(July 2010)
Vela Luka
N42°57.94 E016°42.90
Anchored in inlet in the north of the town but it’s very tight for space so we moved to U. Plitvine.
U. Plitvine
N42°58.06 E016°42.40
Anchored and tied back in the NE corner. Very good holding. The band of reasonable depths for anchoring isn’t as narrow as it looks on the chart. There’s a pleasant path around the shoreline or up and over the hill to town (20 minute walk), alternatively town is a 15 minute dinghy ride away. The town is not touristy and there are small grocery stores on the front. Fuel from the berth alongside the fuel station on the front. We went into the station to tell them we wanted fuel, they turned on the supply and we served ourselves!
Check out
Go first to the Harbour Master (closed for lunch 12-2pm) up a side street behind the garage and opposite a café. The Police office is by a small park but the Harbour Master called them to his office and everything was dealt with in the same place. They were very laid back here – frustratingly so – and it took ages longer to deal with the formalities than it needed to.
Sunday 29 August 2010
Tri Luka, Korcula
(July 2010)
N42°55.61 E016°39.87
Anchored and tied back in the western most cove. The holding was really tricky – weedy and rocky patches – and it took us several attempts before we could get a good hold. The cruising guide says the water can be freezing here but it wasn’t when we were there. Quite a busy spot. Restaurant ashore. The small beach right behind us was piled with rubbish bags.
N42°55.61 E016°39.87
Anchored and tied back in the western most cove. The holding was really tricky – weedy and rocky patches – and it took us several attempts before we could get a good hold. The cruising guide says the water can be freezing here but it wasn’t when we were there. Quite a busy spot. Restaurant ashore. The small beach right behind us was piled with rubbish bags.
Pakleni Islands and Hvar
(July 2010)
O. Planikovac (U Zdrilca), Pakleni Islands
N43°09.61 E016°25.01
A very popular and busy spot. We anchored and tied back to the shore and watched all the entertaining summer fun going on around us. Be aware that a tide runs through the gap; it caused trouble for several people attempting to tie back when we were there.
Hvar
It was calm enough for us to go to Hvar by dinghy from the anchorage in the Pakleni Islands (a 20 minute ride). There is also an anchorage at Hvar town but it was jam-packed and didn’t look like fun.
O. Planikovac (U Zdrilca), Pakleni Islands
N43°09.61 E016°25.01
A very popular and busy spot. We anchored and tied back to the shore and watched all the entertaining summer fun going on around us. Be aware that a tide runs through the gap; it caused trouble for several people attempting to tie back when we were there.
Hvar
It was calm enough for us to go to Hvar by dinghy from the anchorage in the Pakleni Islands (a 20 minute ride). There is also an anchorage at Hvar town but it was jam-packed and didn’t look like fun.
Split
(July 2010)
N43°30.35 E016°26.08
Anchored after the marina, between the fuel station and the front (avoid the no anchoring area indicated by a sign – upside down anchor - on the west shore). The holding is good. Although it’s a bouncy spot, because of the ferry traffic, it’s bearable. We landed at the small inner basin to the left of the front. Several supermarkets in the town. We thought Split was an excellent city and that the old town and palace were fabulous.
N43°30.35 E016°26.08
Anchored after the marina, between the fuel station and the front (avoid the no anchoring area indicated by a sign – upside down anchor - on the west shore). The holding is good. Although it’s a bouncy spot, because of the ferry traffic, it’s bearable. We landed at the small inner basin to the left of the front. Several supermarkets in the town. We thought Split was an excellent city and that the old town and palace were fabulous.
Krka River
(July 2010)
U. Beretusa
N43°49.03 E015°53.28
We stopped here for the night before going on to visit Skradin and the falls. Beretusa is uninhabited and smaller than it looks on the chart. The holding is good. Can land near the head of the NW arm and walk to a rough road. I wouldn’t recommend wandering off the track here, as this is where we saw the minefield sign.
U Dumboka
N43°48.68 E015°53.39
Anchored here for the night after visiting the falls. Uninhabited, good holding, quiet.
