Sailing: Croatia - 2022

 It is hard to believe this is our fourth season in Croatia aboard S/Y MISSI. We arrived June 2 and after an overnight in the D-Resort we moved onto the yacht. We had a new hostess this year. Rebecca was an American living in Zagreb, working summers on the Adriatic. She would be with us for our first two-weeks, and after four-weeks with our long-time hostess Cornelia, back with us for our final two weeks.

It was a strange couple of months. The weather was exceptionally hot and muggy, temperatures in the mid-thirties Celsius, + 95°F. Wind patterns were more like winter, breezes strong and gusting out of  the northeast, north and northwest. Sea temperature at times reached 29°C. Dry conditions caused many brushfires, one very close to Šibenik, our home port. The following morning MISSI was covered in ash. We experienced a real-world reality check on global warming.

Brush Fire Close to Marina

FIRST LEG (June 4 – 18)

After spending June 3 finishing our provisioning, we dropped our lines motoring west 21 nautical miles (nm.) with lunch underway, to Žakan Island, one of the southern islands of the Kornati archipelago. Our new anchor buoy deployed successfully but our recently purchased walkie-talkie system was a disappointment – technology, oh well. Dinner was at Konoba Žakan, excellent as usual. The next days had us to Murter Island and Tijat Island’s Luka Tijašćica, where Judith and I took our first swim of the year.

We returned to Šibenik on June 7, experiencing some trouble with our Navionics+ system giving some false wind and depth readings. Dinner that night was at Pelegrini, a wonderful alfresco Michelin stared dining experience. Wind and bad weather conspired against us for the next four days, so we remained in port. While there, Tilen and I sorted out our onboard navigation system glitches. 

June 12 had us off in a brisk north wind through St. Anthony’s Channel on a wonderful sail of 21 nm. to Opat, another island in the Kornati archipelago. In wind gusting to 25-knots, sails second reefed, MISSI performed admirably, reaching speed of 10 knots. Judith settled into the cockpit’s leeward side and enjoyed the voyage, I kept thinking this indeed is why I purchased this yacht. The next day we were off north-easterly to Žut Island and Podrazanj Cove, and the following day to Mir Cove in Telašćica National Park.

Full Moon - Opat Island

On June 15 we motored southeast passing the towering Tajer Lighthouse along the long coastline of Kornat Island, dropping anchor off Žakan Island. We had another pleasant dinner at Konoba Žakan, despite some noisy revelers nearby. Back to MISSI, all decided that we should have an impromptu evening sail to Tijat Island, rather than leaving in the morning. It was a peaceful two-hour motor west and halfway there we were greeted by a large orange tinted full moon rising out of the western horizon. Our buoy pick up was uneventful and after a cognac we said goodnight around midnight. And another item was added to the repair list, we discovered our starboard side navigation light was out.

The following morning, we motored the short distance west to Šibenik and secured MISSI in her berth at the marina. The next day Tilen left for his week off and Rebecca said her goodbye and was off to her next charter. She had done well by us for these first two weeks. That evening and the following day we had MISSI to ourselves, and on June 19 closed her for the week. We were heading by car to Mali Losinj for the next four or five days.

MALI  LOSINJ (June 19 – 24)

We had a six-hour journey. It was first motorway on E71 for 195 kilometers, then down the curving D23 to the Adriatic and the slow moving E65 to the Krk Island Bridge. We traversed Krk and reached the Valbiski Ferry Terminal to catch the 12:15 to Cres Island, a 25-minute crossing. It was another hour travelling south on Cres on D100, then after crossing the small bridge to Mali, we arrived at Hotel Alhambra on Čikat Bay, Mali Losinj at 2:00 pm.

Hotel Alhambra

We spent the next three days here relaxing on our sunbeds, swimming and reading after our morning walk. The dinners at the hotel’s Restaurant Alfred Keller were excellent, the ambiance more tranquil than you can imagine.

On June 24 the alarm woke us at 6:30. After breakfast, packing and check out we were off to catch the 10:00 Merag – Valbiska ferry. We retraced our route back to Šibenik and didn’t meet the heavy traffic we had expected. Cornelia was aboard MISSI to greet our arrival. It was uplifting to see her again – the old “crew” returned. Tilen arrived shortly thereafter, as did our wine order.

SECOND LEG (June 25 – July 22)

June 25 was occupied with provisioning, and Tilen and I also updated the B&G Navigation System to the latest release. I was hopeful this will keep things working properly for the rest of the season. The following morning, we were off to Tijat Island, taking a buoy overnight. Of course, we had dinner at Spirito, hosted by the ever effervescent Gregor. Our plan was to head south, with stops at Šolta Island’s Maslinica Marina, Palmižana Marina on St. Clemet for two nights, and then at anchor in Uvala Luka off Loviste on the western tip of Pelješac Peninsula.

