08/25/2012, Ionian Marine, Aktio, Preveza, Greece

Dawdling down the Adriatic 2012

Aqua Blue departed Nautec Monfalcone on the 7th July after more than a year's refit, including a new Yanmar 3YM20 , after many goodbyes to Karl, Erika and Hamed of the boatyard who'd accommodated AB's 25ft beam, and also Marino and Gloria of the onsite restaurant who'd fed and watered me royally.
With Stella my wife now onboard we exited the Timavo river for the last time and successfully test ran the engine, up to 6kts at 3000rpm, passing Trieste to anchor in Bartolomeo right on the border with Slovenia. There we inflated the new Honwave dinghy, slightly smaller than the preceeding Suzumar, and relaxed in the pleasant surroundings after so much work ashore.
In the morning we motored round to anchor outside the local moorings off Koper and I rowed Stella ashore with her camera to see Capo d'Istria the ancient capital of this region. I returned to anchor watch and managed a chat with a Ham in Norway using the Icom 706 acquired from eBay no less. The northwesterly Maestral arrived on cue at midday and we had a brisk sail round to anchor off the old custom sheds/salt warehouses at Bernardino, approximately halfway between tiny Pirano harbour and Portoroz marina, where anchoring is discouraged. There was a Yoko/Lennon/Tito exhibition in one of the "sheds".
The other contains a small supermarket where we stocked up in the morning, and behind this is a service station. We left immediately to motor round to Umag finding a fresh southerly off the point but we soon cleared in (not cheaply!) to Croatia. Then tacking south till after 7pm brought us to anchor in Lon bay at Rovinji, inside the new mooring buoys, "only" 88 Kuna.
After a few jobs we tacked slowly down to Kamenjak the southerly point of Istria, from where we motorsailed in the light southwesterly across the Kvarner gulf to Podkujni inlet on Unije, with the new diesel spluttering due to diesel bug from the old tank clogging the filters. In the morning light I cleared them and we went into Mali Losinj for clean fuel, with Stella making bread on the way in a simple hob top "oven". Finally we motored down to pick up the last buoy in the Ilovik channel at only 4.30pm, and there are nearly 100 buoys! There was another half an inch of bug in the filter bowl already and I realised the filler cap had been leaking rainwater for a whole year!! We used the water taxi to get ashore, looking for Housemartin nests in the small village, but found very few compared to previous years.
Morning filter draining was becoming mandatory, after which we motored and sailed to Lucina on Dugi Otok. A sheltered clean ferry harbour with buoys (170 Kunas) and a tiny basic restaurant run by a "battleaxe", which I'm rather fond of. Brbinj over the isthmus is more fashionable but crowded with a large restaurant and makes a pleasant walk.
A long day tacking into a southeasterly brought us to the free calm anchorage at Sepurine on Prvic. It's a delightful village with tastefully converted old houses all in the local stone. No atm in the morning, but a PO gave us 9 Kuna to the pound. There's an old Piver tri in the small harbour receiving lots of tlc. After lunch we motored round and picked up a buoy in Prvic harbour itself, which was less sheltered in the persistent southeasterly. After siesta I carried out hacksaw surgery on some new wheeled batten cars to get them into the 36yr old mast groove, with very pleasing results, I could now raise the fully battened main by hand! A harbour official in a RIB then asked for 300 Kunas and was taken aback when I laughed out loud and refused. I had to settle for 200 Kunas though. The Croats are getting a bit greedy imho, but we've been cruising the beautiful Dalmatian coastline for 8 years now, from when most anchorages were free. We still had the usual good meal in Hotel Maestral and appreciated the wifi. The iPad's a lot easier to lug ashore than the old laptop.
On Sun 15th July we left Prvic with one reef in the main and a few rolls in the Genoa to beat south against the still fresh southeasterly towards Rogoznicas. Thankfully as we rounded Rt Ploca the wind veered to SW and we ran slowly east to anchor in the large sheltered and shallow bay of Vinisce. An ideal multihull anchorage in fact and no charge either. Unfortunately Stella did not quite manage the transition from dinghy to quay and we returned to AB to dry out her camera and mobile.
Fresh northeasterlies herald the first rise of pressure in the Adriatic, so we exited the Splitski canal between Drevenik and Solta, to harden up and beat east, reefing twice in the katabatic winds funnelling down the south slopes of Solta, with the old bus AB close reaching fast on the flat water. By 3pm we had reached Blaca cove on the south east corner of Brac, the anchorage for the Hermitage, and spent the night there in splendid isolation fortunately, since there's not a lot of swinging room.
