Frane Cecić Acosta: The Captain's Legacy

Not many who sail in Croatia haven't heard of the name Frane Cecić Acosta. But few know that Frane was born in South America, and came to Šolta 50 years ago, where his unbreakable connection with the sea began. He spent his entire life in the nautical field, as a captain, repairman, entrepreneur and marina captain, and is with the Martinis Marchi Marina in Maslinica since its beginning. You can only imagine how much of a pleasure it was to meet this real sea wolf.

HOW DID YOU START YOUR ‘LIFE’ IN THE NAUTICAL FIELD?
I made my first steps in this business in our family shipyard in Rogač, owned by my late grandfather, where my father also worked. It was there I learned what it means to pull out and launch a ship, everything about wooden boats and materials. My grandpa also taught me a lot about wood, and my father taught me about newer materials, fiberglass and epoxy.

THEN CAME THE MARINA IN ZENTA?
Then in 1988 I came to the marina Zenta as a guard and repairman. By 1991 I became the captain of the port, and I stayed there until 1993. In the meantime I participated in the war; during that period I rode speedboats, inflatable boats to Šipan and Dubrovnik, breaking the blockade. In 1993 I cruised into private waters with my company Gringo Nautica, first with yachts. At that time, the average yacht was about 20 meters long; today it’s 50 meters. I also started servicing, repairs, painting, doing osmosis repairs, which was my forte at the time. Back in 1993, we started applying AWL Grip paints, a big hit at the time. We also sold boats and managed a mini charter fleet of five units. That lasted until 2006, when I became the captain of the Frapa marina.

HAVE YOU BEEN IN MASLINICA SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING?
I have been the captain since the opening of the Martinis Marchi Marina in 2012, where I lead the operational part and management. My job primarily consists of overall organization. I also have to monitor everything related to personnel, conduct interviews, hire people, adhere to the agreed budget with the owner and monitor the situation every day. Another aspect of the job is communication with guests, business partners, agencies, charters, services, and to be present at boat shows. Guests especially appreciate it when they are approached in a personal way, when you know their name. Then when they see you every year, whether at a boat show or in the marina, they see you in a different light, they feel like locals. I truly am happy to see some guests I've known even since before I ran my own company, and then later from Frapa. You can kind of watch the time pass together, see how you looked 20, 30 years ago, and how you look now (laughs).

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SUCH A RICH CAREER?
I'm always glad to pass on the knowledge accumulated over many years: that tradition and something that we've managed to summarize from all those activities over so many years, and that we can pass that knowledge on to younger generations. For example, a student comes to me and becomes a sailor, then in a few years he becomes a skipper on a smaller boat. And then he starts sailing the world, becomes a captain. That's a real pleasure for me, and when they come to say hello, I remember who they were and how they started. The same applies to the people at the front desk; they change jobs, become managers and so on. I know a few girls who went on to become managers in other companies.

IS YOUR SUMMER EVENT THE PRIDE OF MARTINIS MARCHI?
Our summer event has been going on since 2012 and I can say that it is a traditional and great event. Anyone who took part knows it is a unique gathering. Yachts, a restaurant, a park, a hotel, a gala party... It is difficult to find such a destination, but it is also difficult to make everything work so that the guests are happy, as most of them are returning. They are never bored, there is always something new, something changes, there is always something that surprises them.

IS THE MARINA OPEN IN WINTER TOO, BESIDES SUMMER?
We have a few annual berths, but our focus is on daily ones. However, in winter we fill the marina until April 1st, as our little corner is peaceful and some guests like to stay there, really enjoy it. In winter it is nice to be in such a paradise with no crowds, no stress, in complete relaxation.

HOW LONG DO YOU PLAN TO STAY WORKING?
I haven't set a date for my retirement yet; there are still a few more details, but that day is definitely coming. I'm glad that I'm passing on my (I won't say knowledge, but my experience) to the younger generations. I've also managed to pass something on to my family, because my children work in this profession too: my daughter in the marina and my son on a yacht. When I'm not working, my grandchildren complete me. Only when you’ve felt that kind of love do you realize how quickly time flies.

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR WORK?
Let me go back to the marina for this one. It is small, but we have managed to attract returning guests, all due to good service and a personalized approach. That's my priority. We have received a number of awards, such as the Flower of Tourism for the best small marina in 2018 and 2022, the Golden Anchor awarded by the Coast Guard in 2024, which is another proof that we are appreciated by professionals in the industry. We can only make progress by raising quality, and we do that through our ecological efforts, collecting and sorting waste, through eco-campaigns, cleaning the seabed and beaches, by introducing an electric charging station for boats, cars and electric bicycles. My top priority is to maintain this level of service. If you do that, you’ll have more success than you ever imagine.