Frequently Asked Questions

Pick your vessel and dates, fill in guest details, and pay a 30% deposit via Stripe to confirm. The captain receives the booking instantly. The remaining 70% is due 4–6 weeks before departure, payable by bank transfer or card.

Yes — submit an inquiry and the captain will hold the dates while you decide. We don't lock the boat until the deposit is paid; the deposit is what secures the dates.

Standard: deposits are non-refundable but transferable to a future date with at least 60 days' notice. Within 60 days of departure, the captain may keep the deposit. Some captains offer more flexible terms — check the vessel page or ask in your inquiry.

Full deposit refunded immediately, and we'll help you find an equivalent vessel for the same dates if possible. Captain-initiated cancellations are rare and almost always weather or safety related.

Charter prices are quoted in EUR — Croatia has used the euro since 2023, so there is no exchange step on the ground either. Deposits are charged in EUR via Stripe; your card is auto-converted at the bank's rate if it's in another currency.

It depends on the charter style, and the vessel page states it clearly. Crewed charters typically include captain and crew, bed linen, towels and standard port fees on the planned route; catering is either half-board or provisioned to your menu. Skippered sailing charters are leaner — the skipper plus the boat, with provisioning and marina fees on top.

Fuel beyond the standard itinerary, marina berths in town harbours (Hvar and Korčula town quays are the priciest), national-park entries (Kornati, Krka, Mljet, Lastovo), and gratuities. Crewed charters usually collect these through an APA (advance provisioning allowance) of 20–30% of the charter fee, settled transparently at the end.

Discretionary, for good service: 5–15% of the charter fee for the crew is the Mediterranean norm, handed to the captain at the end of the week to share.

Crewed means captain plus hostess/cook or more — you do nothing but enjoy it. Skippered is the boat plus a professional skipper; you help as much as you like. Bareboat (you as licensed skipper) exists in Croatia's big charter fleets, but PlavaSail's catalogue focuses on crewed and skippered vessels.

Yes — commercial charter in Croatia requires the operator's charter licence and professionally certificated crew under Croatian and EU maritime rules, and boats carry commercial insurance for the published guest count. We work only with licensed operators and professional captains.

English is the working language of the Croatian charter industry; German is widespread too. Each vessel page lists the crew's languages where the operator has confirmed them.

On crewed charters, yes — most guests take breakfast and lunch aboard and go ashore for dinner: the konoba (family tavern) culture on the islands is half the point of a Croatian charter. Your crew book the tables and time the anchorages around them.

Split (SPU) for Central Dalmatia and the Kornati, Dubrovnik (DBV) for the south, Zadar (ZAD) for the northern archipelago, Pula (PUY) for Istria. All four have broad seasonal European connections; transfers to the marinas run 20–45 minutes.

Croatia is in the EU and the Schengen area. EU/EEA citizens travel freely; UK, US and most other visitors get 90 visa-free days in Schengen (ETIAS pre-authorisation applies as it rolls out). If you hold a Schengen visa, it covers Croatia.

May through October. July–August bring the warmest sea, the liveliest towns and the busiest quays; June and September are the connoisseur months — settled maestral afternoons, warm water, space to anchor. May and October are quieter and cooler, with real bargains.

Summer's rhythm is the maestral — a friendly NW sea breeze that builds mid-day to 10–20 knots and dies at sunset, ideal for sailing. The strong bura (NE) and humid jugo (SE) are mostly spring/autumn events; captains plan around the forecast and the islands offer shelter in every direction.

They're the itinerary's backbone: the Kornati archipelago and Telašćica by boat, the Krka waterfalls via the river to Skradin, Mljet's saltwater lakes, and Lastovo's dark-sky nature park. Entry fees are per boat or per person and your operator arranges tickets — typically settled through the APA.

Some crewed itineraries cross the Adriatic or run south to Montenegro — it's an international passage the operator must clear in advance, so ask when you inquire. Within Croatia there are no formalities between islands.

One of the best: short hops between anchorages, pebble coves with shallow edges, no long open-water passages, and towns where kids can run the riva in the evening. Crewed catamarans are the family default for stability and deck space.

Soft-soled shoes for the boat, swimwear, a light layer for maestral evenings, and reef-safe sunscreen. Water shoes help on pebble beaches. Everything else — snorkelling gear, paddleboards, tenders — is usually aboard; the vessel page lists the toys.