Cavtat Croatia

[sailaboutvic]

Just so people are awhere there are now charging 11 euros for going on to the custom quay , a away to avoid paying it is , don't give the, your ropes to help you moor up , say no thanks and do the job your self ,
The 11euros is for the guy to take your ropes nothing to do with the quay , it all official and you will find a notices on the quay in small writing ,
We did has we did last time here in 2014 when the charge was 5 euros , we just didn't pay .
It's a real shame because Cavtat is a lovely town and people first impression isn't going to be good , but has I said you don't need to pay if you take our advise .
Just like last time port police wasn't interested if any thing their try and keep there distain for what happening .
We plain to up date our cruising site for Croatia , link below .
Checking took all of 10 mins ,
Only interested in passport and reg document .
The cost of every thing for 3 months was around 145 euros , althought the permits last for one year .

 

[SeamanStaines]

Count on Vic to tell you how to avoid paying

 

[sailaboutvic]

Count on Vic to tell you how to avoid paying

How many years have you known me D ? .
you should know by now I make an hobbie in finding ways not to paid .
I thinking of given talks on it over the winter months

 

[ariette]

Cavtat was the only place in the whole of Croatia where we experienced being ripped off. It's really unfortunate that the town exploits its position as the most southerly exit point. The rest of the town is fine but the attitude of the port authority means it is best avoided if at all possible.

 

[RupertW]

Cavtat was the only place in the whole of Croatia where we experienced being ripped off. It's really unfortunate that the town exploits its position as the most southerly exit point. The rest of the town is fine but the attitude of the port authority means it is best avoided if at all possible.

And they will be missing out on yachts because of it - we always check out at Korcula when heading south and do a slight dog leg to Brindisi on the way to Corfu, and did this the first time because of Cavtat's reputation. Now we like visiting Brindisi both for its own sake and for a better boatyard that we have found so far in Croatia or Greece.

 

[Hardmy]

Vic, you must give me some lessons. Or do you look like Hulk?

I have already posted about my very bad experiences in Cavtat on the dark side of this forum (ie the Mobo forum). No way, one could avoid to pay this tax. My father was on the quay to take our lines, I am still shocked about the violence of their shouting at him. These guys are friends with the police (they ostensibly hugged each other), you have no other choice than to pay. This was in 2014.

... and do a slight dog leg to Brindisi on the way to Corfu, and did this the first time because of Cavtat's reputation. Now we like visiting Brindisi both for its own sake and for a better boatyard that we have found so far in Croatia or Greece.

Which yard are you speaking about, if I may ask? I also have my preferred yard in this area. It's Viromare in Monopoli!

 

[sailaboutvic]

Vic, you must give me some lessons. Or do you look like Hulk?

I have already posted about my very bad experiences in Cavtat on the dark side of this forum (ie the Mobo forum). No way, one could avoid to pay this tax. My father was on the quay to take our lines, I am still shocked about the violence of their shouting at him. These guys are friends with the police (they ostensibly hugged each other), you have no other choice than to pay. This was in 2014.


Which yard are you speaking about, if I may ask? I also have my preferred yard in this area. It's Viromare in Monopoli!

Well I can tell you , I don't look like the Hulk .
I can also tell you , you can avoid payment , so far there been five boats that have pass this way which I advice about how not to pay , only one had a problem and after they insist that the police was called , did the guy back down .
OK here the really problem , us Brits don't like the agro and 9 of of 10 will just pay , the min you show these people your not having any of it , they back down ,
Why on the quay the other day we told a German boat as they where mooring next to us , unless there want to pay don't hand them their ropes , they didn't and didn't pay OK they got some words from the guy but still didn't pay . As we was leaving another German boat came in and the guy said some thing in Germen , my better half said he told the other guy , the Brit said don't give them I the rope or they charge you . , what happen I do not know because we left at that point .
What people need to do is keep completing to the harbour master and the police . Or better still write to the minter of tourists . Miss Dunja Stanicic.t
Email address is dunja.stanicic@mppi.hr
And if you happen to be an CA member ask them to earn their member ship fee write to her .
Otherwise you can just sit back and do nothing , but don't complete .

Oh by the way we was also there in June 2014 and again we didn't pay .

 

[sailaboutvic]

Here another bit of advice .
If you happen to be unlucky and are approach while anchored and ask for payment , which can happen , unless it's an harbour boat .
Ask to be shown officially papers to show they are aloud to charge ( not a receipt ) at the same time get the Camera out and start taken photos of them ,
I tell you no lies , you will never see people motor away so fast .
In the three months we was here last time in 2014 we anchored every night ,
And it happen three times , not once did we have to pay , as it happen one time a guy came out from the restaurant and chased them away .

