2021 November December Marina World

TALKING SHOP
Marina Punat:
A pioneer in the Croatian Adriatic
Now approaching its 60th anniversary, the multi-award-winning Marina Punat is the oldest marina on the Croatian
Adriatic Coast and a vital part of the Marina Punat Group – a nautical ‘hub’ that also comprises a shipyard, resort hotel
and shop. With over 30 years’ experience in the sector, Renata Marević CMM has been CEO of Marina Punat since 2011.
Charlotte Niemiec invites her to talk shop
Marina Punat sits on the island of Krk,
the northernmost and largest island in
the Adriatic Sea. Since its initial setup as
a small winter storage facility within the
adjacent shipyard in 1964, it has grown
to become one of the region’s premier
marinas. “It has an excellent location
in a bay naturally protected from all
winds,” says Marević, and is surrounded
by waters that regularly reach 30°C in
the summer months in one of Europe’s
sunniest spots.
Today, the marina boasts 850 fixedpier
berths for boats up to 45m (148ft)
on the sea and 500 additional spaces
on land. Offering all modern amenities,
including restaurants, accommodation,
a wellness centre and spa, fitness and
leisure facilities, and a charter scheme,
it has ambitious plans for further
development in both the short- and
long-term.
With the shipyard an intrinsic part
of the marina’s success, one of its
biggest draws is its boatyard, which
offers state-of-the-art yacht servicing
facilities for vessels up to 50m (164ft) in
length. The slipways can accommodate
vessels up to 600 tons and a 100-ton
boat hoist. The yard has a covered
working area of 2,800m² (30,139ft²) and
specialised and authorised workshops
are able to repair all types of boat
engines.
Renata Marević CMM (third from left),
CEO of Marina Punat, with members of the
marina team.
Marević is proud of the marina’s
humble, environmentally-conscious
origins. In its earliest days, it was too
expensive for marina founder and
naval engineer Dragutin Žic to install
concrete piers or a waterfront. Instead,
he designed piers using recycled
pylons from old railway tracks. These
remain the basic building material for
berths in the marina. Not only are they
very strong, but the small components
of manganese in the rails make them
resistant to corrosion.
Marina Punat sits in a scenic bay on the Croatian island of Krk,
the northernmost and largest island in the Adriatic Sea.
Using the Punat shipyard’s facilities,
Žic designed and built a pontoon
and hammer for driving a mass of
500kg powered by an engine. The first
11.5m (38ft) rail was driven into the
hard rock at the bottom of the muddy
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www.marinaworld.com – November/December 2021