boats and helps you if something breaks during the week, the marina layout, and how you will get there (by car or by plane).

Skipper Hotline is an independent booking agency run by local skippers who work on charter boats and dock in Croatian marinas every season. We can tell you which boats and marinas we would avoid, and why.

No. You pay the same price whether you book directly with the charter company or through an agency. The agency's commission comes out of the charter company's own price, and charter companies don't lower their price for clients who book directly.

Skipper Hotline uses its commission to include full Skipper Hotline Assistance with every booking. If you find a lower price for the same boat and week at another agency, we match it.

Four names cover most situations:

• Maestral is a thermal wind from the northwest. It blows in Dalmatia during stable summer weather with high pressure, usually from late morning until sunset, at about 10 to 20 knots. It is the best sailing wind, but it doesn't blow in Kvarner.
• Bura (bora) is a cold northeast wind that comes down from the mountains in strong gusts. It is strongest in Kvarner and under the Velebit mountains, but it can blow along the whole coast and in any season.
• Jugo is a warm southeast wind. It builds over a day or two and brings clouds, rain and big waves. It is more common in spring and autumn.
• Nevera is not a regular wind but a sudden summer thunderstorm with violent gusts, most often from the west.

The same bay can be perfect in maestral and dangerous in jugo. That's why Skipper Hotline chooses your bay for the night based on that night's forecast, not on how nice the bay looks.

The bura is dangerous mainly if you are in the wrong place. It blows from the northeast in strong gusts, often jumping from 20 to over 30 knots within seconds, and it builds short, steep waves in the channels. It is strongest in Kvarner and in the Velebit channel. In winter its gusts can reach hurricane strength, and in summer it can easily blow for two days.

The usual problems are anchors dragging, boats pushed onto their neighbors in marinas, and rough crossings. The good news is that the Croatian weather service forecasts the bura well, so you can plan around it: choose a bay or marina protected from the northeast, use extra lines, and cross before or after it. Skipper Hotline is based in Kvarner and plans your days around the bura forecast.

Use the DHMZ marine forecast (meteo.hr) for warnings. Read the first paragraph, where the warnings are, and look for a thunderstorm (Nevera) warning. The rest of that forecast is too general for planning your day.

For the wind, use an app such as Windy or PredictWind, and always look at the gust forecast, not only the average wind. These apps offer several forecast models. They usually agree for the next one or two days and often disagree from the third day on. You can keep the app's default model. Just remember that the forecast can be a bit off, and plan with some margin.

Skipper Hotline reads the forecasts for your route every day and tells you what they mean for tonight's bay: gusts behind a hill, wind funneling through a channel, or waves coming from a different direction than the wind.

Call 195, the Croatian maritime search and rescue center (MRCC Rijeka), from any phone. You can also call 112, or use VHF channel 16 (Mayday or Pan-Pan). The nIS app from the Croatian Ministry of the Sea can call 195 and send your position automatically.

Skipper Hotline is not an emergency or rescue service. When you are in danger, always call 195, 112 or VHF channel 16 first. We help with everything around it: advice before a situation becomes dangerous, and local contacts such as mechanics, marinas and taxis afterwards.

There are four options, and most crews mix them:

• Anchoring usually costs nothing, except in concession areas, national parks and restricted zones. You need good holding (sand or mud) and shelter from that night's wind. In deep bays you often tie a stern line to the shore.
• Mooring buoys cost about €50 to €80 per night for a 40 ft boat in season. Most buoy fields take cash only.
• Marinas cost about €100 to €150 per night for a 40 ft boat in season, more in places like Hvar or Split. A catamaran usually pays about 1.5 times the price of a sailboat, and in some marinas double. Marinas have water, electricity and showers.
• Restaurants in the bays: many konobas offer a buoy or a place at their pier if you eat there. Call ahead.

Skipper Hotline suggests the best option for every night, based on the forecast, your crew and your budget.

There is no single system. ACI (22 marinas along the coast) and many private marinas take bookings online or by phone, and ACI holds a booked berth until 20:00. Buoy fields are run by different operators. Some take reservations by phone, and some take none at all, for example on the island of Vis.

From June to September, book about 3 days ahead in Dalmatia and 1 day ahead in Kvarner. If bad weather is forecast, book as early as you can, because everyone heads to the same safe harbors. Where you can't book, arrive early: in high season aim for early afternoon, and before a day of bad weather as early as 9 or 10 in the morning.

Skipper Hotline shares its list of reservation phone numbers with you and always keeps a Plan B.

