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.