Skradin
N43°48.84 E015°55.50
It’s reported that anchoring at Skradin is not permitted but lots of yachts were anchored just before the marina and in the small bays opposite the town without any discouragement. The holding is very good. It’s busy with tripper boat traffic so we went back down the river after visiting the falls for a more peaceful anchorage. Skradin has small grocery shops in the village.
The Falls
If you land to the right of the marina the National Park ticket office is along the front further to the right. Tickets for the tripper boat and entry to the park are 95 Kuna per person (about 13.5 Euro). The area of the Skradinski Buk series of waterfalls is popular and it was very busy when we were there, but wandering the raised platform walkways in the shade of the trees is still a treat. Take a swimsuit, as it’s possible to swim at the pool at the bottom of the falls.
U. Beretusa
N43°49.03 E015°53.28
We stopped here for the night before going on to visit Skradin and the falls. Beretusa is uninhabited and smaller than it looks on the chart. The holding is good. Can land near the head of the NW arm and walk to a rough road. I wouldn’t recommend wandering off the track here, as this is where we saw the minefield sign.
U Dumboka
N43°48.68 E015°53.39
Anchored here for the night after visiting the falls. Uninhabited, good holding, quiet.
Skradin
N43°48.84 E015°55.50
It’s reported that anchoring at Skradin is not permitted but lots of yachts were anchored just before the marina and in the small bays opposite the town without any discouragement. The holding is very good. It’s busy with tripper boat traffic so we went back down the river after visiting the falls for a more peaceful anchorage. Skradin has small grocery shops in the village.
The Falls
If you land to the right of the marina the National Park ticket office is along the front further to the right. Tickets for the tripper boat and entry to the park are 95 Kuna per person (about 13.5 Euro). The area of the Skradinski Buk series of waterfalls is popular and it was very busy when we were there, but wandering the raised platform walkways in the shade of the trees is still a treat. Take a swimsuit, as it’s possible to swim at the pool at the bottom of the falls.
Thursday 19 August 2010
Sailing in Croatia
So would we recommend Croatia to other cruisers? Lets see…
Against. We’ll do the grotty bit first.
Sojourn Tax:
It was bad enough having to pay for an expensive permit to cruise in Croatia but when we arrived back from Venice, and checked in again at Rovinj, we were presented with another bill. This sojourn tax is chargeable because, would you believe, we’re considered to be a type of temporary resident, as we have beds onboard. The amount you pay depends on the length of your boat and how long you intend to stay in Croatia. As you might imagine, Derek wanted to tell them to stuff it and to cross back over to Italy. The best I could do was to convince him that we should pay the tax for 30 days in Croatia rather than the 60 days that we had previously planned. The worst bit about the tax was that we were then on a time limit, which was a bore, but also that, when we checked out of Croatia, nobody mentioned it again or checked that we’d paid it or queried whether we’d overstayed. We were left feeling that we’d been ripped off. (We subsequently wrote to the Ministry of Sea to ask them about this tax. I’ve copied their reply at the end of this entry).
Charging for anchoring:
Between designated anchorages where a fee is charged, areas with mooring buoys where a fee is charged even if you’re anchored, and harbours that collect dues from anchored yachts it’s tricky to avoid more expense. Tricky, but not impossible. In the two months that we were there we anchored all the time, never went into a marina and only paid to anchor on one night (at Pula Harbour). We also paid in the National Park on Mljet but that was a one off fee for entrance to the park area, it included a trip to the lakes and you could stay as many nights as you liked (see route blog entry for Luka Polace, Mljet). There are some free anchorages off of towns but quite often we were in places a bit removed from habitation. If your wallet and your principals allowed you to part with your money for anchoring then none of this would be a problem. Personally, I felt a bit frustrated at missing some places in order to avoid the charges but that was our choice.
For
The sailing:
Perhaps we were lucky to have a tail wind on the way up and on the way back down again but the sailing really made up for a lot. We used our cruising chute like we never have before. Derek was in his element, with the added benefit of having Dick on call and gaining from his experience. Of course there’s no way that Sandpiper could ever compete with Alchemy but it still spurs you on when you have someone to catch up with. The numerous islands sheltered us from the sea state and always provided an overnight anchorage. Winds were light and we mostly made quite short distances, but they add up and it was heavenly to glide along peacefully. Plus it was free travel.
