Croatia 2006 - 9:31 AM, Jun. 5, 2006

Much the same crew as for the Balearics, but minus son n°1, who had work commitments, replaced by S the paramedic, who didn't quite match son's sailing skills but made up for it in eagerness to do chores.A great pity he was seasick in conditions other than dead calm.

The carefully planned route was to take us from Split to Dubrovnik; via the islands of Solta, St Klement, Korcula , Mljet, and back to Split via Sipan, Korcula, Hvar and Brac. Most legs would be shortish -12-15 miles, with only a couple of longer ones  - 30 miles, thus allowing time for visits, shopping and general time out.

Saturday May 13 Brussels - Split

Brussels - Split by air. Certainly beats 2 days by car, stuck in German traffic jams.

Discovered that the airport bus also stops at the marina, so saved a taxi fare.

Were able to take possession of "Eagle"the old-ish Bavaria 36 straight away, stowed our stuff, lunch at the adjacent "konoba", then off to the nearby supermarket to stock up on essentials, especially heavy / cumbersome items. Intercepted by security guards when we tried to make off with the trolley. My offer of leaving a valuable item (passport, Popeye...) as a deposit was refused, and instead they gave us a van and driver - for free.

Sunday May 14 Kastela - Sesula (Solta)

Woke to grey skies and rain. Undaunted, crew was briefed, anchor chain marked , water tanks filled, and we left the pontoon at 10.25, only to return 10 minutes later, since Eagle refused to steer to starboard. Discussions between charter staff resulted in us moving off Eagle and onto Talitha, a 2002 Bav 36 (much better layout). No fun unloading / reloading all our stuff in the rain, but the charterer paid for our lunch by way of compensation.

So it was 14.30 by the time we actually got going, which was not a big problem since today's leg was a short one. Wind was patchy, so crew had lots of opportunity unfurling / furling, as we alternately sailed / motored.

Anchored in Sesula at 18.20 - only 2 yachts there - what peace after the noisy marina!

Monday May 15 Sesula -Vinogradisce (Sv Klement)

Woke to a rising wind, so reanchored further out. Walked over the hill to the village of Maslinica, where the quay was full of visiting yachts. Relieved to discover Talitha where we'd left her. Upped anchor at 13.15, and mostly sailed all afternoon. Approached 9 kts at one point, with the genoa and1/2 the mainsail out.

Anchored at 16.45, shower at the marina on the the other side of the island (5 minutes walk away) and dinner at Toto's, where we were remembered from last year, and were given wine + coffee on the house!

Tuesday May 16 Vinogradisce - Vela Luka (Korcula)

8.55 - call from charterer, who had forgotten that we had a 2 week contract when he gave us Talitha, who was due out again next Saturday. Would we be terribly inconvenienced if we took her back for another swap? You bet we would! Our planned route to Dubrovnik and back to Split was already quite ambitious, and would have been impossible if we had to go back and start again. Explained this politely to Jakob, who went off to find another solution / job.

9.05 - call from kids - hot water on the blink. Not the first time - Popeye has been promising to call the plumber for months. Explain emergency re-start to kids, and they also called the plumber.

11.55 - ship's bucket overboard. Some idiot (me) didn't check the knot. 2 seconds too late with the boat hook - these things sink fast!

13.30 - anchor up. Light winds, but just enough, sea very flat, 32° at 14.45. Had a go at the helm, not very conclusive - never seen so many zigzags.

18.15 - one of the last places at the town quay at Vela Luka. Berthing here is a challenge, since there are no mooring lines. One has to drop the anchor then go stern to the quay. Last year, we gave up counting the number of fouled anchors, but this time it was better.

Realise that in the changeover from Eagle to Talitha, we didn't have a spare gas bottle - tried to get a refill at the town's petrol pump.Although one guy seemed to think it was possible, another said no. Maybe they've introduced some new safety rules? 

Incredibly good and cheap pizza in town, accompanied by an a capella choir which happened to be rehearsing nearby.

Wednesday May 17 Vela Luka - Uvala Luka (Korcula)

08.45 - 30° outside.

Shopping, fill water tanks..... leave at 13.30.

Wind / no wind. Clocked 2.5 hours sail, 3 hours motor

Anchored in Uvala Luka, 10 minutes walk from Korcula town. Managed to get gas bottle filled.