In the morning Stella hiked up to the monastery taking around 40mins. I accompanied her for a while but returned to anchor watch in the blustery conditions. After a lunchtime swim we found a W7 with short tumbling seas had built up in the Hvar kanal, so we ran east to Vrboska on Hvar, eventually surfing at up to 12.5kts on the GPS, a speed not reached by our heavy tri for many years!! We spent a very windy night in the shallow NW corner of the outer anchorage by the youth hostel, where holding on sand must be good, since our only 15kg Rocna performed well on a short scope without the usual bridle.
Normal summer weather returned at breakfast thankfully and we motorsailed west back past Blaca with Stella photographing the Hermitage, which is only visible from offshore at a certain angle. Bearing away for the west end of Hvar we ran east inside the islands of Sv. Klement and Marinkovac, admiring the enormous gin palaces moored off Hvar town. Then spending the whole afternoon broad reaching southeast most of the way to Lastovo, before I decided to harden up on port tack and we shot north on a close fetch to Brna on the south coast of Korcula. We had the very shallow Kosirina inlet just west of the town to ourselves. In fact on swimming we could walk round the rear cabin of Aqua Blue on the spongy mud! Brna harbourmaster in his RIB amazed me by finding us in this hidey hole after dusk and relieved us of 168 Kuna to lie to our own anchor for the night.
After ten hours sleep in this quiet spot we attended to a few jobs, including removing 2ins of muck from the filter bowl after our bouncy sailing! Then five hours of motoring in a very light southwesterly brought us to Polace lagoon on Mljet, where we anchored on the shallow spot near a big Catana cat. There did seem to be many more mooring buoys and gin palaces this year, but no charge by the national park for the first time. I finally fired up our new 2.5hp Honda, "Henry the second", to have a meal ashore. After admiring the Roman castle of Aegesilaus, who was exiled here by Septimus Severus and eventually pardoned by Caracalla apparently!!
We were still surprised not to have been visited by the park rangers and Polace seems much busier with more restaurants and car/bike/hire shops. Despite motoring away on a flat calm I managed to trip back into the cockpit banging my ankle which immediately and annoyingly started to swell. Stella suggested rolling a cold beer on it and the treatment worked!! The fridge is very high on the essential equipment list on board. We spent a couple of hours pm anchored off the disused Serbian hotel in the beautiful bay on the north side of Jaklan. Don't let the ancient no anchoring sign deter you! The calm night was spent in Sipanska Luka although it is open to the northwest, but it's a pleasant and strangely quiet spot with a couple of quayside restaurants, despite it's proximity to Dubrovnik.
After the usual filter clearing we slowly tacked into yet another light southeasterly, finally motoring past Dubrovnik and on into Tiha cove at Cavtat. Gratefully picking up a mooring buoy (only 110 Kuna), we noted the many trawlers and gin palaces anchored nearby, no doubt due to the now poor weather fcst, which encouraged dinner and a film onboard. Bradley won his Tour time trial!
Morning maintenance included steering quadrant inspection and greasing of the rudder stock, all usually hidden under the bunk in the rear cabin, now being cleared for our new crew arrival. Good lunch in restaurant Bougainville followed by shaded wifi cafe, it being very hot and humid. A water run occupied me pm, then a Norwegian Ovni arrived and we chatted for a while. They were very interested that Stella and I had arrived in Oslo on that terrible day exactly one year ago. The following night was very windy (and more fcst) and we were glad the new buoys had been laid, we hadn't found the holding to be good on previous visits.
Another water run am, since the tri is almost never alongside a water tap. I just take it slowly and will use the spinny halliard to lift water containers out of the dinghy if necessary. Lunch was in restaurant Ivan whose owner shooed away inadequately dressed large mobo owners to our slight surprise. But obviously here sartorial standards come before profits! Dominic our crew arrived from the conveniently close "Dubrovnik" airport. Siesta pm for all of us, then the sky clouded over ominously and our shore trip was cancelled. Shortly the harbourmaster's launch arrived and we were instructed to drop our mooring in Tiha and go round to Cavtat harbour, where unusually we had to moor between two linked buoys, presumably to pack in more yachts. Dinner on board again watching spectacular thunderstorms, which continued for much of the next day too! Carnage on the crowded customs quay in the wind and rain deterred our leaving, but we managed a visit to the hilltop mausoleum and a meal ashore. I now realise that this thundery low was causing a strong Bora further north in the Adriatic.
