Another beautiful sailing destination—this time Biograd. It was our first time renting a bareboat (after six flotilla trips), and we really enjoyed it. As usual, everything was perfectly arranged through Tubber. (They now also offer insurance, which is much easier—especially for non-Dutch nationals—than arranging your own insurance through Unigarant.)
This was our first time renting a boat with air conditioning—it was a real game-changer, especially when the nights don’t really cool down. (You do have to be ashore with a 230-volt connection at all times, though.) The free Navily account we received with our booking was a real bonus this year—a must-have for anyone renting a bareboat. Just set the filters right and start choosing. We were also able to book multiple marinas through Navily, which is a real convenience, especially during peak season. This time we rented a boat from the company Angelina—it was truly excellent. At one point, we had a broken pulley; one phone call, a few photos via WhatsApp, and the next morning at 8:30 a.m., the guys were at our boat in the marina with the right replacement parts. One final note about the reviews you read regarding service at various marinas: in general, the service is definitely okay, and although there are sometimes marinas gas stations where there’s “some guy” standing on the dock instead of a marinero providing service, that doesn’t detract much from the overall experience—you just wash it down with a glass of rosé and it’s forgotten. Croatia isn’t the cheapest country (106–136 euros per night for a 42-foot boat), but we’ve also seen marinas with hotel-style bathrooms featuring marble fixtures. (There are others, of course, but they’re never shabby.) Drage and Hramina were really top-notch. More about the boat: There were just the two of us, so the boat was very spacious; however, it’s “designed” for 7 people. Despite the 3 cabins, we actually think six is already a lot because there’s no outdoor seating behind the helm, which reduces the number of shaded spots on one side.