Lagoon 65 catamaran sailing in Croatia
HELM · CROATIA · CREWED YACHT CHARTER

Crewed yacht charters in Croatia

From $30,000 a week

Hvar harbour by 6pm. The mooring lines on, a glass of plavac mali on the aft deck, the chef walking back from the market with the catch. By Tuesday you have done Trogir, Vis, the Pakleni Islands. By Friday you have stopped saying "what shall we do today" and started saying "where are we now".

We board every yacht we recommend. Only the top 5% make our shortlist.

Is HELM the right fit for you?
Crewed only · From $30k / week · 350+ charters delivered each year · Founded 2015

Build your charter

Zach builds your shortlist within 24 hours.

Per yacht per week, before APA (typically 25–35%) and 13% VAT.

No booking fee. We respond within 24 hours.

Section 02 · #right-fit

Is HELM the right fit for you?

We work with a specific kind of client. Here is what we are good at, and where another brokerage will probably serve you better.

HELM is a fit if

  • You want a fully crewed week. Captain, chef, hostess.
  • Your budget starts at $30,000 a week, before APA and VAT.
  • You would rather be guided to the right yacht than scroll 6,000 of them.
  • You value a broker who has been on the boats and met the captains.

HELM isn't a fit if

  • You want a self-drive boat or a hired skipper. Our sister brand Anchor handles bareboat and skippered.
  • Your budget sits below $30,000 a week.
  • You want to handle the booking yourself.
  • You have already chosen a yacht and want to negotiate the rate down.

If we are not the right fit, we are happy to point you toward a brokerage that is.

Zach Triay, HELM Senior Charter Broker
A word from Zach, your Croatia broker

"Croatia is the easiest place in the Med to get a sailing holiday wrong. There are 6,000 yachts on the market and most of the ones on a search engine are spreadsheet entries, not boats anyone has actually stood on.

I go to Split twice a year. I know which captains run a tight ship, which gulets had refits last winter, and which anchorages are worth the detour. That is the difference between a brochure and a broker."

Zach Triay · Senior Charter Broker. Croatia, the BVI, and the wider Med.

Build your charter

Zach builds your shortlist within 24 hours.

Per yacht per week, before APA (typically 25–35%) and 13% VAT.

No booking fee. We respond within 24 hours.

Section 04 · Why HELM

Three things we do differently

We board every yacht we recommend.

Charter brochures are designed to sell. We have walked the decks, met the crews, and turned down the yachts that did not measure up. Only the top 5% make our shortlist.

Crewed charters only.

Bareboat and skippered are different products. Our sister brand Anchor handles those. HELM is the brokerage you want when the crew is part of the holiday.

10+ years on the Adriatic.

HELM has been booking Croatia since 2015. The captains know us, the operators know us, and the crew remember our last clients. That is what gets you the better cabin, the late check-out, the unscheduled extra night in Vis.

Section 05 · Cruising grounds

Choose your cruising ground

Croatia has 1,200 islands and an Adriatic coastline that has been fought over for two thousand years. The Maestral wind makes the sailing predictable. The architecture, the food and the harbours change every 30 nautical miles. Pick a region to start, or leave it to your broker.

Section 06 · Yacht types

Three yacht types, all crewed

Real examples below. Zach will shortlist based on availability for your dates.

Sunreef 60 Vulpino, crewed catamaran in Croatia
The default for most groups
Crewed catamaran
from $30k

Wide decks, full crew, shallow draft. The default for families and groups in the Adriatic.

A yacht like the Sunreef 60 Vulpino. Six guests, full crew, sunbed-deck design, popular for Pakleni Islands week.

Sunseeker Scorpion motor yacht at sunset
For groups who want range
Motor yacht
from $40k

Split to Dubrovnik in three days, with detours. Realistic on a motor yacht. Tight under sail.

A yacht like the Sunseeker Scorpion. See the motor yacht page.

Rara Avis, traditional gulet
For larger groups (10+)
Gulet
from $35k

Traditional wooden yacht, broad beam, generous deck. Built for groups who want communal time.

A yacht like the Rara Avis. Up to 12 guests. Big aft deck, room for everyone at one table.

Specific yachts shown for illustration. Zach will shortlist based on availability for your dates.

Section 07 · When to go

When to go

Apr
Early
May
Sweet
Jun
Sweet
Jul
Peak
Aug
Peak
Sep
Sweet
Oct
Quiet

June is our brokers' month. Long days, stable Maestral winds (10–18 knots, predictable), warm sea, and the harbours not yet at full volume. May is similar with cooler air. September is excellent. July and August are the Adriatic at full volume. Bookable, brilliant, and the better yachts go in November of the year before.

Section 08 · Pricing

What you are paying for

Charter pricing in Croatia is set by the yacht owner at the start of the year. The broker network sees the same number, and the negotiation room is small. Usually less than 5%, and only on specific yachts at specific times. We are upfront about that because it saves the conversation.

The headline charter fee covers the yacht, the crew, basic insurances and the standard yacht equipment. Tenders, water toys, snorkelling kit. It does not cover fuel, food, drink, mooring fees or harbour dues. Those run as APA. A working kitty paid in euros at the start of the charter, typically 25–35% of the headline fee. Anything unspent is returned at the end.

Charter fee

Yacht, crew, insurances, standard equipment.

APA · 25–35%

Fuel, food, drink, mooring, harbour dues. Reconciled at end of week.

Croatian VAT · 13%

Standard rate on crewed yacht charters in Croatia.

Gratuity

10% at week's end is the convention for excellent service.

Section 09 · FAQ

Frequently asked

How much does a crewed yacht charter in Croatia cost?
Crewed charters in Croatia start at $30,000 a week for a smaller catamaran with a crew of two. A crewed catamaran in peak season runs $50,000 to $90,000. Motor yachts and superyachts go from there into seven figures. Add 25–35% APA on top for fuel and provisioning, plus 13% Croatian VAT. If your budget is below $30,000, we are probably not the right brokerage. Happy to point you toward someone who is.
Where do most Croatia charters start?
Split for most clients. Central Dalmatia, fast access to Hvar and the Pakleni, daily flights from London and most US hubs. Dubrovnik for South Dalmatia weeks. Zadar for the Kornati. Pula for Istria. Zach will recommend the start point based on your itinerary, not the other way round.
What is included in the headline price?
The yacht, the crew, insurances and standard equipment. Fuel, food, drink, mooring fees and harbour dues run separately as APA, paid in euros. Anything unspent is returned to you at the end of the charter.
What about the wind?
The summer wind in Croatia is the Maestral. 10–18 knots from the northwest, builds in the afternoon, settles in the evening. Predictable, manageable, and what makes the sailing here so good. The Bora is a different matter. Northeasterly, can gust 40+ knots, mostly an early season and shoulder concern in the north. Your captain will plan around it.
When is the best time to go?
June. Long days, stable Maestral, warm sea, harbours not yet at peak volume. May and September are very close behind. July and August are the Adriatic at full volume. Bookable, brilliant, and the better yachts spoken for the year before.
What is APA?
APA stands for Advance Provisioning Allowance. A working fund, typically 25–35% of the headline charter fee, paid in euros at the start of the charter to cover fuel, food, drink, mooring fees and harbour dues. Anything unspent comes back to you.

Tell us your dates and group.

Zach will build your shortlist within 24 hours, sourced from yachts we have personally boarded.

Crewed only · From $30k / week · Founded 2015 · +44 (UK) · +1 (US)
Build your charter
Zach builds your shortlist within 24 hours.

Per yacht per week, before APA (typically 25–35%) and 13% VAT.

No booking fee. We respond within 24 hours.

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