Forewarned, on Wednesday 25th we dropped the buoy at 7am, but a Danish yacht had already moored sideways onto the short customs quay and we waited over an hour in light rain before backing up to it. Formalities were only completed after two visits each to the port police and harbourmaster, who nearly sent me to a fifth office to pay one day's tourist tax for Dominic! In fact I like Cavtat, but the tiny customs quay and the fact that the main harbour is open to the usual daily northwest wind and Tiha to the overnight northeasterly can try one's patience.
Finally released and outside the harbour, I initially headed southeast along the coast towards Montenegro, but yet another large thunderstorm ahead produced a southerly so we raised sail and headed offshore. It was forecast to clear and the northwesterly returned later thankfully. We broad reached south all night slowly crossing the Adriatic with very clear views of the Milky Way and the occasional company of small dolphins. During one light patch motorsailing, the fuel pipe from the tank was finally blocked by diesel bug. I had to rise from my bunk and detach the fuel line and hose in the engine bay and bring it up to the cockpit and into a gerry can of diesel.
By the following mid morning we were running past Brindisi entrance in a rising wind. We continued south in at least a F6 and up to 2mtr seas before negotiating the bumpy entrance to Otranto harbour. The mooring field is much more extensive than it was, so we joined two other yachts at anchor in the rather open northern roadstead for the night.
At 7am the wind increased further and swell was entering the harbour which really needs a northern breakwater. The windlass was essential for recovering the anchor. I toured the harbour and rejecting the crowded quay, relaid the anchor under the town walls between an unoccupied Wharram cat and the mooring buoys. And there we lay all day, with the conditions eventually making me lay the Fortress as well as the Rocna. I managed some maintenance including re-routing the fuel line, and Stella and Dominic explored the interesting old town pm, especially its cathedral with the floor mosaic "tree of life", and especially the chapel full of skulls of victims of a Turkish raid in the fifteenth century! In the evening we all got ashore for a good and last Italian meal on the beach and a final tour of the battlements with ice creams of course.
Conditions eased overnight and at 6.40am there were no longer seas breaking in the entrance. I roused Dominic and we slowly recovered both anchors, also having to disentangle an old fishermans anchor from one chain rode. I motored out of the still bumpy entrance and soon the waves started to lengthen and we broad reached under Genoa alone heading 100T. We reached the 40th parallel by 12.30 and closely avoided a couple of high freighters. Crossing the shelf north of Othoni, the seas heaped up a bit temporarily and we were speeding again with a few rolls in the genny. One peak passed under the rear cabin then broke over the back of the stbd float! Dominic was learning fast to steer a 5ton surfboard! By 4.15pm we were anchored off the beach at Erikoussa, where many Italian boats were waiting for the weather to improve before heading north. We had averaged 7kts (55nm in 8hrs) and Dominic saw 10kts on one surf! The water here was only 67F but Dom went swimming immediately.
In the calm morning most of our neighbours had already gone, with the fcst now down to VRB3 bec NW4. We had a very leisurely morning at anchor before motoring over a flat calm across the top of Corfu and down into the town harbour, which wasn't really suitable for yacht check in, so we anchored south of the Venetian castle and used the NAOK yacht club to get ashore for a good meal and to explore the old town in the greatly increased heat.
Dom left for the nearby airport on the Monday morning and we motored back to Gouvia, just anchoring outside the entrance to the lagoon. After dinghying into the marina we easily checked into Greece although the officer had no yacht forms and just annotated the crew list in Greek. We then ran gently down to Petriti for the night under genny alone, anchoring as usual inside the other yachts once the centreboard was raised.
Ashore in the morning to stretch our legs and have coffee with the noisy parrot in one of the bars. Heading south again there was absolutely no wind so we just pottered into Parga to conserve fuel. On the 1st August we did manage to sail down to the Levkas canal and Nidri, anchoring off Sioux Sails just through Vliho narrows. We soon found Sue Keane of IGR who'd spent four years building Aqua Blue with me in a previous life!!
In fact IGR ordered the new fuel tank I'd decided was now essential. We hired a car and visited Nikopolis for the first time even finding Octavian's monument to the battle of Actium, although the August heat was excessive for land tourism. Stella flew home on the 5th and I continued with maintenance and R&R in the continuing heatwave till AB was hauled at Ionian Marine ten days later. George the owner welcomed me back after 8yrs in the Adriatic.

