Islanders angry at Jadrolinija because of non-sailing lines

Numerous islanders have turned to Morski.hr these days, furious with the national shipping company Jadrolinija that certain lines are not sailing, due to the stormy wind jugo. They complain that ferries from Hvar take more than two hours to reach Split, if at all, due to bad weather conditions.

It is not clear to many how the oldest in the fleet, the half-century-old Lastovo sails when almost no one can and why Jadrolinija does not procure ships with better maritime capabilities? Residents of Lastovo have complaints of continued uncertainty in connection with the mainland, so many comparing the situation with Greece, saying that Greeks connect their islands with better quality ships. But is that exactly the case?

While islanders have a lot of comments addressed to Jadrolinija, such as “Elon Musk flies to Mars, and you can’t get to Split in less than 2 hours.”, Jadrolinija replied to a few key questions.

Why in Jadrolinija’s fleet only the oldest ferry Lastovo can sail on bigger waves?

– On the lines to the central Dalmatian and remote islands, the ships are operated by commanders with many years of experience who, with their knowledge, take full responsibility for the passengers, crew and ship. This includes decisions to sail in moments of extreme weather conditions, as was the case last weekend. The competent port authority of Stari Grad can also testify about the conditions that can lead to accidents and endanger human lives. Furthermore, the ship Lastovo, which you mention in the letter, was not able to operate the line under such conditions.

The mayors of Hvar and Stari Grad have repeatedly sent an appeal to provide a ferry for the line Stari Grad – Split that can withstand sailing at sea when adverse weather conditions prevail. Residents of the island of Lastovo sent appeals on a similar track. What will you answer them?

– Continuing on the topic of connection with Stari Grad, three years ago Jadrolinija introduced the ship Zadar to this line, which even exceeds the needs of the line in the off-season with the speed and capacity of the salon and garage. In this way, Jadrolinija proved how much importance it attaches to this line. This ferry line was interrupted only 2 times last year (1,295 trips were made), which proves that Jadrolinija provides ships and crew for this line, which provide a reliable and fast connection between the island of Hvar and the mainland. So last weekend, despite the bad weather, we managed to work on the line Stari Grad – Split.

Is Jadrolinija considering, in accordance with the sailing impossibilities of other ferries, to replace them with more functional ones in the maritime sense (like Lastovo)?

– When talking about the renewal of the fleet, with a ship sailing on a particular line, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the port. We emphasize that it is a very complex task in the used boat market, to find a boat that will meet the needs of a particular line with its capacity and maritime characteristics, and taking into account the restrictions of the port (length and draft). Jadrolinija is constantly monitoring the used boat market, and fleet renewal is one of the most important strategic goals that is being actively worked on.