More Sailing Review: What It’s Really Like Sailing in Croatia

I went on a More Sailing trip stopping in Maslinica, Stari Grad and the Šešula Bay, enjoying the views and villages as we went. If you’re thinking of doing a sailing trip in Croatia anytime soon, here’s everything you need to know about this one.

The idea of sailing around Croatia on a luxury yacht with just eight guests (plus two crew) immediately appealed. Sign me up.

I’d been on a sailing trip in Croatia before, but that was definitely the budget version. This trip with More Sailing felt much more suited to where I am in life now: still adventurous, still loving a good price, but with a few more comforts thrown in.

Don’t get me wrong, my sailing trip with Tao Philippines remains one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. But that was very much 2016 Vicky. This is 2026 Vicky.

With more than 1,200 islands scattered along the Croatian coast, it’s one of Europe’s best sailing destinations. I’ve visited Croatia several times before, including trips to Zadar, Bibinje, Split and Dubrovnik, but it suddenly hit me just how long ago those adventures were.

Sixteen years.

It was definitely time to go back.

Who are More Sailing?

In brief More Sailing are a Swedish company who run bareboat charters (where you just hire the boat) and skippers charters (that come with staff) around the islands of Croatia, and in Sweden. 

Their tours run from the port in Trogir, near Split. They run 7-day tours on a rough route which is determined by the weather conditions on the day.

Here are a few pics of Trogir in the rain – a wonderful place to start your trip.

My Croatia sailing itinerary

Day 1: Trogir To Maslinica

It was lashing rain and thunderstorms when we boarded White Ivy – our boat for the next four days. Yes, my spirits were dampened. No one goes on a sailing trip wanting it to be raining, especially in June in Croatia.

Thankfully Magnus (our skipper) and Ronja (our host) put on a special spread for us, with Brut, to welcome us on. Breakfast and lunch are included in the price you pay. And that garlic bread cheered me right up, as we went round the group introducing ourselves and getting to know each other.

We soon set sail to Maslinica, leaving the thunderstorms and rain behind. Now that it’d gone I realised it was actually kind of cool to have been sat on the boat with the crazy weather all around us – but only now that it’d gone.

We sailed for about two hours, settling in to flow of the boat as we did. By the time we got to Maslinica at 6pm it was a beautiful evening.

We had a little wander around to the beach and into the village. God it was gorgeous, and felt especially stunning after the threat of the drearier weather.

Maslinica is a little harbour village with what seemed like exclusively male locals filling the bars and feasting on fish platters. After a (short) wander around Monica and I got a wine and beer and sat outside a restaurant soaking up the last of the sun. The wine here was €3 a glass – everything was perfect.

Then we had reservations with the rest of the group at Restaurant Šakajet, a restaurant recommended by Magnus. Unfortunately it was in the shade of the sunset. Depending on the time of your visit, I’d recommend you go to Beach Bar Punta for the best sunset vibes.

I still enjoyed it though!

I had a huge plate of Ćevapi – a Croatian feast that was a bit like a kebab, or gyros. It was served with some really tasty bread, and a cheesey side. Just what I needed.

Tired from my 4am start, eventful day, and heavy meal, we wandered the five minutes (if that) back to our boat, and I was tucked up in bed by about 9:30pm. Cosy, comfortable and ready for the next day. 

Day 2: Maslinica to Stari Grad

I got up as soon as I woke up to go and lie out on the pebbly beach under the sun with my music. I watched a few guys swim out but didn’t want to go back to the boat to get my stuff. I knew I’d be swimming in the azure waters that day though – it looked amazing!

Breakfast on the boat was an incredible display, especially given it was one of my fellow passengers’ birthdays. Ronja our 20-year-old skipper from Finland was a great host, quietly putting together amazing meals over the few days on the two hobs and small worktop space in the boat’s kitchen. 

After everyone had finished with breakfast and showering in the (decent) marina showers, it was time to go. There was a shower on board but we were asked to use the marina ones if possible, just so we didn’t have to pick up extra water along the way.

Ronja and Magnus gave us a rundown of where we’d be going that day, and off we went. Time to explore the Solta area of Croatia!

It was so nice just cruising along on the boat. If you wanted to give driving the boat a go, you could. Or, you could just lie down on the front and enjoy the ride. Obviously I did this, but there were some keen sailors on board who loved the opportunity for a go.

The boat never felt cramped. There were 5 spots to lie down on padded cushions, then there was all the netting and the sides too. There was space around the table, and enough indoors too.

