# First charter: advice needed for Europe



## dickydido (Jan 1, 2013)

Hello everyone. I need a reputable company to hire a yacht from in either Croatia or Greece. Looking at my first bareboat having completed day skipper. 2 of us onboard both with limited experience. Any recommendations ?


----------



## jvlassak (Oct 1, 2009)

We chartered a Bavaria 37 through NCN last summer and picked it up at Marina Kastela near Split in Croatia. The boat was in pretty good condition, no hassles. The area around Split is really scenic and it is mostly easy line-of-sight sailing with reasonable winds. Another option would be to sail around the Ionian islands, but we haven't chartered there yet.


----------



## alex_sauvage (Aug 31, 2012)

jvlassak said:


> We chartered a Bavaria 37 through NCN last summer and picked it up at Marina Kastela near Split in Croatia. The boat was in pretty good condition, no hassles. The area around Split is really scenic and it is mostly easy line-of-sight sailing with reasonable winds. Another option would be to sail around the Ionian islands, but we haven't chartered there yet.


Do they really require you to have VHF radio certification in order to bare-boat in Croatia?
And what is NCN? Google search does not come up with anything reasonable.


----------



## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

alex_sauvage said:


> Do they really require you to have VHF radio certification in order to bare-boat in Croatia?
> And what is NCN? Google search does not come up with anything reasonable.


A VHF license is generally required to operate the radio. They are easy to get.

I expect that this is NCN NCN-Charters.nl | Jachtverhuur, Flotttieljezielen, Meezeilen, Zeilvakanties, Zeilen in Griekenland, Frankrijk, Italie, Caribbean, Turkije en Kroatie - Home


----------



## jvlassak (Oct 1, 2009)

Sorry - I should have been more explicit. We were indeed dealing with NCN Charters. They requested a copy of my VHF license, and that was the only time I was asked about it. The license is easy enough to get from the FCC. You could search the forum, I think this comes up regularly.


----------



## alex_sauvage (Aug 31, 2012)

jvlassak said:


> Sorry - I should have been more explicit. We were indeed dealing with NCN Charters. They requested a copy of my VHF license, and that was the only time I was asked about it. The license is easy enough to get from the FCC. You could search the forum, I think this comes up regularly.


Thanks for your reply...I knew that it is the official requirement for Croatia, just was wondering if they actual insist on it in "real life". Since there is no requirement for the US resident/sailors to have FCC license (if you are sailing in USA territorial waters), I was wondering if Croatian charter company will turn you away if you don't have one (since they are the only country in Europe which insist on it (as far as I am aware)).


----------



## jvlassak (Oct 1, 2009)

I don't know if they would actually turn you away. When we chartered in Croatia, we went through a Dutch company and they wanted to see a copy. I would play it safe and get a license. In the US, at it is a simple formality - filling out a form and paying the appropriate fee. You do have to be a US resident to get the license from the FCC. If not, you may have to inquire locally.


----------



## alex_sauvage (Aug 31, 2012)

jvlassak said:


> I don't know if they would actually turn you away. When we chartered in Croatia, we went through a Dutch company and they wanted to see a copy. I would play it safe and get a license. In the US, at it is a simple formality - filling out a form and paying the appropriate fee. You do have to be a US resident to get the license from the FCC. If not, you may have to inquire locally.


Thank you.. I know it is easy in US. In Canada however you need to take the course and pass the test. It's sure doable, but something one has to do well in advance.


----------



## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

alex_sauvage said:


> Thank you.. I know it is easy in US. In Canada however you need to take the course and pass the test. It's sure doable, but something one has to do well in advance.


You can study the manual without taking the class. You get a temporary ROC as soon as you pass the exam. But if you want the official looking card, do it well in advance.


----------



## alex_sauvage (Aug 31, 2012)

jackdale said:


> You can study the manual without taking the class. You get a temporary ROC as soon as you pass the exam. But if you want the official looking card, do it well in advance.


Thank you... Fortunately there is a class starting a week, so I might as well just sign up for it. It sounds a like agood idea if I want to sail in Croatia.


