ABOUT MARINAS IN CROATIA
Croatia has 48 marinas with about 12.500 berths
on the sea and about 7.200 on land. The larger marinas have technical
services, derricks, petrol stations and various commercial and catering
services Marinas continuously work to improve and enrich their services,
and to adjust to the new needs and wishes of their guests. About
half of the marinas belong to the ACI Club (Adriatic Croatia International
Club) and the others are independent. Of the twenty-one ACI marinas
seventeen are open throughout the year and four during the summer
season only.
Many ports of nautical tourism made some additions to their service: traditional
cuisine, water and electricity, doctor's services, services of charter
companies, accommodation in apartments, and electronic surveillance and
security of guests belongings.
Adriatic Croatia International Club, among the navigators better known
as the ACI club presents a unique chain of 21 marinas, which extend from
Dubrovnik in the south to Umag in the northern part of the Croatian Adriatic.
The head office of the ACI Club is in Opatija. In the 17 years of conducting
business the ACI marinas have through their efforts of developing popularisation
of sailing and by means of recognizable architectural characteristics realized
recognizable quality of services. Visitors to the modern equipped ACI marina
can along with the regular reception use other technical services, have
access to restaurants, snack bars, stores, laundromats and other contents
which enrich their stay and make it pleasurable. The professional navigators
know the ACI club as a regatta organizer in dual sailing, among which,
the ACI cup and World Cup in dual sailing held in Dubrovnik in 1996 and
in Split in 2000 stand out.
The association, among other things stands out in the promotion of nautical
tourism in Croatia and is a participant in all major nautical fairs in
Europe. The association of nautical tourism, that is Croatian Marina Association,
has achieved successful cooperation with the yacht club Austria, the Board
for marinas at the Slovenian Chamber of commerce, and the German association
of motor yachts.
During the year 1997 contracts were signed on five-year cooperation with
the German association. With the yacht club Austria and the Slovenian Chamber
of commerce contract was signed for one year, with the clause of automatic
extension of contract after the expiry date.
In turn Croatian marinas get complete support in Austrian media services.
They receive free support in all media accessible to the German association
of motor yachts (Sander magazine, daily and summer press, professional
magazines, TV and radio promotion).
Because nautical tourism represents one of the most attractive tourist
offers of our country, the Association of nautical tourism is where useful
and vital information for navigators can be obtained, and where they can
discuss professional problems, and with the help of the association solve
them.
Therefore advancing tourism to the joy and contentment of the navigators
and guests who have chosen our coast, islands and sea as their holiday
destination.
For any information about legal regulations: access, navigation and stay,
authorization issue, navigation security compensation, paying demurrage,
currency regulation, yahtmaster's certificate, wintering of yachts in Croatia
zones in which navigation is prohibited, boat equipment, radio telephones,
participation in sporting events, transport of boats, boat rental & charter
companies, change of crew you can contact nearest port of authority. Harbourmaster's
offices and marinas can usually be contacted on VHF- channel 17, at least
during the day. Most Harbourmaster's offices have their own patrol boats,
with which they can help boats in distress even in bad weather. In keeping
with international custom and practice, harbourmasters have the right to
engage the help of every suitable ship, including foreign yachts.
GENERAL INFORMATION'S ABOUT MARINAS
Berth Fees in Marinas
Fees are charged in Croatian marinas for yacht berths and other services.
They are usually fixed and published in the autumn for the following
year.
Mooring Fees in Public Harbours
On public piers in harbours under municipal authority, the local authorities
have the right to charge mooring fees. The amount of the fee depends
on the size of the yacht and the length of pier it occupies, which
means that yachts mooring alongside the pier will pay more than those
mooring stern of bows to. When berthing "in a pack" (several
yachts mooring alongside each other), the mooring fee is charged for
every yacht. The amount of the fee is determined by the local authority
can vary from one harbour to another.
