Dubrovnik crewed overnight charter.

## Why sail from Dubrovnik

Most people fly into Dubrovnik for the old town and never see the water. That's a mistake. An hour north of the walls, past the Ombla river mouth, sits ACI Marina Komolac — the base for nearly all southern Adriatic charters. From here you drop straight into the Elaphiti islands: pine-covered, low-traffic, and close enough that a first-day sail lands you at anchor before dinner.

The southern Adriatic is quieter than the central Kornati crowd and quieter still than Split. Water is clear to 15m in the sheltered channels. The limestone comes down to the sea, harbours are small, and the konoba on the quay usually still cooks what the owner's cousin landed that morning. We've sailed this coast every summer for years — it rewards people who like short hops and long lunches over distance-chasing.

## The sailing grounds

Think of it as three rings. Closest are the **Elaphiti islands** — Šipan, Lopud, Koločep — a lazy day-sail out of Komolac, good for shaking down the boat and the crew. Šipan's Suđurađ bay and Lopud's main quay both take you if you arrive by mid-afternoon.

Next ring out is **Mljet**, roughly 20 miles west. The national park at the western end holds two saltwater lakes and a small island monastery; Polače and Pomena are the harbours. Book the buoys ahead in July and August — they fill.

The outer ring is **Korčula town** and the **Pelješac** peninsula, with **Ston** and its oyster beds at the base. Go further and you reach **Vis** and **Lastovo**, the two most isolated islands on this coast — Lastovo especially, a former military zone that stayed undeveloped. A full week can loop Elaphiti–Mljet–Lastovo–Korčula and back, or stay tight and slow if the wind or the guests prefer it.

## Season and winds

The charter season runs **April to October**. May, June and September are the sweet spots: warm water, reliable but manageable wind, and space at the quay. July and August are hot (30°C+), busy, and the popular anchorages fill by early afternoon — sail early, arrive early.

Two winds matter here. The **maestral** is the friendly one — a north-westerly sea breeze that builds through summer afternoons to 10–18 knots, ideal for reaching down the channels. The one to respect is the **bura** (bora), a cold, gusty north-easterly that falls off the mountains, mostly in spring and autumn; it arrives fast and hits hard in the funnels near the mainland. The **jugo** is a southerly that brings swell and rain over a day or two. None of this is dramatic in high summer, but check the forecast every morning — the bura doesn't announce itself politely.

## Charter types

We run both **bareboat** and **crewed** charters from Dubrovnik. Bareboat is the bulk of the fleet — monohulls and catamarans in the 35–50ft range, suitable if you or someone aboard holds the right licence (see FAQ). You provision, you skipper, you set the pace.

If you'd rather not, a **skippered** charter puts a local at the helm who knows which Mljet buoy to grab and which konoba is worth the detour. **Crewed** yachts add a host or cook for a hands-off week. We can also arrange a skipper on any bareboat if you want the freedom without the full responsibility — a common choice for first-timers on this coast.

## What it costs

Charter pricing moves with boat size, age and season, so we quote per boat per week rather than pretend there's one number. As a guide: a mid-size bareboat monohull in shoulder season sits at the lower end; a newer catamaran in peak August at the higher. Skipper and cook are day rates on top, and most crews tip them at the week's end.

Budget separately for a **transit log / tourist tax**, fuel (you return the tank full), the final clean, and marina fees when you're not on your own buoy — ACI marinas down this coast charge by boat length. Provisioning a week of breakfasts and lunches aboard is far cheaper than eating ashore every night. **Price on request** — send us your dates and party size on WhatsApp and we'll come back with real numbers for real boats.

## A sample week

**Day 1 — Komolac to the Elaphiti.** Board in the afternoon, motor down the Ombla, sail an hour to Šipan or Lopud. Anchor, swim, first dinner ashore.

**Day 2 — Elaphiti to Mljet.** A proper sail west, 20-odd miles on the maestral. Take a buoy at Polače, walk or cycle to the salt lakes.

**Day 3 — Mljet.** Stay put. Kayak the lakes, boat out to the monastery island, do nothing well.

**Day 4 — Mljet to Lastovo.** The long leg out to the quietest island. Skrivena Luka — 'hidden harbour' — earns its name.

**Day 5 — Lastovo to Korčula.** Reach north-east to Korčula town, tie up under the walls, eat well, walk the marble streets.

**Day 6 — Korčula to Ston.** Short hop toward the Pelješac base; oysters straight off the beds, and the longest defensive walls in Europe above the town.

**Day 7 — Ston to the Elaphiti to base.** Work back east, last night at anchor off Koločep, into Komolac the following morning. Adjust the whole thing for wind and mood — nobody sails this to a timetable.

## Getting there

Fly into **Dubrovnik Airport (DBV)** at Čilipi, about 40 minutes south of the town and roughly an hour from Komolac by road; a taxi or transfer is straightforward. The airport is well served across the summer from most of Europe, less so off-season.

Check-in for most boats is Saturday afternoon, check-out Saturday morning — we'll confirm your base and exact times when you book, as some boats lie at the Town Port rather than Komolac. Come with passports for everyone aboard, the skipper's licence and VHF certificate, and a rough provisioning plan. There's a large supermarket near Komolac for the big shop. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and we'll sort the rest.

A crewed charter is the full sailing holiday with none of the workload: a professional skipper (and on larger yachts a hostess and chef) handles the sailing, the cooking and the logistics while you relax.

It suits families, groups and anyone who wants to wake up in a new bay each morning without lifting a winch — multi-day, sleeping aboard, the itinerary shaped around you.