Marina Facility Solutions

Croatia and Montenegro Search

Croatia is becoming a favourite place for European and other boat owners to moor their boats. Cheap flights are readily available, the cruising ground is spectacular and, though on the rise, annual berth fees in Croatia are still very reasonable compared to other similar European locations. Many foreign boat owners have however had problems in finding berths – marinas may claim to be “full”, be slow in responding or fail to respond altogether. As a result, we have frequently been asked to assist and, so far have a 100% success record in finding a suitable berth. This relies on regular communication with our marina contact base, up to date information on where an appropriate berth might be available, detailed local knowledge of the relative benefits of a particular area, and persistent follow up, often involving personal meetings, until a contract is agreed.

Though we specialise in Croatian marinas we have good contact bases in both Slovenia and Montenegro and would hope to be able to assist in these countries as well.

Marina Facility Solutions does not receive any commission from the marina and therefore, to cover our time and costs, we offer our berth search service on a “pay by results” basis, calculated at a one off 5% of the annual mooring fee agreed, payable by the boat owner on arrival at the chosen marina.

We require the following information to commence the search:

• Owners Name
• Contact details including telephone number
• Boat type
• Country of Registration
• Age
• Make
• Length
• Beam
• Draft
• Weight
• Area: 1^st choice/2^nd choice
• Any specific requirements
• Confirmation of agreement to the outline terms and conditions above

Marina Network Background

There are currently 51 marinas in Croatia. The majority are open all year round with a handful, notably in the remoter areas, open in the summer only. The marina network is generally good but, in some instances, the infrastructure is old and struggles to cater for today’s larger boats and the demand for better facilities.

The existing marinas suggest they have been at maximum capacity for a number of years. The marina network is relatively well spread but there is a dearth of marinas in Southern Dalmatia (between Split and Dubrovnik).

One of the main factors influencing the popularity of a specific marina over another is its proximity to an international airport running low cost flights. Some have better facilities than others and a few cope more readily with larger vessels.

All marinas have standard services including:

• toilet and shower facilities
• lifts, cranes, travel lifts and hoists of various capacities
• reception and exchange facilities
• electricity and water available to berths – currently “reasonable use” is mostly included in the annual berth fee
• essential security systems
• secure lazyline berthing system

Most also have on site or in close proximity:

• a shop or supermarket
• maintenance and repair facilities and workshops
• restaurant and bar

Some have:

• entertainment facilities – swimming pool, night club, etc
• hotel or apartment accommodation
• three phase electricity supply
• Wireless internet connection