Water is the bigger problem. In summer many island marinas limit water, for example to one hour a day on Vis and at Žut in the Kornati, sometimes at a high price, and some places have no refill at all. A crew of six can easily use more than 100 liters a day, so the tank size and the refill stops must be part of the route. That's why Skipper Hotline recommends a boat with a bigger tank, or a watermaker on bigger boats, when it makes sense, and plans realistic refill stops.

There are fewer fuel stations than you would expect, and near the charter bases they have long queues in the afternoon and on Fridays, so go early in the morning. The water in the boat's tanks is for washing, so buy drinking water. The fuel stations are also listed in our 101 Sailing Croatia booklet.

Yes. These are the parks most crews visit:

• Kornati National Park charges a daily ticket per boat, priced by the length of the boat. Buy it before you enter, online or at sales points on the coast. In June to September 2026, the daily ticket for an 11 to 18 m boat cost €95 bought in advance and €190 bought inside the park.
• Telašćica Nature Park on Dugi otok has its own ticket, and rangers come by boat to sell it. There is also a joint ticket for Kornati and Telašćica for 3 days, sold through mySea.
• Krka National Park: sail up the river to Skradin and take the park boat to the Skradinski buk waterfalls. The boat is included in the ticket in season. Swimming at Skradinski buk has been banned since 2021.
• Mljet National Park charges a fee for the boat, plus a ticket per person to visit the lakes.

Skipper Hotline tells you where tickets are cheaper and which park days fit your route and the weather.

Most crews enjoy 10 to 20 nautical miles a day, which is about 2 to 4 hours underway at 5 to 6 knots. That leaves time for swimming, lunch at anchor, and arriving early enough to find a place for the night.

Sailing upwind takes longer than the straight line. A 20 NM trip against the wind can become 28 to 30 NM of tacking, so plan 5 hours instead of 3.5 by motor. In Dalmatia, the maestral usually starts late in the morning, so leave early for calm water, or around 11:00 if you want to sail. Skipper Hotline plans each leg with realistic hours for your boat and crew.

Yes. Skipper Hotline plans the route for every client. First we ask about your base marina, your crew and your boat, including its water tank. Then we ask a few simple questions: how many nights you want at anchor or on buoys and how many in marinas, whether you prefer quiet nature or villages and towns, how often you will cook on board or eat in restaurants, how many hours a day you want to sail (ideal and maximum), and which places you really want to see.

From that we design a route with distances, times and options for every night. Shortly before departure, when the forecast is reliable, we adjust it, and during the week we keep adjusting it every day. It is included when you book the boat through us, and for boats booked elsewhere the 7-day pass covers it.

Yes. When the forecast changes, we rework the plan to keep the trip safe and comfortable, for example with shorter legs, a different island or a better-protected bay for the night.

Here is a route we planned for a crew who wanted swimming bays during the day and small towns in the evening, starting from Kaštela near Split airport:

• Saturday: from Kaštela to Šolta, to Maslinica marina or Šešula bay (about 15 NM).
• Sunday: to the Pakleni islands. Anchor in Taršće or Stari Stani and take a water taxi to Hvar town (about 18 NM).
• Monday: to Komiža on Vis, on a buoy or in the small marina. There are no reservations, so arrive early (about 18 NM).
• Tuesday: to the Green Cave on Ravnik, then to Kut in Vis town (about 14 NM).
• Wednesday: back to the Pakleni islands or near Hvar (about 10 NM).
• Thursday: to Brač. Stop in Blaca bay for the walk to the monastery, then continue to Tri Luke (about 14 NM).
• Friday: refuel early in Milna, have a last swim, and return to Kaštela (about 16 NM).

This is a starting point. With jugo or bura in the forecast, we change the order or the islands. For a first charter, June and September are easier here than July and August, when it gets very crowded. A tip: the Blue Cave on Biševo has long queues in summer and closes when there are waves, and the Green Cave is a quieter option.

A loop from Sukošan (Marina Dalmacija) near Zadar:

• Saturday: to Muline on the north tip of Ugljan (about 12 NM).
• Sunday: south through the channel between Ugljan and Iž to Žut. Stay in the marina or on a buoy, and walk to the top of the island for the sunset (about 18 NM).
• Monday: into Kornati National Park, to Levrnaka with Lojena, the only sandy beach in the Kornati. Buy the park ticket online before you enter (about 4 NM).
• Tuesday: to Telašćica bay on Dugi otok. Take a buoy in Mir bay and walk to the cliffs (about 6 NM).
• Wednesday: north along Dugi otok to Božava (about 23 NM).
• Thursday: around the north tip of Ugljan to Preko (about 15 NM).
• Friday: back to Sukošan, and refuel early (about 5 NM).

