I spent a week on a “water camper” in Croatia. Such a cruise can be a challenge

A vacation cruise of this type has been tempting me for a long time. However, I wondered for a long time if I could spend a week living on a rocking boat. Would such a vacation really be enjoyable? In the end, I decided to move to a yacht in Croatia for a few days.

Luckily, I managed to see a lot, and I also gained new experience. Do I recommend such a cruise and what conclusions can be drawn from it, literally? The matter is quite complex, but let’s take it one step at a time.

Would Croatia be good for a first cruise?

Until now, my experience of sailing was limited to short voyages on Lake Zegrze. This form of spending free time never really excited me – although it had its advantages. Sailing can be calming in a way, and the beautiful views are also impressive, and they look completely different than from land.

For my first longer cruise, I chose Croatia because I had heard many times that it was the perfect destination to start an adventure of this type. The place is good for many reasons – firstly, we are on the warm Adriatic waters, the weather is more favorable than in Poland, secondly, it is peaceful and safe.

When we sail, we can almost always see land in the distance. Croatia has no shortage of islands and islets (there are several hundred of them!) and beautiful landscapes. Here we will find a rich coastline, wild nature, places barren of vegetation and bays. Once we stop at the port, we have good cuisine at our disposal.

That is why, despite many fears, I decided to set off into the unknown and see Croatia from a different perspective than usual.

I lived on a sailboat for 7 days

A lot of people signed up for the cruise organized in Biograd by a friend. Eventually, two crews were formed, and each had their own eight-person yacht. It was up to us and the captain how we would use our time together and what exactly we would see. The weather and wind also had an impact on our possibilities.

Anyone who decides to go on such a trip for the first time must know that it is, in a sense, living in a camper placed on the water. It is not a classic camper, where you usually stay with two or maybe four people – there are more roommates and sometimes we do not know some of them at all.

A water vehicle is not static, but – like a car – is used to move from one place to another. However, its operation is much more complicated. The captain often needs support, for example, when operating while leaving or entering a port. It is similar when we stop sailing on the engine and raise the sails or when we want to stop far from the shore and drop anchor in the sea to moor for a break.

On my yacht there were four double berths and a so-called mess, i.e. a yacht salon connected to the kitchen – the so-called common area. In addition, you could count on two small bathrooms with a shower. This berth became my weekly apartment and – unfortunately – it was not very large or comfortable. You can count on small windows or shelves for personal items and a comfortable mattress. Despite everything, it is quite tight, which is why daily mess is guaranteed. In addition, there is the heat, even at night, which was unbearable due to the lack of air conditioning. This is definitely not the right option for people with claustrophobia or those who do not tolerate classic camping and tents.

It is worth knowing many other organizational issues related to the stay on the yacht. Together with the crew, it is necessary to plan meals and do a lot of shopping for the cruise. Some dishes are eaten in the city, but there is also a lot of cooking – this allows you not to go bankrupt. It was necessary to establish who is responsible for order and activity in this matter on a given day. For someone who has no experience in preparing meals for larger groups or who does not like to do it, this will be a challenge.

Before we start swimming, everyone has to go through training, including safety and putting on a life jacket. Then the route is updated and you can set off.

We had been on the yacht since Saturday afternoon, and the first departure was planned for Sunday morning. The following Saturday we had to return to the port from which we had set off, Marina Kornati in Biograd.

Each day looked a bit different, but there were common points – we set off around noon and sailed to our designated destination. In the meantime, we stopped at anchor – those interested could simply swim or sail a small dinghy to the shore. In the afternoon or evening, we moored in the port. There were many daily attractions, including visiting cities and attractions and sunbathing. Of course, in most places we had access to sanitary facilities available in marinas – such as at campsites. There, you could take a bath or use the toilets.

This is what I saw on my first cruise in my life

During the cruise, I discovered that by sailing, we can see places up close that we wouldn’t see by driving or walking. This allows us to have a completely different perspective and guarantees us to admire incredible locations directly from the sea.

I sailed past the Kornati archipelago and national park, and the beautiful island of Kaprije. On one of the sections I admired jumping dolphins up close – I managed to see them many times and each time it was very emotional. You could slow down or stop and calmly observe dolphins in their natural environment.

I managed to get to know Biograd very well – I spent three days there. Then I landed in picturesque Tribunj, which has a population of just over a thousand. There was also Šibenik and the island of Murter. In the meantime, I also visited the mysterious island of Vrgada, to which I sailed specially by dinghy. It turned out that about 200 people live there, and the further inland we go, the more we discover. When I left the yacht on the last day, I also managed to spend a day in Zadar, which is popular among tourists.