Comments [0]

David Bains
06/28/2011, Nautec, Monfalcone, Italy

Spring 2012

Update. Launch booked for July 3rd!!

Uneventful drive out to Monfalcone with a Honda dingy in the back of the car at beginning of May.
Had a dry week and a wet week before the summer heat arrived fortunately.
Managed to sand down and repaint the rear cabin, last painted thirty six years ago. Two pot polyurethane does what it says on the tin!! Real struggle to remove 27 port rear window machine screws over two days but gleaming new window now in place.
Failed to remove the P bracket but one of the Italian engineers on site has a special tool to remove and refit the water lubricated shaft bearing. Also sanded and painted stbd float bow to cover repair. Karl had indeed arranged an insurance payout, I was very grateful!
When it rained I further improved the wiring. And even did some painting cosmetic work in rear cabin.
The Icom 706 (from ebay!) was fitted and worked surprisingly well. They're no longer made but still sought after by skipper Hams!
Stella flew out to join me and we drove back via Bolzano to see Otzi. Then Trier to see the Porta Nigra and other late Roman remains before moving on to Reims to see the huge Cathedral again and also stumble on another huge Roman gate, two in one day!!
I hope to return to relaunch AB at the end of June. This month I must help my daughter move flats!

Refit 2011

For various reasons my departure from Brighton to Monfalcone was delayed this year. Plus I had finally decided to replace the 24yr old 2GM20 with a new Yanmar 3YM20. Three mechanics at Felton marine manhandled the iron lump into the back of my ten year old Saab on May 3rd but I did not get away on the Newhaven ferry till the 23rd! The rear springs were pretty low with all the other essential new junk as well. I had forgotten that the electric fan was kaput, it's so rarely needed in the UK, and the old bus was overheating on the autobahns although still hauling the Yanmar up the Bavarian hills at a respectable speed. However the contaminating water in the (unchanged for years!) hydraulic fluid boiled and I came to terminal rest in a service station several miles later, after having to pretend I was a rally driver (gearchanging without clutch). The German Automobile Club had me in a garage in Augsburg with impressive speed and the mechanic amazed me by immediately changing the fluid to get me going the same night. However it was not to be, and I spent two days in Augsburg, an interesting ancient town, while the master cylinder was rebuilt. Still we made it to Monfalcone on the fifth day!

I did not use the car again till the engine was sitting on the cockpit seat, just in case. My 99 euro bike form the local Mercatone Uno worked up an appetite for dinner every night. It was a bit of a struggle to undo the 25yr old rusted coupling plate nuts but I eventually managed it with a borrowed "monkey wrench". I also reglassed the engine bearers and rerouted the exhaust in the five days that the engine compartment was empty.The main sheet from a boom supported by the main halliard then lowered the new Yannie onto the carefully positioned new mounts. It was a pretty tight fit and my arms were rather bruised by the time all the ancilliaries and the exhaust were reconnected. May/June was wet too and the new engine wore oilskins during it's time in the cockpit.

Of course this meant that all the other jobs on the never ending refit list were still there. Including the necessary repair of a hole in the starboard float! I gradually came to the conclusion that by the time they were all done the sailing season would be over. So this is labelled the 25yr refit completion year. And Stella and I plan a fly drive holiday in southern Norway in mid July. The refit will recommence in the boatyard cauldron of August. There is a masochistic penitential element to boat maintenance which may appeal to my Catholic upbringing!


Summer/Autumn 2011

We did indeed enjoy a fly/drive trip round southern Norway in July accompanied by our daughter Louise. Picking up the hire car at Oslo airport we headed north to Trondheim and stayed in the maternity hospital! There was a mini heatwave and great light for photographing the Cathedral and all the wooden architecture. We continued to Alesund and Bergen and returned via Geilo to drop the car at the airport again, followed by three nights in Oslo, coinciding with the terrible events that summer. I visited the ship museum and gawped at the fragile boats Thor Heyerdahl crossed oceans in. I can recommend the healthy trip since you won't be able to afford any booze!!
I returned to Aqua Blue in August and indeed the boatyard was an ordeal for an Englishman. The temp varied between 83F overnight and 103F mid afternoon. Eventually I just sat under a tree with a bottle of water and a book from 3 to 5pm, till the sun hit the treetops. However useful work was done with two hatches rebuilt and refitted. The damage to the starboard float was repaired with epoxy and glass, not much hardener was needed! A tough looking crew were starting to dismantle an old wooden trawler nearby, I gave them some scrap metal!
I also returned in October, just as the temp plummeted, and the rain prompted me to fix more deckleaks and further improve the wiring. I also replaced the third, fourth and fifth of six slightly corroded forestay chainplate bolts, quite an undertaking crunched up in the foc'sle, since they've been done up tight for 36 years! I opened my scalp on a deckbolt and wondered what was running down my neck!! I also started reorganising the foredeck fittings to facilitate handling the ground tackle. We do a lot of anchoring, marinas do not welcome boats 25ft wide, and I prefer not to pay their prices! The Nautec staff are friendly and Karl is expediting an insurance claim for AB.

