Northern and Central Dalmatia with Julie and Alan
Otočić Žminjak 24NM, 4.5hrs
Tuesday May 16
Dobrodošli Julie and Alan! Welcome to Loch Fyne Lass.
We met up with our next guests Tuesday morning at the Zadar fresh markets where we drank coffee and replenished food stocks. We departed Zadar around 1230hrs in strong and gusty winds and had a rough sail to Zminjak. (A strong NE wind was predicted for the night the Captain modified our plans rather then going further south to Murter). The restaurant owner was waiting at the end of the jetty to help us moor up, and as it's free to moor if you eat in the restaurant we booked dinner for 7pm and agreed to have the baked squid he recommended. It was the most sensational, tender, delicious baked squid I'd ever tasted (if not the only), but it would wanna be though for the price it was! After gratis grappa we returned to the boat and Žminjak provided a magnificent sunset.
Click images to enlarge
Dobrodošli Julie and Alan! Welcome to Loch Fyne Lass.
We met up with our next guests Tuesday morning at the Zadar fresh markets where we drank coffee and replenished food stocks. We departed Zadar around 1230hrs in strong and gusty winds and had a rough sail to Zminjak. (A strong NE wind was predicted for the night the Captain modified our plans rather then going further south to Murter). The restaurant owner was waiting at the end of the jetty to help us moor up, and as it's free to moor if you eat in the restaurant we booked dinner for 7pm and agreed to have the baked squid he recommended. It was the most sensational, tender, delicious baked squid I'd ever tasted (if not the only), but it would wanna be though for the price it was! After gratis grappa we returned to the boat and Žminjak provided a magnificent sunset.
Click images to enlarge
Skradin 25.5NM, 5hrs
Wednesday May 17 - Thursday May 18
Wednesday we returned to Skradin, closest town to the Krka National Park which lies within Šibenik-Knin County. Alan cooked fresh fish on the BBQ, bought from the Zadar ribarnica (fish market). Sensational!
Thursday Julie, Colin and I headed to the waterfalls while Alan relaxed in town. Krka National Park is known for a series of 7 waterfalls. In the south Skradinski Buk waterfall is flanked by traditional watermills that date back to the 19th century.
On the boat to the park we met participants of a ten boat sailing adventure with "Oceans of Hope", a non-profit organisation providing adaptive ocean sport opportunities to individuals with limited mobility, on this adventure specifically Multiple Sclerosis. One woman said it was the best thing she's ever done and she's already signed up for next year's challenge!
Friday morning Alan cooked up an amazing omelette flavoured with truffle paste. He's definitely got the job! While our poor cooks also cleaned up, Colin and I took the dinghy to get close-ups of a mother swan with cygnets. We went as close as we could without disturbing her, that is until she hissed at us. I never tire of seeing these magnificent, graceful creatures, and seeing one with cygnets was such a treat. She made the strangest noise to call her babies, like the bark of a dog.
Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge
Thursday Julie, Colin and I headed to the waterfalls while Alan relaxed in town. Krka National Park is known for a series of 7 waterfalls. In the south Skradinski Buk waterfall is flanked by traditional watermills that date back to the 19th century.
On the boat to the park we met participants of a ten boat sailing adventure with "Oceans of Hope", a non-profit organisation providing adaptive ocean sport opportunities to individuals with limited mobility, on this adventure specifically Multiple Sclerosis. One woman said it was the best thing she's ever done and she's already signed up for next year's challenge!
Friday morning Alan cooked up an amazing omelette flavoured with truffle paste. He's definitely got the job! While our poor cooks also cleaned up, Colin and I took the dinghy to get close-ups of a mother swan with cygnets. We went as close as we could without disturbing her, that is until she hissed at us. I never tire of seeing these magnificent, graceful creatures, and seeing one with cygnets was such a treat. She made the strangest noise to call her babies, like the bark of a dog.
Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge
Uvala Mirine (Oštrica Peninsula) via Šibenik 15.5NM, 4.5hrs
Friday May 19
We stopped for two hours gratis in Šibenik (any longer would have cost AUD$76), the third-largest city in the historic region of Dalmatia and the oldest native Croatian town on the coast. It was long enough to check out the beautiful old city and make our way through the paved streets and passages to the Cathedral of St. James and the Castle of Saint Michael.
