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Operating a boat or a yacht

Foreign citizen can operate a boat under the Croatian flag if qualified in accordance to the rules and regulation of the Republic of Croatia. The Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure shall also recognize foreign certificates on qualification to operate a vessel issued by the competent bodies of a given country, that recognition being in line with the degree to which they comply with the conditions under which the corresponding qualifications are acquired in Croatia. The Ministry shall publish the list of foreign certificates accepted in the Republic of Croatia (information: www.mmpi.hr).

Categories of certificates:
• skipper of category A boat
• skipper of category B (III & IV) boat
• skipper of category C boat
• master of category A yacht (yacht of up to 100 GT (gross tonnage)
• master of category B yacht (yacht of up to 500 GT
• Vessels that are not entered in the register or registers, and whose engine power is 5kW or less must be operated by a person with the lowest allowed qualification of the A category boat skipper.

Pleasure boats of up to 7m in length and engine power up to 15kW, when sailing in the navigation areas III.a, III.b, III.c and IV, must be operated by a person possessing an A category boat skipper certificate of competence. If a pleasure boat of up to 7m has engine power exceeding 15kW, it must beoperated by a person possessing a B category boat skipper certifi cate of competence and being at least 18 years old.A pleasure boat sailing in the navigation areas I & II must be operated by a person possessing the qualification of the category C boat skipper and must have one crew member holding the qualification of a category B boat skipper.

A pleasure boat sailing in the navigation areas III & IV must be operated by a person possessing the qualification of the B category boat skipper. A rowing boat can be run by a person over 12 years of age. A legal or physical person chartering a boat or yacht without a crew must, prior to activating the charter, make sure the charterer possesses an appropriate certificate, i.e. certificate of competence.

Vessels of up to 30 GT in navigation areas III, III.a, III.b, III.c and IV, if chartered without a crew, as well as personal vessels up to 30 GT, can be skippered by a person possessing a category B boat skipper certificate of competence(which includes a passed exam in operation of the vessel radio station). If, regardless of its function, the vessel of up to 30 GT navigates in areas I and II, it must be operated by a person possessing the category C boat skipper certificate of competence, and it must have one crew member.Yachts from 30 GT to 100 GT, regardless of their function and the area of navigation, must have a skipper possessing the category A yacht master crtificate of competence and one crew member possessing a category B boat skipper certificate of competence.

Yachts from 100 GT to 500 GT, regardless of their area of navigation must be run by a skipper possessing a category B master certificate of competence (alongside the supplementary certificates defined by law), one crew member possessing a certificate of competence to perform as a part of the engine room navigation watch, and one crew member possessing a certificate of competence to maintain the basic safety aboard.

If, pursuant to the national regulations of the flag state, the skipper does not need to posses evidence that he is competent to run a boat, he must obtain appropriate evidence or certificate of competence pursuant to the regulations of the Republic of Croatia.

For all information regarding appropriate certificate of competence werecommend that a Harbour Master's office or its branch office be contacted in time (or to consult the charter agency if chartering a vessel).

Nautical training is provided by:

AdriaMare Consulto d.o.o. - Maritime Training Center
Draga 1, HR-22000
Šibenik
Tel.: +385 /0/22 201 170,
Fax: +385 /0/ 22 201 165
Obala Kneza Trpimira bb,
HR-23000 Zadar
Tel: +385 /0/23 334 974,
Fax:+385 /0/23 334174
e-mail: trainingzd@adriamare.net;
training@adriamare.netwww.adriamare.net

Source: www.croatia.hr