— How to book
From inquiry to embarkation
How to book a Catamaran in Croatia?
A Croatian catamaran week is booked the way it has worked here for years: you ask, we match, you sign, you pay a deposit, you settle the balance, you step aboard on Saturday. Cusmanich d.o.o. has run that sequence from Split since 2014 — one broker on your file from the first reply to the dock briefing, and the boat operator standing behind the contract.
The enquiry that gets a fast, accurate answer
- Sailing week — Croatian charters run Saturday to Saturday; tell us the week and your fallback weeks if the dates flex.
- Starting marina — Split (ACI Split, Kaštela), Trogir (Seget, SCT), Šibenik (Mandalina), Zadar (Sukošan/Dalmacija), Dubrovnik (ACI Komolac) or Pula in Istria.
- Crew picture — number of cabins, adults and children with ages, and whether one cabin can stay free for a skipper.
- Skipper plan — bareboat under your own licence, or a Croatian-licensed skipper aboard.
- Anything that shapes the boat — sailing experience, draft worries, water-toy wishlist, special diet, airport transfer from Split or Dubrovnik.
From enquiry to a signed Croatian charter
- We read the brief and shortlist only catamarans that genuinely fit your crew, week and base — usually two or three, not a wall of boats.
- You get an itemised offer in EUR: bare charter fee, the obligatory base pack, the security-deposit figure and any optional crew or extras, with real photos and the full inventory.
- We hold your chosen boat on a short no-obligation option with the operator while you decide — no card, no commitment yet.
- On approval we issue the Croatian charter contract and the deposit invoice; the operator counter-signs so the boat is locked to your name and week.
- Before you fly in we collect the crew list, skipper credentials, arrival time and provisioning notes so the Saturday handover is quick.
Bareboat in Croatian waters — what the law expects
- The named skipper holds a licence the Croatian Harbour Master accepts — an ICC, RYA Day Skipper/Coastal, or a national certificate of competence recognised in Croatia.
- A VHF Short Range Certificate for the radio operator on board.
- A second competent crew member: the Croatian crew list names a co-skipper able to handle the boat in a manoeuvre or an emergency.
- Passport or ID card for every guest — the crew list is lodged with the charter base before you sail and cannot be changed casually afterwards.
- No formal licence? We put a Croatian-licensed skipper aboard and the boat goes bareboat-with-skipper instead.
What the charter fee already covers
- The catamaran fully equipped for the Adriatic — tender with outboard, bedding, galley kit, safety inventory (lifejackets, liferaft, fire gear, tools, spare lines).
- Croatian VAT on the charter at the rate in force.
- Operator base support all week and a cruising briefing tuned to Dalmatian conditions.
- The Saturday handover and the technical hand-back at the end of the week.
What is paid on top — and where
- Fuel, marina and mooring fees, and provisioning are yours; the obligatory base pack (transit log, end cleaning, bed linen, outboard first fuel) is listed in the offer and settled at the base.
- The Croatian sojourn (tourist) tax for the crew, paid per the current per-person, per-day rate.
- National-park and nature-park entry — Kornati, Mljet, Brijuni, Telašćica, Lastovo — bought for the days you actually cruise them.
- Optional extras: skipper, hostess or cook, SUP, kayak, Wi-Fi, early check-in, water toys — each priced in your offer for your boat and dates.
The security deposit, the Croatian way
- A refundable security deposit is taken at the Croatian base on check-in — card pre-authorisation or cash, by yacht model — and released after a clean check-out.
- Most operators offer a damage-waiver package instead: a non-refundable fee that cuts the held amount to a smaller refundable balance.
- The deposit equals the insurance deductible: third-party liability and hull cover are in place, and the deposit (or the residual under the waiver) is your maximum exposure.
- Personal travel insurance is recommended for every guest; we will say which model suits your crew and risk appetite.
The Croatian payment timeline
- A deposit of 50% of the charter fee confirms the boat once the contract is signed.
- The balance falls due 30 to 45 days before embarkation; book inside that window and the full amount is due at confirmation.
- Payment is to our Croatian (EUR) account by bank transfer — preferred, no surcharge — or by card with a processing fee; every amount and due date is written into the contract and invoice.
- Croatia is in the euro: invoices and card charges are in EUR, so there is nothing to convert at our end.
Cancellation policy
- Cancel within 72 hours of confirmation and it is free — no questions asked.
- After that window any change or cancellation must reach us in writing, by e-mail.
- More than 45 days before the charter start: 50% of the charter fee.
- 45 days or fewer before the start: 100% of the charter fee.
- After check-in: 100% of the fee, plus any costs the cancellation causes.
- Bring a replacement client for the same dates and terms and you pay only the administrative change cost.
- If official travel restrictions make the destination unreachable, we reschedule the same yacht for the same or the next season, subject to availability (any price difference for a changed period is charged).
Between signing and sailing
- You receive a packing list, the exact base address with ACI/marina map, and the operator and broker contacts.
- We arrange the airport transfer from Split or Dubrovnik, advance provisioning and any water toys.
- Your route briefing covers the Maestral and the Bora and Jugo, Posidonia no-anchor seagrass zones, park-permit logistics and sheltered fallback harbours.
Saturday at the Croatian base
- Contract check and security deposit settled at the base; the crew list is finalised with the operator.
- Full technical handover — instruments, engines, rig, safety gear and tender — usually from 17:00 once the boat is cleaned.
- Local read for week one: which bays hold in a Bora, where to book a konoba, the first night’s mooring.
Through the week and the hand-back
- Broker and operator reachable for weather calls and route tweaks; service partners cover Split, Trogir, Šibenik, Zadar, Dubrovnik and Istria.
- Fast help for a spare part, a diver or a berth change anywhere on the Dalmatian coast.
- Back at base Friday by 18:00 for the technical check; disembarkation Saturday by 09:00 after inventory and fuel top-up, with the deposit released once the boat checks out clean.
Next step
Send your sailing week, your Croatian base, the crew make-up and whether you want bareboat or a skipper. We come back with matching catamarans, real photos and a clear EUR price — you pick the boat, we run the contract, the deposit and the Saturday handover.
— Plan your week
Ready to start? Share a few details.
Send dates, base, crew size and any must-have features. A broker replies with matching catamarans, real photos and a clear price.