The most beautiful wooden boat in Crikvenica awarded

(Photo credit: Crikvenica County Port Authority)

For the sixth year in a row, the Port Authority of the Croatian coastal city of Crikvenica held the “Josip Ivančić Cene” competition to award the most beautiful wooden boat moored in the ports under its management. 

The Crikvenica County Port Authority Award is named after one of the most prominent shipbuilders in the Crikvenica region, Josip Ivančić Cene, who has produced more than 50 vessels in his workshop during his half-century working life.

The competition is held with the intention of encouraging wooden shipbuilding and maintaining wooden boats that are part of the Crikvenica and Croatian tradition. 

For several years, the county port authority has been giving a 50 percent discount on the annual berth fee for wooden boats, and the winner of the award for the most beautiful wooden boat has been completely exempted from paying the annual berth fee.

This year, the most beautiful wooden boat was the motor boat with the registration number CK-2121, owned by Andrea Bačić-Pavat from Dramalj, moored in the port of Crikvenica. 

The boat is built of oak and spruce wood, and is put together using galvanized nails.

This year’s winner of the tender has been owned by the Bačić family since it was made in 1988 in Klimno by the shipbuilder Marić Jurić, and its first owner was Andre’s father, Dr. Anton Bačić.

The winner was decided by a committee consisting of Davor Lončarić, Goran Cerović and Vladimir Matejčić who took into consideration the level of maintenance of the boat, possession of oars, masts and sails, and the overall impression.

“For me, as well as my family, this boat has great value. It has been in our family since it was built, and the first owner was my father Anton. During his life, he was the one who took care of the maintenance of the vessel the most, and after his death I inherited the boat. The care of the boat has now been taken over by my husband Smiljan, who restored it in detail two years ago with the help of his son-in-law Dino and his brother Marin, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart once again. As before, we still use the boat today as soon as it warms up for rides, and during the summer for daily swimming trips. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Crikvenica County Port Authority and Director Kružić for the award, Andrea Bačić-Pavat said.

Andrea Bačić-Pavat (Photo credit: Crikvenica County Port Authority)

Apart from fishing, masonry and tourism, Crikvenica’s history was certainly marked by shipbuilding. 

“Proof of that is precisely Josip Ivančić Cene, after whom our award is named. In addition to this award, which we are awarding for the sixth year in a row, I think it is important to point out that all owners of wooden vessels are granted a 50 percent discount on the annual berth fee by the Crikvenica County Port Authority. I am especially glad that the love for wooden boats is still passed from generation to generation, and we have an example of this in the case of this year’s winner.

Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people who keep wooden boats and who do not plasticize them. I hope that this will change and that we will continue to pay tribute to history in our area, but with such awards and discounts encourage more people to continue using their wooden boats, and those who have plastic, also encourage them to return to wooden shipbuilding. I once again congratulate the awarded Andrea Bačić-Pavat,” said the director of the Crikvenica County Port Authority Mario Kružić.