Croatia splits inspections by size. Boats, brodice, are inspected by the harbourmaster's office where they're registered. Yachts, over 15 m, are surveyed by the Croatian Register of Shipping (CRS) as the recognised organisation. Equipment by navigation area is on our Croatia equipment page; this page covers the inspections.
Boats: the harbourmaster's inspection
Gov.hr's instructions set the periodic inspections:
| Boat | Periodic inspection |
|---|---|
| Commercial boats and public boats | Every 2 years |
| Personal boats over 7 m or over 15 kW, with a toilet, a gas galley, multi-day stays at sea, a built-in engine or a built-in fuel tank | Every 5 years |
A new boat registered for the first time needs no technical inspection: the owner fills in a Declaration on Equipment Installed on the Boat. An extraordinary inspection is required after an accident, after significant repairs or modifications, when a boat changes from personal to commercial use, or after a postponed periodic inspection.
Yachts: the CRS survey
CRS says its initial survey must be done on every yacht and pleasure craft over 15 m hull length registered for the first time. After it, CRS issues a certificate of the yacht's ability for navigation for yachts up to 24 m, or a certificate of class over 24 m. Its request form asks for the Declaration of Conformity under the Recreational Craft Directive, the builder's plate and the location of the hull identification number, and for second-hand craft the previous certificate of registry.
The CE rule and other conditions
Gov.hr says boats built before 16 June 2000 can't be registered unless they carry the CE conformity marking. Boats and yachts with engines over 15 kW need valid liability insurance. A boat or yacht from a foreign register needs its deregistration certificate before it can be entered.
Citing it in a finding
"Boat over 7 m with built-in diesel and gas galley: last periodic inspection recorded over five years ago. Under Croatia's rules a periodic inspection is due every five years; book it with the harbourmaster's office." For a buyer, record the last inspection date, who did it and the navigation area on the documents.