From Biograd, the Kornati are only about 8 NM away, so start with Žut and the Kornati and come back through Ugljan and the Pašman channel at the end of the week. From Šibenik, start or finish with Krka and Skradin, and add Zlarin, Kaprije or Žirje on the way to the Kornati.

Water is limited in the Kornati area (at Žut marina only one hour a day in summer), so plan your refills. Skipper Hotline turns this into a day-by-day plan for your dates and the forecast.

Kvarner is our home area. A loop from Punat on Krk:

• Saturday: to Vela Luka bay on the south coast of Krk (about 12 NM).
• Sunday: to Rab. Stay in Ćifnata bay on the southwest side, or in Sahara bay near Lopar on the north side (about 9 to 18 NM).
• Monday: to Meli bay on the east coast of Cres, a sandy bay that is open to the bura (about 11 to 16 NM).
• Tuesday: to Ilovik (about 17 NM).
• Wednesday: to Silba, a small island without cars (about 8 NM).
• Thursday: back north to Rab town (about 23 NM).
• Friday: to Kruščica bay on the east coast of Cres for a last swim, then back to Punat to refuel (about 27 NM in total, so leave early).

Kvarner is less crowded than Split, the islands are green and the towns are quiet, but the bura blows here more often. The order of the days depends on the forecast: sometimes we go the other way round, and sometimes you stay an extra night. Skipper Hotline is based here, so this is where our local knowledge is deepest.

A loop from ACI marina Dubrovnik:

• Saturday: to Lopud in the Elaphiti islands (about 8 NM).
• Sunday: to Polače on Mljet, for the national park lakes by bike or on foot (about 23 NM).
• Monday: to Korčula town (about 17 NM).
• Tuesday: to Pomena on Mljet (about 14 NM).
• Wednesday: to Okuklje on Mljet (about 15 NM).
• Thursday: to Šipanska Luka on Šipan (about 9 NM).
• Friday: back to Dubrovnik (about 12 NM).

In settled weather you can swap one Mljet night for Lastovo, about 16 NM from Korčula. Distances here are longer than in the north and there are fewer islands to hide behind, so the route depends more on the forecast, especially on jugo. Skipper Hotline plans the order for the weather and tells you where to go when the wind turns.

No. Most of our clients are skippers chartering in Croatia for the first time, but experienced crews use it too. They use it to save planning time, to avoid local traps such as buoy fields, water refills and difficult marinas, and to check their plans with an experienced local skipper.

Anything about your trip. Typical questions are: Is this bay safe tonight? Should we change islands because of the forecast? Which marina is easiest to enter in tonight's wind? Is this buoy field worth it? How do we dock safely in a crosswind? What is the safest Plan B if we are late?

We also check in with you ourselves during the week, not only when you ask.

If you find a lower price for the same boat and the same charter week at another booking agency, Skipper Hotline matches it. Send us the other offer, and we check that the conditions are the same: dates, boat model, base marina, and what is included in the price (charter fee, extras and payment terms).

If everything matches, we match the price, so you can book through Skipper Hotline and still have the assistance included.

Skipper Hotline was founded by Filip Đurić, a Croatian professional skipper and sailing instructor since 2012, who has been sailing since childhood. The team is based in Rijeka and on the island of Krk, and is made up of local professional skippers and instructors who work on charter boats every season.

Skipper Hotline combines a boat booking agency, WhatsApp support for recreational skippers, and skipper and docking training in Punat. Clients rate Skipper Hotline 5.0 out of 5.

No. Skipper Hotline is an advisory service. We plan, warn and advise so you can avoid most difficult situations, but we don't send boats or people. In an emergency, always call 195 (Croatian sea rescue), 112 or VHF channel 16 first. After that, we can help with local contacts and next steps.

All main charter regions of Croatia: Istria, Kvarner, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik. Live chat support is available every day of your charter from 8:00 to 22:00, by WhatsApp message or call, and we check in with you ourselves during the week. Route planning and advice on the boat start before the trip.

Apps give you data and reviews, and the charter base helps with the boat. None of them plans your week around the forecast or tells you which bay will be safe tonight.

Skipper Hotline is a real local skipper, not a chatbot, who knows your boat, crew and route. We read the forecast for your exact area, and we know which buoy fields take reservations, where water refills actually work, which marinas are hard to dock in, and which places look good online but disappoint. We use the same apps. The value is in how a local skipper reads them.