Pre-charter Information OSH Kastel

Pre-charter Information & FAQ's Marina Kastela

Please complete the crew list as soon as possible. If you have booked a crewed charter and have been sent a preference sheet please complete and return this as soon as possible (within 7 days of your charter start date).

If you have booked a skippered or bareboat charter and want to use the pre-charter provisioning/shopping service please complete your order as soon as you can, ideally within 5-7 days of your charter start date.

TRANSFERS TO KASTELA MARINA

If you need any help or information when arranging your travel to Kastela Marina we will be glad to help. If you would like transfers to be arranged please complete the transfer information which will allow us to organise your transfers.

Request a transfer by checking the box on the Crew List/Transfer Form & completing your flight information

When you depart the airport terminal there will be a driver waiting holding a card bearing your name who will drive you directly to the marina where the Ocean Sailing House base team will be waiting to greet you. The transfer takes around 15 minutes.

Your transfers will automatically be arranged if you have correctly completed your flight information on the Crew List/Transfer form.

ARRIVALS

For bareboat charters, upon arrival just the Skipper and First Mate should make their way to the Ocean Sailing House office (please see map below). We recommend other crew members can sit and enjoy a cool drink at the Cafe nearby.
For skippered or crewed charters if the lead charterer can make your way to the Ocean Sailing House office and the office staff can let your crew know you have arrived and they will come and meet you.

If you will be arriving at the marina after 20.00 please inform us in advance so we can make arrangements with you for boarding your yacht.

If we are not arranging your transfers please let Island Sailing know the approximate time of your arrival to the marina. If you are going to be significantly earlier or later than expected please call us (see contact information below).

CONTACT INFORMATION LOCAL BASE - OCEAN SAILING HOUSE

Ocean Sailing House

Marina Kastela

OBALA KRALJA TOMISLAVA 10

21213 KAŠTEL GOMILICA, CROATIA

43°32´7¨N 16°24´4´E (VHF 17 Ch)

Marina Kaštela (marina-kastela.hr)

Tel: +385 21 250 220 or +385 99 8000 908

Island Sailing Support Team Tel: (0044) 7535 301444

Island Sailing UK Head Office Tel: (0044) 20 7139 8644

If you need any help, information or advice that cannot be provided by the base team please contact the Island Sailing Support Team

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

Travel light & don’t forget your passport(s)/ID.

Unless you have booked a skipper you must remember to bring the original copy(s) of your sailing qualifications/skipper's licence and VHF radio licence.

You must bring a mobile phone set up for roaming in Croatia and charger – it is very important that we can keep in contact in case of emergency as VHF signal is only line of sight.

Please bring your luggage in a soft bag that will fold down without wheels or hard edges. Space on a yacht is limited and cases with hard edges and wheels will often damage the woodwork on the boat. Unfortunately there isn't a luggage store at the marina.

All yachts are equipped with sufficient numbers of life jackets, usually of a standard size. If you are not a standard size, or especially for small children it is wise to bring your own life jackets . If you would like to check about this before you come to Croatia please get in touch.

You will need to bring a VISA or MASTERCARD credit card for your yacht security deposit (debit cards and AMEX are not accepted). Please make sure you have a large enough limit to cover the deposit for the yacht you have booked. Your charter can't commence without the completed credit card security deposit.

YACHT SECURITY DEPOSITDetails for the security deposit amounts and non-refundable Yacht Damage Waivers for your yacht charter will be listed on your Booking Statement. Please ask us if you need to check.

You will need to bring a VISA or MASTERCARD credit card for your yacht security deposit (debit cards and AMEX are not accepted) which will be processed by the owner/operator at base. Please make sure you have a large enough limit to cover the deposit for the yacht you have booked. Costs are in Croatian Kuna.

WHEN WILL I BE ABLE BOARD MY YACHT?

Your yacht will be ready to board by 17:00 on the first day of your charter. If your flight gets you to Split earlier than this you will be able to enjoy the cafe bar and restaurant in the marina. If the yacht is ready a little earlier you will be able to board sooner.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY FLIGHTS ARRIVE OR DEPART LATE?

