Guide · 5 min read
Bareboat charter in Croatia: the licence and paperwork rules
Bareboat means you are the skipper: no professional crew, no daily fee, and full responsibility for the boat. Croatia is one of the easier countries to bareboat in, but the paperwork is checked properly at the base and a missing VHF certificate at 17:00 on a Saturday is a genuinely ruined holiday. Here is exactly what is required.
What the skipper must hold
- A recognised certificate of competence for the size of boat you are chartering — for UK skippers, RYA Day Skipper or above with the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) is the standard combination.
- A separate VHF radio operator's certificate — the RYA Short Range Certificate (SRC) is accepted. This is the single most commonly forgotten document.
- Both must be the physical or official digital certificate, in the skipper's name, carried on board for the whole charter. Photos of a certificate are not reliably accepted.
The rest of the paperwork
| Document | Who needs it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Crew list with full names, dates and places of birth | Everyone on board | Filed with the harbour master before departure |
| Passports | Everyone on board | Checked at check-in and by coastguard patrols |
| Skipper's licence and VHF certificate | The skipper | Legal requirement for bareboat |
| Charter contract and paid invoice | Lead charterer | Released to you before check-in |
| Security deposit or waiver | Lead charterer | Card pre-authorisation at the base |
What check-in actually looks like
Boarding is normally from 17:00 on Saturday. Expect ninety minutes: paperwork and deposit in the office, then a handover on board covering engine, sails, electrics, tender and outboard, safety gear and the inventory. Take photos of anything already damaged before you sign. Disembarkation is by 09:00 the following Saturday, with fuel and any damage settled then.
Local rules worth knowing
- The Kornati and Mljet national parks charge a daily ticket per boat. Buy it in advance where you can; it is cheaper than buying it from the ranger.
- Overnight sailing is restricted on some bareboat contracts. Check yours before planning a long passage.
- The bura and the jugo can both blow hard in shoulder season. Croatian bases will tell you honestly when to stay put, and they expect you to listen.
- Mooring buoys in popular bays are usually run by a restaurant. Taking the buoy generally comes with an expectation that you eat there.
Common questions
Check a real week and price
Availability and operator prices are live in the fleet. Pick a week and we confirm it in writing — no booking fee.