A detailed description of each of the places mentioned would take a lot. I will mention, however, that I was particularly enchanted by Šibenik. We will find there not only beautiful architecture, but also high hills and nature. The hits are the high fortresses – the fortress of St. John or Barone and the rocky, narrow streets. Sailing to the city through the canal of St. Anthony, we also had the opportunity to see the famous fortress of St. Nicholas, which is located right on the sea and was once used to defend Šibenik.

The street cats, of which there were particularly many in this city, will remain in my memory for a long time. On the one hand, it is a sad sight – because many of them do not have their permanent homes. On the other, the animals looked beautiful and were not afraid of people. Sometimes I had the impression that they were some kind of “beaters” – they would lie down in front of the entrance to the restaurant and encourage you to go inside. This is definitely an inseparable element of Dalmatia.

Challenges and pleasures

Despite the wonderful experiences, many elements of this trip were problematic for me. I think that some people might feel the same way, so it is worth knowing this before your first cruise. First of all, you never know exactly what you will get – you book such a cruise much earlier, and the weather can be changeable. In the hotel, you are sure that you will sleep peacefully, even during a storm or heavy downpour. On a yacht – even if it is in port at such a time – it is not always peaceful. One night I experienced such a situation myself. We were on the island of Murter and a strong jugo wind blew from the south. A heavy downpour, gale and storm appeared at night. At a time when many want to sleep, the yacht rocks in all directions, water creeps in through some windows. You have to make sure that the boat is fastened well enough, but there is never a guarantee that it will withstand the force of the element. It was because of the wind that we had to spend one day in port instead of sailing on and seeing another city. In the situations described, seasickness can become active, similarly to swimming. We can never be sure how our body will react at a given moment when it starts to rock.

Secondly, it turns out that you never know how efficient the yacht you will receive is. Sailing charter companies should offer safe and efficient equipment, but this is not always the case. Due to three faults discovered in the morning of the second day of our stay in Biograd in Marina Kornati, we lost one day of sailing. We only sailed after repairs on Monday around noon. It turns out that the regulations are designed in such a way that companies have up to 48 hours to “fix the problems”.

What else is worth knowing? Croatia in early September and during the summer season will definitely appeal to lovers of heat. It is hot both on land and on the water. The nights are also warm, which makes it stuffy on the yacht and hard to fall asleep. It is also worth remembering that not all ports are quiet and it may happen that a very partying crew will moor next to us.

The captain faces the greatest challenges, after all, he is the one in control, and his job is to plan the cruise in such a way that it is safe. It is worth remembering, however, that not everything can be predicted. Sometimes you enter the port after dark, and it is not as easy to enter in the dark as it is during the day. For people unfamiliar with the subject, this can be additional stress.

It is also worth remembering that the time that is intended for anchoring and swimming will be interesting mainly for people who like, are not afraid of swimming in the sea and can do it well. The yacht is then at a depth of even over 20 meters. Not everyone will feel stable, swimming in such bays. For some, getting down to the pontoon and sailing to the nearby shore will also be problematic. Being in such a large group of people, you constantly have to compromise.

What about pleasures? Of course, if everything is planned well, everyone will be happy. And so it was in this case. There was time for anchoring, sunbathing by the shore and walking around the cities. One evening we managed to organize a dance in the city port, another day we sang songs to the guitar, and another day we celebrated together in a restaurant. All this had its own unique atmosphere. Regardless of the day, beautiful and magical views always reigned supreme.

Cruise? I’d rather not

To sum up the whole thing, I want to emphasize that a sailing cruise around Croatia can be a great adventure. You can visit a lot in a relatively short time and see places hidden on small islands inaccessible to everyone. It is a time full of surprises, but also peace and relaxation. Introverts will not feel best on it, because during such a trip we are almost constantly in company. There are regular conversations, and there is no shortage of activity, which is why it is easy to experience overstimulation.

Before you set off on a cruise, it’s worth checking whether the specific climate suits you and preparing yourself for life in camping conditions. Would you decide to do something like that again? Certainly not anytime soon. A one-day sailing trip? Absolutely. A cruise? Probably not.

I recommend sailing primarily to fans of this type of entertainment and people interested in learning this profession. Such a trip is not cheap, so it is all the more important to think everything through and plan it. Is it worth it? Yes, but it depends on what we like. Flexibility and readiness for sudden changes in plans will come in handy here. If you like to have everything prepared from A to Z, and you only prefer spontaneity sometimes, it is better to choose a camper or van, for example – this provides greater stability regardless of the weather. It is also easier and cheaper to travel this way in pairs and without a large group of people.