Nika One

Crew Profile

TONI Ljubović - CAPTAIN
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Captain TONI, 39 years, was born in Split, Croatia, and from the very earliest age has been in the most complete sense a total man of the sea. By the age of three he was already accompanying his father on his fishing boat plying the Adriatic for the perfect catch and it was this very early experience which developed his deep love and affinity with boats and the water.

He grew up in and around the extensive sailing community in Split. Before the age of ten he had already acquired advanced sailing qualifications and was to be seen each weekend carving through the waves on his special dinghy 'Lorimar.' By the time he reached his teens he had developed into an extremely competent helmsman with a love for anything connected to the water: TONI was also a national swimming and water polo champion at junior level and gained a reputation locally as an excellent diver who had a side business selling shells from his underwater exploits.


TONI knows the Dalmatian islands like the back of his hands and will impress you with his in-depth knowledge of each island, each restaurant, each bay, and all the interesting sites and things to do. A discreet and quiet Captain extremely proficient in all matters related to boat handling, he used to skipper one of the local 57ft sailing yachts called 'Dora' that went around the world. He also sailed extensively in Greece, BVI, Montenegro, Italy and Spain. He is an active member of the sailing community in Split and has won awards in several sailing races. Toni is also a university graduate where he excelled with a major in sailing.

TONI has over 11 years' experience at skippering commercially with charter guests on boats of varying sizes. Professionalism, quiet efficency, and good humour are his main characteristics and he will make sure that you have what you need throughout your charter.

He is married to Marina, the hostess aboard, and is fluent in Croatian and English.

MARINA Ljubović - HOSTESS
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MARINA is at once a very experienced and professional hostess and also the wife of Captain TONI. They met on a sailing trip they had both joined around the Mediterranean ( where else? ) and the rest is history. MARINA's background is in hospitality; she graduated from one of the best hospitality schools in Split. She is also a trained chef and delights in preparing snacks and hors d'oeuvres for guests on occasion.

Having started sailing as a hostess on various sailing yachts later on in her career, she incorporated her love for cooking into her hostess role. She is highly responsive, detail-oriented, and passionate about delivering an unforgettable vacation experience for guests. From helping Ivan to organize impeccable meals to ensuring every aspect of the journey runs smoothly, she goes above and beyond to exceed guest expectations.

Her warm personality and attentive service have consistently received high praise from clients. Marina has previously lived in London and Perth, Australia and speaks good English.

IVAN Cagalj - CHEF
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Having graduated from one the best private culinary schools in Split, Ivan's carreer started at the Le Meriden Lav, a 5 star hotel in Split where he mastered his cooking skills as well as developed an impeccable eye for presentation. More recently he also worked at several other high end hotels such as Martinis Marchi on Solta and has accumulated a very impressive CV.

His culinary ethos is all about incorporating fresh local produce, hence he tries to source local ingredients where possible. His passion is Dalmatian Cuisine (a light Med cuisine based on a lot of veg, fresh fish and meat) however he is able to adapt to any cuisine and delights in showing his skills by adapting to the various palates of international guests.

He is happy to receive feedback and incorporate client suggestions and wishes into his menus, and has a happy personable manner which has won him a lot of friends on the boats and many very satisfied clients.

Sample Menu

Nika One Summer Menu

Breakfast is made buffet style with selection of fruits,vegetables,meat products,cheeses,cereal and cold beverages. Eggs by choice, croissants,bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon

Starters
Istrian freshly made fetuccine pasta with a butter poached Adriatic lobster tail in lobster bisoque sauce.
Seasonal salad with baby mozzarella dresed with honey walnut dressing
Adriatic Tuna tartare garnised with the parsley oil, capers, squid ink tuille and acidic emulsion.
Mango and avocado salad with orange and pine nuts
Locally grown Beef carpaccio with grana padano crema, pistacio and basil pesto, arugula,aceto balsamico crema and mustard aioli.
Smoked Adriatic tuna carpaccio with the cherry tomatoes in aged balsamic dressing, arugula and grana padano.
Greek salad with feta cheese
Caprese salad with basil oil and balsamico crema
Fresh Adroatic fish platter with tuna carpaccio, shrimp pate, anchovies and octopus.

Main courses
Adriatic seabass filet on the grill crusted in dalmatian herbs, palenta and fish demiglace.
Homemade gnochi with beefsteak and wild mushrooms in red wine sauce infused with truffle oil
Veal cutlet with potato mashed pure infused with roasted garlic, baby carots and a red wine sauce
Asparougus rissoto with shrimp tails flambed in cognac
Grilled salmon in beurre blanc sauce with capers and julienne vegetables
Freshly made pasta with Istrian truffles and Dalmatian Prosciutto, grana padano crumble and micro greens
First class Adriatic fish baked in salt with roasted vegetables
Adriatic Lobster and shrimp "Buzara" with fresh pasta
Slow cooked osso bucco with rice alla milanese

Dessert
White chocolate mousse with pistaccio crumble
Tart with fresh fruits
Lemon tiramisu
Crepes stuffed with walnuts in orange and cognac sauce
Cheesecake with mascarpone and fresh fruits
Orange and almond cake with orange pure

More Locations Details

Summer Operations
Croatia

Winter Operations
Croatia