Overcharging catamarans and other wickeded prices etc. in Croatia

[p435]

In 2017 I was once charge 50% more for spending a night at a buoy. 2018 it happened already twice. The second time I refused an negotiated the price for a mono-hull.


I have no problem to pay more when I am mooring in a marina and need more space, but a catamaran takes no more than 1 buoy. Like any mono-hull.


Here are bays with overcharging:

Island Mala Rava, bay at 44°02'20.2"N 015°03'17.4"E
and
island Kaprije, bay at 43°41'12.0"N 015°42'29.2"E
and
Island Tijat, bay at 43°43'01.5"N 15°46'11.8"E. Money collector asked first for 30KN per meter for my catamaran. With negotiations I got it down to 20KN per meter; price for a mono-hull.


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ACI Marina Skradin.

I was there in spring and now on July 1st, In spring the price was somehow OK but in Juli 1sth I was charged 1950.- KN for one night for my 43.5 ft catamaran.

I report this because I consider it as too expansive and recommend to check prices before making plans.

The 20% discount ACI members got in other ACI marinas is not available anymore. It has been replaced by an additional free day if one stays in an ACI marina for several days. Number of days varies from ACI marina to ACI marina. Basically it means there is no useful discount anymore.



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Losinj will always for me be a beautiful island with interesting bays and places to vist. However, I will never try and enter the city harbour of Mali Losinj again (located in the centre of the town). (N44.533013, E14.467355)

Reason - In August 2017 I wanted to enter this harbor for the 3rd time in 2017, always with about 4-8 people on board. This time they refused me and many other sailboats a berth. The reason we got from the staff and their "boss" (I talked with him several times in 2017, thus knew who he was) was that we didn't have a length of 25m or more. Me and my crew did not believe what we heard.

My boat is a 43.5 ft catamaran and there were 3-4 places for a catamaran open and about 10 monohulls.

There was a pretty strong thunderstorm approaching and we were lucky to get the last berth in (private) "Marina Losinj" on the E side of the bay just beside the refueling station. We were pretty lucky because many boats had to get out of the bay before the storm set in.

This "Marina Losinj" is a bit away from the town but has a nice restaurant on the second floor, good food at reasonable prices, and great views over the bay.

[mikedefieslife]

Club Nautico in Porto Colom, Mallorca also over charges for catamarans on mooring bouys. €19 a day for an 11m mono. €32 for a catamaran up to 11m. Best avoided since you can anchor nearby anyhow.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Best avoided since you can anchor nearby anyhow.

Such a simple solution to a first world problem.

[MartinR]

This is not overcharging. Size wise and cost wise a catamaran is 50% bigger and more expensive than a mono of the same length. So I understand the reasoning completely. Charging catamarans by length would be about the same as charging rent by the length of the apartment

I think the fairest practise is to charge by the square foot.

[p435]

Originally Posted by MartinR

... Charging catamarans by length would be about the same as charging rent by the length of the apartment....

...says a mono-hull sailor.


What about charging rent for an apartment by the number of people living in?

[syPhilos]

Originally Posted by MartinR

I think the fairest practise is to charge by the square foot.

In a marina, yes, just like the OP said. But when tied to a mooring? Nope.

Us mono's pay for using the mooring, why would a cat have to pay extra for the amount of water it floats in when tied to said mooring?

[noelex 77]

Were larger monohulls charged more than smaller monohulls to use the moorings?

[p435]

Charge is in Croatia always by the meter of length.

[cuffy]

Absolutely outrageous on mooring buoys. Completely understand in a Marina, unless of course alongside where no more room taken up.

[syPhilos]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

Were larger monohulls charged more than smaller monohulls to use the moorings?

If I correctly read the OP, with his cat he was charged for the length of the boat (just like us mono's) PLUS a "catamaran charge".

In my simple view, a mooring should be charged at a fixed amount, regardless of length and/or width. But maybe that's just me

But if going with length, do so for all boats, not just the mono's ... It's a mooring after all, not a slip that would fit either one cat or two mono's.

[p435]

Originally Posted by syPhilos

In my simple view, a mooring should be charged at a fixed amount, regardless of length and/or width. But maybe that's just me .

This is also something we discuss here in Croatia. At the end this would put a large financial burden on owners of small boats compared to large ones. Thus most discussions here in Croatia end up with "charge by length and no surcharge for catamarans".



And you are right the catamaran goes by length PLUS a surcharge.

[MartinR]

Originally Posted by p435

This is also something we discuss here in Croatia. At the end this would put a large financial burden on owners of small boats compared to large ones.

Exactly for the same reason, the surcharge is motivated. A catamaran is bigger and more expensive, so the owners can afford to pay more True or not, the reasoning is not wrong.

I do not like charge by length at all, as I have a 78´long 50 footer, but there is no discount for semi-catamarans

[GTom]

If all monos pay the same regardless of length/size, then I understand your pain. Otherwise cat =~1.5x mono.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by MartinR

This is not overcharging. Size wise and cost wise a catamaran is 50% bigger and more expensive than a mono of the same length. So I understand the reasoning completely. Charging catamarans by length would be about the same as charging rent by the length of the apartment

I think the fairest practise is to charge by the square foot.

In a med moor marina, you logic holds up. If a cat is 50% wider, 2 cats take up the same space you could fit 3 monos in, so the marina would be losing money if they didn't up-charge.

In a slip based marina, it gets a little complicated depending on if a typical slip for that length boat will hold the cat. If you can fit into a standard slip there should be no up-charge but if they need to move your 40' boat into a 60' slip to get enough width, then it's a valid issue.

On a mooing, your logic falls down as the width typically has no impact on how many boats can fit in a mooring field.

[MartinR]

Yes, I understand, but then they should charge for a mooring independent of size.
A Albin Vega should pay the same as an Oyster 62. Seems not fair to me either.

But - they want to earn money, and bigger boats can usually pay more. If they charge by size, then the surcharge for catamarans seems reasonable to me.

I guess there is no totally fair system.