Berth Fees in Bays
In some areas, the local authorities charge mooring fees for yachts moored
in bays under their authority. In return, garbage is collected and, in
some places, groceries delivered. Law will in future regulate the extent
to which fees can be charged without any service being provided. Persons
collecting mooring fees must identify themselves by producing a printed
receipt.
Buying Food
Shopping for food presents no problems along the Croatian coast or on
the islands. All marinas and harbour have well-supplied supermarkets.
However, during prolonged spells of bad weather there can be a shortage
of fresh vegetables and bread on small islands, which do not have
a regular ferry service. Food prices are comparable to those in Europe.
Restaurants can be more expensive on small islands.
Fuel
Fuel is easily available both on roads and in harbours. All types of
petrol, including unleaded petrol, and diesel are available; however,
unleaded petrol pumps and less common on piers. Petrol stations are temporarily
closed for safety reasons when they are being supplied with petrol from
tankers. During off-season periods, opening hours of petrol stations
can be limited to a few, usually morning, hours. During the main season,
and especially in the morning hours, the large number of customers may
cause queuing and considerable waiting times at petrol stations.
Water and Electricity in Marinas
All Croatian marinas and some harbours have water and electricity hook-ups
on the pontoon-piers.
Water: water connections are usually 1 inch in diameter, 3 inch diameter
connections are much less common. Because of possible water shortages
in the summer months, most Croatian marinas require yachts to use hoses
with taps.
Electricity: In Croatia the current is 220 V AC. In marinas
and public harbours (as well as camping grounds), three-pin "Euro-plugs" are
used. In some marinas (Punat, Kremik) a number of pillars have
'conventional' safety sockets.
The power pillars in some marinas are so wide apart (e.g. in Zut, Piskera,
Palmizana) that extension leads with insulated connectors (storm, rain)
are needed.
The number of power points is sometimes insufficient for all yachts that
may need electricity at the same time. Well-insulated extension leads
with connection elements
ADRIATIC SEA
 The
Adriatic Sea got its name from an ancient port of the same
name. The Adriatic spans from the Balkan to the Apennine peninsula.
The part belonging to the Republic of Croatia is the east coast,
which extends all the way from Prevlaka in the south to cape
Savudrija in the west, including all islands, islets and cliffs
along the coast, and the archipelago of Palagruza (the number
of islands, islets and cliffs is more than 1700). This is a
unique area in Europe for cruising with motorboats, speedboats,
or sailboats, but also for enjoying the underwater world.
Croatia is truly a land of islands because it has more than a thousand
of them and each one is different. Many of them are inhabited but each
and every one is exceptional, with its own story and destiny. To have
a weak spot is human and the connoisseurs of Croatian islands have thousands
of them. To be more precise 1185 of them. That's how many islands, islets
and cliffs are located in front of 1777 kilometres of the Adriatic coast.
The first trip to the Adriatic coast and its islands is a journey into
the unknown. Every other trip will be a journey to the already familiar
beauty of this country, always different but equally breathtaking.
Depths
The shallowest part of our sea is in Istria, where the depth does not
exceed 50 metres. From Pula, the seabed mildly drops, making a long,
narrow valley, which extends from Zirje towards Italy, which is called
Jabucka kotlina. The biggest depth there is about 240 metres. From Jabucka
kotlina, the bottom rises to Palagruza reef where the biggest depth is
130 metres. Towards the south, the bottom drops steeply towards the Juznojadranska
dolina, where the biggest measured depth is about 1,300 metres.
The Adriatic eco-destination
The quality of the water in the Adriatic is very well preserved. The
results reached through the constant measuring of the quality of water
on more than 800 beaches are in accordance with the strictest criteria.
Except for the cleanliness of the sea, another important quality of the
coastal area is its biological and geographical particular quality, which
can be seen in the number of species of plants and animals, and in the
high number of endemic species (for example human fish). In order to
protect and preserve such natural wealth, a list of rare and endangered
species, the so-called Red Book, has been made.