Although the medieval underground cistern (used for water storage) has been restored it was not open to the public, though through the information centre Julie and Alan were able to find a cafe that is actually located in it. The waiter was upstairs on the sidewalk with his customers, but he happily led us down the stairs and made us coffee while we explored. This funky cafe bar is in a state of being made into a kind of cafe museum with relics from the past and models of workers from the era. There was also an impressive sound system and an atmospheric live music room, and lots of old ceramic olive oil vats as well as more 'modern' decor like old 45 singles.
After leaving Šibenik we travelled onwards to Uvala Marine (Marine Cove) on the Oštrica peninsula where a medieval defence wall still stands. The wall is called “BEDEM” – meaning "defensive, protective wall" in Croatian. It is 10 meters high and about 1 meter wide running across the entire narrow neck of the Oštrica peninsula. It is said to have been built to protect the town of Grebaštica (on the other side of the peninsula) from the Turks and later, in the time of the plague, to separate the sick from the healthy.
Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge
We stopped for two hours gratis in Šibenik (any longer would have cost AUD$76), the third-largest city in the historic region of Dalmatia and the oldest native Croatian town on the coast. It was long enough to check out the beautiful old city and make our way through the paved streets and passages to the Cathedral of St. James and the Castle of Saint Michael.
Although the medieval underground cistern (used for water storage) has been restored it was not open to the public, though through the information centre Julie and Alan were able to find a cafe that is actually located in it. The waiter was upstairs on the sidewalk with his customers, but he happily led us down the stairs and made us coffee while we explored. This funky cafe bar is in a state of being made into a kind of cafe museum with relics from the past and models of workers from the era. There was also an impressive sound system and an atmospheric live music room, and lots of old ceramic olive oil vats as well as more 'modern' decor like old 45 singles.
After leaving Šibenik we travelled onwards to Uvala Marine (Marine Cove) on the Oštrica peninsula where a medieval defence wall still stands. The wall is called “BEDEM” – meaning "defensive, protective wall" in Croatian. It is 10 meters high and about 1 meter wide running across the entire narrow neck of the Oštrica peninsula. It is said to have been built to protect the town of Grebaštica (on the other side of the peninsula) from the Turks and later, in the time of the plague, to separate the sick from the healthy.
Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge
Primošten 5.5NM, 1.5hrs
Saturday May 20th
The picturesque town of Primošten occupies what was once a little islet just off the coast. During the Turkish invasions in 1542 the islet was fortified with walls and towers and was connected to the mainland by a draw bridge. When the Turks retreated the draw bridge was replaced by the causeway, and in 1564 the settlement was named Primošten after the Croatian verb primostiti (to bridge).
The sky was dark and moody when we arrived and we were rocking and rolling on the mooring ball we picked up, so we decided to go into the jetty for the night. The AUD$78 fee included power and glorious hot showers! The mooring ball would have cost AUD$50 so we thought it well worth the upgrade. We went exploring the town then got spruced up for dinner in one of the region's best restaurants, Mediteran. The food was sensational, and the olive oil was so good (made by the chef himself) that we bought a bottle to take with us. |
Although the restaurant prices were reasonable, for the first time since being in Croatia (in fact ever) there was a cover charge on the bill for "set-up", i.e. just for sitting down! Not insignificant either at $8.
After dinner, and under the influence of Cointreau, Colin taught Alan his dance to the Paul Simon song "You can call me Al". This was not a random act. Alan is to do a wedding dance to that song with his daughter next month and he doesn't know how to dance! A skipper from another boat (highly amused I believe) filmed us, so you can judge the dancing for yourself. |
Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge
Split 29.5NM, 5hrs
Sunday May 21
Although it was still stormy and windy we left the comfort of the jetty and departed for Split to get there at a reasonable hour. The seas were rough, at times gusting up to 30kns, but we made it safely and arrived at 1600hrs.
Split is the second-largest city in Croatia, taking its name from the spiny Broom shrub that is common in the area. It's an incredibly beautiful city where you can step inside Diocletian's Palace, which is not just one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence but also the living centre of Split, its narrow maze of streets alive with cafes, restaurants and bars It stylishly blends the traditional with the modern and uses up every available space! With the coastal mountain backdrop and the buzzing Riva (seafront) it really is a magical place to be.
The opulent and heavily fortified palace was built for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD. It covers 31,000 sq. meters and directly fronts the sea so as to allow its occupants to escape by that means if necessary in an era plagued by civil wars.
