Navilux – the very name of this extraordinary yacht alludes to the conceptual idea of creating a luxurious vessel that would push the boundaries in Croatian nautical tourism. We can proudly say that we have come to the accomplishment of that idea, making Navilux synonymous with a luxurious, comfortable and safe cruising of the Adriatic coast, and farther.
With its breathtaking interior as well as exterior space, accompanied by the utmost professionalism of its crew, Navilux has gained a reputation with various clients around the world that always seem to be coming back to it. Year after year, the interest surrounding Navilux is increasing, its quality confirming the status of a world-renowned brand.
19th century
Jakov was a seaman making money to provide for his numerous family members by sailing on small Dalmatian boats. Aided by his father, one of his sons purchased a boat to carry wine and other amenities to the islands’ locals.
The tradition of the Ercegovic family continues when, around 1912, they build a 30 tone ship in Trogir, bearing the name Our Lady of Conception, used to transport wine from Dalmatia to the ports of northern Adriatic and the city of Trieste.
The second world war
Therefore boat owners turn to a new sort of merchandise that was of the utmost importance to the local people of Dalmatia, which was sand, taken from the delta of the river Cetina.
During the Second World War dozens of Dalmatian ships are ruined in the bombings. The Ercegovic family was no exception. During the bombing of Split, the Kastriotic boat, docked in the harbor, suffered greatly.
After the war
The tradition, however, did not end with the loss of the ship under unfortunate circumstances, only inciting the family to purchase a new boat shortly after, named God help us. The boat was the same size as it predecessor – around 30 tons, and it too carried sand and other commodities between islands and mainland.
After the war 2
A possibility to develop nautical tourism was born following the boom of tourism after the Second World War, pushing the family to join the few that were a part of the nautical fleet in the Adriatic.
Thanks to the Harbor Master’s Office acting as an intermediary, the first Austrian tourists set sail from Split via Kornati islands, on a cruise that lasted 18 days.
The following year the boat was leased 4 times, on each occasion for 15 days. These were the humble beginnings of nautical tourism in the Adriatic. There were no King-sized beds and air conditioning, only the breathtaking and magical beauty of the Adriatic islands and a particular feeling of camaraderie that connected the Ercegovic family and their guests.
1981
Acting on a hunch that the future is in the tourism, Ante Ercegovic sells Hurricane and buys another ship Fisherman assembling 11 cabins, 2 berths cabin and 2 public toilets. The standards were increasing with the evolution of tourism, so the family sells the Fisherman in 1981 and buys and reconstructs the most beautiful logger in the Adriatic, the boat Petrina containing 15 cabins and 30 berths.
Today
After so many years in the tourism industry and our long-term nautical tradition, we have decided to build the first Croatian yacht in the Adriatic, placing us yet again at the top of what the Adriatic nautical tourism has to offer. The Ercegovic family takes great care in passing down their own traditions to their descendants, which, united with the experienced older generations, makes for a warranty to sail with first class seamen.