Primošten - Update

We covered Primošten in some detail in the Croatia Cruising Companion, on pages 111 and 112, and it's become even more well cared for since then. The new gardens just outside the old town are now maturing and yesterday, when we revisited, the berthing area and moorings were in high demand.

As we said in the book, the breakwater provides good protection, but winds from the south-west can cause a heavy swell and the moorings are not protected by the breakwater. However, in clement weather, and as evidenced by yesterday's popularity, it's a favourite Sunday stop for sailors.

A 10 metre boat now costs 260 kunas to berth; a 20 metre boat 338 kunas. Add on the nominal tourist taxes. Water and electricity are included in the price and, reassuringly, there are signs on the water and electricity pedestals threatening a 200 Euro fine for emptying waste tanks while berthed!

You can read more about what's onshore on our sister blog Croatia Online.

Crystal Clear Waters and Pump Out Facilities

Much has been made about Croatia's crystal clear waters and we very much hope they stay that way for generations to come. However, if that's to be the case, Croatia needs more enlightened marinas such as Marina Preko who have just installed one of the first integrated pump out systems in Croatia into their new marina on Ugljan island.

Although the Croatian government has passed legislation on the dumping of nautical waste, few marinas offer much other than the possibility of arranging a tanker on request. It's therefore not easy for nautical tourists to dispose of the waste in an ecologically friendly manner and so, unfortunately, much of it is still dumped at sea. Marina Preko talked to John Nash of Marina Facility Solutions, based near Split, at an early stage of the marina's development plans and, with the help of manufacturers, LeeStrom, who John represents in Croatia, came up with the perfect solution for Marina Preko. John has been endeavouring, for most of the five years he has spent in Croatia, to encourage marina owners to install integrated pump out systems more widely. "Not only are they essential to the sustainability of first class nautical tourism in Croatia, but the cost is more affordable than many marina owners believe". John explains "most ethically and ecologically minded nautical tourists value the service and have no objection to paying marinas a fair price for utilising the system."

We hope that any readers of this blog, or of our Croatia Cruising Companion, will support Marina Preko and Marina Facility Solutions in their ecological leadership and encourage other Croatian marinas to provide a similar service.

Sailing Croatia - First Hand Account

It's great to see an increasing number of blogs on sailing Croatia, and we came across one yesterday which makes for a fascinating read. It's a detailed account of a couple's sailing adventures and good for highlighting a number of the good and occasional not so good points about cruising Dalmatia. Not so good was the price that Miggy and Neal were charged to moor at Dubrovnik marina - €45 per night. Amongst the many good points was the ease with which they cleared customs and formalities at Cavtat. Miggy and Neal suggested there was so much to report on in Dalmatia that they could write a book about it. Cheekily we left a comment on their blog telling them that we already had!

Follow their adventures on http://miggyandneal.blogspot.com/2008/06/southern-dalmatia.html.

Today's photo is of Polače on Mljet Island - one of the best in the area and referred to in Miggy and Neal's blog.

Croatia Cruising Companion - Where To Find It

Today's photo was taken during our book promotion at the new Split Library. You can read more about it on sister site Croatia Online. There you can also read about our latest completed project - Superyacht Owners' Guide: The Best of Croatia - out now with the July 2008 edition of Boat International Magazine.

Today's posting follows a deluge of enquiries about where to find the Croatia Cruising Companion (Dalmatian Coast and Islands) in Croatia.

Here is the latest list of book shops that we are aware of:

Split International Bookshop - Split Riva

Knjizara Matica - Šibenik - just off the Riva

Algoritam - Zagreb, Osijek, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula and Varazdin - check location and availability by following this link http://www.algoritam.hr/?m=0&p=knjizare

Profil - Zagreb, Rijeka and Split (Joker Centre) - follow this link for contact details of the individual shops http://www.profil.hr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=212&Itemid=236

VBZ - Zagreb, Rijeka, Karlovac, Split, Zadar Tuzla - go to www.vbz.hr, click on "o nama" at the top, then "VBZ knijžare" and select the store nearest you to get contact details.

In the meantime, we are in the process of finalising agreements with a number of marinas who wish to stock the book as a service for their customers and many charter guests will already find that the Croatia Cruising Companion is the English Language nautical guide of choice for discerning charter company managers.