Various projects are carried out in Croatia by government institutions
or associations of citizens with the goal of preserving natural and cultural
heritage, and its evaluation. One of these projects is The Blue Flag
Project, and from the year 2001, the project Green Key also starts with
the goal of improving the quality of surroundings in hotels, motels,
camps and other facilities. Another project is Eco habitat Green Laguna
in Porec, where the environment is especially taken care of. Green Laguna
has its olive groves, orchards, and horse stables etc. where tourists
can take active part in preserving the environment.
Through the year several days are especially marked in Croatia such as
International day for water preservation, World meteorological day, Day
of the planet earth, Day of the dolphins, World day of preserving the
environment, Day of the Sun. Except for the natural, great significance
lies on the preservation of cultural heritage, as well. National costumes
and customs are preserved. During the summer, in most coastal towns special
celebrations are organized in order to show tourists our local traditions,
for example, traditional donkey race which is held each year in Tribunje,
Moreska - knights dance on Korcula
Croatia is also, except for its ecological cleanliness of air and water,
an exceptionally safe place where everybody feels pleasant and welcome.
Tides
In the Adriatic, the high and low tides have relatively small amplitudes.
In the southern part, the difference is rarely above some forty centimetres,
while in the northern part it is somewhat bigger, so that it comes to
1 metre in Istria and the Gulf of Trieste. In some narrow channels and
bays, the high tide can grow considerably during a strong sirocco. That
phenomenon is characteristic for big and deep bays of the southern Adriatic.
The tides are of a mixed type, which means that their rhythm is semidiurnal
during the new and full moon, and of a daily type during the first and
the last quarter. Their amplitudes are very irregular.
Sea Currents
Sea currents occur under the influence of winds, the difference in pressure,
temperature, and the differences in salinity. With respect to the direction,
they can be horizontal or vertical. There are also bottom currents, which
appear as the consequence of moving of water from warmer areas to colder
ones, during which the surface layer gets cold and descends towards the
seabed. Currents are weakly observable in the Adriatic. The speed of
currents changes in particular areas, but it also depends on time periods.
The average speed of currents is about 0.5 knots, but they can also reach
the speed of 4 knots.
Salinity of Sea
The total quantity of salt dissolved in one kilogram of seawater is called
salinity, which is usually expressed in grams and as the permillage.
The salinity of the Adriatic Sea is 38.30 permill averagely, i.e. there
is 38.30 g of salt dissolved in 1 kg of water. In the northern part,
the salinity is somewhat lower than in the middle and southern part because
of the influence of the Po River.
Sea Temperature
The Adriatic Sea has a very marked annual change of the surface temperature.
The average annual temperature is 11°C. During the winter, the sea
is the coldest and the surface temperature is about 7°C; very seldom,
it can drop below that too. In the spring, the sea becomes warmer, and
the surface temperature rises to 18°C. In the summer the surface
of the sea reaches a very high temperature, of up to 22 to 25°C,
and in the southern Adriatic and Istria up to 27°C. In the Adriatic,
thermo clines, i.e. parts of the water column of the same temperature,
are very well distinguished. The thermo cline is most evident during
the summer, and, in the winter, the isothermal process arises, i.e. equalling
of the temperature throughout the water column. In the summer, we can
notice the first thermo cline at the depth of 3 to 5 metres; the next
one is at about 12 metres, and yet another one at 18 metres, while below
30 metres the temperature is mostly constant throughout the year.
Waves in the Adriatic
Waves occur primarily as the consequence of the blowing of winds. The
bigger the reach, i.e. the surface across which the wind blows, the higher
the waves will be. Their strength depends on the configuration and the
exposure of the coast. In that way, mixing of the surface layer with
water from the deep is enabled, and the interaction between the atmosphere
and the sea. We distinguish the crest and the trough of a wave. The length
of the wave is the distance between two troughs. Most often, heights
of waves in the Adriatic are between 0.5 and 1.5 metres, and they very
rarely exceed 5 metres.
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