MY BARBARA

At 41 metres, BARBARA belongs to the larger end of the gulet fleet — a scale that changes how the Croatian coast is cruised. Built in 2006 and refitted in 2017, she carries the broad beam and generous deck volumes that make traditional Turkish-built hulls so well suited to island-hopping between Hvar, Vis and the Kornati. Her accommodation is unusually extensive: 16 cabins for up to 32 guests, with detailed bed configurations available on request. Few yachts of any type can host a group of this size under one flag, which makes her a natural choice for extended families, gatherings of friends travelling together, or corporate charters where everyone should stay aboard rather than scattered across hotels. She cruises at 10 knots — the unhurried pace that suits Dalmatia, where the next anchorage is rarely more than a couple of hours away and the point is to arrive in time for a swim before lunch. A crew of seven runs the yacht: deck, galley and service, sized to look after a full complement of guests without the boat ever feeling short-handed. In practice that means meals served on deck, tenders on hand for shore runs, and the local knowledge that turns a week in Croatia into a properly routed itinerary rather than a list of harbours. Croatia is her operating area, and it plays to her strengths — protected waters, short passages, and a coastline of more than a thousand islands best seen from a yacht that can host everyone you'd want to bring.