Arriving in Cavtat the southernmost town in Croatia we were warned not to anchor rather to proceed directly to the customs dock to check-in with the authorities. This small event probably set the positive tone for our cruise in Croatia. Before departing Montenegro I was totally bummed to read all the disparaging remarks about cruising Croatia on the Noonsite website. All five posts were exceptionally negative, all revolving around the money hungry nature of the people and the nasty authorities that were supposedly quick to fine cruisers for contravening the smallest rules. One such complaint involved the police in Cavtat.

While slightly annoyed with the 'barker' atmosphere in front of the restaurants and tourist shops, we have encountered none of the larger problems. Yes, it is an expensive place...a summer waterfront Disneyland packed full of tourists with the locals trying to make a year's living in the short two month high season. Yes, you have to pay to anchor in a few anchorages, notably Dubrovnik and Korcula, yes the food is mediocre compared to Italy and you don't feel the innate goodwill you feel in Italy, but the cruising grounds are stunning, the marine facilities first rate and the weather has been generally quite good this last week of June.

We met up with our friends Richard Spindlar and Donia de Mallorca in Dubrovnik for a week's sail north thru the islands to Split. Richard's comment after seeing the incredible number of anchorages and beautiful seaside towns was you could take a month to do this one week cruise. No problem. We decided to do it again next year! Richard brought his drone and took some stunning photos. I was a little apprehensive about how the drone might be received especially flying off of a US flagged boat ☺ but he was careful not to fly it too close to people and was aware of not intruding on their space, and the people that did notice it seemed entertained as they pointed it out to their friends and watched the drone do its thing. The seabirds were also fascinated and alternated between squawking and shadowing it. Please take a look at the interesting arial perspective of the photos in the adjacent gallery.

That first night in Dubrovnik was the closest I have come to ending up on a lee shore... in this case the rocky breakwater protecting the harbor of the old town. When the wind did a 180 and started to blow out of the south we assessed the situation and I felt confident in our chain and the set of our 55 kg Rocna anchor. Confident but I took the ipad with Escapade tracking on the Navionics chart down to bed with me. I checked it occasionally then fell fast asleep. Waking from a sound sleep with a start I looked over at the ipad and quickly saw the long straight track that indicated we were dragging. Springing out of bed I ran up the companionway and out into the cockpit to see the breakwater right behind us! I started both engines and called out for everyone to come on deck. Richard took the controls and slowly motored forward as Debbie operated the windlass and I removed the bridle. We then could see that the wind had increased considerably and decided to go to Plan B which was to motor across the channel and anchor behind the island of Lokrum. Once we passed the mile or so to the lee of Lokrum we could see that not only was there little protection as the wind blew around both sides of the island, but the water was 35 meters deep. Plan C became a midnight sail to the 10 mile distant Kolocep where we anchored a respectable distance offshore in an open roadstead and slept until dawn.

Shortly after dawn we struck out for the day's intended destination, Sipanska Luka, on the island of Sipan. Since we were already halfway there we arrived well before noon and enjoyed the day on the SUP's, swimming, droning and laying about in the placid waters of the most protected anchorage of the Kolocep Kanal. Some time in mid afternoon Richard and Donia went ashore to rent bicycles. I thought we had had plenty of activity for one day after the abbreviated sleep of the previous night but Debbie and I dutifully hauled our trusty bikes ashore and we all started out for the other end of the island hoping to find a decent sized market. Sipan is wonderfully rural and typically Mediterranean with fields of olive trees and rows of vines interspersed with stone ruins that have stood for centuries. It was hot and we crossed paths with two young women 40 years our junior who were pushing their bikes back up the hill toward us. That was the second warning sign, hard on the heels of the very hot climb we had to make on the way out of Sipanska-Luka. Pressing on I think we all enjoyed the ride but it was obvious that Debbie and I had been doing more riding and were riding bikes that fit us properly as we arrived first at the S end of the island.

Debbie went on ahead to scout out a grocery store while I waited a short while for Donia and then Richard to show up. Descending a small hill into the village the road became narrower and narrower until it was no more than a footpath. As we came out into the town square I could see the waterfront with a few moored charter boats and the ferry from Dubrovnik. Meanwhile Debbie had found a grocery store, but no main courses nor much of what we needed. After a look around Donia and Richard found a local taxi willing to take them and their bicycles back to the barn. After a welcome rest in the shade and a bottle of water Debbie and I had a very nice albeit leisurely ride back to Sipanska-Luka.

