The Spinnaker is UP!

With Simon & Noelia on board we head north and sailed to the island of Ist. The rain and thundery skies have eased, so we set out to walk the steep path to the church, right on top of the island. Simon has done this walk before, a few years back and is keen for us to see the great views from the top. The climb is easier than it looks and the 360 deg. views are worth the effort. Pizzas are cooked on the BBQ for dinner and our guests are impressed with what out little Magma BBQ can churn out! The next day the sails are hoisted and we aim for Silba Island. We sail into a small bay and soon realize that it is full of newly laid buoys. We pick up a buoy where we will have lunch and depending on the cost of the buoy, whether we will stay here overnight. We are soon approached by a friendly local in his dinghy and told that the buoys are nearly $50 AUD for the night, with the first hour gratis! We are blown away by the charge as there is nothing on offer in the bay apart from beautiful clean water, perfect for swimming. So we use our free hour for lunch and check the Pilot Guide. We discover that there is a bay just round the corner, that is a possibility for anchoring. It is a narrow bay but with Simon's help we are able to anchor and tie back to a tree onshore. The water is beautiful and clear and we all enjoy an afternoon swim. That night we have the whole bay selves, as it is not mentioned in the Pilot book so undiscovered by charter fleets and best of all, it is free!
The following day we sail to the island of Ilovik and this time pick up a buoy, as there is not much room to swing on anchor. It is a very pretty area-a sheltered stretch of water between two islands. We anchor outside the village and Simon & Noelia are able to get the bikes onshore and enjoy a ride on the island. The bay is full of yachts from Italy, as this group of island is a stopping off point for many boats sailing over to Croatia from the east coast of Italy, for the summer. As it turns out it is relatively inexpensive to pick up a buoy -only $30, but worth it for the proximity to the village and the attractive area.
From this island we begin to head south as we have to get our guests back to Zadar for their flight home the next evening. The winds are in our favour for a spinnaker run to Iz Island just west of Zadar. So the spinnaker is dragged out, from where it has been buried since last season and lines are set. Much to Simon and the skipper's delight we are able to carry it for the whole 20nm to the anchorage of Knez. We enjoy a delicious dinner out for our last evening together at restaurant Babaroni's overlooking the bay. The next morning Noelia enjoys her final swim in Croatia before we motor round to Suntamisca Bay on Uglijan Island. From here Noelia and Simon can catch a ferry over to the main port of Zadar and make their way to the airport. We have enjoyed a wonderful week together on board, with perfect weather for sailing and swimming.