Looking for Feedback On Croatia

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Don't think that's the case i'd get something in writing before relying on it. Theres many threads here with that particular discussion going on, Dave 'goboatingnow' is on top of this subject if you ask his advice i'm sure it'll be close.

We will haul out or put in bond but some require a minimum of 6 months ie Greece. Our plans are to accumulate less than 18 by the time we exit Gibralter for Canaries....

Cheers Frank

The 18 month vat relief is reset by being outside the EU customs union terrority. You then get another 18 months in the EU. Each 18 month period starts from your arrival into the EU

Dave

[goboatingnow]

Note that Croatia , unique amongst med countries requires you to have some form of competency cert in order to sail its national waters. , irrespective of the flag of the boat.

I'm sure this will all get modified now they are joining the big bad EU , already they are dumping most regs for EU flagged cruisers

Dave

[Lagoon4us]

When we went through Croatia they asked for 'licence to drive boat' on a standard Australian Motor vehicle Licence there's an area for 'Marine' licences to be nottated i.e. ski-boat, speedboat or 'Recreational Marine Drivers License' that is the all encompassing term the Australian powers to be came up with.

So on my 'Motor Vehicle Drivers License' there are the letters 'RMDL' That license in Australia allows you to drive any vessel that is not being used for 'reward or gain' anywhere in Australian waters. Croatians like any free world country accept that because the vessel is Australian flagged and i'm the owner on the registration papers.

Now along comes Joe Plodinski from Poland to charter a HANSE 52 from a Croatian Charter company, he has no license but he has sailed as crew and seems slightly competent, they arrange for him to sit with a licensing officer in a Cafe and he gets his Croatian Certificate to sail. (750 kuna later approx)

The document STEEL SAILS posted clearly states in it's header "For Croatian Flagged Vessels' they are doing this because they just offered deals for all resident vessels to become 'Croatian Flagged' prior to EU entry at a VAT discounted rate of between 5 and 10% TAX.

Foreign Flagged Transient yachts, ie us people, they charge for cruising permits, vignette's and mooring fees wherever a facility has been placed, other than National Parks that was the only times they put there hand out.

One other thing upon clearing out they scrupulously go through your documentation looking for a reason to levy a fine or two, usually around 600 Kuna....

[Steel sails]

Yes Lagoon for us, when they originally asked my sister for a license I told her to just send my bother in laws Asa bare boat and her platinum AmEx. I was most surprised when they didn't,t accept it!
Yes the lagoon 500 we are chartering is Croation flagged

I didn't realize they were making " blue light specials " on the VAT. I have a feydis 49 tax not paid that I would have loved to declare for 50k and register with them for next year!
Regards
Paul

[Lagoon4us]

I believe you have to be quick as in by the end of this month, i think it was done to raise cash and be able to handover to the EU a solid 'Ships Registry'. The majority of sailing boats in Croatia are flagged elsewhere (tax not paid) but locally registered, we have a 'local rego sticker on our boat'.

As with all things in Croatia there are rules and there are ways around those rules, talk to local sailing industry people over a coffee, within the time lapse of two coffees you will have a network up and running of people solving your problems with the heirachy.

Cruising yachts are 'griste for the mill' Croatia has become 'KUNA' hungry it won't affect their charter industry because the operators know their way around but it will effect the visiting yachts making it expensive.

They look at you in your boat and say 'we have nothing but you float around wherever you please in your expensive boat, so just pay don't whinge, besides it's not us it's the Government bastards'!!

Cheers Frank

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

The 18 month vat relief is reset by being outside the EU customs union terrority. You then get another 18 months in the EU. Each 18 month period starts from your arrival into the EU

Dave

Thanks Dave, we are in Greece now and have the 'Transit Log' which is valid for 6 months, we are heading for Turkey to winter the boat whilst we are back earning some money.

I trust Turkey not being a member of the EU would satisfy and re-start the clock unlike 'Isle of Man' economic zones previously mentioned in other threads?

