Where candidates go wrong
- Quoting 30 BT as the yacht limit. The certificate and most school notes still say "jahte do 30 BT". Since 1 February 2020 the crew articles read 18 m instead of 30 BT and 24 m instead of 100 BT (NN 13/20 art. 48(2)-(3)). Give the current figure and mention the old wording.
- Thinking B is a commercial licence. It is not. Paying guests mean category C.
- Forgetting the 15 kW rule. At 16 you may hold B, but a boat above 15 kW needs a helmsman of 18 (art. 70(3)).
- Believing small motor boats need nothing. Over 5 kW is a boat whatever its length.
The legal frame in one breath
The licence chapters (Glava IX-X) of the Pravilnik o brodicama i jahtama (NN 27/05) were kept in force by NN 13/20 art. 48 "until special regulations are adopted". No such regulation has been published, so these are the rules you are examined on.
Definitions the board expects
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Brodica (boat) | Up to 12 passengers; hull over 2.5 m and up to 15 m, or propulsion over 5 kW |
| Jahta (yacht) | Hull over 15 m, sport and leisure, up to 12 passengers |
| Područje plovidbe III (navigation area III) | To 12 NM from the nearest coast; IIIa 6 NM, IIIb 3 NM, IIIc 1 NM |
| Područje plovidbe IV | Harbours, bays, river mouths |
A, B and C side by side
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 15 | 16 (18 above 15 kW) | 18 |
| Boats | Up to 7 m and 15 kW, to 6 NM | All personal-use boats, to 12 NM | Commercial boats; areas I-II |
| Yachts | No | Up to 18 m, personal or bareboat | Up to 18 m, any use (with crew rules) |
| Course | No | No - exam only | Compulsory |
| Validity | Not limited | Not limited | 5 years |
B also includes A's privileges (art. 50(1)). Jet skis may only use area IIIc in Croatian waters (NN 13/20 art. 37(4)) and, being above 15 kW in practice, need an 18-year-old B holder.
Edges worth knowing
- Owner on board. On a personal-use boat the owner, close family or a person with a written, certified power of attorney must be aboard (NN 13/20 art. 5(3)).
- Hire boats. Boats hired without crew follow the personal-use crew rules (art. 77). The operator checks your certificate before handing over (NN 42/17 art. 25).
- International certificate. A B holder may ask for an international certificate under "Res. 40" (NN 57/06 art. 37).
- Radio. The B syllabus includes maritime radiotelephony, so a Croatian B holder is examined on the boat's VHF.
CAUTION — Recognition is not automatic A foreign licence counts on a Croatian-flag boat only if listed in the Ministry's recognition table, often on condition of a radio certificate. If yours is listed, you may not need this exam at all.
What the examiner wants to see
- The 18 m limit stated first, with "formerly 30 BT" as context.
- The 16 / 18 above 15 kW distinction without prompting.
- A clear "no" to commercial use, with C named as the answer.
Hrvatsko nazivlje
| Hrvatski | English |
|---|---|
| uvjerenje o osposobljenosti za voditelja brodice | boat skipper certificate |
| brodica | boat (2.5-15 m or over 5 kW) |
| jahta | yacht (over 15 m) |
| područje plovidbe | navigation area |
| za osobne potrebe | for personal use |
| iznajmljivanje bez posade | bareboat hire |
| snaga porivnog uređaja | propulsion power |