Legal frame Crew titles for boats and yachts still sit in Glava IX and X of the Pravilnik o brodicama i jahtama (NN 27/05 as amended). The 2020 Pravilnik o brodicama, čamcima i jahtama (NN 13/20) repealed the rest of that regulation but kept these chapters "until special regulations are adopted" (art. 48).
Where candidates go wrong
- Quoting the old tonnage bands. Arts 80–83 used to say 30 BT and 100 BT. Since 1 February 2020 NN 13/20 art. 48 reads them as 18 m and 24 m. The certificate wording ("jahta do 100 BT", "jahta do 500 BT") has not changed, so you will see both.
- Forgetting the second person. Art. 82 never lets an A holder sail an 18–24 m yacht alone.
- Assuming B covers everything. Above 500 BT the yacht title stops; the merchant CoC takes over.
The titles
Art. 49 lists the crew certificates. Two are yacht titles, each called Svjedodžba o osposobljenosti za zapovjednika jahte:
| Title | Minimum crew it satisfies | Add-ons for the master |
|---|---|---|
| Kategorija A | Yacht 18–24 m, any use, any area: master A + one voditelj brodice B (art. 82) | Radio certificate (art. 84.a) |
| Kategorija B | Yacht 24 m to 500 BT, any area: master B + one engine-room watch rating + one crew member with basic safety (art. 83) | BST, fire-fighting management, medical first aid (art. 83(2)) and radio |
| Merchant zapovjednik broda do 3000 BT | Yacht over 500 BT: master + engineer officer for ≥750 kW + two crew with emergency-procedures training (art. 84) | Same three certificates (art. 84(2)) |
Art. 83(3) lets a B master who also holds a CoC for the engine department replace the engine rating with a second basic-safety crew member.
Below 18 m the commercial title is voditelj brodice C (arts 80–81); a private or bareboat yacht under 18 m may be commanded by a voditelj B (art. 81(2)). Art. 50 cascades upwards: a yacht master may also handle boats (brodice), and a B holder may command anything an A holder may.
Radio
Art. 84.a: the master must hold a radio certificate matching the yacht's station.
- Station for sea area A1: limited-authority operator (ROC) or VHF-DSC operator (SRC).
- Station for A2, A3 or A4: general operator (GOC).
A yacht delivered across the Mediterranean with MF/HF DSC fitted is an A2 station. The master then needs a GOC, even if most of the season is spent in A1.
Charter
The minimum crew articles apply whatever the use. For a bareboat charter of an 18–24 m yacht this means the charterer's skipper must hold Zapovjednik jahte A (or a recognised equivalent) and bring one crew member with B (NN 42/17 with art. 82). Crewed charter yachts need Croatian titles; foreign leisure licences are accepted only for private and bareboat use.
CAUTION — the title is national These are Croatian national certificates, not STCW CoCs. They work on Croatian-flag yachts and for skipper rules in Croatian waters. Another flag state may not accept them for its own yachts.
What the examiner wants to see
- The three bands, in metres, with the crew that goes with each.
- The add-on certificates from 24 m, and the SRC/GOC split by sea area.
- That you know where the rules sit: the 2005 Pravilnik kept alive by NN 13/20 art. 48.
Hrvatsko nazivlje
| Hrvatski | English |
|---|---|
| zapovjednik jahte | yacht master |
| najmanji broj članova posade | minimum crew |
| temeljna sigurnost | basic safety training |
| upravljanje gašenjem požara | fire-fighting management |
| radiooperater s općom ovlasti | general operator (GOC) |