On July 1 MISSI motored southeast through the Pelješac Strait for 7 nm., passing the beautiful townscape of Korčula before entering the renovated ACI Marina around noon. Dinner was on the terrace of the wonderful Restarant Dimitri Lesic. The food was a bit disappointing but still good at this Michelin-one-star, the wines remianed impeccable.

Approaching Korčula Town

Still in the marina, we were up to another very hot day and took a walk south along the shoreline. Late morning, we taxied to the Bire Winery in Lumbarda for a tasting. It is family owned: father, mother and three sons; and had a nice charcuterie with our wines. We bought some Grk and one bottle of prized Defora. Lunch was aboard and the balance of the afternoon was spent reading. In the evening, we took a water taxi to a wine pairing dinner at Korta Katarina Winery and Hotel across the strait in Orebić. Our host, Goran Tanić, gave us a cellar tour before our meal on the winery’s terrace overlooking the Adriatic. Everything was superb, Goran the perfect master of ceremonies. After dinner, we bought some wine and had a visit of the iconic hotel. A water taxi back to the marina, one last glass in the salon and it was to bed.

Conny, Tilen Dan & Judith - Korta Katarina Winery

On July 3, I took MISSI out of the marina, and we motored 24 nm. southeast to Lastovo Island’s Skrivena Luka on its southeastern side. Lunch was underway on this three and a half hours trip. We had wonderful views of Lastovo’s coastline and the majestic Rt Struga lighthouse as we entered through the narrow opening to the bay and took a buoy for the night. The following morning it was the Fourth of July. On the Fourth four years ago, Judith and I left Split on our first voyage aboard our new yacht, so it was an anniversary of sorts.

Rt Struga Lighthouse

In the morning, we motored 22 nm. northeast in a moderate sea to Korčula Island’s eastern end. Lunch was underway, we took a short swim stop in Uvala Plitvine before moving on to Vela Luka’s Marina Korkyra for our overnight berth. Vela Luka is a buzzing port town with a long riva that follows it’s deep and narrow harbor. After breakfast the following day, we cast off motoring northwesterly for 20 nm. to Pakleni Islands and Uvala Vinogradišće. Our buoy reservation was not handled well, and we ended up on a buoy off Laganini Resturan, not ideal. We delayed our swim until this busy area of the bay calmed. Dinner was at Zori Resturan and excellent.

It was July 6. After breakfast there was a debate as to our itinerary for the next few days. A strong north wind was predicted for Friday and into Saturday, so we decided to make the long trip back to Šibenik, a 48 nm. trek to the northwest. We left at 10:00 and motored for about two hours before hoisting sails on a close reach in a 10-knot breeze. The wind strengthened to up to 18-knots and MISSI reached speed of over 10-knots. The wind continued to veer forcing us to make five tacks along the Primošten coast. We dropped sails on our approach to Zlarin Island in 20-knot headwinds and then motored to St. Anthony’s Channel and into port. Berthing went well, in all it was a seven and a half hours journey. We were all tired so just had a pizza at Alpha Grille, some wine aboard and crashed to bed.

Starboard Beacon - Entrance to St. Anthony's Channel

We had a few idle days in the marina. This allowed Tilen a quick visit to Slovenia to see his brother who had been involved in a serious motorcycle accident. The north wind continued, gusting to 35 knots at times, but MISSI’s lines held well. On July 11 we left port for a few days south, calling on Rogoznica’s protected inner bay and Tijat’s Luka Tijašćica. It was then back to Šibenik, we had friends joining us for four days. On July 15 Stan and Lilla joined us on MISSI, and after a quick orientation we were off northeast to Žut Island’s Podrazanj Bay, on 30 nm. sail on a close reach. Lunch was underway. We all did a bit of swimming and Conny made a wonderful dinner aboard.

In the morning we left Žut motoring south 25 nm. to Tijat Island and Luka Tijašćica. We had a lovely lunch enroute of beet carpaccio with a wonderful, creamed feta cheese dressing. After arrival, we had an afternoon of swimming and sun, Stan and Lilla went to shore for a walk and some snorkeling. Dinner was at Spirito’s Summer Place, Gregor presiding. In the photo below, Conny playfully photoshopped angel wings and a halo on Gregor, but he is anything but a saint! We shared a magnificent, grilled pagar fish, a type of local seabream, accompanied by grilled vegetables and Spirito’s signature truffle potatoes. Starters were tempura shrimp with local sparkling wine. Even the local deer came by to say hello. All were soon off to bed.

Conny, Stan, Lilla, Tilen, Dan & Judith - Gregor (standing)
Spirito's Summer Place

After all of us had a good morning swim, we left Tijat and motored southeast 11 nm. to Primošten and berthed on the end position of the city dock. We had charcuterie in the salon, it was a steamy 33° outside. Dinner was at Konoba Toni, a nice spot overlooking the bay, then a walk up to the fifteenth century hilltop church of St. George and its adjacent cemetery. The sunset views were very nice, and we later took in a local concert in the town’s square. On July 18 we returned to Šibenik, and our friends disembarked to continue their Croatian adventure. It was nice to have had a catch up with them.

