Time to relaunch the Escapade after a busy off-season of upgrades. Croatia has only one company that works with Corian and they agreed to fabricate and install new countertops for the owner's head and the galley. They are beautiful, white in the galley and an icy grey in the head, both with molded-in sinks for ease of cleaning. This is one of the few times that we get to have something that enhances our everyday life onboard for our maintenance money. A new propeller, for exampe, is very nice but countertops and plumbing fixtures that you touch and use everyday are a real treat. And both heads and the galley have new Hans Grohe fixtures throughout. Amazing how this has changed the look and feel of the boat.

Escapade also has new silver stripes on her newly buffed out hull and a complete set of cockpit canvas by local sailmaker Vedran Rozic of Hyde Sails who did a particularly nice job on the geometrically difficult helm station covers.

While there are a number of very fine craftsmen in the area you do have to beware of the work in the boatyard - they managed to launch our boat without replacing the hull zincs which only came to everyone's attention when seawater started pouring into the engine rooms. Getting the proper zincs installed was like pulling teeth. Also, the absolute worst varnish work you can imagine - looks like it was brushed on with a broom - I guess the local Gulets and swarms of charter boats don't really care about quality. It's a shame because the yard itself is fabulous, only about 3 years old and boasting 100 ton and 300 ton travel lifts and a hydraulic trailer for moving the boats around efficiently. The grounds are covered in cement and it is all quite central to the ancient city of Trogir. But beware of the prices of the marina berthing - astronomical!