Comments [1]

11/23/2010, Adriatic

July/August 2010 Adriatic sailing.

Back to Brac.

I resumed the never ending refit of Aqua Blue at Nautec Marine, Monfalcone in late June. Stella later joined me and we reeved the last few halliards together before exiting the Timavo river into the Gulf of Trieste on the 8th July. We motor sailed to Pirano snapping away as we rounded the point, before anchoring off the customs sheds at Bernadino. One conceals a supermarket and there's a garage just behind. The other contained a temporary art exhibition. A bar and band ashore did not keep me awake!

In the morning we bussed round to Pirano to see the walls and cathedral, plus the best ever iced coffee in the very attractive town square. Back at Bernadino we peeked into the Chinese exhibition in the old salt warehouse. Then we motored past Portoroz (no anchoring!) and continued round the most northwesterly point of Istria to enter Croatia at Umag. Where we were shamelessly relieved of 1330Kuna for a cruising permit and 650kuna for tourist tax!! Leaving the customs quay we ignored the marina and picked up a council mooring. Stella cooked listening to a Polish trio and some Schubert, we didn't go ashore.

We were hailed in the morning by Lucian Comoy on a nearby yacht, who had been unable to rouse us the night before! Lucian maintains a sailing website for Croatia and gives advice via ybw.com pen name Metabarca. An Austrian cat with a lattice mast from Lepanto marina in Monfalcone was nearby too. I used the indispensible mast steps to refit the windicator before we set off south again in light free winds to Lon bay south of Rovinj. A few more jobs at anchor, then we headed ashore for the good walk round to the town, eating well in restaurant Delphin on the front. The basilica Sv Eufemia was open for a change, Stella was pleased to get in this time. Texts from our daughter who was gapping in Canada gave piece of mind as we enjoyed our separate travels.

We had the usual slight difficulty in raising the anchor in Lon Bay, not quite sure why, there'd been no wind overnight. We had to motorsail down past Pula to Kamenjack, the most southerly point of Istria. The light southwesterly held so I raised the gennaker and we drifted across to Unije, rounding the north point to anchor at the calm shallow head of Vognisca bay, just as the light was going.

After a leisurely start in this relaxing spot, we managed to reach up the west coast of Cres before the wind died to a very light southerly. Pausing briefly for a swimming lunch in Zaglav bay, we then motored across to Cres town to anchor south of the small port, well north of the marina. Had to pay 100 kuna for the privilige, but the sheltered bay was worth it! I managed to choose an indifferent restaurant but it's an interesting historic town, like so many in Croatia. Unusually for the Adriatic it was quite hot all night 80F, but we were now up in the Kvarner gulf, which has a bit of a reputation for summer heat and winter boras!

Ashore early we further explored the old town and stocked up, I couldn't resist buying fig and walnut jam, which Stella later managed to make at home in September! Recovering the anchor I briefly left the helm in reverse, forgetting the power of the Kiwi prop and nearly backed into another yacht! Won't do that again!! We motored north with a helpful current and rounded the top of Cres under a thunderstorm. Then managed to slowly sail south down the west coast of Krk to anchor in Torkul for the night.

I rose early for maintenance in the cool morning anchorage. Stella set of in the kayak to explore the shallows. At midday we motored round to Krk town to anchor in the east bay right under the impressive castle walls. We walked the historic town in the heat but the Basilica had shut at 1pm! We returned to the shade of the bimini and pottered round to Punat entrance which reminds me of Chichester harbour! Passing inside Kosljun island with the centreboard raised, we anchored and rowed ashore to visit the Franciscan monastery with it's museum and church. I particularly wanted to see the Ptolemaic atlas. It's a pleasant walk round the island. The temp was still 90F during dinner, we left Greece to get away from these temps! We also started the many episodes of "John Adams", the second President of the US.

Back to Krk town in the morning to re-anchor under the Frankish castle. Quickly ashore by the convenient steps and gate, we visited the Cathedral of the Assumption with it's Roman columns and 1478 silver altar. Also next door is the Church of St Quirinas. Brief shopping and much snapping, it's a photogenic place! By mid morning we were motoring south and continued to Rab, passing the four campaniles on the headland to anchor off Palit. After dinner onboard we walked over the headland to fashionable Rab town ( there are fast ferries from Rijeka), for iced coffee in an old Venetian loggia. The campaniles were open till 10pm.