 

[Hardmy]

As we were arguing loudly, some tourists started to watch what was going on and were shooting videos with their mobile phones. In the end we paid, because the police obliged us to do so. We left Croatia immediately after, and are very happy now in Greece

 

[RupertW]

Which yard are you speaking about, if I may ask? I also have my preferred yard in this area. It's Viromare in Monopoli!

Danese in Brindisi - they have done the work for us for the last 2 winters after hopeless experiences in Gouvia. Not a big deal sailing over there from Corfu but it's a much bigger one sailing the boat back from its current base near Thessaloniki at the end of this season to winter in the yard.. But the yard is good enough for it to be worth it and then find a base that we can fly out to somewhere westwards next year - maybe Sicily or Sardinia. It will be very tempting to have another season up north though - as we have never experienced Cavtat in 4 years in and out of Croatia then we have nothing but great memories of the country.

 

[sailaboutvic]

As we were arguing loudly, some tourists started to watch what was going on and were shooting videos with their mobile phones. In the end we paid, because the police obliged us to do so. We left Croatia immediately after, and are very happy now in Greece

Yes I can see how at that point you give in , , although I wouldn't , the police have no say in it ,
again this year we brought it to the attention of the police , there words ( it has nothing to do with us ) .
Read the sign , it says it a mooring service , (a service ) nothing to say you must legally use it .
It also says , it is forbidding to setup ashore until the boat is not moor to the quay . ( not moor to the quay ) leaving that to one side .
It don't say who is forbidden you , it don't say the police or the harbour master , and both of them Won't take any respondabliy for what's going on . So the only person who is forbidden you is the guy on the quay , and as it is an EU custom quay and the only people who have control over it , is the custom officers , has ther no custom officers and only police and harbour master then the control fall on them , and as they wont take responsibility for the charges then the guy on the qual has no league right to charge . His banking that you just going to pay up .
Your the skipper of that boat and there no way of knowing if them guy are going to moor the boat saftly To your requirement , there also the agreement that you don't want them touching your rope because if they happen to hurt them self they could sue you .
In your case if the police said you had to pay I would insisted I speak to a senior officer .

 

[RichardS]

And they will be missing out on yachts because of it - we always check out at Korcula when heading south and do a slight dog leg to Brindisi on the way to Corfu, and did this the first time because of Cavtat's reputation. Now we like visiting Brindisi both for its own sake and for a better boatyard that we have found so far in Croatia or Greece.

I will might try Korcula or Ubli (Lastovo) rather than Cavtat next time I head to Corfu. When returning from Greece you presumably go via Italy or tell the the Customs in Korcula that you have come from Italy?

Richard

 

[Hardmy]

In your case if the police said you had to pay I would insisted I speak to a senior officer .

Yes, I was considering it. But was just so fed up and wanted to leave. I'm on vacation, and the hassle is just not worth it. If I return to Croatia one day, I will do the paperwork in Dubrovnik...

 

[sailaboutvic]

Yes, I was considering it. But was just so fed up and wanted to leave. I'm on vacation, and the hassle is just not worth it. If I return to Croatia one day, I will do the paperwork in Dubrovnik...

Hi Hardmy
I would head for Lastovo or Korcula , both are know to be fine to check in , as it happen one boat that email me an month ago said after all the stress from reading stuff on the internet after people being fined for not checking In , they arrived in the evening at Lastovo , visiting the police they where told the harbour master was close and to anchor in the bay and come back in the morning , they ask if they could eat on shore and was told it was find . So it just goes to show ,
Cavtat is a pain but unless people stand there ground it will just carry on , we have to remember this is an old communist country , there use to being talk to like shit so that's the way they talk to others , it just the way they are , the younger people are getting better but it going to take some years . Sticking them in the EU isn't going to change them over night .
Don't let a bad experience put you off Croatia that can happen any where including Greece belive me I had my share or run in with the PP . One just some weeks back when they try to tell me that my 500000 Pounds PI insurance wasn't enough to cover me , it had to be 500000 euros and it took over 20 minutes and some women in white before it was explain to him that the GBP was worth more then a euro .

 

[RupertW]

I will might try Korcula or Ubli (Lastovo) rather than Cavtat next time I head to Corfu. When returning from Greece you presumably go via Italy or tell the the Customs in Korcula that you have come from Italy?

