This part of the trip was my favourite bit of our recent Croatia holiday. A large part of Croatia’s national income comes from tourism and a massive part of that is from the sea. The sheer number of boats going in and out of the marinas and on the sea was amazing. I hadn’t realised what a massive industry it was.
Our boat holiday was booked directly with GoXperience but there are hundreds of different companies offering different experiences from luxury yachts to floating hotels to smaller boats like the GoXperience yacht.
GoXperience is owned and run by Skipper Nathan who is a master mariner and former Royal Marine and Search and Rescue volunteer with the RNLI. His stories alone make booking a week with him worth it!
Yacht GoX is based just outside of Split and all the information you need can be found on their website here.
The Logisitics
GoXperience is a 51ft Dufur Sea-Gib which sleeps 8 plus the captain. There are 4 double bedrooms each with an en-suite bathroom, the central area which functions as kitchen, dining and living area and then the deck area. Compact but everything you need for a week at sea, a little like camping, but more comfortable and on a boat!
Each bedroom has a ensuite with toilet and shower, the toilets are pump toilets with the waste being pumped away by hand. We didn’t use the showers as it was easier to just shower with the outdoor shower at the back of the boat (not naked unless that’s what floats your boat).
Food
Technically the week is advertised as self catering and the food is all provided by Nathan but in reality meals are catered. We all pitched in for breakfast and lunch and then Nathan cooked the evening meal and we cleaned up afterwards.
The kitchen is small but perfectly formed and Nathan is an absolute whizz in the kitchen! The stuff he managed to produce on a couple of gas rings was nothing short of a miracle, especially considering how many dietary requirements we had as a group.
We mostly ate cereal for breakfast and then for lunch a selection of help yourself breads, cheeses and meats. There was endless snacks, fruit and cups of tea. We never went hungry!
Dinner was usually a one pot dish of curry, chilli, pasta or similar and again was plentiful and delicious.
There are some stops where there is the option to eat out. One of the stops was in a gorgeous little cove with a tiny restaurant, the fire was lit in the evening and instead of menus there was just the option of a couple of different meats. Dinner was absolutely delicious and we even got to sit and watch a herd of deer come down to the beach when it got dark.
The Route
We had an idea of where we wanted to go to but in the end it all depended on the weather and put ourselves in Nathan’s hands and let him decide our route. We ended up visiting several spots on Bras and Hvar, most of which we wouldn’t have known were there without Nathan’s expertise. We mostly stayed in small cove’s where we anchored for the night, a couple were near bars and restaurants specifically aimed at the boats moored there and there was a also a spot right next to a Soviet era submarine tunnel! We did spend one night in the marina at Hvar Old town where we refilled our water tanks, stocked up on food and spent time exploring the tiny narrow streets, shops and bars. Pip and I also played on the Aqua Park and we enjoyed hot showers in the marina.
Daily Routine
You also have the option to help as little or as much as you want, Nathan can skipper the boat single handedly but there is always the option to help out and learn a few new skills.
Breakfast was a help yourself affair with cereals, toast etc, then it was usually time to tidy everything away so we could set sail. We usually sailed for a couple of hours in the morning accompanied by copious cups of tea and snacks. This was a great opportunity for catching some sun or taking a nap.
Once we arrived where we were going then it was all hands on deck to moor up and get everything set up for the night before playtime begun. Nathan has paddleboards on board so you can swim and paddle to your heart’s content. Alternatively a couple of stops had things to do nearby.
Lunch again was help yourself and Nathan’s tiny kitchen was always fully stocked with breads, cheeses and other delicious things to eat.
The evenings consisted of outdoor showers at the back of the boat, group evening meals expertly cooked by Nathan and card games.
What to bring
Whatever you think you need to bring, half it. There is not a massive amount of storage and you will not need lots of outfits. We spent days in swimwear and then a couple of casual outfits for the evenings and one slightly nicer outfit for meals out. A hoody was useful for the evenings when it was a bit cooler and when we were out on the sea and there was a breeze.
Most importantly was water shoes, towels, sun cream and snorkel gear.
We spent a week onboard in August 2022 when Pip was 10 and our friends’ children were 11 and 14. Yacht GoX is based just outside of Split and all the information you need can be found on their website here.
Go everywhere, Do everything 