We rose early and pottered round to Rab harbour and managed to get the 25ft wide tri onto the fuel quay. Persistence and patience is required to cope with the queue jumping! Four hours motoring took us to Silba where the northwesterly Maestral thankfully returned. Continuing under sail we rounded Ist and anchored at the head of the shallow bay, ignoring the field of moorings, allegedly provided because of poor holding. It was great to have the breeze back although it was still hot at 89F. After a late siesta we had great Maialino di Spiedini (spit roasted piglet), in a restaurant run by the harbourmaster. The Zadar ferry spends the night on the quay and we discussed taking it at 6am, maybe another year.

Mist in Ist, pouring through the deckhatch, greeted us in the morning, we could barely see the next boat! Quite unusual here, as confirmed by the restaurateur now in his day job uniform. It burned off by ten am though and we headed south under motor and then sail in a light westerly to reach Zut. Where you can anchor off the shore just east of the marina, although I resist taking a stern line ashore unless it's absolutely essential.

We motored southeast till the midday northwesterly allowed us to sail into Kakan island anchorage at Potkucina, for a swimming lunch. Later we reached over to Prvic to anchor off the Hotel Maestral, whose wifi we then used to skype with our daughter, currently in Montreal. Their restaurant also serves a good steak, it's one of my favorite spots in the Adriatic. An after dinner walk north across the island brought us to the harbour of Sepurine, past many tastefully converted old houses, some with Housemartin and even Swift nests. There was an old Piver tri in the harbour, it had obviously received lots of TLC. A very fresh northeasterly blew all night, I was thankful for the Rocna and chain, although on this multihull it's nylon after only 80ft !

In the still windy morning we ran downwind under genoa alone almost to Rogoznicas. After a light patch a fresh northwesterly returned and we continued east down to the Drevenik islands. Passing between them under now full sail we then reached north, with the heavy old bus touching 9 kts on the GPS before passing through the narrow entrance to Vinisce bay. Motoring up to the shallow end, I laid out 100ft in 10ft of water and slowly the wind started to go down. Restaurant Mastrinka served a very good Fegato under its thick green canopy.

At anchor all morning, Stella helped me to reseal various deck leaks before I rewired the fridge yet again, cool beer is essential! During the afternoon we drifted east along the north coast of Solta before a light southwesterly breeze, to anchor in Bobovisce on Brac. Our very shallow spot in the north arm was free, centreboards are so useful! Two teenagers turned up and asked for 67 kuna, we were surprised it wasn't 150!

At 7am Swallows were using the rigging to feed their young leading to much digital photography! We had to shoo the last few away as we exited the harbour. Commencing our clockwise circumnavigation of Brac we passed Sutivan to anchor outside the swimming beach buoys at Supetar. Stella set off in the dinghy to visit the Petrinovic mausoleum. Onboard I was surprised to receive an email from my brother in NZ, on the "free" Blackberry acquired via a Telegraph offer, although they seem to be available on the Vodaphone website too. With "Passport" the cost of staying in touch with worldwide family is acceptable. We continued to Splitska where the western arm is nearly all cordoned off for swimming, but we picked up a free buoy just north of the charming village in the eastern arm. Amazingly there were two Farrier tris here! The Dutch skipper of Skater the F31 told me he had spent two nights on the wall, and had trailed his tri from Holland to Zadar!!

The northwesterly arrived and blew straight into the port but it's tenable in good weather. We left though and motorsailed east to enter Pucisca, identifiable by the huge entrance quarry. The wide entrance channel nearly a mile long leads to a welcoming harbour surrounded by impressive architecture, all in the local white stone, made famous by the White House in Washington DC. Plenty of space on the north quay and water and electricity for a pricy 220 kuna/night. There were no other yachts on this wall though and only two in the inner harbour on 21st July! Nearby was an internet cafe and a post office, with an aircon supermarket at 100yds, very welcome in the current heatwave. We also had good meal on the terrace of restaurant Lada (means donkey apparently!). I rang NY to confirm the arrival of our daughter.

With Pucisca exceeding our expectations, we had a "day off" despite the cost of the second night on the wall. Stella even went back to work in the intcafe, before more sightseeing, but siesta beckoned in the late afternoon, it was 90F in the cabin with three fans on! Fortunately the harbour is clean enough to swim in. As the sun approached the rooftops, sightseeing recommenced. Pucisca was the highlight of our trip really, but the harbour is apparently very uncomfortable in a Bora, which blows very strongly in this area, so choose a settled period for a visit. I suspect that's why there are so few yachts here.

