Renting a Boat Without a Licence: Where to Sail and What to Avoid
Rules for small boats up to 5 kW. Recommended Lopar coves, trips to Goli Otok, and how to read the weather forecast.
In Croatia, you can operate a boat with an engine up to 5 kW without a licence. These are small open boats, ideal for calm coastal waters, but not for crossing open channels. With such a boat, you can visit some beautiful places if you plan wisely.
From Lopar, it takes about 40 minutes to reach Goli Otok in calm seas. You can dock at the small pier and walk through the ruins of the former prison. Sveti Grgur is right next door and offers much nicer coves for swimming and meeting fallow deer that have grown used to visitors.
shallow water and the view toward dolfin
If you don't want to risk the open sea, stay within the Lopar coves like Sahara and Stolac. From the water, you get a completely different view of the sand cliffs and beaches that are hard to reach from land.
Golden rule: always check the forecast on `meteo.hr` or the Windy app before heading out. The bura wind on Rab's eastern side can pick up within an hour and create dangerous waves for a small boat. If the wind exceeds 12 knots, stay close to the shore.