Lagoon 42 · DEAR JOHN

The Croatian sailing season runs late April through mid-October. The sweet spots:

• May & early June — warm but uncrowded, marina availability still flexible, prices 20-30% below peak.
• Late June through August — peak. Hot, busy, full marinas, prices at their highest. Book by January.
• September & early October — many brokers' favourite. Sea is at its warmest, evenings cool but pleasant, prices drop again, less crowded.

April and late October can be done but expect cooler swimming and more weather-related route changes.

Croatian charter prices vary by vessel type, size, season and operator. As a guide for a 7-night peak-week charter:

• Sailing yacht 40-50 ft (bareboat): €2,400–€4,500 / week
• Catamaran 40-50 ft: €5,400–€11,000 / week
• Motor yacht 50 ft+: €11,000–€30,000 / week
• Luxury crewed yacht 30 m+: €80,000+ / week
• Gulet (crewed, all-inclusive): €14,000–€40,000 / week

Add transit log (~€200–€500), end cleaning (~€150–€350), marina fees if you berth (~€50–€200/night) and provisioning. Croatia Yachting lists all extras transparently on every quote — no surprises at the marina.

Yes — most Croatian operators allow one-way charters within Croatia for a small repositioning fee (typically €200-€600 depending on distance). Common one-way pairs:

• Split → Dubrovnik (or reverse) — a classic seven-day passage south through Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Elaphiti.
• Trogir / Kaštela → Dubrovnik — similar, with the route customisable.
• Pula / Pomer → Split — for a north-to-south week across Kornati.

One-way isn't always available on every yacht — tell us your preferred direction on the inquiry and we filter the fleet to one-way-friendly boats first.

Every booking through Croatia Yachting includes a 72-hour free cancellation window from the moment the booking is confirmed — change your mind in the first three days, full deposit refunded, no questions.

Beyond that 72-hour grace period, standard charter cancellation rules apply (operator-specific, summarised on every quote). We strongly recommend yacht charter cancellation insurance for high-season weeks — the operator's standard fee schedule typically scales from 30% (60+ days out) to 100% (less than 30 days out).

You can get in touch with the skipper as soon as you've completed your booking.

Our skippers are highly qualified and knowledgeable about their locality. They all speak English. For a bareboat charter, the skipper is paid in the marina at check-in (on a crewed charter the crew is already included in the price).

A catamaran is the easier first charter: two hulls = greater stability, no significant heel, more interior + deck space per metre, twin engines for confident manoeuvring. Sleeps the same number of people in genuine privacy. Costs ~2× the sailing yacht equivalent.

A sailing yacht (mono-hull) is the "real sailing" experience: faster on the wind, more responsive helm, lower price per metre. Some heel under sail, less internal space, narrower berths. Best for groups with at least one experienced sailor or a clear preference for proper sailing.

Rule of thumb at Croatia Yachting: catamaran for families with kids or comfort-first weeks; sailing yacht for couples or sailors who want the wind.

Three paths:

1. Send an inquiry — six short questions on our inquiry form, a broker writes back within four working hours with three matched yachts and a costed offer.
2. Browse the fleet directly — search by region, dates, yacht type on /yachts, then send an offer request from any yacht page.
3. Call us — +385 91 3000 009 (Split office, Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00).

The boat is confirmed when the first instalment lands (30, 40 or 50% of the total — depends on operator), or full balance for bookings inside 60 days. We accept bank transfer and major cards.