Croatia II

Cruising Log of Croatia in s/y "JAMU"

My wife Joan and I cruised Croatia in JAMU, our new catamaran M4200, in May/June 2004. The yacht was new and beautiful, Croatia was old and beautiful, and we had a fantastic time with both of them.

We sailed from the new Moorings base in Dubrovnik. The base at the ACI marina is a few miles up river, tucked in a valley overlooked from high above by an old stone church. This is a very large and complete marina, with restaurants, pool, chandelry, grocery and bank. The Moorings operation was very new, with only six yachts on one pier. The base manager, Majore, and his team were absolutely eager to help with any problem whatsoever, although there were few. Our only yacht problem was a 110v electrical system that hadn’t been converted to 220v. This was her maiden charter after delivery from Capetown, and JAMU was fitted out and destined for Belize after one season in Croatia. Unfortunately, the shore power was one element that hadn’t been modified for her European stay. We had no power for the A/C or water heaters, but that was of little inconvenience as the weather was unseasonably cool and we had plenty of hot water from a couple of hours per day of engine time. Once we cast off from the base, we didn’t return or call in for two weeks, and were pretty reluctant to return even then.

We had taken split provisioning, and the groceries were of very good quality. Split provisioning was a good choice, as dining ashore on the islands was a fine part of the experience. You could easily self-provision here, though, and there are good opportunities to replenish during a longer cruise.

Our original plan was to sail from Dubrovnik to Trogir and return. Well, even with two weeks we didn’t quite make it to Trogir. There were just too many splendid places to stop along the way. This is fine cruising territory. Deep clean water, steep shorelines and many little coves and harbor towns too tuck into for secure anchorages. We had plenty of wind to stretch out our sails and good long runs between islands. Most of our days between anchorages were 18-20 miles under sail. Let me mention just a few of the places we visited.

Sunj Cove on Lopud Island

Just an hour or so out of Dubrovnik, it was really too soon to stop on day one, but really worth a visit. Here is a protected cove with a fine day anchorage, and a pretty beach accommodating both conventional and naturist bathers (Croatia is very naturist-friendly). There were good burgers and beer to be had at the beach café and fine scenery (the yachts, of course). This was the most crowded spot that we visited during our cruise, but hardly a problem. We hauled anchor after a lunch stop, but returned for a nice last stop before Dubrovnik thirteen days later.

Korbas on Peljesac Peninsula

We made our first overnight stop, at a resturant recommended by Majore. We were reaching along in flat water inside the Peljesak peninsula just enjoying the scenery when we came upon this isolated restaurant on the shoreline. Sure enough, there was a young man on the dock holding a line as an enticement to us. Must be the place, we figured, so we dropped sails and eased close in to the dock, which appeared quite full with eight other yachts moored stern to in the Med fashion. I thought, ‘that’s too tight for me, and I’ve never done a Med mooring before’, but the young man opened a space between yachts just wide enough for this big cat and her fenders, and motioned for me to back her in. Moment of truth – my brand new yacht with not a scratch on her, and I’m squeezing her into a parking space with no margin for error. The other skippers all jumped to offer help with lines and fenders, and JAMU eased in as though we knew what we were doing. Picking up the bow lines in a Med mooring is a trick, they are lying on the seafloor with light tag lines to the dock. You pick up the tag line and haul in the bow lines before you make fast your stern lines. It’s a bit of a scramble shorthanded on a cat – we were sailing with just the two of us – but as the first mate may have looked just a bit uneasy, there were quickly two guys jumping aboard to help with lines. Bravo!
Korbas restaurant was a family-run place, with a strictly verbal menu based upon what was caught that day and what they thought you might like. Delicious local wine, mussels taken straight from the water and grilled fish that was swimming only hours before made for a memorable supper. Dockage was complementary (as is the general rule when you patronize a restaurant with a dock). We were off to a fine start.

Polace on Mljet Island.

