Notices to be taken for cruising on motorship
Ship
M/S "Borna" is a 20m wooden motorship built up in a classic style. Please pay attention to description containing all information about her size, equipment and comfort. All information and data are based on condition as of the year 2007. The ship was completely reconditioned in 2004.
The common characteristic of all wooden ships pretty differs from large cruisers; here the life is experienced without great formalities with a possibility of enjoying good company.
Cabins
The cabins offer enough sleeping room and place for your baggage. They are typically equipped in a functional manner disposing of two berths and one small cabinet or shelves, unless otherwise is not contained in the description. Two double-berth cabins with lavatory are situated on the deck. Four-berth and five-berth cabins situated in the half-deck dispose of two berths each arranged as double-deckers with ladders completed with an additional berth in a five-berth cabin. A detailed arrangement of the berths is given in a specific description for each single ship. Due to the form of the ship’s hull the cabins are of various sizes. There are no price differences relating to the category of the cabin. Cabins situated in the half-deck have one side-light for airing or one round side-light.
Most of the ships dispose of cabins placed in the deck and half-deck, and if otherwise is not stated in description, there are no differences either here. The cabins are usually assigned according to the booking order. On arrival you will find clean clothes on the berths, towels usually excluded, but may be also provided for on some ships. As the crew does not enter the cabins during the cruising it is up to you to set your place in order. Common showers and toilets are regularly cleaned up by the crew. Some ships have more cabins than stated in the description. These cabins cannot be booked but anyway in some special cases an exception can be made. The said cabins should not meet usual standard characteristics valid for other cabins (i.e. without shower/toilet or situated in the half-deck). The crew is assigned the cabins not mentioned in the description. Data on salon’s seats number correspond to the cabin capacity stated in the description, although actual number of seats covers also the cabins not comprised in the description.
Clothes and luggage
Evening suits and nightgowns may be freely left at home, preferably take casual wear, shorts, T-shirts, and bathing suits. For fresh evening (especially during early-season and after season periods) you should take some warm clothes (long-sleeved shirt and a raincoat, if possible). As the room in the cabins is limited it is recommended to take a travel beg or rucksack instead of suitcase. Although the ship is under survey by one of the crew member valuable things should be left at home.
Meals
Food conform Mediterranean criteria. Breakfast: coffee or tea, white bread, butter and jam. Main dishes (lunch and dinner) are traditionally restorative and abundant. On cruising we should actually expect eating more fish, but on the contrary main dishes generally contain meat. On demand also vegetarian food shall be offered on each single ship provided that you mention it when making a booking. Preparation of vegetarian dishes does not understand special menu but some more side dishes (vegetable).
Preparation of diet food is not possible. Our offer starts with dinner on the day of embarkation and ends with the breakfast on the day of disembark. We offer full board for a seven-days or four-days voyage, including dinner on the day of embarkation and ending with breakfast on the day of disembark. Breakfast, lunch and dinner shall be served on board the ship. However, the meals shall be adapted to the divers’ requirement in case of two dives a day, so that in addition to usual coffee and tea, white bread, and butter and jam, salami and cheese, cereals, fruit, juice and other dairy products shall be served. Main dishes shall mainly contain soup, eat or fish with side dishes and salad. Closed deck and salon are at the same time used as living and dinning rooms.
Embarkation
Embarkation takes place in the period from 14.00 to 17.00. As soon as all the guests are on board the anchors will be weighed and we shall set the sail.
Disembark
Disembark generally takes place on the last day until 9.00. The crew needs time between each disembark and embarkation to clean up the rooms in the same way you found them on your arrival.
Travel documents
For entry to Croatia and to pass Slovenia the Germans and Austrian should need a passport (for stay not longer than 3 months) or Identification Cars (for stay not longer than 30 days). All documents should be valid. Other foreign citizens should get informed by their embassy or consulate. If you travel by car you should have an international automobile insurance card although neither Croatian authorities nor Slovenian do request the same any more as far as German and Austrian drivers are concerned.
Power and water supply
Power and water supply are available on board the ship, but to limited quantities. The ships dispose of a 220 V/12 kW generator which is turned off during the night due to noise they make. The more it would be really uncomfortable to listen to noise made by the engine and generator when taking relax in some small and quite bay.
Water tanks meet the cabin capacities, and the number of berths respectively, so there would be enough water for taking a shower or for washing, even in cases when the tank is not refilled for a couple of days, all this provided that all the passengers consume it reasonably. Hot water generated in the heater is provided for showers (water gets partially heated under sun in tanks placed on the deck). Subject to reasonable consumption there would be enough water, i.e. if the tap is closed during soaping).
Environmental protection
To protect environment and to conform the provisions of the Croatian Constitution you are asked not to throw the refuses in the sea or in toilette. All ships are provided with sufficient number of trash bins. Make your contribution to keep the Adriatic Sea as clean as possible.
Sleeping on the deck
Many of our guests consider that sleeping on the deck, at fresh air and under Mediterranean sky full of stars may be a unique experience. There is surely enough room on the deck, but in that case you should take your own sleeping sack or a mat with, as the mattresses and bed clothes are not allowed to be taken out.
Night peace
Usually after 23.00 the ship gets silent. This is not a strict rule but depends on good mood of both the crew members and the guests. A party may as well be prolonged. As the ships are not provided with soundproofing and as there are often other ships anchored very close to our ship, this fact should be taken into consideration.
Music and atmosphere
Good mood is often present- most frequently appearing rather spontaneously. It is desirable to bring an instrument like guitar or a harmonica with, if any.
Routes
The routes match their relevant descriptions, but may also include some deviations. The Master would probably like to show you his favorite bay, there could also appear a problem of mooring in some ports due to over crowdedness. They may also happen that you visit some place in the afternoon and pass the night in the other place or to pass that night in a port being on schedule for the next day. Nevertheless, the choice is left to guests as far as some port or bay is concerned. On the other hand some routes could be taken contrary to schedule. It may happen that the ship sails first to the Island of Cres instead of Krk and continue the voyage in conformity with the schedule. Our routes have been accurately planned to easily reach our targets under normal weather conditions-although the Master is obliged to change the route in case of unstable weather conditions, namely, to either prolong or shorten the time of staying in the port.
Ship space
Cruising on our ships is without exception a unique experience. You should, however, take into consideration some occurrences you are not used to, such as stairways that are narrower and steeper than you may be used to, after rain and morning dew you may slip on the deck. As wood is a very live material, which shrinks at higher temperatures, it can occur that after the rain or bad weather the water gets into the cabins. In any case one should pay attention to it, that is, to close the windows in the cabins during bad weather conditions.
During high season there may be very little space in ports so that the ships are tied one along the other so, please be very cautious while descending from other boats when there is a different depth of decks.
Fishing
The Croatian Adriatic Sea is reach with fish and perfect for fishing. Within the frames of our additional offer for fishing and underwater fishing you can take your fishing tools and necessary equipment for underwater fishing. For realizing this additional offer it is necessary to have the fishing permit issued by the Croatian Diving Union. You can buy such permit at an appropriate fee with us at the beginning of cruising or at the Harbor Master Authorities. The fishing permit is obligatory while a daily one can be bought at the spot:
- 1 day - 50kn
- 3 days - 100kn
- 7 days - 160kn
Not included
The resident taxes and fees are not included in our prices. The whole amount is paid per week and person (for children up to 12 years 50 p.c. cheaper) on board the ship at the embarkation.