About
catamarans.
Discover the benefits of chartering a catamaran in Croatia. Learn about comfort, stability, luxury features, and why catamarans make the perfect sailing choice!
A catamaran is two slim hulls bridged by a single wide deck. The geometry buys you three things that matter on the Adriatic: a draft shallow enough to tuck into a Pakleni cove, a beam wide enough that the boat barely leans, and enough living space for a family to spread out for a week without tripping over each other.
Why the Adriatic rewards a catamaran
Croatia is short-hop sailing — Split to Hvar, Hvar to Vis, Vis to Korčula are all afternoon legs, not overnight passages. A catamaran is built for exactly this: get in early, drop the hook in a shallow bay before the fleet arrives, and the wide deck becomes the holiday. The protected channels between Brač, Hvar, Vis and Korčula keep the sea flat, which plays to a cat’s strengths rather than its weaknesses.
Draft: where you can actually anchor
Most charter cats in Croatia draw 1.1 to 1.4 metres. The equivalent monohull draws roughly 2 metres. That metre is the difference between anchoring inside the sandy shelf at Stiniva, the Pakleni lagoons or a Kornati inlet — and watching from deeper, rollier water further out. In a coastline this indented, shallow draft is not a detail; it decides where your week happens.
Stability for the people on board
The wide beam means a catamaran stays close to level under sail and barely rolls at anchor. For multi-generational crews, guests who get queasy on a heeling monohull, and anyone cooking or pouring wine while under way, this is the single reason families pick a cat for Croatia. Kids move around safely; nobody spends the week wedged into a corner.
Reading the Adriatic wind
Three winds shape a Croatian week. The Maestral is the friendly one — a thermal NW breeze that fills in early afternoon and dies by evening, ideal cat sailing. The Bura is a cold, gusty NE wind that falls hard off the Velebit and Biokovo mountains with little warning; reef early and pick a harbour with northeast protection. The Jugo is a warm, wet southerly that builds a swell over a day or two; choose shelter open to the south. A catamaran reaches beautifully in the Maestral and needs respect in the Bura.
Living space, Croatian-week sized
A bright bridgedeck salon with windows all round, a shaded aft cockpit that becomes the outdoor dining room, often a forward lounge or sunbed, four double cabins each with its own heads, plus fridges and freezers sized for a full week of island provisioning. On a Croatian charter the cockpit, not the salon, is where the week is lived — which is exactly what a catamaran deck is built around.
Layouts and crew choices
The standard charter layout is four double cabins and four heads — equal cabins, no losers in the cabin lottery. Owner versions trade one cabin for a large suite. Bigger hulls add a fifth or sixth cabin and a skipper berth. Go bareboat if your crew holds the licences and Adriatic experience, or add a local skipper who knows the bays, the buoy fields and the konobas; a hostess or cook lifts the catering and cleaning load on a busy family week.
Safety and equipment as standard
Every catamaran ships with lifejackets, a liferaft, VHF, GPS plotter, AIS on most, autopilot, and a dinghy with outboard. Child safety nets on request. Before you sail we brief the local VHF working channels, the national-park no-anchor and buoy-only zones (Kornati, Mljet, Telašćica, Brijuni), and the safe-harbour options for each wind direction.
The catamarans we broker in Croatia
Common choices across the fleet are the Lagoon 40, 42 and 46; Bali 4.2, 4.4 and 4.6 with their open deck-saloon layout; Fountaine Pajot Isla 40, Astréa 42 and Tanna 47; and Nautitech 40 and 44, plus Leopard and Privilege hulls. Air-conditioning, generator, watermaker and a water-toy package are available where you want the extra comfort for an August week.
Who should pick a catamaran here
Families who want space and shade over speed. Two couples who want equal, private cabins. First-time charterers who want a forgiving, stable platform for Dalmatia. Photo and dive crews who need deck room for kit. If your priority is upwind performance in open water, a monohull may still suit — but for a Croatian island week, the cat usually wins.
- Two hulls, one wide deck — space and stability.
- Typical Croatian charter draft 1.1–1.4 m.
- Stays near level under sail; barely rolls at anchor.
- Twin engines for confident berthing in tight ACI marinas.
- Typical sailing speed 6 to 9 knots, model and wind dependent.
- Confirm berth width for 40–46 ft cats — beam runs roughly 7.0–8.1 m.
- Sail in the morning, anchor by early afternoon — the Maestral fills around 13:00 and the bays fill too.
- In a Bura forecast pick a harbour with solid northeast protection and double your scope.
- In a Jugo forecast choose shelter open to the south and expect a building swell.
- Use national-park buoy fields where laid (Kornati, Mljet, Telašćica) — anchoring is restricted.
- Set the hook hard on the sand-and-weed Adriatic bottom and back down to test the hold.
What a Croatian week costs and when to book
Rates move with size, age and season — July and August are the Dalmatian peak. Book four to eight months out for the best choice of boat and base; early bookings often carry a discount. Every quote we send itemises the charter fee and all mandatory extras so the number you see is the number you pay.
What the charter fee includes
A fully equipped catamaran, dinghy with outboard, bed linen and towels, galley kit and basic safety gear. The transit log and final cleaning appear as listed items in the offer. Fuel, the tourist tax and any marina or buoy fees along the route are paid as you go.
Optional extras worth considering
A local skipper or a hostess/cook; SUP, kayak and snorkel sets; early Saturday check-in, onboard Wi-Fi, an outboard upgrade; a stocked provisioning list waiting at the boat. Add what fits your crew — nothing you don’t ask for.
How booking actually works
Send your dates, departure base, crew size and any must-have feature. We reply with available catamarans, real photos and a clear price — usually within hours. We hold the boat while you sort flights, add crew and extras if you want them, finalise the contract and a route brief matched to your experience, and then you sail.
Why the boat choice matters here
A Croatian charter lives or dies on the match between the group and the catamaran — draft for the bays you want, cabin layout for the people on board, handling for the most experienced person aboard. Tell us how you like to sail and who is coming; we pick the right hull and an Adriatic route you will actually enjoy.
Ready to sail Croatia? Tell us your plans.
Send your dates, departure base and crew size. A broker replies with matching catamarans and a clear price — usually within the same business day.