The following day we motored round to more sheltered Uvala Luka with it's restaurant, which was too crowded really. Nearby Povlja is another possible overnight stop, but this whole area is a Bora hotspot!. We then continued around the east end of Brac and motorsailed across the Hvarski canal to Vrboska on the north coast of Hvar. A forecast front made me decide against Jelsa which is open to the north, so we anchored on the soft sand in the open bay of Vrboska entrance. There was a still smoking burnt out gin palace on the beach!!

After a calm night the wx fcst prompted an early start. We motored over to photograph Bol and Zlatni Rat sandspit, but the frontal cloud ensured we continued tacking west, under cutter rig in the rising wind. Stella spotted the Hermitage monastery as we passed the Blaca anchorage, we'll revisit next year. We screeched through the gap between Brac and Solta, strangely finding no wind on the north side, although big thunderheads were building behind Split. Returning to Bobovisce we laid two anchors, inside a Polish Commanche cat. Another huge cat "Ocean's Seven" followed us in.

The strong overnight southwesterly started to abate in the morning and we accepted Maya the shop owners offer of a taxi ride to Supetar. Where we admired the church with it's mosaics and a font on a Roman capital. Strangely there was a new statue to Mother Theresa opened by Martin Sheen! The small harbour has limited space for yachts. We returned via Lovisce from where you can walk back down to Bobovisce. We ate in the small Konoba before returning to Aqua Blue's cabin for the penultimate John Adams, as the boat swung to a now rising northeasterly.

After a blustery night Aqua Blue was lying to the Fortress I had previously tossed into the shallows. After relaying the Rocna to the northeast as well we spent a lazy day really, just limited sightseeing and photography. Recovering both anchors the following morning we had a blast sailing across to the Kastelanski gulf where the wind immediately dropped and we just hove to in light rain for lunch! We then dropped anchor off mediaeval Kastel Gomilica just west of the huge marina that contains the charter yachts, to walk the occupied walls. We stopped again to visit Luksic which has two Kastels, one upgraded to a modern library and one still in private ownership where we were invited to tour the gardens. There's a sad story of two lovers, very Romeo and Juliet. Back onboard we motored past Kastels Stari and Novi, continuing west to anchor just east of Trogir bridge very close to the bus station.

In the calm hot morning of 28th July, we were soon ashore to visit the impressive cathedral which is now being extensively cleaned. There were the usual huge gin palaces on the fashionable quay. After a tour of the cloisters and more iced coffee in the heat, we returned to AB for Stella's bags and she conveniently took the bus (no 37) to "Split" airport, it's only 10mins form Trogir! I returned via the Konzum (supermarket) to an empty Aqua Blue to laze away the afternoon under the bimini. The friendly harbourmaster's lads in their RIB found me and relieved me of 150 Kuna, they're only doing their job and they remember the tri from year to year.

I was going to stay at Trogir doing maintenance, despite the cost, but on Fri 30th a rising easterly under frontal cloud made the anchorage uncomfortable. I recovered the Rocna with some difficulty singlehanded even with the helm operated windlass, since weed was jamming the hawse pipe necessitating trips to the foredeck, and later arrivals had reduced the manouvering room. I then tacked east under the self tacking staysail and reefed main, to anchor off Spinut north of Split, where I was later joined by several other yachts. We all swung around during two thunderstorms during which two yachts dragged. One unattended right into the locals pontoons although miraculously it missed various concrete blocks. Another yacht dragged his CQR right past AB and I emptied my gas foghorn awakening the sleeping German skipper, only feet from the rocky breakwater! He was grateful! I'd also laid our Fortress again in a "bahamian" moor. The gusts in the thunderstorms come from unpredictable directions.

The following morning the wind was fcst to return to the northwest, so I motored round and spent the weekend anchored in Split off Diocletians palace. Maintenace was combined with sightseeing. The old town is an incredible jumble of the Roman and mediaeval, most of it still occupied! Diocletian's mausoleum is being cleaned and now shows the white Brac stone. The view from the later campanile is worth the climb for the cool breeze and view.

Strangely on Monday morning the harbourmaster's launch arrived and ejected all twenty yachts at anchor. He must have shares in the marina!! I motored west into the gulf again and after a swimming lunch just west of Arbanija on Ciovo I re-anchored off Trogir bus station, just in time to collect Humphrey, who's been crewing on AB for most of thirty years!

