| Option | Price per boat | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Half-day sailing (about 4 hours) | from €280 | Yacht and skipper for up to 8 guests, swim stops in the nearby islands, snorkelling gear on board |
| Full-day sailing (8-9 hours) | €650 – €880 | Further out — quiet bays around Ugljan, Pašman or towards the Kornati edge, lunch stop at an island konoba |
| Sunset sailing | price on request | Two to three hours under sail as the light drops — see my sunset boat page for motorised options |
Note: Prices are per boat, not per person — eight guests on a €280 half-day pay €35 each. Food and drinks are usually bring-your-own or arranged on request. Final quote confirmed on WhatsApp.
Sailing versus a motor boat — the honest trade
A sailing yacht is slower than a speedboat, and that's the point. You won't tick off five islands in a morning; you'll spend real time in two or three places, swimming off the stern, lying on the foredeck, learning to trim a sail if you fancy it (skippers are happy to teach, and just as happy to let you do nothing). If your dream day is covering ground and seeing the maximum number of sights, book a motor boat instead — I'll tell you so myself.
If your dream day is silence, space and water so clear you can count the starfish below you, sailing is the right answer.
Where you actually sail
Half-day routes stay in the Zadar channel — the sheltered water between the mainland and the islands of Ugljan and Pašman, dotted with bays that never make the brochures. Full days reach further: the fishing village of Kali, the quiet coves of the outer islands, sometimes the southern edge of the Kornati in settled weather. Your skipper reads the wind and builds the route around it; the maestral, the reliable afternoon north-westerly, is a sailor's gift in summer.
There's no fixed itinerary to recite, and that's deliberate. In the morning you agree a rough plan over a chart, and the day adjusts itself: a bay that's busy gets traded for one that isn't, a pod of dolphins gets followed for ten minutes, lunch happens when you're hungry rather than when a schedule says so.
What's included, and what to bring
The yacht, the skipper, fuel and snorkelling gear are included in the prices I quote. Food and drink are yours to arrange — most guests bring a picnic and a bottle of something cold; full-day trips can anchor off an island konoba for lunch instead. Bring soft-soled shoes or bare feet, a hat, suncream and a light layer for the breeze — even August afternoons feel cooler under sail. The €280 half-day boats take up to eight guests, so the per-person maths is kind to groups.
One thing people always ask: seasickness. Sailing yachts heel and move differently from motor boats, and most people find the motion gentler, not worse. If anyone in your group is nervous, mention it when you book and we'll pick the calmest route and the calmest forecast.
FAQ
Half-day private sailing starts from €280 per boat for up to eight guests; full days run €650 – €880. Prices are per boat, so eight guests on a half-day pay about €35 each. Final quote confirmed on WhatsApp.
The standard charter yachts I book take up to 8 guests plus the skipper — comfortable for a family or a group of friends. Larger yachts exist for bigger groups; tell me your numbers and I'll match the boat.
Usually not — most guests bring their own picnic and drinks, which keeps the price honest. On full-day trips the skipper can anchor by an island restaurant for lunch instead. I spell out exactly what's included before you book.
Every charter yacht has an engine, so the day runs regardless — but in summer the afternoon maestral is remarkably reliable. If the forecast looks genuinely dead calm or too rough, I'll tell you and we'll pick the best day of your window.
Yes — skippers love guests who want to learn, and you'll be shown the basics of steering and sail trim if you ask. Equally, nobody will make you lift a finger. Both approaches are entirely respectable.