The sightseeing:
We liked: Dubrovnik; Pula, Rovinj and inland in Istria; the Krka river and falls; and, our favourite, Split. Plus, there’s no denying, it’s a darned handy route to Venice.
The islands:
Amongst others we liked: Mljet, Murter and the Pakleni Islands (handy for Hvar) but see our route blog entries for more.
Cost of living:
Diesel is cheaper than in Greece and Italy. We paid around €1.08 a litre. Food shopping seemed on a par or perhaps slightly cheaper than Greece and Turkey.
The verdict
All things considered: Yes, we would recommend Croatia! We’re glad we went and could have stayed longer. If it wasn’t for the money side of things it would be an excellent place for cruisers, but who cares about cruisers when there are so many charterers with money to spend. Needless to say ensigns were virtually non-existent. Oh, and be prepared to see lots of bare bums…and more!
P.S. Now that we’re back in Italy we’re missing the Croatian anchorages and with hindsight (oh, wonderful hindsight) I wish I’d twisted Derek’s arm to pay to stay longer in Croatia.
Dear Mr. Gray,
In addition to your e-mail about sojourn tax we are informing you as follows.
In accordance with Ordinance of sojourn tax for 2010 (Official gazette 139/09) which had entered into force at 28th November 2009 and Article 3a of the Amendment of the Ordinance of sojourn tax for 2010 (Official gazette 38/10), which had entered into force at 8th of April 2010, the owner of the vessel or any of the passengers which are staying over night on the vessel are due to pay flat fee – sojourn tax depending on the length of the vessel and duration of the visit. Below you can find a table of the flat fee –sojourn tax amounts.
For any additional information and/or complaints you can visit web page of the Ministry of tourism ( http://www.mint.hr ) or Croatian National Tourist Board (http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Homepage).
Sincerely yours,
Mr. Stjepan Vuk,
Head of Sector,
Safety of navigation, maritime and inland waters protection Directorate
Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure
Table of the flat fee - sojourn tax amounts
Length of the vessel Period Amount in national currency (Kuna)
5- 9 meters till 8 days 150,00
till 15 days 300,00
till 30 days 400,00
till 90 days 600,00
till 1 year 1.000,00
9- 12 meters till 8 days 200,00
till 15 days 350,00
till 30 days 500,00
till 90 days 650,00
till 1 year 1.100,00
12- 15 meters till 8 days 300,00
till 15 days 400,00
till 30 days 600,00
till 90 days 750,00
till 1 year 1.300,00
15- 20 meters till 8 days 400,00
till 15 days 500,00
till 30 days 700,00
till 90 days 850,00
till 1 year 1.500,00
Over 20 meters till 8 days 600,00
till 15 days 800,00
till 30 days 1.000,00
till 90 days 1.300,00
till 1 year 1.700,00
Against. We’ll do the grotty bit first.
Sojourn Tax:
It was bad enough having to pay for an expensive permit to cruise in Croatia but when we arrived back from Venice, and checked in again at Rovinj, we were presented with another bill. This sojourn tax is chargeable because, would you believe, we’re considered to be a type of temporary resident, as we have beds onboard. The amount you pay depends on the length of your boat and how long you intend to stay in Croatia. As you might imagine, Derek wanted to tell them to stuff it and to cross back over to Italy. The best I could do was to convince him that we should pay the tax for 30 days in Croatia rather than the 60 days that we had previously planned. The worst bit about the tax was that we were then on a time limit, which was a bore, but also that, when we checked out of Croatia, nobody mentioned it again or checked that we’d paid it or queried whether we’d overstayed. We were left feeling that we’d been ripped off. (We subsequently wrote to the Ministry of Sea to ask them about this tax. I’ve copied their reply at the end of this entry).