As long as you let us know when you are arriving and departing we can make arrangements for your arrival. If you arrive to the marina early before your yacht is ready you can relax at the marina whilst you wait.

If you have a late flight home you can relax at the marina and are welcome to use all of the facilities before or at the end of your yacht charter which include showers, bathroom facilities, a laundry, restaurant and cafe bar. Some people like to use the time before a late flight home to explore Split which is around 12 km from the marina and takes around 25 minutes' by car.

Top car rental company Nova has its branch at the Marina. You can either rent a car on the spot or pick up a pre-booked car. You can arrange to return the car to a different location. For offers and savings click here: Nova Rent a Car

WHEN DOES MY CHARTER END & RETURNING BACK TO THE MARINA?

You will need to return to the marina by 18:00 at the latest on the penultimate day of your charter (usually Friday). The end of charter checks start on the Friday at 18.00 when the divers check all of the yachts.

There is a fuel station at the marina. Before returning to the base, please refuel your boat before you go to your berth. Please pay the marina fuel staff directly by cash or card. Do not use your anchor, there are mooring lines on the shore that will be passed to you to secure your yacht whilst you re-fuel.

When returning to the yacht berth, go stern to and do not use your anchor as there are laid mooring lines.

You will be able to stay on the yacht on your final night and enjoy relaxing in the marina or exploring Split.

Please disembark by 08:30 on the last the next morning.

When you return your yacht's papers back to the base office, if you are having a transfer please ask the reception staff what time your transfer pick up will be.

HOW TO GET LOCAL WEATHER FORECASTS?

You may well have your own favourite websites and Apps to check the weather.

Most skippers sailing in Croatia refer to Meteo.hr, the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service. When you visit the site choose 'Forecasts' then ‘Aladin Charts’ then ‘Wind and MSLP’ here is the link Meteo.hr.

Remember the sailing area has extremely localised conditions which are affected by numerous factors which cannot be foreseen by the forecasters such as land breeze, sea breeze, sea swell, the local landscape, fetch, ferry wash and so on.

You can also find weather information at marinas and yacht clubs. The daily weather forecast is displayed at the marina reception desk. Click here for more real-time information on the local weather CROMETEO - Kaštel Gomilica (pljusak.com)

SHORE POWER & WHAT PLUG SOCKETS DOES THE BOAT HAVE?

Shore power is available on most town quays and marinas. All plug sockets on the boats are the European 2 pin type however these are only usable when the yacht is plugged in to mains power. If your devices or equipment do not have 2 pin European plugs you'll need to bring a travel adaptor with you. During the week there is a 12v socket, similar to a car cigarette lighter, which can be used to charge phones and other electronic devices if you bring a car charger with you.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO FUEL UP MY YACHT?

Fuel is available at the marina. At the end of your charter please fill your yacht and pay the fuel personnel directly with a debit or credit card or cash (Kuna).

Fuel will vary depending on the size/type of yacht you charter and how far you sail and motor. You can expect to pay the equivalent (in Kuna) of between £100 - £500 per week on fuel.

If you have chartered one of the larger yachts or catamarans especially the ones with generators and air-conditioning, you will use more fuel.

HOW MUCH ARE THE MOORING FEES?

Mooring fees at marina Kastela yacht base for your first and last day are free. The marinas in Croatia offer some of the best facilities in the Mediterranean and there are laid moorings on most quays and mooring buoys in many locations. There are however harbour and mooring charges which vary, however you should budget for around £1.00- £2.00 per foot per night, usually around 1.5x or more for catamarans.

WHAT ABOUT SHOPPING & PROVISIONING?

If you have booked a bareboat or skippered charter you can pre-order your provisions online from Jam Yacht Supply form the link here https://www.jamyachtsupply.com/?af=islandsailing

For crewed charter where you have a hostess/cook they will organise this for you, please make sure you send back your preference sheet no less than 7 days of the charter start date.

Within 600 m of the Marina, there are 3 supermarkets open all year round: Super Konzum, Lidl, and Plodine. In season there is also a small shop that stocks everyday items. It’s just off the western entrance.