Richard

We head pretty much due South from Korcula Town between Korcula and Mjet to Brindisi, then across to Corfu from there. Both are single overnighters at 5 knots and so far pretty easy each time. Last year we avoided paying any marina fees or yard fees during the Summer (our Gouvia contract was to April) by sailing the boat to Brindisi for work to be done, flying home from there with zero yard fees as work was being done, then picking it up for a months sail to our new base in Chalkadi.

We did consider simply checking out in Korcula and actually sailing on down south but it wasn't worth the risk and in the end Brindisi in Italy has worked as a good place to break the journey - and of course with no notification/payment/paperwork/communication with anyone in Italy about checking in or out of the country just the marina fees if we are just there for an overnight stay.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I may be weong . But I would had through if you checked out in Korcula then sailed south out of the 12 miles limts you be ok , or come to that it you sail North from Corfu and checked in further down In Croatia , your in international waters .

it seen the only time people have had problem is when they anchore off the coast and everyone I heard off is because their had there AIS on .

 

[RichardS]

I may be weong . But I would had through if you checked out in Korcula then sailed south out of the 12 miles limts you be ok , or come to that it you sail North from Corfu and checked in further down In Croatia , your in international waters .

it seen the only time people have had problem is when they anchore off the coast and everyone I heard off is because their had there AIS on .

I think the international waters point is right when you're leaving Croatia ..... clear out anywhere and head offshore then turn south. I think the Croatian authorities are less concerned about clearing out than clearing in.

I'm interested in returning to Croatia and the "first possible port of call" rule. If one heads north from Corfu, keeps 12 miles offshore and then turn east at the last minute and heads for Lastovo, will the authorities apply the "first possible" rule and say that you should have called at Cavtat? If so, this gives Cavtat a sort of "monopoly" on all boats except those crossing from Italy which is why they they don't seem to give a toss about the mooring-guy scam and can't be bothered to install lazy lines like everyone else in Croatia.

I'm wondering whether to clear in at Lastovo and, if asked, just tell them I came from Italy. After all, there's no entry or exit paperwork in Italy so how are they ever going to prove otherwise?

Richard

 

[sailaboutvic]

I think the international waters point is right when you're leaving Croatia ..... clear out anywhere and head offshore then turn south. I think the Croatian authorities are less concerned about clearing out than clearing in.

I'm interested in returning to Croatia and the "first possible port of call" rule. If one heads north from Corfu, keeps 12 miles offshore and then turn east at the last minute and heads for Lastovo, will the authorities apply the "first possible" rule and say that you should have called at Cavtat? If so, this gives Cavtat a sort of "monopoly" on all boats except those crossing from Italy which is why they they don't seem to give a toss about the mooring-guy scam and can't be bothered to install lazy lines like everyone else in Croatia.

I'm wondering whether to clear in at Lastovo and, if asked, just tell them I came from Italy. After all, there's no entry or exit paperwork in Italy so how are they ever going to prove otherwise?

Richard

I agree Richard , that the best option , say you came from Italy .
Just make sure your AIS is off ,
I not sure about then not caring if you cleared out , they do like there fines , when we cleared in they had all my info for two years back including where I cleared out , I wonder if I didn't clear out if they would have had me .
I do know when we tryed to clear out in Korcula the night before , the PP wouldn't let us because the HM have gone home , but the next morning the HM said we could had reported to the police and then just gone .
I know if I had no plains to come back I would just go it wouldn't bother me .
When it comes to Croatia it's best to keep to the rules I think .
We was temped to do just that , go to Lastovo , but after a 29 hours in a 6 /7 we decided to call it a day and cleared in Cavtat , has I said we had no problem , we got a funny look but that's about it .
The problem lies Like Hardmy said " there on holiday and they don't want the stress and I really think that what these guy bank on .
As for us , full time on the boat there always some stress so a bit more isn't any problem am 15 euros better off .

 

[alexsailor]

Every year I do check out (and check in) in Lastovo.
Then I sail to Erikoussa (doing that next week...).

So many threads on this forum about the same issues....
Is there no admin that would clean it a little bit?
We wrote about Croatia and also about Cavtat two years ago...
Enjoy Croatia and their prices!

 

[sailaboutvic]

Thanks Alex , we will .
I not sure what you mean about their prices .
I think you referring to mooring to town walls and mooring Buoys and if so , I agree there are out of control , but we don't need to sit on a town wall to say to people , look at us we have a yacht or use mooring buoy , we happy on our hook and using our dinghy as our car .
As for everything else , it's no different then say Greece .