Charging for anchoring:
Between designated anchorages where a fee is charged, areas with mooring buoys where a fee is charged even if you’re anchored, and harbours that collect dues from anchored yachts it’s tricky to avoid more expense. Tricky, but not impossible. In the two months that we were there we anchored all the time, never went into a marina and only paid to anchor on one night (at Pula Harbour). We also paid in the National Park on Mljet but that was a one off fee for entrance to the park area, it included a trip to the lakes and you could stay as many nights as you liked (see route blog entry for Luka Polace, Mljet). There are some free anchorages off of towns but quite often we were in places a bit removed from habitation. If your wallet and your principals allowed you to part with your money for anchoring then none of this would be a problem. Personally, I felt a bit frustrated at missing some places in order to avoid the charges but that was our choice.
For
The sailing:
Perhaps we were lucky to have a tail wind on the way up and on the way back down again but the sailing really made up for a lot. We used our cruising chute like we never have before. Derek was in his element, with the added benefit of having Dick on call and gaining from his experience. Of course there’s no way that Sandpiper could ever compete with Alchemy but it still spurs you on when you have someone to catch up with. The numerous islands sheltered us from the sea state and always provided an overnight anchorage. Winds were light and we mostly made quite short distances, but they add up and it was heavenly to glide along peacefully. Plus it was free travel.
The sightseeing:
We liked: Dubrovnik; Pula, Rovinj and inland in Istria; the Krka river and falls; and, our favourite, Split. Plus, there’s no denying, it’s a darned handy route to Venice.
The islands:
Amongst others we liked: Mljet, Murter and the Pakleni Islands (handy for Hvar) but see our route blog entries for more.
Cost of living:
Diesel is cheaper than in Greece and Italy. We paid around €1.08 a litre. Food shopping seemed on a par or perhaps slightly cheaper than Greece and Turkey.
The verdict
All things considered: Yes, we would recommend Croatia! We’re glad we went and could have stayed longer. If it wasn’t for the money side of things it would be an excellent place for cruisers, but who cares about cruisers when there are so many charterers with money to spend. Needless to say ensigns were virtually non-existent. Oh, and be prepared to see lots of bare bums…and more!
P.S. Now that we’re back in Italy we’re missing the Croatian anchorages and with hindsight (oh, wonderful hindsight) I wish I’d twisted Derek’s arm to pay to stay longer in Croatia.
Dear Mr. Gray,
In addition to your e-mail about sojourn tax we are informing you as follows.
In accordance with Ordinance of sojourn tax for 2010 (Official gazette 139/09) which had entered into force at 28th November 2009 and Article 3a of the Amendment of the Ordinance of sojourn tax for 2010 (Official gazette 38/10), which had entered into force at 8th of April 2010, the owner of the vessel or any of the passengers which are staying over night on the vessel are due to pay flat fee – sojourn tax depending on the length of the vessel and duration of the visit. Below you can find a table of the flat fee –sojourn tax amounts.
For any additional information and/or complaints you can visit web page of the Ministry of tourism ( http://www.mint.hr ) or Croatian National Tourist Board (http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Homepage).
Sincerely yours,
Mr. Stjepan Vuk,
Head of Sector,
Safety of navigation, maritime and inland waters protection Directorate
Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure
Table of the flat fee - sojourn tax amounts
Length of the vessel Period Amount in national currency (Kuna)
5- 9 meters till 8 days 150,00
till 15 days 300,00
till 30 days 400,00
till 90 days 600,00
till 1 year 1.000,00
9- 12 meters till 8 days 200,00
till 15 days 350,00
till 30 days 500,00
till 90 days 650,00
till 1 year 1.100,00
12- 15 meters till 8 days 300,00
till 15 days 400,00
till 30 days 600,00
till 90 days 750,00
till 1 year 1.300,00
15- 20 meters till 8 days 400,00
till 15 days 500,00
till 30 days 700,00
till 90 days 850,00
till 1 year 1.500,00
Over 20 meters till 8 days 600,00
till 15 days 800,00
till 30 days 1.000,00
till 90 days 1.300,00
till 1 year 1.700,00
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)