Sailing in Croatia June 2010

Stan and I had a week's sailing out of Split. Jane unfortunately had to stay behind to visit her sister Julia, who was ill at the time, in a London hospital, (happily now well on the way to recovery).

We chartered a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32i from Sail Croatia out of Marina Kaštela - a new marina, situated on the South-East shores of Kaštela bay (the Kozjak mountain are to the North and the Marjan and Čiovo peninsulas lay to the south). We spent this first night in port and the first day's sailing got us into the marina at S. Klement, on the Paklina Islands, just off the southern coast of the Island of Hvar, but not before we anchored, for lunch, in a little bay not far from Milna (next bay north, the nearest settlement being Lozisca, I think). All in all about 21 nm. Dinner that night was at the marina's 'Captain's Club'.

The weather forecast for next day was poor - the Bora, (in Croatian 'Bura'), was predicted - northerly / north easterly winds with rain. We went by water taxi into Hvar - about 10 minutes. Hvar (it's Croatian name actually descends from the Greek - Phare ... for lighthouse), is delightful. A harbour and quayside around it opens into a square leading to a market. Atop of the first significant summit is the fort. All of this we strolled around, enjoying a relaxing day. At lunch we found a slightly off the beaten track restaurant and had a John Dory between us, served with a chilled white wine and green salad - whilst seated in a courtyard.

The next day we set off to sail along the southern coast of Brač and headed for the town of Bol on Brač. We didn't sail at the beginning ... instead we were motoring in rain ... a quite chilly, wet start. After about two hours we rounded Hvar and could see Brač. After rounding the headland under which sits Sućuraj, we tried sailing. It was slow work, (about 15 nm) and by the time we had moored on the town quay at Bol things had improved, but we were hungry, and moored up and went to find lunch - whereupon we discovered a small restaurant, away from the front, not charming but pleasant enough and sat out in a shaded courtyard under a loggia of virginia creeper. Here we had sardines and a green salad, and a bowl of french fries ... quite wonderful (but we were hungry, and as Stan says - it's hard to ruin sardines!). By the time we got back to the front and the boat it was obvious that if we stayed it was going to be a very choppy night, so at 1600 hours as it was then, we cast off and made for Vrboska (another 5 nm).

Vrboska lies in a picturesque cove at the end of a deep, wooded bay on the north side of the island of Hvar. It is surrounded with pinewood forest and houses rising on both shores of a channel spanned by several small bridges
over the small river that flows into a narrow channel extending out to sea. We explored the town, walking up towards the interior of the island, alongside the small river/stream, then, at 18.15, searched for recommended restaurant, found it and had a substantial meal - 'Plato Lado' - which seemed to have every kind of meat on it and then went down to the quayside to have dessert and a coffee. We liked it here.


We left in the morning, a clear day but with poor winds, motored out into the Hvarski Kanal, heading east, then turning north, into the Brač Kanal. Once here we sailed until we reached the quarry on the head of the bay that took us into Pučišća. The town is at the furthest end of a deep bay that divides into two other smaller bays named Stipanska Luka and Puciski Dolac. The town has its own harbour - split into moorings for ferries and the bigger visitors on the northern quay and small yachts then small fishing boats on the south side of town, near the church. The town buildings are well made, charming and constructed from the beautiful distinctive white stone, quarried at the head of the bay as Pucisca is famous for is it's stone and carving. The three nearby quarries (Punta, Veselje, and Kupinovo) have produced stone that has been used in Diocletian's Palace in Split as well as reputedly The White House, Washington D.C.
Stan and I thought quite a lot of the place, and enjoyed a walk out to the headland on the north side, where we passed through beautiful conifers as we strolled on a track alongside the isolated bay. We struck lucky too, seeing a red backed shrike!

Milna was going to be our final overnight whilst at sea, (estimated 18 nm distance). The bay of Milna is the safest and best harbour on the island of Brac. The ACI marina facilities were across the small bay from the main town quay where we were directed to tie up. We ate at
Konoba Dupini, and enjoyed the service. In the morning we sailed off north, heading towards Trogir, aiming to anchor for lunch in one of the easterly bays, after which our plan was to get into Marina Kaštela by about 4pm - done. Last night on the boat after dinner in the local restaurant. After checking out the yacht we took a taxi into Split and left our kit in Stan's overnight accommodation and walked through the old town, taking in Diocletian's palace and lunch. Then I left for the airport bus and home, leaving Stan with another day in Split. A good holiday and with the idea that next year we would sail out of Split and leave the boat in Dubrovnik.

In anticipation of next year here are some words / phrases I need to learn ...
English - Croatian
Hello - Halo
How are you? - Kako si?
Good morning - Dobro jutro!
Good day - Dobar dan
Good evening - Dobra vecer
Good night - Laku noc
Good-bye - Do videnja
Please - Molim
Thank you - Hvala
Pardon me - Oprostite mi
Yes - Da
No - Ne (almost as in The Knights of Ni!)
I - Ja
You - Ti
We - Mi
What? - Sto?
Where? - Gdje?
When? - Kad?
How? - Kako
Here - Tu
There - Tamo
Good - Dobro
Bad - Lose
I like it - Ja to volim
I don’t like it - Ja to ne volim
Help - Pomoc
Do you speak English? - Da il govorite Engleski?
Bread - Kruh
Fish - Riba
Salad - Salata
Wine - Vino
Beer - Pivo
Apartment - Stan
House - Kuca