There will be many opportunities to purchase anything you need at the various ports and harbours you visit around the sailing area so you do not have to purchase too much when you arrive.

The Kuna is the currency in Croatia. We would recommend bringing a reasonable amount of local currency with you as quite a few small cafes, restaurants and small shops usually only accept cash. There are ATM machines in town and in other larger towns and small cities you will visit.

WILL I BE ABLE TO USE MY DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD?

Many restaurants, café bars and shops around the sailing area only accept cash (Kuna).

The fuel station, the yacht charter base office at the marina and some large shops and restaurants accepts major credit cards (VISA and MASTERCARD) when you re-fuel at the end of the week and you will need to bring a VISA or MASTERCARD with you for your yacht security deposit. Please make sure you have a large enough limit to cover the deposit for the yacht you have booked.

WILL THERE BE CASH MACHINES?

There are cash/ATM machines in the larger towns and small cities, including Split. However, over the course of the charter, you may not visit one of the towns with cash machines every day. We would recommend bringing a reasonable amount of local currency with you as a few small cafes, restaurants and small shops usually only accept cash.

DO I NEED SPECIAL SHOES OR CLOTHES?

It would be advisable to bring a pair of lightweight shoes with non-marking soles for wearing on the boat. It is a good idea to bring a lightweight waterproof jacket in case of the odd day of rain, especially at the start and end of the season.

WHERE CAN I GET INTERNET ACCESS?

The yachts are usually equipped with wi-fi (check on arrival about the GB limits per week), and there is internet available at Kastela Marina plus most cafés, bars and restaurants around the sailing area have free Wi-Fi for their customers.

WHAT IS THE MOBILE PHONE SIGNAL LIKE?

Mobile phone reception is usually very good. You must bring a mobile phone and charger with you for use around the islands and keep your phone available and charged at all times. Whilst VHF is used, you will not always be in range. There is an emergency phone line 24 hours a day, should you need to contact the base as VHF signal only works in line of sight.

WILL THE SKIPPER SPEAK ENGLISH?

Skippers are of mixed nationalities, most are Croatian, some are British but all of them speak excellent English.

HOW DO WE FEED OUR SKIPPER?

That’s up to you and your skipper. When you provision for food remember to get enough for your skipper, generally they are happy to have whatever you are having. In the evening you can choose to invite them out with you or cover their evening meal if you prefer to dine alone (30 euro per day is recommended). If you invite your skipper to join you in the evening they may accept or choose to meet up with fellow skippers or stay on the yacht and wait for your return. It often works best to agree and pay an amount at the start for your skipper to cover their food for the duration of the charter. All the skippers are extremely professional and personable and provide discreet and unobtrusive assistance throughout your yacht charter. Our customers find that their skipper makes their charter something really extra special as they become welcome additions on the yachts they sail.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I TIP MY SKIPPER?

It is customary that you tip your skipper. A guideline amount would be around 5-10% of your yacht price, though as this could encompass quite a range we leave it at your discretion and ask that you offer gratuity you think your skipper deserves.

CAN I STORE LUGGAGE AT THE MARINA?

There is a limited amount of space at the marina base office on check-in and check-out.

IS THERE ANY PARKING AT THE MARINA?

Yes, there is parking available at the marina. The western parking lot, just off the charter area, can be used only with weekly parking passes, whereas the parking near the pools can be used for both hourly and weekly parking. You can take out a pre-paid card for the planned length of your stay at the Marina. There is no need to book a parking space. Camper vans are allowed to park in the parking lot but we do not provide water or electricity outlets. For parking rates click here: MarinaKastela-PriceList2021-novo.pdf (marina-kastela.hr)

CAN I GET A COVID 19 TEST IN THE MARINA?

You can get a rapid PCR test for Covid-19 at the Virion Institute (in the immediate vicinity of the Marina). Click here for appointments and more information on Covid-19 testing: Split Kastela Airport COVID-19 testing Split Kastela Airport COVID-19 testing (virion.hr)

Contact Us

Island Sailing Limited. 126 New King’s Road, London, SW6 4LZ. Registered in England: 7640783.