We were out for a few more days, returning to our marina on July 21. The following morning was hot and stuffy. Conny reluctantly started packing up for her evening bus back to Vienna and I spent some time on trip planning for our last two weeks. Rebecca arrived at about 17:00 and after introductions, we all went to dinner at the Pool Bar. Returning to MISSI it was another round and some more conversation until Conny left for her bus at 22:15. After Tilen returned from this drop off, all went to bed.

THIRD LEG (July 23 – August 5)

On July 23 I took MISSI out of her berth and over to the fuel station. Then we motored 18 nm. south-southeast  with lunch underway to Rogoznica’ deeper, inner bay and dropped anchor. The following morning, we left Rogoznica under a hazy sky and motored 15 nm. and dropped anchor at Drvenik Veli’s Blue Lagoon. The bay was crowded, and the southwest wind made swimming difficult, but we did have our lunch. At three, we left for Maslinica and berthed at the marina. Once again, the staff placed us on the angled section of the dock, squeezing us next to a 70-foot ketch, for no logical reason. Dinner was a Resturan Sampjer where we had a nice grilled sea bass.

We cast off lines at 11:00 and motored southeast 19 nm. to Pakleni Island’s Vinogradišće Bay and took an excellent positioned buoy with stern lines on the western shore well into the cove. After arrival, we had a nice lunch aboard. I had been experiencing mobile phone problems which unfortunately consumed over an hour with my carrier, but we still had time to get in some pleasant swimming and sunbathing in this very tranquil setting. Dinner was at Resturan Zori and wonderful as usual, we had a magnum of Whispering Angel rosé followed by a bottle of the same. Since we decided to stay in Vinogradišće Bay one more day, we slept a little later. We were out for a swim; it was already another muggy day. Lunch was aboard in the salon and after, we had a visit from the owner of Zori’s and Tilen gave him a tour. He has loved MISSI since first seeing her in the bay four years ago. Subsequently, Judith and I had a glass of wine alone in the cockpit, the balance of the afternoon for us was more swimming and sunbathing. Dinner was a Zori’s again. Judith and I shared a perfectly prepared San Pierre accompanied by whipped potatoes and grilled vegetables.

Our Private Pool - Vinogradišće Bay

One forecast predicted heavy south wind in the morning, so we left Pakleni early setting course for Vela Luka, 19 nm. to the southeast. After motoring for about an hour, we could see a storm building in from the southwest heading toward Vis and Hvar. A few miles from Vela Luka Bay, wind increased to more than 20 knots from the west as the south side of the low passed us to the north. We also got some rain. By our approach to the Korkyra Marina wind had subsided and we docked stern in. After a quick lunch in the salon and some route planning, Judith and I took our walk, the weather still hot and stuffy. Late afternoon the wind became gusty and Tilen, Judith and I struggled to take down the Code-0 and stow it in the skipper’s cabin. Dinner was at Resturan Dalmacija on the riva. Tilen and I had the Captain Jack burger, a strange combination of beef patty, cheese and a thick mushroom sauce. Rain brought us inside halfway through our meal.

After our walk we got an early start motoring southeast to the northwest corner of Lastovo Island, lunch was underway. Then it was a detour to check out Luka Velji Lago for a possible location for the 2023 season. It was a tranquil and pretty cove with Makarac Island in its center. The best spot was Uvala Kremena – crystal blue water lapping the coastline. We were then off to our overnight bay on the island’s southeast, Skrivena Luka, taking a buoy. I needed to get into the water to secure our lines to these problematic buoys. Judith only took a quick dip in. The wind from the south caused an uncomfortable chop in the bay, but we did get in a bit of sunbathing. Reading filled the balance of the day; dinner was in the salon with a dessert of strudel from Tilen’s mom.

On July 29 we left the bay by 9:30 motoring northeast for the southeastern shore of Korčula Island, helped by a good current off our portside stern. Wind was light and variable. We reached Korčula’s Rt Raznjic a bit before noon and I decided to take the inner route among the islets so we could travel  past Badija Island to see its fourteenth century Franciscan monastery. 

Franciscan Monastery - Badija Island

Afterward, we found a good berth in the ACI Marina, we would be here two nights. Dinner took us to Dimitri Lesic, and it was excellent. For main course, Judith and I had the chef’s signature dish, prawn gyoza, with a mousseline sauce, chili, daikon, and sesame. During the meal, we witnessed the annual pomp and ceremony of the procession of St. Todor, or Theodore, one of the patrons of the city, along the Šetalište Petra Kanavelića. Waves of chanting clerics, altar boys and parishioners solemnly streamed past us for almost a half-hour.

We spend the balance of next day reading, mostly in the salon because of the heat. It was then off to an early dinner at another winery in Lumbarda named Zure. It was a simple outdoor place, but we had a nice grilled fish and their lovely wines, notably the “Reventon” Grk sur lie.