This is perhaps one of the most beautiful anchorages I’ve ever seen. Steeply forested hillsides surrounding a large calm bay, a small one-street town with a few restaurants along the shore, and small 5th century Roman palace created a most memorable image. We sailed in under a light rain and set anchor with the ruins of a Roman wall just a few meters off our stern. Shortly after we settled on the anchor, a man motored by in an open skiff and politely invited us to try his restaurant on shore. There were perhaps two dozen yachts at anchor but all well spaced with plenty of privacy. Not far from us was Obsession II – a blue hulled beauty of a sloop of at least 30 meters. She had sailed past us earlier in the day, leaving me seriously impressed. We dined at Bourbon, the little restaurant to which we had been invited, and had the most delicious young wild boar seasoned with rosemary/bayleaf/peppercorn in a prune/mushroom sauce. Prepared by the owner who had come by earlier in his boat, and accompanied by a fine local red wine, this was meal to savor. Polace is adjacent to a national park, and the next morning we hiked through the forest to the clear water inland lakes and visited the partially restored monastery on St Mary Island. This was a place that we thoroughly appreciated, and returned to as we made our way back to Dubrovnik ten days later.

Korcula Town on Korcula Island

Korcula is a typical medieval town, with round defensive towers and compact clusters of grey stone, red-roofed houses. The walls and towers of the city make a particularly striking image when approaching by sea.
We sailed into Korcula in light rain and wind, threading our way past many pretty little islands. We had been several days out and the weather was cool and rainy, so we decided to put into the ACI marina for the night. It was a convenient base from which to walk the town, but the dockage fee of almost US $90 for one night was a shocker. Realization – big cats result in big marina charges. This was to be our only marina stay during the trip. Nevertheless, we were snug for the heavy squalls that came through that night, and enjoyed walking the town the next day. The Cathedral and Town Museum are worth a visit, and there are many nice cafes and enough ATM’s to replenish your wallet if you’ve also stopped at the shops.

Hvar Town on Hvar Island

We anchored right in the middle of the town harbor, surrounded by a spotless cobble stone pedestrian-only street flanked by small restaurants, cafes and shops. Steep narrow walking streets ascended from the town square in front of the church. We explored uphill, and found a little rooftop patio restaurant, Paradise Garden, built against the ancient city wall. Here we enjoyed fresh grilled seafood platters with the most succulent grilled squid. These were whole, large squid, smoky and tender and just delicious. More local white wine, of course. It was well that the harbor was downhill and just a short dingy ride to the yacht. After a remarkably peaceful night for a town harbor, a dingy hop to the bakery on the quay provided fresh pastries for breakfast. Hvar Town may become crowded with yachts in the peak of summer, but in early June it was a perfect place to visit.

Pokrivenik Inlet Cove on Hvar Island

After a fine fresh reach along the north coast of Hvar Island, we just poked into Pokrivenik Inlet (accidental pun) and found a delightful anchorage. We set the anchor in deep water in a narrow inlet surrounded by tall cliffs dotted with fir trees, grateful for the all-chain rode and electric windlass to bring it back up. There were just a few small cottages at the mouth of the inlet, but not a soul to be seen. A mysterious gated cave up in the cliffs, too high to climb to, provided stuff for speculation as we tucked into salad, toasted garlic bread, pasta and vino. We had the place to ourselves on a calm quiet evening, and it was truly beautiful.

Dubrovnik

We had saved Dubrovnik for last, and sailed into the base with a couple of days to spare before our departure. We lived on the yacht and explored the old city by day and night. Dubrovnik is a magical city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, almost fully restored from the war and heavy shelling in 1991. Walk the top of the thick stone walls surrounding the city for a spectacular tour. Stroll the wide marble main street and visit the shops, cafes, churches and museums. A couple of days will pass very smoothly and enjoyably within the old city. For a special dinner, try the restaurant Nautika, and begin your meal at sunset on the patio overlooking the sea.

Fantastic cruise. Wonderful place.
Safe Sailing,
Joe & Joan Donnaway (Jakarta)