After about two hours (or was it three?) we anchored down in a pretty cove, and it was time to jump in. The water was verging on chilly, but let’s go with ‘refreshing’. Magnus’ computer showed it was 23C. I did a few laps round the boat and came back on board to find ‘Mojito Man’ serving up the strongest mojito I’d ever had the joy to try. He charged €10 a pop – a bargain given the amount of rum in there!

Aaaand then we spent a few hours eating another amazing spread and jumping in the water, chilling on the boat and chatting. I mean, does this sound like heaven to you? It definitely does to me!

After a few hours we ventured on to Stari Grad. More stunning views of the Croatian coast, and more relaxing in the sun with a Mojito buzz. And a wine one – all the wine, beer and soft drinks were free on board.

We arrived into Stari Grad to Rojna’s wonderful birthday cake she’d made for Karolina. It was so lovely to sit around chatting and enjoying a glass of wine to celebrate, before getting a run down of where we were going and our route for the next day.

Then it was time for a wander around, before settling on Restaurant Pinetta for dinner. I had a parma ham Caprese salad with some fried anchovies – so good, so Croatian.

The restaurant was down a pretty side street with pretty lanterns. And we spent the evening chatting before wandering back to the boat for a nightcap in the social area, watching people go by. 

What a perfect day!

Day 3: Stari Grad to Šišmiš Bay

After another ‘acceptable’ night’s sleep lying next to my bunk mate Monica, I was up first to go and have a shower at the marina showers. It felt good to freshen up after keeping my salty hair from yesterday – the showers were strong and hot. I knew I’d be salty again in a few hours, but I felt fresh for breakfast.

Another wonderful croissanty breakfast on the boat. I’d never have brie and ham for breakfast at home, but when in Europe…

I went for a wander along the Stari Grad marina before we set off and noticed an exceptional amount of people eating gelato at 9am. The brie and ham didn’t seem too rogue after all.

Come 9:30am, we were off for our next adventure. I found my spot on the cushions at the front of the boat and enjoyed the coastline as we pulled out of the bay.

At 11am, we were called to the table and welcomed with a delightful cocktail of lemon sorbet and rosé wine, topped with a juicy segment of orange. There’s a rule on board that drinks aren’t served before 11am, so by then we were more than ready for our rather sophisticated version of elevenses.

And then Magnus and Ronja found us another impressive cove for a swim. Monica and I swam out to the closest land to explore the derelict houses. I couldn’t imagine having those beautifully located houses and not using them! My mind was rushing with the potential. 

Back on the boat for lemon tagliatelle, halloumi, cauliflower and caprese salad. I was getting used to this dolce vita now!

Then, it was a rocky, rocky ride to our next destination. In hour two I was starting to feel ill and had to have one of the numbing seasickness tablets Magnus was offering, as did three of the others. Oof, I was glad when we got there.

Once everyone’s minds and stomachs had balanced Ronja bought out another delightful tiny catamaran kitchen creation in the form of Pistachio crumble. Unfortunately the ice cream she’d made hadn’t quite set – which I would actually blame on (some of us) filling the freezer with beers and wine and changing the temperature although didn’t voice it. Anyway, it was still a delight and so lovely of her to make it and share it together. 

We’d reached our night’s destination, just the other side of Maslinica in Šišmiš Bay. Here we had a bouy mooring – which meant we were just in the middle of the water not attached to land.

And that bouy belonged to the Šišmiš Restaurant, so by mooring there you had to eat at the restaurant, which was no skin off my nose. Just look at it! 

We actually stayed on the boat a bit longer for a glass of wine, then got ready and took the dinghy off the back of the boat to drive over to the jetty. 

At Šišmiš Restaurant I had a Negroni sundowner, and then the biggest tuna steak I think I’ve actually ever seen, with a shared side of potatoes and grilled vegetables. It was so, so big and tasty. Definitely no space for a dessert, but I did manage a red wine chaser which was the perfect ending to the day. 

As our last night most of us sat up and chatted. It’d been a while since I’d done a trip like this, meeting other travellers from around the world and I really enjoyed the distant familiarity of it. Our group was made up of English, Croatians, Polish, Finnish and German and I loved that we were united and connected in this amazing experience. 

