Taking You Sailing in Croatia

Written 30th July as a separate piece to send with photos for the OCC newsletter and possibly one or two Sailing magazines.......

16 knots of W breeze with occasional swings to the N, a magnificent deep azure sea with patches of white foam breaking on the waves, a cloudless sky with a hazy coastline in the distance and we are SAILING!

It was a perfect morning in our anchorage at Otok Zirje where I had swum a stern line to the rocks on the shore the previous evening.  I put on my "adventure" sandals, bought especially for this purpose, and climbed down the swim ladder into the crystal clear water.  There were no waves breaking over the rocks as there had been last night and it was easier to gain a foothold on the rocky ledge, taking care not to step on the black spikes of the sea urchins.  The line was around a branch of a a pine tree and the scent from the trees was fragrant in the crisp early morning breeze.  My perfect "bowline" had held firm through the night and once Bob had released the line at the other end, the knot was easy to undo.  Sometimes I hang onto the end of the line as Bob pulls me to the stern of the boat, but this morning's breeze had freshened, taking Kinabalu closer to the shore so Bob motored out a little while I gingerly made my way along the rocky shore.

The fishermen had left much earlier, pulling up their grappling anchor by hand and smiling as they anticipated their day's catch.  We've enjoyed the local fish but found them to be small with little flesh.  Mostly caught in nets, it's possible the fish are too young or perhaps it's just that the fish in Adriatic waters are small!  The other yachts and motor boat in the tiny bay were just wakening and the "naturists" preparing for their early morning dip ;)

I swam back to the boat, savouring the luxury of swimming in such beautiful clear water, and once aboard we were preparing to weigh anchor.  We drank our warm lemon juice "on the move" and were very soon "under way".  The larger bay with laid moorings was quite crowded and late arrivals had anchored stern to with lines ashore.  One yacht was anchored quite a distance out, appearing to have arrived and put down their anchor just where they stopped, without having given much thought to the prevailing breeze or to what might happen during the night.  But all was well for there had been very little breeze or movement during the night.  Very different to the night we had spent in Portoroz with the "bora" NE Force 8, whistling in our ears and providing a perpetual rocking motion which one very quickly becomes accustomed to.

We will check out of Croatia when we arrive at Otok VIS, one of Croatia's most westerly inhabited islands.  The wind is increasing as I write and we could have 20 knots from the W with SOG (speed over ground) of up to 8 knots.  Truly exhiliarating and Bob is continually tweaking the sails for absolute top peak performance.  As I look out to sea from the cockpity where I write, the numbers of yachts under sail that can been seen, has diminished, some perhaps seeking shelter at the shore, leaving those die-hard yachtsmen (or women!) to enjoy the challenge of the wind and the waves.  A beautiful varnished cutter-rigged sloop under full sail is to leeward of us and looking magnificent as she catches the sun on her sails.  She is large and faster than Kinabalu, but we might get a closer look as we seem to be on a convergent course heading for VIS (Lady Angelica III - Italian flag).  It's hard to imagine where everyone is headed as there are yachts all around us on different points of sail.  Where will they be as the sun sets and the full moon is high in the sky?  Will they have, like us, taken up a mooring, will they be lying at anchor, swinging freely, or anchored stern to a quay in a small fishing harbour, or will they have sought refuge in one of the many marinas which provide power and water and all facilities?  Will they enjoy an "arrival drink" as we do on Kinabalu and settle down to a candle-lit meal, or will they dinghy into one of the tinuy local restaurants on the islands for a fabulous meal of freshly caught fish, home grown vegetables and a carafe of local wine?

The fabulous fish restaurant "Picolo" in the Kornati Islands

Small fishing harbour - Kornati Islands

A trek to the top overlooking a small fishing harbour  - Kornati Islands

Berthed stern to outside Picolo Restaurant