Beneteau First 36 Charter: New 2027 Boat in Biograd

A new hull in a charter fleet usually means fresh gelcoat and little else worth writing about. October is a different case: a 2027-build Beneteau First 36 lying at Marina Kornati in Biograd na Moru. The model behind her took European Yacht of the Year in the performance cruiser category, and a Cruising World Boat of the Year special recognition as best sportboat in 2023. Bareboat, first season, nobody else’s miles on the sails.

Most 36-footers that reach charter are drawn around interior volume, with beam carried well aft and a layout that technically sleeps eight. The First 36 came off Sam Manuard’s board with the Seascape team in Slovenia, and the brief sat closer to a shorthanded offshore racer that happens to have a real interior. Around the Kornati, where the Maestral fills in most afternoons, that changes what a week feels like.

Why this model is worth a second look

The numbers explain the reputation. Displacement is 4,800 kg with 1,550 kg of it in the keel, light for a three-cabin 36-footer, against a generous sail plan: 80 m² upwind, 180 m² downwind. Beneteau’s published figures put average upwind speed near 6.3 knots with peaks close to 7, and the hull is documented as planing in a moderate breeze.

On charter that becomes ordinary arithmetic. A leg a heavier cruiser motors in three hours is often sailed in two and a half, so the anchor goes down before the bay fills, and 70 litres of diesel goes a long way. The trade-off is draft: 2.25 m is deeper than the typical charter cruiser this size, so the shallow corners of a few Kornati coves need reading before you commit the bow. Every anchorage below is comfortable at that depth.

Specifications and layout

Hull, rig and engine

Beneteau lists length overall at 11.0 m; the operator’s charter data records 10.98 m, with beam 3.8 m and draft 2.25 m. Auxiliary power is a 29 hp diesel on a 70-litre tank, sized for marina manoeuvres and windless mornings rather than for motoring an itinerary. Fresh water is 200 litres, so plan a mid-week top-up with a full crew aboard.

Cabins, berths and the realistic crew number

October is listed as three cabins, eight berths, one head. Eight adults on a performance 36 for a summer week is a race-crew arrangement rather than a holiday one, and the single head is the honest limit. Six works well: two couples aft, a pair forward, saloon left free for something other than luggage.

Sail handling

The mainsail is a furling (rolling) system, the pragmatic charter choice. It costs a little shape at the top end, but two people can reduce canvas from the cockpit when the afternoon breeze turns purposeful, which on a light boat matters more than the last tenth of a knot.

Equipment on board

Ground tackle is the electric anchor windlass with anchor and chain. Navigation aids run to a compass, nautical charts and a cruising guide, dividers and a masthead Windex, with a VHF radio for port traffic and weather. Ask the base what else sits at the chart table before you pack a tablet and mount.

For living aboard there is a refrigerator, heating for cool nights, an inverter for charging, a bimini and a lazy bag on the boom. The cockpit table is removable, so the cockpit turns into a sun deck. A cockpit and stern outside shower deals with the salt, and a black water tank keeps you legal inside the park.

Safety kit covers a liferaft, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, signal rockets and torches, a fog horn and an emergency tiller. A bosun’s chair is aboard, along with fenders and mooring ropes.

Home base: Marina Kornati, Biograd na Moru

Biograd sits roughly half an hour from Zadar airport, so a Saturday arrival works even on an afternoon flight. Marina Kornati is one of the larger bases on this coast, and the town earns its role for a geographic reason: the Pašman channel outside is sheltered enough for a first-evening shakedown, while the outer edge of Kornati National Park is a morning’s sail away.

Provisioning happens on foot, with supermarkets and the green market a short walk from the pontoons. Buy the Kornati park ticket online before you sail, since it is cheaper in advance than from a ranger boat. A bottle of Maraschino, the cherry liqueur Zadar has distilled for centuries, belongs in the locker. Boat4You lists the yachts based at Marina Kornati with live availability.

A seven-day route from Biograd

Day 1 — Biograd. Check-in is Saturday afternoon, and 7 August 2027 falls on a Saturday, so the standard Croatian turnaround lines up. Take the handover slowly, stow the food, eat in town. If the briefing ends early, an hour in the channel teaches you the furling main before it matters.