Dinner in town, and another a capella choir after, in an acoustic courtyard. Really magic, and they don't even go round with a hat! TVs outside many cafés - Barça vs Arsenal.Missed the last few minutes, which were apparently amazing.

Thursday May 18 Uvala Luka - Luka Polace (Mljet)

Visited Korcula in the morning - claimed to be the birth place of Marco Polo ( Korcula belonged to Venice at the time).Very pretty, very small, teeming with geriatric coach parties.

Left U Luka at 14.00, stopped off at fuel berth, first time crew had moored alongside, almost no shouting from Popeye. 4 kts with just the genoa, then 6.8 with both sails, then no wind at all.

18.00 - tied up to a mooring buoy off restaurant "Ancora". I managed to catch the buoy first time!Immediate arrival of restaurant owner's son in rowing boat, so we reserved dinner for 19.00. Once again, as "repeat clients" we got on the house firewater as apéritif, plus a bottle to take away.Strangely enough, the bottle didn't make it home.

Friday May 19 - day off

Left the buoy at 10.00, and anchored in the bay. Day of R+R, visiting the Mljet National Park - we'd already done it last year, but were keen to show it to the others.Popeye displeased that I negotiated a "senior citizen" entrance to the park for him.OK , over 60 is not the end of the world, but a 66% reduction is not to be sniffed at. This is the island where Odysseus stayed 7 years, and I can understand why.Parked dinghy on sea urchins, so reapeated inflations until Popeye patched it.Towards the end of the day, the wind gets up, a few drops of rain. Restaurant owner says we can go back to his buoy if we like. Decided the anchor is OK, so we'll ride it out.Gusty / rolly night, with regular anchor checks. Knackered next morning.

Saturday May 20 - Luka Polace - Dubrovnik (mainland)

Yesterday's R+R meant that today we have to combine 2 legs, some 30 nm, and we couldn't have chosen a worse day to do it!Left at 09.15. Last night's wind has hardly abated, and as we rounded the NW tip of Mjlet, we got the full force of it on the nose, so on with the motor for the rest of the day. Few entries in the log book. Popeye and B were at the helm, S + K in their bunks (with plastic bags) G reading in the saloon (very zen), and me, head down on the chart table, paralysed by fear. Also many regrets about buying new boat. This was going to be my last ever day at sea.

17.25 arrived Dubrovnik marina. Don't recall when the wind dropped, or when the sun came out, but suddenly things don't seem so grim. Popeye + I dine at the marina, the others catch the bus into town.

Sunday May 21 - Dubrovnik - Uvala Kosmec (Jaklan)

Morning visiting Dubrovnik - really worth while. Once again, heaving with tourists - it is the Pearl of the Adriatic, after all, and UNESCO heritage status to boot.

Have to pay an extra 1/2 days berthing at the marina, since we overshot the official departure time of 14.00. Made sure we got our money's worth by additional showers, dip in the swimming pool... There are even tennis courts! 

Left at 16.35, aiming for an anchorage on the island of Sipan, but as we got within range, saw lots of masts, so made for the island of Jaklan, where we had a splendid anchorage with only a Swiss catamaran as a neighbour.Dropped the anchor at 19.45.

Today Montenegro held a referendum re independence from Serbia. Since Dubrovnik is right next door to Montenegro, were afraid of Serbian reprisals!

Monday May 22 - U Kosmec- U Luka (Korcula)

Today felt like a holiday! Another long leg (planned this time), but in better conditions. Very hot, not much wind, several attempts at fishing ( no, don't ask).

Almost found it boring at times.Stopped off at Vrnik island in the afternoon for a swim in clean waters. Too few charter boats have holding tanks ( ours had one, but it wasn't connected) so swimming in closed bays used for overnight anchoring is not a good idea!Because we'd had the motor on, and the water tanks were well full, had hot shower after swim -mmmm!  

K brings out her 3rd dress of the trip- am gobsmacked. Must remember to acquire "cruise dress" .

18.10 - anchor in U Luka, dinner in town. G+S both get migraine - too much sun?

Tuesday May 23 - U Luka - Sucuraj (Hvar)

Calculated fuel consumption - 1.35 litres/hour. Good news for the budget.

Left U Luka at 10.15. More sail than motor today, achieving a comfortable 7 kts.