The weather forecast was for high west winds in the afternoon, so we got a very early 6:45 start on July 31, motoring west 36 nm. to Pakleni Islands and Vinogradišće Bay. On the voyage, we met some gusts of over 20 knots, first from the north, then the west. Judith and I read for the afternoon with a late swim before getting ready for dinner. Zori Resturan was wonderful as usual; we shared a john dory, and all had their signature chocolate soufflé for dessert.

August 1, the start of another month. We stayed on St. Clement Island, so it was a lazy day of swimming, sun and reading. We had a final dinner at Zori and said our goodbye to Christian, Martin and the owners, Iva and Renato. They graciously gave us a going away gift of a bottle of 2016 Santa Elisabeta.

Restaurant Zori

We left the bay at 9:30 and motored 19 nm. north-northeast heading to Šolta Island’s western tip and Maslinica Bay. It was an uneventful sail except for a short course change to safely pass behind a large tanker heading northwest. We berthed at the private Marina Martinis Marchi and then had lunch. Judith and I were out for a walk, then stopped at the marina’s patio for a bottle of rosé and some ice cream. We read until dinner, which was at the very nice Sampjer Resturan with a backdrop of the setting sun to the west.

Sunset - Marina Martinis Marchi

We left Maslinica motoring northwest 28 nm. to the southern tip of Otok Žirje, with lunch underway. We first tried the bigger Uvala Stupica Vela’s buoys, but none were open, so we motored the short way back to Uvala Stupica Mala and found a buoy in 14 meters. Judith and I went in for a late day swim and an extended time in the soft late afternoon sun. Rebecca made cacio e pepe spaghetti for dinner.

We left Žirje early in calm wind motoring northwest a short 12 nm. to the southern tip of the Kornati archipelago and Vela Smokvica. We took a buoy in the bay. Before lunch aboard, Tilen and I took the Williams and pre-ordered a rhombus for tonight’s peka at Konoba Smokvica. We had a day of swimming, reading and sun in this pretty bay. Dinner was simple and rustic, the service, blasé. Back to MISSI, we managed to drink copious amounts of wine in the cockpit while listening to music from movie soundtracks, Andrea Bocelli and finally, Queen.  It was a raucous night to say the least. We all stumbled to bed very late.

It was our final day on the sea. After breakfast, we motored west in light wind for 14 nm. to Tijat Island and Luka Tijascica and took a bow and stern buoy. Rebecca made lunch aboard and then we enjoyed the water and sun for the balance of the afternoon. The restaurant Spirito’s Summer Place had been in the local news, there was an altercation with a journalist and a court officer on Monday concerning the legality of ownership and operating licenses. The establishment was shuttered by the authorities, so we were up in the air about dinner. Fortunately, Gregor arranged for a delivery to MISSI, so we had a few last portions of shrimp tempura with chili sauce. Gregor stayed for a drink aboard, his usual bubbly self. At 19:00 we dropped our buoy lines, and we were off to Šibenik, a short 6 nm. through St. Anthony’s Channel. I took the yacht to the fuel station, and then berthed her in her spot at G16 and our aquatic adventure came to an end for another year. After a shower, a glass of wine and our goodbye to Rebecca, it was off to bed in the master cabin one last time. We had cruised 738 nm. this season, less than last year’s 1,079.

Judith - Piloting through St. Anthony's Channel

CLOSING UP (August 6 – 8)

On August 6, Rebecca left before anyone was up for her next charter. We made our own breakfast and then started packing up, doing a couple of loads of laundry, sorting through some wine to take back to Budapest and then walked over to the hotel with some laundry. Beds were stripped of bedding and the large cushions from the cockpit were stowed in the starboard cabin. We checked into the hotel about noon, and had lunch with Tilen at the pool bar, then relaxed and read in our hotel room until dinner. Supper was at Art Restaurant with Tilen, after we walked back to MISSI. There was a 70-foot sloop sloppily berthed on our port side, populated with more than a dozen Italians casually enjoying themselves. We left Tilen to cope with them, returned to our room and were soon asleep on terra firma.

On the following morning after our hotel breakfast, we walked over to MISSI and helped Tilen clean out the refrigerator, bring in the remaining cushions and take the trash to the marina’s containers. We said our goodbye to marina staff and returned to the hotel for a quick late-morning cappuccino. Lunch was with Tilen at the pool, then we took in the Bimini, covered the tables, winches and consoles, and moved the last of our stuff to the hotel. Tilen left early, so we said our goodbye before heading up to Art Restaurant for our last dinner here, before crashing to bed. 

On August 8 we were up at 6:30, had breakfast and were on our way to Budapest. The drive went well, although we were delayed at boarder control. We found our Budapest apartment in good order, unpacked and had an early dinner at KOLLAZS. It was good to be home, although part of me was already missing MISSI.