----------



## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

alex_sauvage said:


> Thank you... Fortunately there is a class starting a week, so I might as well just sign up for it. It sounds a like agood idea if I want to sail in Croatia.


The class does help. I have only had one person ever fail the exam. The new exam with the GMDSS questions is tougher and a bit more technical.


----------



## kellysails (Nov 1, 2008)

I bareboated in both Croatia and Greece. Croatia was pretty lax on the rules. Maybe because I was living in the EU at the time, Greece required an EU ICC (pleasure craft operator cert). It is best to ask the operators on the requirements. They want your business and they have "ways" to deal with the required paper work The charter company in Croatia "Sail Croatia" was crap. They specialized in flotillas, which they did not tell me. They sold my contract through two different charter companies and we didn't realize it until we got there. In Greece we used "Sailing In Blue" and they were excellent. 

Cruising grounds. In Croatia we sailed Kornati reserve, that was fun! Nice wind, pretty easy. It is fairly remote so some may not like it. Typically many sail out of Split and go Island hopping through the more populated islands.

In Greece we sailed the Cyclades Islands, one way charter from Athens to Paros. That was fantastic! The Cyclades requires a fair amount of experience though. They can have a pile of wind and huge seas. I might suggest western Greece in the Ionian Sea. 

In both cases I would suggest late May and June for your trip. July and August get really crowded. The winds are also huge during July and August.

For your first time bareboating I might even suggest the BVI as it is dead simple and there is significant support. I might also suggest getting a captain to help out on the first couple of days. It would take the stress out.


----------



## Vency (Jan 24, 2013)

Chartering in Greece very often is quite simple, even without any certificate.
Just a little bit more expensive.


----------



## Tuca (Jan 26, 2013)

We chartered in the Dodecanese Islands in Greece - offseason (October) - was cheaper that time of year. It was very quiet on several of the islands we visited - such that there were only the year-round locals that spoke no english. That wasnt a problem as everyone was very friendly. We did not have any EU sailing experience so were a little nervous about big crowds during summer. We sailed out of Kos and worked our way down to Rhodes. We weren't very experienced at the time, so our med mooring routine at the end of each day with just my wife and I on a 36' was highly entertaining for onlookers.

We chartered with the Moorings since we had used them several times in the BVI and since we didnt have a lot of experience, were more comfortable with a larger outfit / a safer bet in case there was an issue with the boat while we were out and about. All in all, it was a great experience. Good luck!


----------



## alex_sauvage (Aug 31, 2012)

Vency said:


> Chartering in Greece very often is quite simple, even without any certificate.
> Just a little bit more expensive.


Maybe a few years ago...Right now almost all charter companies want ICC or RYA Day Skipper or ASA equivalent. It seems to be a government issue. There is also a similar requirement for the first mate, but it seems a lit bit more relaxed.


----------



## Vency (Jan 24, 2013)

alex_sauvage said:


> Maybe a few years ago...Right now almost all charter companies want ICC or RYA Day Skipper or ASA equivalent. It seems to be a government issue. There is also a similar requirement for the first mate, but it seems a lit bit more relaxed.


Ouch.. sorry about that.. Seems that my info is old.
Thanks.


----------



## 1Nomad (Sep 22, 2013)

Hello - I've been reading this thread and wondered if I could get more info on sailing Croatian coast as I am considering for next year. Are winds reasonable - that is - truly decent sailing? I am getting mixed messages from the charter companies. Also interested to know any good charter companies. I've used Sunsail before but their inventory in Croatia is low.


----------



## kellysails (Nov 1, 2008)

As stated previously we sailed north of Split into the Kornati reserve. My wife and I were talking recently about Croatia. We think the best route would be from Split to Dubrovnik. This would be a wonderful 2 week charter and going from north to south would be on the prevailing wind track. Man, that would be fun!

As far as charter companies I would go with Sun Sail or any large established charter company. We used Sail Croatia, it is was not good. Generally we like the smaller charter companies but in Croatia I would go with established. It won't be cheap but you will avoid the mess we got into. Most charter companies in Croatia focus on flotilla charters but they say they can do bareboat, they can do bareboat, they just suck at it. What ever you do stay away from Sail Croatia.


----------

