Attention skippers! Croatia now also has its own “Bermuda Triangle” for fuel customers who want to fill up with petrol or diesel. Due to the closure of the boat filling station in Novalja and another boat filling station in the Mali Losinj area, there is virtually no possibility of filling up with petrol or diesel between the two islands of Rab and Cres down to Zadar. Skippers in particular who are launching their boats and yachts over Easter should be aware of this fact and fill up their tanks in good time. In general, a lot has changed for the upcoming water sports season in terms of fuel supply – anyone traveling in the region is advised to inform themselves thoroughly in advance and integrate the changed situation into their trip planning.
INA petrol station Crikvenica closed
But first things first: The INA petrol station in Crikvenica remains currently closed for boats. It is still questionable whether it will open at all in June 2024, when the water sports season really takes off. SeaHelp will look into the situation and provide updates on progress here.
New Tifon petrol station in Marina Mitan
The gap will be closed by the still relatively new Tifon petrol station in Marina Mitan. The petrol station is open every day except Wednesday from 8 am to 3 pm. Current working hours of this and all other petrol stations in the Adriatic are easily accessible at any time in the free SeaHelp APP.
Pag boat filling station demolished
However, if you want to fill up with petrol or diesel in Novalja on the island of Pag, as in the past, you will be in for a nasty surprise: instead of the petrol station, skippers can now expect a parking area and a new mooring for fishermen. The old boat landing stage has been dismantled. As a result, there is no boat filling station on Pag.
Long way to the nearest boat filling station
If you get stranded here with an almost empty tank, your only options are to head 15 nautical miles north towards Rab, take a 25-nautical-mile route towards Mali Losinj or hope that you have enough fuel for the 32 nautical miles to Zadar.
Fuel service for SeaHelp members
SeaHelp offers its members a fuel service, but this is likely to quickly reach its limits when larger yachts need to be supplied due to the transport capacity on the SeaHelp rescue boats alone. Therefore, the urgent advice to all skippers in the affected region: Pay attention to the changed fuel station situation in the Croatian “Bermuda Triangle” for fuel customers and take precautions.
Tank hygiene – check tanks for diesel pest
By the way: Before the start of the new water sports season, boat owners should not only keep an eye on the new fuel station situation, but also pay attention to tank hygiene, as the dreaded diesel pest can spread again and again after long downtimes. In a YouTube video on the SeaHelp YouTube channel, SeaHelp has addressed this topic. A click on the article may well be worthwhile.