Sailing: July 2021

 On June 28, our Beneteau dealer, Ultra, replaced the motherboard circuit for the salon table, reinstalled the ice maker they had taken out for repair, and solved a minor sink drain problem in the galley. We spent one more night in our marina, all of us having dinner in Šibenik’s old town at Pelegrini, on their wonderful terrace. The food was flawless, but the highlight of the meal was a 2015 Bire Grk Defora, arguably the best white made in Croatia. Only 1,000 bottles per vintage are produced in Lumbarda on Korčula Island, the grk bijeli grapes transformed into a delightful potion of citrus made more complex by its sur lie fermentation. Magnificent!

So, we were set for our next voyage, this time heading north for the Istria Peninsula. We dropped our lines on June 30 and motored out through St. Anthony’s Channel for a lunch stop at nearby Tijat Island, had a swim and some sun before a light meal at Spirito Summer Place – tempura shrimp with a pleasant chilli sauce. It was then three and a half hours northwest to Žut Island, where we took a buoy. Dinner at Restoran Fešta fell well short of the mark. We had some thunder and lightning overnight, but no rain.

In the morning we motored southeast to Ugljan Island and Uvala Lamljana Mala and took a buoy. On the following day we proceeded to a bay on Molet Island off the small village of Brgulje. It was surrounded by unspoiled hills covered in evergreens with the sea fading into turquoise along the shoreline. Other than the quaint town, it was a panorama of pure nature. The overcast sky cleared in late afternoon, Judith and I got in some swimming and sun. Aboard in the salon, we had steak from an area near Tilen’s home in Slovenia, accompanied by roast potato and vegetables, and a magnum of 2009 Korta Katarina Ruben’s Private Reserve Plavac Mali (bottle 205 of 486). 

Our Magnum

The only negative aspect to this very pleasant day was that I banged one of my right toes into a deck fitting, most likely broken. Another injury to add to the list, a bit of medical wrap is all one can really do for toes.

The next day MISSI motored north to the island of Losinj, entering the Northern Adriatic. We took a berth on the public docks of Mali Losinj, the harbormaster and his crew not the most professional we have encountered. Dinner was at the Hotel Alhambra’s Alfred Keller Restaurant and marvelous; one of Judith and my best meals of all time. Our wine selection, a 2015 Santa Elisabetta was a limited production Istrian knock out; a debut wine from the Benvenuti family, one hundred percent Teran. Aged in oak, it was an explosion of savory spice, nuts and dark fruit. Amazing!

Judith, Tilen, Ivana and Me - Alfred Keller Restaurant

We spent another two nights here. Judith and I had pleasant walks along the outer shores of the island and Čikat Bay in particular, where the Alhambra Hotel is located. The well-maintained walkways meander along the water, interspersed with swimming platforms and lined with impressive villas behind walls overflowing with bougainvillea. We were shaded by old growth stone pines laden with rust-colored pinecones and serenaded by a chorus of cicadas. While here, we stopped for a simple lunch at Lanterna Grille on the point of Cape Madona with views to the open Adriatic, and a lunch and another dinner at Alfred Keller Restaurant. In all, Losinj is deserving of a future visit.

Walkway - Čikat Bay

On July 6 we left this lovely island and motored northwest to the Istria Peninsula and  the shallow bay of Soline, sheltered by the small island of Veruda. The water was silted, and we spotted some unwelcome jellyfish, so decided not to take our swim. We had stuffed peppers for dinner onboard, and afterward I was also stuffed.

In the morning we continued motoring up Istria’s western coast, about 20 nautical miles, to the ACI marina in Rovinj. The marina, with its adjacent low slung and modern Grand Park Hotel, was just opened in 2021 and had gotten some excellent reviews. Rovinj is a UNESCO protected city with a rich history, first settled in pre-Roman times. Originally an island, it was connected to the mainland in 1763. Rosinj was under the control of the Republic of Venice for more than 500 years, ending just before the 18th century.

 

Rovinj - St. Euphemia Bell Tower

A warren of cobbled streets seemingly paved to facilitate the breaking of ankles leads to the hilltop church of St. Euphemia, dominating the skyline. This Baroque treasure, completed in 1736, has a bell tower modelled after St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, ostensibly oversized for the scale of its host city. Perhaps a Trump Tower in its day. We spent the afternoon exploring, stopping before returning to MISSI at a local spot, Maestral, for a glass of wine for me. Judith had a cold beer – unusual! Dinner was at one of the hotel’s restaurants, Laurel & Berry, and I am being kind in saying it was disappointing.

We were staying in Rovinj because our service batteries (eight in all) were showing signs of deterioration and Tilen had arranged for them to be replaced here on Thursday, the 8th. During the day of the repair, we walked in the opposite direction of the old town, along Mulini Beach. After dinner at Maestral we all returned for drinks at Mulini Beach Bar to celebrate our final night.

