Boat Rental Sukošan — 2027 Guide: Marina Dalmacija, the Pašman Channel, Kornati and Telašćica

Sukošan is a coastal village about 10 km southeast of Zadar, and between it and neighbouring Bibinje lies Marina Dalmacija, one of the largest marinas on the Adriatic and the base of many charter fleets. Zadar Airport is about 10 km away, so getting from the plane to the boat is quick. In front of Sukošan lie Ugljan and Pašman, and just to the south begins the Pašman Channel, the route towards Biograd, Vrgada and Kornati. This guide explains where to sail for a week from Sukošan, how to handle the winds in the channel and which boats we have.

Sukošan and Marina Dalmacija as a starting point

• A central position. Sukošan sits where the Zadar Channel meets the Pašman Channel. Zadar is to the north, Biograd to the south, and the inner coast of Ugljan and Pašman just a few miles across the channel.
• A short first day. Because the first islands are close, you can reach an anchorage or small harbour on Ugljan or Pašman on the very first afternoon after boarding.

Pašman and Ugljan: Ždrelac, Tkon and the villages along the channel

Distances are approximate, from Sukošan:

• Ždrelac (about 3 NM): a narrow strait between Ugljan and Pašman, spanned by a road bridge. The bridge is too low for the masts of sailboats and catamarans the size of our boats, so they do not reach the outer side of the islands through Ždrelac, but through the Pašman Channel and around the southern tip of Pašman.
• Kukljica (about 3–4 NM): a village with a harbour at the southeastern end of Ugljan, right next to Ždrelac.
• The inner coast of Pašman: all the villages on Pašman lie on the coast facing the mainland: Ždrelac, Banj, Dobropoljana, Nevidane, Mrljane, Kraj, Pašman and Tkon. Between them are small harbours and coves, while the outer side of the island is almost uninhabited.
• Tkon (about 9 NM): the southernmost village on Pašman and the ferry port for Biograd. Above the village, on Ćokovac hill, stands the Benedictine monastery of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

Sveti Filip i Jakov and Biograd on the mainland side

• Sveti Filip i Jakov (about 7 NM): a smaller town with a harbour and waterfront between Sukošan and Biograd.
• Biograd na Moru (about 9 NM): opposite Tkon, to which it is linked by a ferry line across the Pašman Channel.

For Kornati and Dugi Otok with a departure from the city itself, see our nautical guide to Zadar, and for the history and marinas of Biograd, the guide to boat rental in Biograd na Moru.

Full-day legs: Vrgada, Kornati and Telašćica

• Vrgada (about 15 NM): a small island with a single village southeast of Pašman, on the way from the Pašman Channel towards Kornati. It makes a good stop on the way to Kornati.
• Kornati (about 20 NM to the northern edge of the park): Kornati National Park, an archipelago of bare limestone islands, is a longer day leg from Sukošan, about 3–4 hours of sailing through the Pašman Channel and around the southern tip of Pašman. The park entry ticket is paid per boat and can be bought online before you set sail.
• Telašćica (about 20–25 NM, depending on the route): Telašćica Nature Park, a long bay at the southern end of Dugi Otok, borders Kornati. Next to the bay is the saltwater lake Mir, and the outer side of the island drops into the sea in steep cliffs. An entry ticket is charged here too.

A weekly loop from Sukošan could look like this: through the Pašman Channel to Tkon or Vrgada, then Kornati and Telašćica, and back along the outer, uninhabited coast of Pašman and through the channel to Sukošan, with the last night near Ugljan or in the marina.

Winds in the Pašman Channel

• The direction of the channel. The Zadar and Pašman channels run from northwest to southeast, so both the maestral and the jugo blow along them.
• Maestral. In summer it usually starts in the late morning, is strongest in the afternoon and dies down around sunset. Sailing southeast is then downwind, while the return towards Sukošan is easier in the morning, before the maestral builds.
• Jugo. It blows from the southeast, more often in spring and autumn, raises a long swell along the channel and usually brings clouds and rain.
• Bura. It blows from the mainland, in strong gusts. Along the coast at Sukošan the sea stays relatively flat, but the coves on the inner side of Ugljan and Pašman are then exposed, so spend the night in the marina or a sheltered harbour.

Season

• June–September is the main season, with the most stable weather and a regular maestral.
• July and August bring the most boats to Kornati and Telašćica, so take your anchorage or berth earlier in the afternoon.
• May and October are quieter at sea and in the harbours, but jugo and bura are more frequent then.

Our boats in Sukošan

Both boats are chartered from the marina in Sukošan, for a week only. A skipper is not included in the price, but you can hire one.

• Bavaria Cruiser 51: a 15.59 m sailboat from 2018, with 5 cabins and 10 berths, a 75 HP engine, autopilot, bow thruster, GPS chartplotter and solar panels. It costs €3,000 per week. See the listing.
• Lagoon 450F Must Have: a 13.96 m catamaran from 2018, with 4+2 cabins for up to 12 people, air conditioning throughout, a generator, solar panels, autopilot and a tender with an outboard engine. It costs €3,000 per week. See the listing.

Licence. For a bareboat charter, the person in command needs a valid boat or yacht skipper licence of the appropriate category, and at least one person on board needs a VHF radio certificate. Without these, take a skipper.

Booking works like this: you send an inquiry, we check the dates with the owner, you pay us the reservation, and you pay the rest to the owner on the day of the charter.

Boat rental in Sukošan with Crystalium Booker

See both boats on the Sukošan location page or send us your dates and number of people through the contact page, and we will suggest a boat. Do you rent out a boat in Sukošan or nearby? List it with us.