Anchoring and Mooring Buoys

When a yacht anchors, the skipper picks a spot with good shelter from the expected wind, enough room to swing, and a seabed that will hold. The anchor is lowered, the yacht drifts or motors gently back to lay out chain, and then the engine is used in reverse to set the anchor firmly. The skipper checks the position and keeps an eye on it while the yacht is stopped.

A yacht at anchor turns with the wind and current, so its position moves around the anchor through the day. Shore lines tied to rocks or trees are sometimes used elsewhere in the Mediterranean, but local rules restrict this in some Croatian bays, and the skipper will know what applies.

This is general awareness, not navigation instruction. Anchoring decisions depend on the seabed, the weather, the yacht and local rules, and they belong to the skipper.

In many popular Croatian bays, rows of mooring buoys are laid in the water. A yacht picks one up, ties on and stays there without dropping an anchor. Buoy fields are often run by local concessionaires, who come round by boat to collect a fee, and some also operate a restaurant ashore.

Buoys help in two ways: they let more yachts use a bay safely, and they reduce anchor damage to the seabed. In some bays, anchoring is not allowed near or between buoys, and some protected areas permit only buoys. Fees and availability change, and popular fields fill early on calm summer days.

Much of the shallow seabed along the Croatian coast is covered by meadows of Posidonia oceanica, a protected seagrass also called Neptune grass. These meadows shelter young fish, help keep the water clear and store carbon. They grow extremely slowly, so a single anchor and chain dragging across them can leave damage that lasts for many years.

Where a yacht does anchor, the aim is to drop on clear sand. In clear water, sand shows as pale patches between the darker grass. Using buoys where they exist, and anchoring on sand where they do not, is good practice and in some places a legal requirement. Our guide to protecting seagrass when anchoring explains more.

Anchored bays are busy in summer, with yachts, tenders and small motorboats coming and going. To stay safe:

• swim only when the skipper says it is fine, and stay close to your own yacht unless agreed otherwise
• keep clear of the anchor chain and the area in front of other yachts' bows
• watch for tenders, which move quickly and can be hard to hear
• use a brightly coloured swim buoy if you swim any distance, so boat drivers can see you
• never swim under a yacht or near a running engine or propeller
• be aware that wind and current can make the swim back harder than the swim out

Many beaches have a line of buoys marking the swimming area, and boats must stay outside it. Our guide to swimming safely from a yacht has more detail.

Guests are not expected to anchor the yacht, but small things help. Keep the foredeck clear while the anchor is going down or coming up, and keep fingers and feet away from the chain and windlass. If asked to watch for a buoy or call out depth, do just that and pass on what you see clearly.

In a bay, leave no trace. Do not throw anything overboard, including food scraps, cigarette ends and drink cans. Use biodegradable or reef-safe products where you can, and follow the crew's rules for the yacht's toilets and holding tank.

Rules on anchoring and buoys vary by location, especially inside national and nature parks, where some bays allow only designated moorings and tickets may be needed. Our page on national and nature park fees covers that.

In every case, the skipper determines safe and lawful arrangements for the yacht. If the weather changes, the skipper may move the yacht, switch from anchor to buoy or leave a bay early. That can mean cutting a swim short, so listen for the call and come back on board promptly.