Review of FreeWave Charter, Croatia – October 2025 We rented a sailboat from FreeWave in Croatia in October, and unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing and unsafe. When checking out the boat, we asked whether we should go through the checklist together, but the staff told us it was unnecessary since they had “just done it.” We trusted them and took the boat. On the very first day of sailing, the genoa got stuck due to an error made by the company: the rope had been threaded incorrectly in the drum. This made it impossible to furl the sail back in. With strong winds and two small children onboard, this was a dangerous and stressful situation. We were forced to moor to a buoy for safety, which cost us €120 per night. We contacted the company for support, but the help we received was unprofessional and rude. A mechanic arrived only the following day, but he admitted he had little knowledge and confirmed that the rope had been threaded incorrectly by FreeWave. Still, the company continued to blame us and even claimed we had made a mistake with the mainsail, which was simply not true. The support was dismissive, unhelpful, and created even more frustration. In the end, my husband had to spend the entire night trying to fix the problem himself, as no proper help was provided. On top of this, the boat had several additional faults: • The chartplotter was poorly positioned and unreliable, often showing that we were on land while we were at sea. There was also no depth measurement available. • The torch/flashlight provided did not work, leaving us without proper light when trying to fix the sail at night. • The dinghy was leaking, so we had to constantly bail water out while using it, which felt unsafe – especially with children onboard. When we returned the boat, nobody acknowledged these issues or offered proper support. Back home, we had to make numerous phone calls and send repeated emails before someone finally responded. At first, FreeWave insulted us by claiming we were not competent enough to handle the boat, which was absolutely untrue. Eventually, after a long struggle, we received €200 as compensation – but considering the safety risks, stress, additional costs, and the poor service, this was far from sufficient. This company acted in an unprofessional and irresponsible way from start to finish. What should have been a safe and enjoyable sailing holiday became stressful, unsafe, and very expensive. We strongly advise others not to rent from FreeWave. It was the worst and most unsafe charter experience we have ever had.

I picked up a yacht in Trogir and was extremely satisfied. The yacht was a bit older, but in excellent condition, and the staff was very friendly. I'd gladly go again!

Very good communication with charter agency. Fair contract conditions. Friendly and helpful maintenance staff. Very good condition of the boat and engine. Overall great experience, all to be recommended 👍

Very friendly and professional handling of our yacht charter. Gladly again.