Mulini Beach Bar - Rovinj

While in Rovinj, we had strong northwest winds and we experienced their aftermath with heavy following seas as we left the shelter of the coastal islands. Waves of one and a half to two meters on our starboard quarter made for an uncomfortable ride and a troublesome helm. We had a long day ahead, 51 nautical miles, heading southeast back to Lovinj. Thankfully, the seas calmed a bit as we rounded Cape Kamenjk, but it was still a tiresome seven hours of motoring. Judith and I decided to check into the Alhambra Hotel and take a day off the boat. We availed ourselves of their wonderful sea deck for a full and peaceful day of sun and swimming. Both lunch and dinner were at Alfred Keller – excellent.

We had a final breakfast at on the hotel’s terrace and came back to the boat. MISSI was shortly underway heading for Molat Island, but before reaching this destination we changed course to Duji Island and Uvala Skarum. We took a buoy in a strong westerly breeze and settled in about three, it was too windy and cool to swim. Dinner was onboard and good, shrimp coquettes with vegetables and a pleasant parmesan sauce.

A potentially strong storm was approaching from the southeast, so we opted to motor to Biograd’s Kornati Marina, a long motoring trip of 38 nautical miles. Before arriving, we stopped for a quick swim break off Galesnjak Island. It was a hot and humid evening; we had an alfresco dinner at a simple local eatery, Konoba Kaciol. The next morning, the Jugo (southeast wind) continued to intensify as the day progressed; it remained sweltering and muggy. Dinner was at a uncomplicated spot in town, Restoran Peperino. 

The wind and rain overnight were less severe than forecast and veered to the northwest. We departed the marina around 11:00 to an overcast sky, motoring and then sailing downwind with only our jib in a 15-knot breeze as we rounded the north-western tip of Tijat. MISSI was on a buoy by early afternoon, and we had some swimming and sun, even Tilen got in the water. For dinner the four of us were back to Spirito; I had shrimp tempura, a nice steak, and cheesecake! In the morning we were up early and underway, arriving to Šibenik by 09:30, ahead of the forecasted strong west wind for later in the day. 

Quiet Moment on S/Y MISSI

We had been out of port for 15 days. Tilen and Ivana took off for a long weekend, and Judith and I once again had MISSI to ourselves.

Here's a link to our trip and ports of call:

https://web.sentinelmarine.net/shared/route/d99480d8c7244e81a67ff1043bf79912

 

Sailing: June 2021

Like last year, Covid-19 was in control of our lives as we attempted to finalize our trip back to Croatia. We hadn’t been out of the UK since our return from sailing last August. During this time, London was a shell of itself, no theatre, museums, ballet, restaurants; nothing but grocery and pharmacy open. I cooked more in that time than I had in the past decade. We had not been back to the States since May 2020, Budapest since January 2020. So, getting to Šibenik and aboard MISSI was a long-anticipated dream. Tilen was waiting for us as we landed at Zadar Airport.

Boarding MISSI, we met our new hostess, Ivana, a Croatian native, whose home base is near Zagreb. Cornelia, our hostess for our first two years, was not able to do this season. We had a small snack, learned a bit more about Ivana and eventually all of us had dinner at Art Restaurant at the D-Resort Hotel. I went to bed happy to be back.

Our Initial Outing

The following morning, we motored to nearby Tijat Island and it’s lively but tranquil Tijašćica Bay and took a buoy. Shortly after, a catamaran came into the bay without much control. The group of Polish men aboard apparently hadn’t much experience getting to and picking up the buoy. We watched their haphazard maneuvering with the helmsman yelling out “gdzie jest boja,” or “where is the buoy?” Luckily, they left after about an hour. We launched our Williams tender to Spirito Summer Place, Grega welcoming us with his usual bubbly humor and always good food. In the morning we motored back to the marina, and I brought MISSI into her berth. Ultra, our dealer, was scheduled to do some work replacing the electronic anemometer, the radar reflector, and removing our ice maker for repair. Dinner was in Šibenik, alfresco, at Restoran Scala, the evening weather still a smouldering 28°C.

A Short Trip

Repairs complete, on June 5 we set off west for the Kornati Chain, these 147 islands form the densest archipelago in the Mediterranean, a palette of pale beige and gray desiccated limestone karst covered sparingly with low-lying shrubs, wild herbs, and pines. Of these islands George Bernard Shaw, in an uncharacteristic outbreak of lyricism, wrote, “The gods wanted to crown their work and on the last day they created the Kornati Islands out of tears, stars, and breath.” 

Kornati Islands

Our destination was Ravni Zakan. Dinner was good on the terrace of Restoran Zakan, the four of us shared a Dentex with grilled vegetables, and all had deserts. After getting back to MISSI, Tilen and I stored the Williams and set up the side curtains for possible rain tomorrow. After another glass of wine, all were off to sleep.

The forecast improved so we motored north northwest 15 nautical miles to Žut Island’s Luka Žut and took a buoy. While Tilen and I were getting out the Williams from its garage I lost my footing on the wet teak decking and took a hard fall. I proceeded rather gracelessly to bounce into the water and lose my glasses to the seabed. I hauled myself out of the water and went below to change, Judith inspected the damage, some minor cuts. I left unsaid that the most hurtful bruising was to my ego.  We did, however, have an excellent dinner ashore at Fešta Restoran. 

