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Filipi shipyard

A tale of the sea and the ships

The Filipi shipyard was founded by Ante Filipi with his three sons Šime, Krsto and Ljubo, at this exact location in 1932. Since the mid-18th century, the Filipi family has had several smaller shipyards in Betina on the island Murter. Beacause of their work they gained a great reputation and became one of the leading masters in the northern Dalmatian territory. Due to the characteristic migrations of small wooden shipbuilding from the beginning of the 20th century, a lineage of the Filipi family, called Tošulovi, moved from Betina to Sukošan and started a new shipyard.

Filipi family

Cicibela

Movable cultural property of the Republic of Croatia

Gajeta Cicibela

The spatial arrangement of the shipyard was well thought out, as there was a great need for new wooden ships and repairs of existing ones right in the area of communication between Ugljan and Pašman, neighboring islands and the mainland. The Filipi family continued to build wooden ships on the new territory, keeping up with the times and adapting to new needs. One of the most important ships built by this family is the 1931 Gajeta Cicibela, which is registered as a movable cultural property of the Republic of Croatia. In 1922 they also built Gajeta Marija, which is owned by the Betina Wooden Shipbuilding Museum.

Shipbuilding tradition

The Filipi family are considered the creators of wooden shipbuilding in this part of the Adriatic and beyond

Shipyard

Filipi family home and shipyard

According to the family legend, the founder of the shipyard, Ante Filipi, was looking for a place to start a new shipyard, and when he arrived at this site, he threw a stone into the sea to verify its depth and terrain. He was happy with what he saw, bought land there and decided to build a shipyard right in front of where he was standing.

By his own strength, with the help of Sukošan’s hard-working laborers using hoes and skip (wooden trough), they built the shipyard. On their heads, in a skiff, they carried larger pieces of stone with which they built the quays and the docks of the shipyard.

The space of the Filipi shipyard itself has never been just a shipyard, but also a living space for the Filipi family.

The existing shipyard building, partly used for housing, and the environment associated with gully (a wet ground for wooden logs used in shipbuilding), chutes and cranes is a unique living shipyard. Even today, part of the shipyard remains residential while business activity is carried out in the other.

1745 Paško Filipi

Paško Filipi and his family moved from Korčula to Betina.

1932 Filipi shipyard

Starting of the shipyard in Sukošan.

2022 The future of the shipyard

Preservation of maritime and shipbuilding heritage.

Where we are today

In the footsteps of our grandparents

Since its establishment, the shipyard, managed by Ante's sons, grandsons and, today, great-grandsons, has been continuously engaged in the craft of shipbuilding. Today, the Filipi Shipyard actively participates in the protection and promotion of Croatian maritime and shipbuilding heritage by educating young people and children in the craft, sailing in traditional ships and maritime skills. With service and a crane for all types of boats up to 16m, they build and restore traditional wooden boats.