I saw a crescent moon in the wee hours of the morning. It was Al descending the stairs backwards after securing the banging halyard. I was coming out of the loo when I was confronted by this moon and I said "That's a nice site" and he said "It is isn't it?".
Click images to enlarge
Although it was still stormy and windy we left the comfort of the jetty and departed for Split to get there at a reasonable hour. The seas were rough, at times gusting up to 30kns, but we made it safely and arrived at 1600hrs.
Split is the second-largest city in Croatia, taking its name from the spiny Broom shrub that is common in the area. It's an incredibly beautiful city where you can step inside Diocletian's Palace, which is not just one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence but also the living centre of Split, its narrow maze of streets alive with cafes, restaurants and bars It stylishly blends the traditional with the modern and uses up every available space! With the coastal mountain backdrop and the buzzing Riva (seafront) it really is a magical place to be.
The opulent and heavily fortified palace was built for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD. It covers 31,000 sq. meters and directly fronts the sea so as to allow its occupants to escape by that means if necessary in an era plagued by civil wars.
I saw a crescent moon in the wee hours of the morning. It was Al descending the stairs backwards after securing the banging halyard. I was coming out of the loo when I was confronted by this moon and I said "That's a nice site" and he said "It is isn't it?".
Click images to enlarge
Trogir 8NM, 2hrs
Monday May 22
Interesting negotiations this afternoon in Split. Colin slightly overestimated how big a dingy we needed and ordered a 3.5m, but when he collected and assembled it this morning (after waiting over a month for it) it was clear you couldn't get to the bow when it was placed on the foredeck. He insisted the next size down (3.1m) would be okay so I had to assert my authority as an owner and first mate and get in a third party (Al) to negotiate on my behalf. Of course coming from a bloke it made sense to Colin, so we settled on a 2.7m. We placed an order (none in stock) and left for Trogir before having to pay for another night. The historic city of Trogir is situated on a small island between the Croatian mainland and the island of Čiovo. It's a stunning little town set within medieval walls and unique for its profuse collection of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture. Photos by Nic and Colin. Click images to enlarge |
Otok Brač
Uvala Stipanska 15NM, 3hrs
Tuesday May 23
Leaving the mainland for the island of Brač we anchored in Stipanska for the night. This quiet little cove has a 300 year old house that used to be a wine cellar and oil mill. At one point it was converted into a guest house but it is now in a state of disrepair.
Charter boat "Barba" dominated the cove, with staff busy getting it ready for the season after it had spent the winter here.
Click images to enlarge
Tuesday May 23
Leaving the mainland for the island of Brač we anchored in Stipanska for the night. This quiet little cove has a 300 year old house that used to be a wine cellar and oil mill. At one point it was converted into a guest house but it is now in a state of disrepair.
Charter boat "Barba" dominated the cove, with staff busy getting it ready for the season after it had spent the winter here.
Click images to enlarge
Bobovišća na Moru 1.5NM, 1hr
Wednesday May 24
Bobovišća is a Mediterranean fishing village featuring a castle fortress of the 18th century which is now a residential mansion. Building started on the castle in the 17th century with the primary purpose of defending the land and the goods from the pirates. Built in authentic Dalmatian baroque style it has been proclaimed as Croatian national and cultural heritage.
Click images to enlarge
Wednesday May 24
Bobovišća is a Mediterranean fishing village featuring a castle fortress of the 18th century which is now a residential mansion. Building started on the castle in the 17th century with the primary purpose of defending the land and the goods from the pirates. Built in authentic Dalmatian baroque style it has been proclaimed as Croatian national and cultural heritage.
Click images to enlarge
Milna 1.5NM, 1.5hrs
Thursday May 25
We tried anchoring in the lively old harbour of Milna, as our updated 2008/2009 cruising guide said we could, and barely had the anchor over the bow roller when we heard a loud whistle and a man waving and shouting "Go away!". We quickly retracted the anchor and backed up to the town pier where we could stay for a couple of hours for free.
Milna was attacked during the Battle of the Dalmatian channels in November 1991, the only settlement on Brač that has been directly attacked during the Croatian War of Independence. Many ruins remain from the bombing.
Click images to enlarge
Thursday May 25
We tried anchoring in the lively old harbour of Milna, as our updated 2008/2009 cruising guide said we could, and barely had the anchor over the bow roller when we heard a loud whistle and a man waving and shouting "Go away!". We quickly retracted the anchor and backed up to the town pier where we could stay for a couple of hours for free.
