2007 Season Wrap - up

Posted at 8:35 PM, Dec. 7, 2007

We left Sukosan in a hurry (as always so what’s new) after a lot of work to winterise the boat so missed a blog close off for the year. Now well back into New Zealand, summertime and with the holiday season nearly upon us.

So this post is to put up a few photo’s and close off for the year. The 2007 season for us was the  third season for us on Savarna since we left the Hanse yard on the Baltic in June 2005. And this season is probably the least miles we have covered starting in Malta, then Sicily to Italy, across to Croatia, up and down the coast of Croatia and then across to Venice and back to Sukosan just south of Zadar.

                                  Savarna on the quay at Splitska, Otok Brac

The length of time we have spent in Croatia reflects the quality of the cruising, the friendliness of the people, beautiful clear waters and great weather. We avoided the peak months of July and August and found that while there were always quite a few boats around it was never a problem getting a berth, no overcrowded anchorages and by and large no problem getting a restaurant table.

                            The famous cafe in Primosten (a must visit place)

We have enjoyed all our sailing in the Med to date with a wide variety of cultures, architecture, food and wine, people and geography. But I would have to say from a pure sailing perspective we have been spoilt in Croatia and I can understand why the charter boat industry is so huge here. The water, the sailing and the people are fantastic but on top of that it is one of the few places we have visited to date where you are not forced into a marina most nights – there are 1205 islands and hundreds of anchorages. It is great to have the choice of a night in town on a marina or town quay somewhere or in an isolated bay with only one or two other boats around.

                                 National costumes - Mali Losinj 

The Hanse agents in Croatia as elsewhere are very helpful and I think a tribute to the Hanse company that they have selected agents who do answer emails and provide a good after sales service. In Sukosan we have left Velimir a list of jobs needed to be done on the boat including having a new bimini made. I think on the Baltic bimini’s are a relative rarity as they go for the fully enclosed cockpit set up. Consequently I have never been happy with the bimini and when the whole frame twisted this last season, and it always fills with water when it rains, we decided it was time to start again. I gather it is nearly finished so we are looking forward to seeing the photographs – I have had a couple of clear panels made for it also which will make sailing with the bimini up a good proposition.  We have sent the sails off for a clean and a check on all the stitching and they will be stored off the boat by Velimir. We are also having additions made to several of the lockers to provide more secure stowage as we start to think about the ARC and then the Pacific crossing. Sukosan is a large marina and with all the services around plus Velimir (the Hanse agent) it seems like a good place to get this work completed and appears to be reasonably priced.  Also seems like an area of teak is lifting on the foredeck  so having that repaired plus installing some shelving in the bottom of all the heads lockers and the rest is really small maintenance stuff like revarnishing the companionway steps etc.

                                             New specs in Venice 

Our Croatian cruising permit expires on 27 May 2008 so we plan to get back to the boat probably around mid May. We may go back to the Mali Losinj area which we thought a lovely part of Croatia and then across to Italy and down via the Puglia region across to Corfu and then cruise the Ionian. Number 2 son Richard, Sarah and two grandchildren join us in Corfu early June for a couple of weeks which will be a fantastic experience for them and as number one son Jason, Emma and their two children have recently relocated to London we expect to see them on board during the season at some stage also.  We will head through the Corinth canal to Athens and across to Turkey via the Cyclades. At this stage we don’t know where we will stop off in Turkey, where we will probably winter for 2008/9, so if anyone reading this has any recommendations we will welcome them. Planning hasn’t even started yet so I will need to get some charts out soon to at least appreciate where places are although having read the Swagman and the more recent Olive Oyl blogs on Turkey all I need to do is put locations to the names which will be a good start.

                                            And into the sunset 

Overall a great seasons cruising, a slow start weather wise which was a shame for our early visitors from Australia and New Zealand who had visions (as did we) of swimming off the boat amongst the Croatian islands. But instead delayed in southern Italy.

Cheers

Keith