Arrived Sucuraj 14.20 - not quite what we expected after reading the pilot book, but it had its charms.Moored alongside, and got praise from Popeye. Electricity and water at the quay, toilets at the ferry terminal. All for 10 Kuna per metre - our cheapest berth of the whole trip. And not "yachtie" at all. One yacht arrived after us - I helped to take their lines, together with the harbour mistress ( and got bruises to prove it -the skipper seemed intent on driving the pulpit into my chest), another came for a look and left. So, just 2 yachts, the ferry and lots of fishing boats.

Plus well stocked shop

Wednesday May 24 - Sucuraj - Vrboska (Hvar)

Left Sucuraj at 09.10, heading along the N coast of Hvar.Almost all sail, nothing scary. Arrived at Vrboska "marina" at 15.00. Sad place, the marineros were all having a nap, few free spaces, many being taken up by decrepit boats having spent too many winters there.Find out that there are no more buses to Hvar town that day, and that a taxi would cost as much as dinner, so decide (once again) to bypass the millionaire's playground.

However, Vrboska was not as boring as we thought. In the space of 1/2 hour, we saw 3 "tidal waves" sweep into the creek, raising the water level by 2 metres, and coming over the quay wall. The locals seemed surprised - all busy reparking their cars. Later at dinner, we saw 2 others, even more spectacular - the river actually dried out between two waves - fishing boats sitting on the mud, the island at the head of the river no longer an island. No -one could explain it. In the winter, a gale force sirocco sometimes pushes big waves in, but never in May. The restaurant owner said (as he was pushing his ice cream fridges away from the on coming water) that it was surely a sign of bad weather to come.....

Thursday May 25 - Vrboska - Bobovisce (Brac)

Entry from log book, around 13.30 " Brand new Bavaria 37 for sale". This was another of those days when I was not going to set foot on a boat ever again.

Got weather forecast from marina - gusts up to 40 kts, sea up to 5. Holy s***

10.20 - left Vrboska, temp 35.8°.Sailed / motored peacefully  till lunchtime, after which  Popeye + I settled in the saloon for a snooze. By this time we were motoring, with the wind on the nose, but I was getting used to it, so not scared.Feeling pleased with myself that this was all part of a day's sailing Popeye went up to take over the helm, and immediately called me up on deck, where I saw enormous waves, and another yacht tacking at such an angle that I could see all it's bottom!. Popeye requested, somewhat urgently, that I consult chart and pilot book to find shelter, since we'd been sailing fairly close to the coast, and many other vessels were running for shelter.Fortunately, the panic didn't last long.Popeye changed course and increased the revs,  the sea / gusts eased off a bit , and by 15.00 we cut the motor and were doing 7 kts with just half the genoa.

15.35 - tied up to a mooring buoy at Bobovisce, which , according to the pilot book was a sheltered anchorage - didn't feel like it. Supper in the village, but was too landsick to enjoy it.

Friday May 26 -  Bobovisce - Kastela (mainland) 

Woken at 5 am by birdsong - blackbirds, a cuckoo, and many others.Wonderfully calm - what a change from yesterday. Pre - breakfast swim.

Left at 09.00, calmish day, all sail. As we approached Ciovo point, I pointed out that it might get a bit gusty up ahead, and suggested that we may want to reduce the sails a little. Suggestion refused. And indeed, as we passed the point, the toerail approached the water, I went green , and Popeye + G  just laughed, and said that this was what sailing is all about. Another issue to deal with...

12.45, back in Kastela marina. Jakob still has his job. Pack up our stuff, and off to visit Split. Although also immensely popular with tourists, Split seems to have its own life -local families with kids having an early evening walk, lots of students, and also lots of pretty girls, as the men kept pointing out. Popeye's great disappointment  was not getting to eat a banana split in Split!

Saturday May 27 Split -Brussels 

Up at 05.00 to get marina minibus to airport, for 7.30 flight. Back to cold and wet Belgium - really grim. Picked up from airport by son n° 2 , who seemed happy to see us, although I suspect this was to do with culinary prospects. Cats sulked the whole day. Hardly back at home 30 minutes when I'm summoned to help daughter n° 2 with revision for bookeeping exam. Back to real life - is this better or worse then gusts of 40kts and lumpy sea?