We had heard that the walled town of Korcula on Korcula island was a beautiful miniature version of Dubrovnik and I was keen to see it. Serendipitously that morning we had received an email response from Andrew Vik a young San Franciscan who has cruised the islands for 7 or 8 years. He suggested a couple of stops on the western end of Mljet lying halfway to Korcula. Since we're not on a schedule of any kind we worked our way through the smaller offshore islands into Polace...I'll let the photos attest to the beautiful anchorages and deep deep blue waters of this very special area. After stopping for lunch, a swim and a dinghy ride ashore for Donia and Debbie to find some supplies we headed around the western tip of the island to Pomena where Andrew assured us we would find even better restaurants. Navigating a narrow pass into town we were waved to the quai of each restaurant we passed. A dangerous thought, I thought. Once on their quai we would be obligated to eat there....what if we chose the wrong quai? Hands down Richard and I were leaning toward the young blond in the black dress who beckoned us to her restaurant...what to do?

Overcoming our natural tendency to take her up on her generous offer we proceeded to anchor out surmising that not only could we then choose the restaurant more on the merits of its food, but it would be cooler sleeping at anchor and anyway we were all ready for a swim and to go boarding. Dinner on the boat turned out to be a better alternative and we will have to wait for our trip back down thru the islands in August to choose a restaurant. By then there will not be a chance to tie up to the quai with the hordes of boats that descend on these islands the last half of July and all of August.

The old Benedictine monastery on the island of Badija and shortly thereafter the arrival at Korcula itself gave us tremendous photo ops, especially for Richard and his drone. From the angle of the arial shots you can see down thru the translucent waters and see the rocky peninsula supporting the old city of Korcula. Stunning, as is the city itself. Indescribable little alleyways filled with shops, restaurants and bars. The whole of the eastern escarpment of the city is lined with restaurant terraces where you eat overlooking the sea. Not to be missed! (At least not in June).

The next morning we sailed over to Borovo Uvala on Scedro for lunch as we worked our way west and north to the Pakleni Otoci. Ho hum, just another of the most beautiful anchorages on the planet! Certainly too small for Escapade to spend the night but with a series of small bollards and rings on the shore you can see how the smaller monohulls anchor in a row with fenders between them and the sterns tied to shore, a common occurrence here in the Med.

We explored most of the anchorages on the S side of Pakleni Otoci and were surprised to see only a few boats in each cove and fifty or more boats packed into moorings in one mid-size cove. As we entered Uvala Vinogradisce we could see the reason for all the action: bars and discos lining the shore. When did we change? When did we stop wanting to go to where it was 'happening" and start preferring going to places that are peaceful and remote?!

Certainly the next day we arrived at the 'center of where it is all happening' for the masses of pink (and sometimes scarlet) young people that flock to the "nightlife tours" and "yacht weeks" that go from hot spot to hot spot each night, Hvar. If you are reading this and you're under 30 years old and if it's summertime and you can get to Croatia - Hvar is the place to be! Hvar is the kind of place where you learn how to drink. You can drink on the boat or at the beach clubs all afternoon, nap in the early evening and hit it hard for the second time as the sun slips over the horizon. Pace yourself the second time because clubs such as the Hula Club and the like pump it out all night long! How do I know? Because Debbie told me...she doesn't sleep with earplugs like I do!

The week was too short and we missed so many wonderful anchorages we will have to do it again. Indeed, in Korcula we met Peter and Lisa cruising on their Nauticat 33 they had purchased 7 or 8 years ago with the idea to cruise the Med and then sail it back home to Sausalito. All these years later and they have not left Croatia... As they said, there are 1,100 islands to explore.

The next day we sailed up to the beautiful seaside town of Milna toured thru the harbor then anchored out for lunch and a swim and later sailed over to Split for our penultimate evening with Richard and Donia. The large city of Split wasn't calling me but when Debbie and I went into town looking for Richard and Donia later that night we were very pleasantly surprised by the beautiful old town built in and around the palace of Diocletians dating back to the fourth century AD and pictured on the reverse side of the Croation 500 Kuna note. This is reportedly the best preserved monument of Roman architecture anywhere in the world.

When arriving or departing Split by air the best place to meet your boating friends is in Trogir the UNESCO heritage site just to the west of the Split airport and yet another fabulous place to see.