We now needed to return north but first we had an increasingly fast sail to Vis, I'm fond of anchoring at Kut on the east side of the large harbour. Then we headed to Hvar, avoiding the very crowded town harbour and spending the night in what I call the "lagoon" at Marinkovac. Back to Vrboska we headed up the fjord like harbour, which has a very shallow quay on the north side, ideal for multihulls. My sister was holidaying on the island with her family and we spent the weekend on the quay, grateful for their hospitality. Humphrey also helped me renew two more saloon windows, I hope to make AB waterproof again!

On Monday 9th August we did set off north and had a good sail west to pass again between Brac and Solta. This time the the westerly increased further and we were well reefed in building seas by the time we reached Necujam, so diverted in to the large bay and anchored in one of the side coves. In lighter freeing winds we then managed to regain Prvic not least for the Hotel Maestral wifi which enabled us both to book our return flights from "Trieste" airport. The hotel would be a very good place to book in some less than keen sailing friends and Humphrey spotted that there were many swifts nesting under the eaves. Despite the late start next morning we had a good sail in a SW wind to Landin on Pasman, I enjoy sailing into the wide bay under the self tacking staysail to anchor past the buoys. We were still charged a modest 88 Kuna. The water was only 69F, a long cold winter apparently!

We then just drifted north in a very light westerly and picked up an early buoy in the north cove Lucina at Brbinj on Dugi Otok. There's a basic restaurant run by a matronly type who serves surprisingly good rump steaks, and our compliments to the chef finally produced a beaming smile. On Friday 13th August the fan belt snapped as we were passing Molat, although the Yanmar happily chugged along of course. We picked up a buoy in Mljake in the Prolaz Zapuntel channel and replaced it during a swimming lunch. Continuing in light airs we made the mooring buoys off Olib town in light rain, under a what I call a Spielberg sky, with distant lightning. Observing the trim of the boat I began to suspect there was water in the aft third of the stbd float. The supposedly epoxied inspection hatch will have to be removed.

We visited the castellated tower built as late as 1700 against Turkish pirates. Then a long slow sail closehauled in rain for the last two hours brought us back to Unije, although we picked up a buoy in Maracol this time. In fact it rained half the night, the north Adriatic often experiences european rather than mediterranean weather. We walked over the headland to the town on the south side, where some yachts do spend the night. A fresh southwesterly back in Maracol turned out to be just katabatic, round the north of the island we found we had to motorsail over a slop all the way to Medulin by only 3pm. So we rounded a very bumpy Kamenjack inside passage to anchor in the alarmingly coloured water of Paltana. Indifferent pizza ashore but great ice creams now we were back in Istria.

After a quiet night and a mild fcst we were surprised to find up to two metre seas and a NW5-6 outside. We reefed down and pressed north and were going well running along the very short seas, but we were not going to clear the Brijun islands and the offshore tack would have been grueling, so we turned right and shot into Pula, it was quite rough at the entrance. We managed the jybe round the sunken breakwater and shot into the large outer harbour with the seas breaking over the low wall to our right. Amazingly a large dolphin appeared swimming upside down under the bows, we were both in danger of breaking the harbour speed limit! The wind carried us right through the large outer and inner harbour to anchor off the boatyard, with the impressive amphitheatre in plain view, which we closely admired in the evening. Pula's another great spot for Roman remains, altho the harbour should not be swum in! The wind piped up again on our return to the boat and we were thankful the Honda was working, altho we got rather wet.

A light westerly allowed a slow sail to Porec to claim one of the last buoys off the marina. The ancient Basilica with it's mosaics is worth a visit, as is the mac only internet cafe! I considered taking the high speed wave piercing alloy cat Prince of Venice to that city for the day, but we continued to Umag to clear out of Croatia in 30mins. It's much quicker when you're not emptying your wallet! We continued round the headland to anchor off popply Bernardino in a southerly and revisited Pirano. Then we spent a night in the open anchorage off Koper which was a new and interesting stop, being Kapodistria a Venetian administrative centre for over 700 years, with again impressive architecture.

The midday Maestral ensured departure and we spent one night anchored in Monfalcone commercial harbour just outside Hannibal marina, whose good restaurant we made use of. We attempted the same the following night but the coastguard, who keep their boats in Hannibal, evicted us. Fortunately there was a spare berth on the Lega Navale pontoons, with another good restaurant in more modest surroundings. I didn't appreciate being evicted from both Monfalcone and Split anchorages, I hope this isn't going to spread!!

However on Sunday evening the 22nd August we were welcomed back into Nautec marina back up the Timavo river by Karl the Austrian manager. His friendly staff had craned out AB within 48hrs and there she rests for another winter.

Comments [1]