Milna was attacked during the Battle of the Dalmatian channels in November 1991, the only settlement on Brač that has been directly attacked during the Croatian War of Independence. Many ruins remain from the bombing.
Click images to enlarge
Uvala Lučice 9NM, 2hrs
Thursday May 25 - Friday May 26
Thursday May 25 - Friday May 26
Uvala Lučice 9NM, 2hrs
Thursday May 25 - Friday May 26
As we pulled into the cove we were greeted by a nice young man in a dinghy who showed us to a mooring buoy and tied us on. We watched him all afternoon zipping around the bay helping people tie up (there are no mooring lines, only a loop under the water to thread a rope through), though some yachts decided to do their own thing and anchor. I don't think this is looked upon favourably as one chap went to the eastern bay and anchored, but when the wind blew he came looking for a mooring boy and couldn't get help. He was single handed, struggled to tie on, drifting back onto another boat, and was looking around anxiously for help but none was forthcoming, and we don't think it was because he wasn't seen. Eventually he left the bay.
I love all the nakedness here. People nude up to sail, nude up to swim, nude up to do boat maintenance. No matter the size or shape people feel comfortable to go naked whenever they please, though it's usually restricted to boats and beaches. Colin and I paddled around to the next bay and found a lone boat with the captain naked and fixing the bimini on the back of the boat. He didn't put clothes on because we came by, and I waved to his wife and said hi. Colin and I joined in and went nude swimming when we returned to the boat. We spared Alan and Julie who were off on an adventure on land.
Click images to enlarge
Thursday May 25 - Friday May 26
As we pulled into the cove we were greeted by a nice young man in a dinghy who showed us to a mooring buoy and tied us on. We watched him all afternoon zipping around the bay helping people tie up (there are no mooring lines, only a loop under the water to thread a rope through), though some yachts decided to do their own thing and anchor. I don't think this is looked upon favourably as one chap went to the eastern bay and anchored, but when the wind blew he came looking for a mooring boy and couldn't get help. He was single handed, struggled to tie on, drifting back onto another boat, and was looking around anxiously for help but none was forthcoming, and we don't think it was because he wasn't seen. Eventually he left the bay.
I love all the nakedness here. People nude up to sail, nude up to swim, nude up to do boat maintenance. No matter the size or shape people feel comfortable to go naked whenever they please, though it's usually restricted to boats and beaches. Colin and I paddled around to the next bay and found a lone boat with the captain naked and fixing the bimini on the back of the boat. He didn't put clothes on because we came by, and I waved to his wife and said hi. Colin and I joined in and went nude swimming when we returned to the boat. We spared Alan and Julie who were off on an adventure on land.
Click images to enlarge
Otok Veli Drvenik
Krknjaši 17NM, 4hrs
Saturday May 27
The Krknjaši anchorage is a popular one, known for its turquoise waters and easy anchorage. Much like Parker Point on Rottnest Island the place had a party feel and quite a few boats for a small area.
We did the usual...relax, SUP, swim, walk. Although the shoreline had a rugged beauty it was unfortunately spoiled by lots of rubbish.
Saturday May 27
The Krknjaši anchorage is a popular one, known for its turquoise waters and easy anchorage. Much like Parker Point on Rottnest Island the place had a party feel and quite a few boats for a small area.
We did the usual...relax, SUP, swim, walk. Although the shoreline had a rugged beauty it was unfortunately spoiled by lots of rubbish.
Otok Šolta
Kašjun 12NM, 2hrs
Sunday May 28
Rogač is a port village on the northern coast of Šolta and around the corner to the northwest is Kašjun Cove. We had the place to ourselves for the night, and after two weeks of asking we finally gave in to Julie and played Rummikub. Of course it was so much fun we all wondered why we hadn't done it sooner!
Monday we dropped our guests off in Split and said our sad farewells. Thank you Julie and Alan for the laughs, the adventures, the fabulous cooking, the boat improvements, and for sharing our dream with us.
Click images to enlarge
Sunday May 28
Rogač is a port village on the northern coast of Šolta and around the corner to the northwest is Kašjun Cove. We had the place to ourselves for the night, and after two weeks of asking we finally gave in to Julie and played Rummikub. Of course it was so much fun we all wondered why we hadn't done it sooner!
Monday we dropped our guests off in Split and said our sad farewells. Thank you Julie and Alan for the laughs, the adventures, the fabulous cooking, the boat improvements, and for sharing our dream with us.
Click images to enlarge