An innovative Hvar boat builder, with clients as far away as West Africa, launches his latest aluminium sensation.
One of the more interesting stories I have heard in my time on Hvar is the case of the Hvar boatmaker and the Cameroon coastguard, about which I have written previously.
Luke Colnago, whose family comes from the fabulously undiscovered settlement of Vlaka on the Pakleni Islands, runs a very successful boat transfer service, with a twist – he makes the boats himself, from aluminium.
We met earlier this year one very early morning in Split, as he was heading off to the boatyard in Kaštela, where he was putting together his latest addition to the fleet, Colnago 40.
Among his clients is the Cameroon coast guard, a fact that really made me laugh. I asked him why and he explained that he received a phone call from a businessman in Zagreb whose business was selling weapons. He had heard that Luka’s boats were good, reliable aluminium work boats, and that if he could come to Zagreb the following day, there would be a rather interesting client… The rest is history.
Meet Colnago 40, the latest in the fleet.
Length overall………13,5 m.
Beam overall……… 3,8 m.
Cruising speed full load….23 knots
Passengers………..20
Transfer price from Split airport 650 euro
For more info about Luka’s boats (and if there are any African coast guard services reading, I am sure he can do you a deal…) check out www.water-taxi-hvar.com
