Legal frame Pravilnik o brodicama i jahtama NN 27/05 as amended, arts 49, 53, 61–62, 71, 80–81, 87 and Dodatak 8 (kept by NN 13/20 art. 48).
Who needs C
The voditelj brodice kategorije C (boat skipper, category C) is the first professional title. You need it to skipper:
- any commercial brodica, such as a taxi boat, an excursion boat or a crewed charter boat, within the limits of arts 71–74;
- a yacht up to 18 m chartered with crew in navigation areas III and IV, which covers most coastal and island work (art. 81(1));
- a yacht up to 18 m, whatever its use, in areas I and II (beyond 12 nm). Here you need C plus one crew member (art. 80).
A B holder may command a yacht up to 18 m used privately or chartered bareboat (art. 81(2)). The moment the charter company supplies you as skipper and the guests pay for the boat with crew, the yacht is chartered with crew and C applies.
Entry and training
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | 18 |
| Medical | Fitness, particularly sight and hearing |
| Training | Compulsory course at an authorised maritime school (pomorsko učilište): 17 h lectures + 8 h exercises + 6 h practical sailing (Dodatak 8) |
| Syllabus | Navigation; engines and safety; seamanship, law, weather and first aid; manoeuvring and COLREGs; radiotelephony; safety at sea |
Deck and engine officers, graduates of naval and higher maritime schools and some older title holders may obtain C without the course. They still need a medical and, where they lack one, the radiotelephony subject (art. 87).
The exam
- Board: a president and four members, plus a secretary, sitting at the Ministry or a harbour master's office. The president holds a deck or engine officer title (art. 61).
- Format: oral and/or written, plus a practical afloat that must include sailing (art. 62(3)).
- Pass mark: written part 70 %; each subject is marked satisfied or not.
- Resits: up to two subjects, at the next session and within 6 months (art. 62(7)).
- Appeal: in writing by the next working day; the Ministry decides within 2 days.
- Language: certificates are issued in Croatian and English (art. 49(3)). No rule on the exam language was found, so check with the harbour master before you apply.
Navigation areas in one line
The privileges are written in navigation areas (NN 13/20 art. 37): I unlimited; II up to 20 nm from the coast; III up to 12 nm, split into IIIa (6 nm), IIIb (3 nm) and IIIc (1 nm); IV harbours, bays and river mouths.
Validity
C is valid 5 years and renewed for the same period on medical fitness (art. 53(2)–(3)). The text in force does not require logged sea service for renewal. The announced reform may change that.
CAUTION — C stops at 18 m A C holder cannot command an 18–24 m yacht, even one empty of guests on a delivery. That needs a yacht master A (art. 82).
For exam depth, see Voditelj Brodice C — Commercial Skipper Exam Prep.