February 1, 2022 - Every detail of the San Pelagio port is displayed on the 3D model, both above and below the sea surface

A new port for smaller boats was opened in the Istrian town of Rovinj last year in September, providing the local population with 300 new berths for personal vessels. Named San Pelagio, the marina was built in the northern part of town.

San Pelagio is now again making headlines, as it’s reportedly the world’s first port to get a so-called ‘digital twin’, i.e. a 3D model displaying every single detail of the structure, both above and below the sea surface. The conditions in the port can thus be monitored from the comfort of an office, reports HRT.

‘[The port] is special because we’re among the first, if not the first, to have created a so-called twin, meaning we digitally recorded the walls of the pier underwater. This will allow us to monitor all the changes that will happen at some point in the future and remediate them in a timely manner, said Mateo Banko, supervisor of San Pelagio port in Rovinj.

Every detail of the marina is displayed in real time, not only on land, but underwater as well. As the 3D model was being made, the body of water was removed; it’s the first time that this novelty was applied while making a model of a port facility.

‘We’d been preparing documentation since 2017, and the works were completed in September 2021. It was a HRK 2 million investment’, said Banko.

San Pelagio was a project conceived to relieve the burden on the cramped Andana port in the centre of Rovinj where the locals have been mooring their personal vessels thus far, often in several rows. With 300 new berths available, the locals welcomed the opening of San Pelagio marina with enthusiasm.

‘I used to moor my boat in the centre of Rovinj, in the fifth row in front of the Rio Bar. I needed to pass over 6-7 boats to get to mine. This is great, I wish to thank those who brought this idea to life’, said Vladimir, a local resident.

The port is a valuable addition to the northern part of town, as it’s accessible not only to boat owners, but other citizens and visitors as well. As reported by Glas Istre, the outer part of the pier is equipped with a sunbathing area with slots for beach loungers and mats, and is also fitted with dock steps.

ZAGREB, 15 Sept, 2021 - The San Pelagio port, a new, HRK 53.4 million (€7.12 million) investment in the northern Adriatic city of Rovinj, which is expected to relieve the burden on the Andana port in the city centre, was opened on Wednesday.

The new port is intended exclusively for personal vessels up to eight metres in length, the Rovinj Port Authority said.

Port Authority head Donald Schiozzi said the new port was being opened ahead of 16 September, the Day of the City of Rovinj and its patron saint, St. Euphemia.

Mayor Marko Paliaga recalled that construction work on the new port started in late 2019, noting that currently more than 1,000 smaller vessels are registered in the city.

The largest part of the investment was contributed by Rovinj and its port authority, HRK 8.5 million was contributed by the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure while Istria County participated with HRK 1.6 million.

Josip Bilaver, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure and the government's envoy at the inauguration of the port, said the government had recognised the importance of investing in port infrastructure and would continue with such projects.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

For more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.