Zagreb Boat Show - Day 4

It’s the first day of the weekend, the Zagreb boat show is awash with visitors, and we’ve been promised the full low down of news and statistics from the press office early next week. The Croatia Cruising Companion is doing well and, after a bit of a struggle for information on the boat show yesterday, we’ve been awash with that as well.

As promised yesterday, we have some more news on NCP’s new October Boat Show. The full details have yet to be drawn up but it seems that it will focus on used boats rather than new ones. That seems to be an entirely logical move for NCP who probably have the largest independent shipyard in Croatia for newbuilds and refits, suitable for megayachts and small boats alike.

Towards the end of last year, NCP announced a deal with IGY to develop Croatia’s first Megayacht marina, on and around their site in the Mandalina area of Šibenik. The boat show is obviously a neat step towards that, and to developing the synergy that exists between their existing shipbuilding facilities and Croatia as a potential superyacht haven. Hopefully NCP will be able to help persuade the Croatian Government to continue to try and improve the regulations that discouraged superyachts when I first reported on Croatia as a potential superyacht destination for Boat International back in early 2005. For more comment on this, link to Croatia Online - Boat Show Special April 2006.

Just how far NCP have come, in a short space of time, can be seen from a report we did on the Croatian shipbuilding industry Croatian Shipbuilding Industry back in February 2006.

More news next week when we’ve had a chance to assimilate and digest the information available, and perhaps spend a little time back on "dry ground" and on Croatia Online.

Another October Boat Show In Croatia

NCP, based in the Mandalina area of Šibenik, announced today, at the Zagreb Boat Show, that they would be inaugurating Croatia's third October Boat Show and the 6th Boat Show of the year nationally. The Split and Zagreb shows are the only two of any size, so far, though the October Biograd show filled an important gap in the market. As with the competition between the London Boat shows in the winter, it remains to be seen whether the market can take this amount of "exhibitionism" but we're hoping to get the low down on the details tomorrow. Let's hope that if any of the Croatian Boat Shows want to attract more international visitors and exhibitors, they will make an effort to brief foreign journalists better. Certainly in the boat show press offices you get the idea that the jungle drums have beaten locally many days before the press releases come out on paper and, disappointingly for Zagreb, we've yet to see a press release in English since the pre opening one.

Zagreb Boat Show In Pictures

Super Rib

Our Hosts

Opening Speeches

Classic Boats

Onshore Relaxation

Lighting Effects

Light Relief

Some Fashion

Zagreb Boat Show and The Marina Industry

The Zagreb Boat Show (officially the Sports and Nautica Fair) takes place next week from 19th to 24th February. Co-author of the Croatia Cruising Companion, John Nash, has a stand there (Stand Number 32, Hall 8) which will have a healthy supply of the book for sale.

John's day job is with Marina Facility Solutions based near Split. He represents many of the leading UK manufacturers of marina equipment in Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia and now has a long track record of successful installations in this area (pontoons, water and electricity pedestals, pump-out systems, travel lifts and cranes, etc). Over five years he has got to know the Croatian marina industry inside out and built up an invaluable store of local knowledge and contacts to go alongside his international marina and sailing expertise. Not only did that prove invaluable when writing our book but he's become much sought after by foreign investors looking to invest or extend their interests in the Croatian, Slovenian and Montenegrin marina industries. John is probably one of the very few people who could offer constructive and detailed advice on any stage of a marina's development or operation in this region. Just as valuable is his knowledge of, and familiarity with, the best tried and tested local experts, contractors and suppliers.

Go to http://www.marinafacilitysolutions.com/ for more information on John's business and to www.zv.hr/index_en.html for more information on the Zagreb Boat Show.

Have a look at our sister site http://www.croatiaonline.blogspot.com/ for more information on Boat Shows in Croatia - direct links:

http://croatiaonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/croatia-online-autumn-boatshows.html

http://croatiaonline.blogspot.com/2007/04/croatia-online-boat-show-photos.html (and the immediately preceding postings).

Today's photo is of the Split Boat Show which takes place in April each year.

On Sale At The Joker Centre, Split

We're delighted to report that you can find the Croatia Cruising Companion (Dalmatian Coast and Islands) on sale at Profil, in the Joker Centre in Split.

We reported on Profil on our sister blog http://www.croatiaonline.blogspot.com/. It's one of the largest bookstores in town and has a great international section.

The Croatia Cruising Companion is also on sale in Algoritam's bookstores in Zagreb, Osijek, Pula, Dubrovnik, Varazdin and Split - good news for us and also for English speaking sailors who don't want to load up their baggage allowance!

Today's picture is of the Joker Centre in Split. It's by the new five star hotel Atrium and Brodarica area.