Day 4: Šišmiš Bay to Trogir Marina

It was a very early morning waking up to Magnus getting the boat ready to go. We needed to be back at Trogir Marina for 7am so the engines were fired up at 4:30am. I stuck my head out of the hatch and snapped a picture of the sunrise before positioning myself by the window to watch as we went by. Monica bought me a coffee like the excellent roomie she was.

As the boat shifted I clocked that the view would be better above, and I popped my head out of the hatch again, wrapped in my duvet for a better view. I’m so glad I did. A few of the others were laid up there admiring the same sunrise. It was a beautiful morning, but bittersweet as it was the end.

We arrived into Trogir Marina and had croissants and boiled eggs for breakfast. Monica and I did a quick yoga session to stretch out on the front of the boat and then it was time to leave. 

What an incredible adventure – it felt like we’d done so much but at the same time, so little, in the three nights and four days.

Review of the White Ivy catamaran

We stayed on a 10-person catamaran, called White Ivy. Not Blue Ivy – I kept mistaking it for Beyonce’s daughter. There were four double rooms and then two singles for the skippers. 

Cabins on our More Sailing trip

My roommate Monica gets seasick so Magnus told us that the front cabins were better for coping with that, so that’s where we bedded in. It was a decent double bed for us two, although if you were any wider or bigger you might struggle.

In our rooms there was a hatch in the roof – my favourite feature – and then a wardrobe each. We also had a smaller cupboard each and there was loads of storage space under the bed too. We didn’t really need this as we’d both travelled with hand luggage. 

We had a window along the length, with a window that opened. Make sure to use the fly screen on the ceiling hatch as a mosquito did get in one night, buzzing around. There was also a fan, which we didn’t need. 

Monica and I were absolutely fine in there. There was one other couple in our sailing group and then four solo travellers who had to buddy up. I didn’t hear any complaints!

Bathrooms on the More Sailing catamaran

There was a bathroom for each side of the boat which had a toilet, sink and shower. The toilet had a switch to press to use, and you had to put your toilet roll in the bin. We were encouraged to use the toilets in the marinas if possible, and definitely the showers so they didn’t have to pick up more water. 

I did have a quick go in the shower when we moored on the last day to see what it was like. Hot, good spray, obviously compact – but perfectly acceptable. 

They did have an outside shower on the back of the boat too. 

What I loved about More Sailing

The whole trip was so chill. Maybe part of it was down to having a great group, but then it was also the atmosphere Magnus and Rojna created. I was so relaxed and it was amazing to wake up somewhere new every day. They were both so passionate about sailing and I feel really made the effort to show us the best of the locations. 

The Croatian coastline is ridiculously beautiful – the colours of the water were just insanely beautiful. And the harbours and villages stunning too. You’d never find the hidden bays and coves by yourself. Rojna and Magnus found us the best swimming stops and it was a wonderfully social way to travel Croatia – especially if you’re travelling solo. 

With the space on the boat and the regular stops in the villages you could have alone time or hang out with the group as you pleased.

Things to know before booking More Sailing

• Pack soft luggage for better storage
• Bring reef shoes to be able to explore the coastline
• Prepare for limited water usage
• Bring a warm jumper (I ignored this advice and regretted it every sunset and sunrise!)
• Be reassured that they have the best motion sickness tablets 
• It’s a very relaxing trip, as well as being adventurous 
• You can help with the sailing aspect if you like!
• Take an extra towel as you’re only given one on board 

How much does More Sailing cost?

Everything you need – apart from dinner – is included. And the dinner exception gives you a chance to get on dry land and try the local cuisine. 

This includes: 

• Charter costs
• Flights
• Food
• Marina fees
• Optional extras
• Return transfers (my driver was very friendly, and genuinely looked pleased to pick me up!)
• Alcoholic drinks – there was more wine and beer than you could want 
• Port charges, LPT, diesel 
• A skipper and a host 

Prices start from around £1775 for 7 nights, depending on when and where you go. You can also get some great deals last minute on MoreSailing.com. I think you do get a lot for your money, and you get the skippers’ expertise and knowledge too.

More Sailing Review from Croatia

Writing this on the plane on the way home I’m trying to sum up what was so amazing about the last few days. I mean, the beauty of Croatia’s coastline obviously deserves some credit but I think it was also the vibe on the boat, and the luxury of the vessel too. 

I’d definitely travel with More Sailing again, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to give sailing a try with an experienced team. 

My lasting memory will definitely be the early morning sail back to Trogir stood with my head and shoulders out of the boat and my duvet wrapped around me with a coffee sailing into the sun rising above the mountains.