Early Evening - Žut

In the morning, the forecast did not look good, so we decided to motor back to Šibenik, a four-and-a-half-hour trip to the southeast. After a light lunch, Tilen cleaned up the boat and Ivana was off for provisions while Judith and I settled for a glass of wine on the hotel’s terrace. After cleaning up, Judith and I had dinner alone at the D-Resort’s Art Restaurant. It was a terrible night, my back and ribs aching due to the fall, only able to sleep on my back. Adding to this misery, we experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake at 05:59 that morning, centered about 8-miles southeast of Šibenik. From our cabin, there seemed to have been a massive explosion, MISSI forcefully shaken for several seconds by the tremor. After a quick check of social media, the cause was confirmed.

South To Montenegro

It was my plan to work our way south to Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, an estimated round trip of about two-weeks. After a morning walk, we cast off our lines and set sail to Maslinica on Šolta Island, about 30-nautical miles, and took a berth at the upscale Martinis Marchi Marina. It was thrilling to be under sail, a light lunch was underway. MISSI was secure in the marina by 16:30 and dinner was at the hilltop Restoran Sampjer, with charming views of the sunset settling over the nearby islets, floating peacefully in the pale blue water of the Adriatic.

We had been on MISSI one week. We left Maslinica on a south-easterly course to the Paklinski Islands and had a good sail on a broad reach for 20-nautical miles. We dropped anchor for lunch in the tranquil Luka Soline and then continued to Uvala Vinogradišće where we took a buoy and set out a stern line to another. We had a nice dinner at Restoran Zori, the professional staff remembering us – always pleasant.

We left Paklinski and continued southeast, spending one overnight in Vela Luka, on Korcula Island’s north-eastern side, at Marina Korkya; and another in the beautiful and tranquil bay of Polace on Mljet Island, surrounded by the national park. Here we took our first swim of the season, a type of baptism for us.

Mending a Fender Cover after Marina Korkya

We originally planned to stay the following night off Sipan Island in the quiet Uvala Maslinova, but the anchorage wasn’t perfect, and bay was quite shallow for us. After lunch there, we decided to motor to our last destination in Croatia, Cavtat. We dropped anchor since there are no bow mooring lines and Tilen reversed to the concrete quay and we secured our stern lines. After MISSI was settled, Judith and I took a quick walk, had a glass of prosecco, and went back to MISSI to shower. The four of us had dinner at Restaurant Bugenvila but it was not as good as I remembered.

The ensuing morning, Sunday June 13, we were up early, our local agent sorted out our customs paperwork to leave Croatia; this customs process was more complicated than usual because of the Corona virus. By 10:00 we were motoring southeast toward Montenegro. Leaving Croatian waters, we did not encounter any coastal islands so typical in the Croatian Adriatic, just a rugged, rocky coast.  After about 36 nautical miles we rounded Rt Ostra and entered the calmer waters of the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. We had a quick bite aboard before entering the just opened Porto Novi Marina, a sister marina to Mandalina in Šibenik. Customs check in went smoothly.

Judith and I decided to take some time off the boat and checked into the property’s One & Only Hotel. Later, Tilen and Ivana joined us for dinner at Sabia, a creation of London restaurateur Giorgio Locatelli – the food excellent. After dinner just the two of us stopped by Perla Bistro and Bar for a last glass of wine and to listen to a lively quartet of Montenegrin musicians, Groupe Castel Nuovo.

 The next day we hired a hotel car and took a trip to the Ostrog Monastery, 2-hours to the northeast. A monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church, it is situated against an almost vertical background, high in the large rock of Ostroška Greda. First founded in the 17th century, there is an older upper church with wonderful frescos and a lower monastery, built in 1824, that makes up most of the monks’ residences. Driving the winding and narrow road, the gleaming white structure is a sight to behold. 

Ostrog Monastery

Dinner was just Judith and me at the hotel’s Japanese themed Tapasake Restaurant. The food was interesting but service quirky, dishes coming out as they were ready producing a confused and rushed meal for us. We had a nice conversation with the young sommelier, Rafaela Pons, originally from Ecuador, the epitome of her profession. Best of all, Judith finally had her bath!

We had an early breakfast and again hired a hotel car for the day. Stopping in the town of Perast, we rented a skiff to visit of Our Lady of the Rocks and St. George Island, two islets in Kotor’s inner bay. Our Lady of the Rocks’ islet is man-made. Over the centuries local seamen returning from the sea laid rocks at the location until the small island was formed. A church was built to honor the Madonna and Child, completed in 1630. The adjacent St. George Island contains a 12th century Benedictine monastery. Both were charming jewels floating in the water. 

Our Lady of the Rocks

Judith - St. George Island (background)

Returning, we walked the delightful town of Perast, dating to 1336. 