Once we got that Transit log after 30 days we had it re-stamped 'Cruising the Ionian Islands' which negated the requirement to be specific, EU flagged boats here freely sail anywhere. Greece are no where as active policing their waters as Croatia were, the gunboats have no guns just racks.

Cheers

[jckb]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Thanks Dave, we are in Greece now and have the 'Transit Log' which is valid for 6 months, we are heading for Turkey to winter the boat whilst we are back earning some money.

Just to be clear, the Greek transit log for non-EU boats is a means of gathering a circulation tax (after each three months). It's nothing to do with EU entry and your 18 months temporary import VAT free into the EU.

[Lagoon4us]

That's right it's stamped by Ministry of Finance, extensions are available for a fee, our's is ok for 6 months.

Croatia's Vignette is similar..

Cheers

[jckb]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

When we went through Croatia they asked for 'licence to drive boat' on a standard Australian Motor vehicle Licence there's an area for 'Marine' licences to be nottated i.e. ski-boat, speedboat or 'Recreational Marine Drivers License' that is the all encompassing term the Australian powers to be came up with.

So on my 'Motor Vehicle Drivers License' there are the letters 'RMDL' That license in Australia allows you to drive any vessel that is not being used for 'reward or gain' anywhere in Australian waters. Croatians like any free world country accept that because the vessel is Australian flagged and i'm the owner on the registration papers.

Their requirements for licences, like all their other boating regulations, are very well documented. Which licences they'll accept are listed http://www.mppi.hr/UserDocsImages/NA...%2014-6_13.pdf

They also arrange local examination if needed for charter.

[Lagoon4us]

In accordance with Article 4 Paragraph 3 of The Ordinance on Boats and Yachts (Official Gazette No. 27/05, 57/06, 80/07, 3/08 and 18/09)
certificates issued by the competent authorities of other states
that have concluded bilateral Memorandum of Understanding with Croatian Administration are recognized for operating Croatian flag boats and yachts as in the table below

Refer the above more so who it refers to....... International visitors operate using the licence applicable to their country of flag/registration.

Cheers Frank

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by jckb

Just to be clear, the Greek transit log for non-EU boats is a means of gathering a circulation tax (after each three months). It's nothing to do with EU entry and your 18 months temporary import VAT free into the EU.

Only our boat comes under scrutiny and we shall remove it and restart the clock as Dave suggests.
We are dual citizens having been borne in UK but grew up in Australia so we are free to go wherever in the Union...

Cheers

[romulusm]

Originally Posted by Rapanui

[...] in April bought a Vipme 3G dongle in Croatia, 199kuna (~30 Euro) and access for up to 1Gb/day is 10 kuna (~1.5 Euro) for 24 hours. [...]

Are you sure this is correct and it is 1Gb per day?

[Lagoon4us]

Well a mate has just come down from Croatia today clearing into Corfu, he said they've changed their policy in the anchorages to charging everywhere possible, if there's an ACI Marina then you get charged for anchoring.....

Bound to be popular, great way to shoot tourism in the foot.........

[jckb]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Well a mate has just come down from Croatia today clearing into Corfu, he said they've changed their policy in the anchorages to charging everywhere possible, if there's an ACI Marina then you get charged for anchoring.....

Bound to be popular, great way to shoot tourism in the foot.........

I think you'll find that's a serious exaggeration.

The vast majority of Croatia anchorages are free of charge.

Concessions have been granted to lay fields of moorings in the most popular anchorages. This is to accommodate more boats. Anchoring close to these concessions is charged for to encourage people to use the moorings.


Locals are not allowed to charge for use of moorings or anchorages except where there are listed concessions.

That sounds to me like a good way to squeeze more boats into popular areas -

[Lagoon4us]

Not on my part, last year i'd agree with you totally but Col arrived back after 3 months and he was screwed most places, loved the place but was charged most places.....

Cheers