Day 2 — Biograd to Žut, about 12 NM. A gentle first leg into the park’s northern approaches. Žutska aba and Hiljača both hold well and deliver the quiet people book the Kornati for; Hiljača is the more sheltered of the two if the Maestral has been building.

Day 3 — Žut to Vrulje on Kornat. A short hop into the middle of the archipelago. Vrulje is one of the few inhabited bays on Kornat, and the konobas there still cook Kornati lamb under the peka. Order it in the morning, because it takes hours under the bell, and bring cash.

Day 4 — Vrulje to Piškera. ACI Marina Piškera is the only marina inside the national park: water, power, and the ruins of an old fish-salting settlement above. Opat, at the southern end of Kornat, is the alternative if you would rather stay at anchor.

Day 5 — Piškera to Telašćica. Up to Dugi Otok and into Telašćica Nature Park, where the outer cliffs drop close to vertically into open water. Walk to Mir, the salt lake behind the bay, warmer and saltier than the sea. Sali, a working fishing town north of it, makes a good evening berth.

Day 6 — Telašćica to Murter. Back toward the mainland side and into Hramina on Murter, the island most Kornati landowning families come from. Vodice and Tribunj are the alternatives, livelier and quieter respectively. This is the evening for a Babić from the stone terraces above Primošten.

Day 7 — back to Biograd, roughly 20 NM. An early departure turns the last leg into a sail rather than a delivery. Fuel and water on the way in, check-out Saturday morning.

That is one shape for the week, not the only one. More Croatian routes sit in the Croatia sailing itineraries, and the tailor-made itinerary builder will assemble a plan around your dates, crew and pace.

Price for the week and what to expect

The week of 7–14 August 2027 is listed at €2,432, peak Adriatic season on a boat in its first year of charter. If the holiday allows, 7–21 August is listed at €4,864, the same weekly rate carried across the fortnight.

The security deposit is €2,200, held against damage and released after check-out. Bareboat in Croatia calls for a recognised skipper licence, with ICC and RYA Day Skipper the familiar examples, plus a VHF certificate, and the base checks both at handover. Budget separately for park tickets, fuel, tourist tax and the final clean.

Booking runs as it does for every boat on Boat4You. Open the Beneteau First 36 October page for 7–14 August 2027, send the enquiry, and availability is checked with the operator before anything counts as confirmed. The sequence from enquiry to contract is laid out in how we work, and deposits, payment schedules and cancellation are covered in the charter FAQ.

Who this boat suits

A crew of four to six who came to sail, and who would rather arrive under canvas than under engine. Couples with a few charters behind them who have quietly concluded that the standard cruiser is slow. Sailors with a licence and some club racing in their past, the ones who will actually hoist the downwind sail. It is the wrong boat for eight people wanting a floating apartment.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to charter the Beneteau First 36 bareboat in Croatia?

Yes. Croatian rules require a recognised skipper licence, such as an ICC or an RYA Day Skipper certificate, plus a separate VHF radio certificate. Both are checked at the base during handover, so bring originals rather than photographs. If nobody in the crew holds them, ask about adding a skipper when you enquire.

How many people can sleep on the Beneteau First 36?

The operator lists three cabins and eight berths with one heads compartment. Eight is the paper maximum and works for a delivery or a regatta crew. For a full week in August, six is the number most crews find comfortable, and it keeps the saloon usable.

What is the wind like around the Kornati in August?

The Maestral defines the pattern: a thermal breeze that typically builds through late morning and runs 10 to 20 knots across the afternoon before easing toward evening. That range suits a light hull with 80 m² of upwind sail. The bura, the cold northeasterly off the mainland mountains, blows harder but is far more a shoulder-season concern.

What should I budget for beyond the charter price?

The €2,200 deposit is the largest single item, returned after check-out provided the boat comes back as it left. Beyond that, count on Kornati National Park tickets, cheaper online in advance, the fuel you burn, marina fees for nights you are not at anchor, and the operator’s extras such as tourist tax and final cleaning.

New boats in their first charter season fill early, and an August week on a European Yacht of the Year winner rarely sits waiting. Dates, live pricing and the full equipment list are on the October charter page for 7–14 August 2027 — send the enquiry from there and we will confirm the week with the base in Biograd.