Perast

Continuing, we reached the fortified old town of Kotor, nestled against the cliffs of Mt. Lovćen, and visited it’s many churches, the highlight was the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, originally consecrated in 1166. Lunch was at Restoran Galion, a modern glassed-in spot looking out to the old city. Our food was excellent. We got back to the hotel, cleaned up after a long day and had a final dinner at Sabia.

St. Tryphon - Kotor

On June 16 we checked out of the One & Only and were back to the boat by nine. With Montenegrin customs cleared, we were off to Cavtat for our Croatian border check in. This finished, we motored for Mjlet Island and Luka Saplunara on its south-eastern side, taking a buoy in this nice bay and having dinner at Ante’s Place. We shared a wonderful 1.8-kilo Dentex with roasted vegetables. The young owner was a gracious host, a natural in the world of hospitality.

Our Dentex

 

Over the succeeding days we slowly worked our way north, stopping in Mljet’s tranquil Polace Bay, spending two nights in Vinogradišće Bay, with good dinners at Zori’s, and a night in Rogoznica’s well protected Uvala Soline. 

Swimming - Vinogradišće Bay

Tilen and Ivana were taking a well-earned weekend off starting June 25, but we still had a few days more to be out. So, leaving Rogoznica, we overshot Šibenik and took a buoy on Kakan Island’s Uvala Podkucina, this anchorage between Kakan and the twin Borovnjak Islands packed with boats. The next morning, we motored to Murter Bay where we anchored off the Marina Hramina. Tilen took Judith and I into shore for a walk on a hot, humid afternoon while he and Ivana shopped for some needed provisions. Dinner was at Murter Fine Food and good as usual. We sat on their terrace; I had the shrimp tempura – excellent.

We left Murter Bay after breakfast and motored around the northern end of the island heading southeast, then raising the sails for perhaps an hour of sailing. MISSI motored the final miles to Luka Zlarin, Tilen dropped the anchor, and all had lunch in a now a fresh breeze out of the southwest. Raising the anchor was a bit tricky in the wind, but we were soon underway again, reaching Šibenik’s St. Anthony’s Channel about three. Before docking, we stopped at the fuel station to refill MISSI’s three tanks. MISSI was back to her home base on June 23.

Tilen and Ivana were off for the weekend, Judith and I spent the time on MISSI, alone overnight on our boat for the first time since purchasing her. It was a pleasant time, I cooked a few meals, made my own cappuccinos, we organized a bit and had evenings in the cockpit, wine glasses raised, listening to Melody Gardot and other such soft jazz music piped though MISSI’s sound system. Almost heaven, I mused.

Almost Heaven

Here's a link showing our trip and ports of call:

https://web.sentinelmarine.net/shared/route/b3224ce6115d4f6f9424d051ef3a7c6c

 

Thoughts on Biden's Tax Proposals

 As the Biden administration approaches its one-hundred days milestone, there is a lot to cheer about. Vaccine uptake has been better than expectation and presidential communication has become more normative relative to the chaos of President Trump. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan was passed and the $1.5 - $2.0 trillion American Jobs Plan will most likely pass through the budget reconciliation process. A part of the spending within this latest plan will be offset with tax rises on high income taxpayers and on corporations. The rationale of increasing taxes on the most affluent and raising business taxes certainly seems equitable and fair. 

But I believe parts of this new tax strategy are not the smartest way to go. There are many pitfalls in raising the capital gains tax rate for those with AGI (adjusted gross income) of over $408,000 from 28.8% (25.0% capital gains rate plus 3.8% Medicare surcharge) to as high as 43.4% (39.6% capital gains rate plus 3.8% Medicare surcharge). 

Economists already recognize that there is a strong “lock-in effect” on the portfolios of the top quintile of US households, which represent about 90% of total capital gains income (the top 1% represent 69% of total capital gains income). The “lock-in effect” is because our tax system discourages otherwise financially rational selling of appreciated assets, principally financial assets (i.e., stocks and bonds). This is because the tax, in effect, offsets any potential future losses. 

Here is a simple example using Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF (Symbol “VTI”). Suppose you purchased a share on March 31, 2011 and were contemplating selling it 10-years hence, on March 31, 2021. Here’s a chart of tax outcomes based on current tax policy and the proposed policy:

Under current law, the owner of this VTI share would pay in tax 28.5% of the total capital gains income, but this also equates to 19% of his total proceeds. In other words, the future share price of VTI would have to decline more than 19% for him to be better off selling it, on an after tax basis.  

Under the proposed increase, VTI would have to decline more than 29% for him to be better off selling it, on an after tax basis. That is quite a market drop!

This is the "lock-in effect" in action. An investor might want to sell a stock that he thinks is over priced, but on an after tax basis, it may not make any sense to do so. Compounding this tenancy are two other factors. First, if this investor holds onto this stock until he dies, and bequeaths it to his heir, there is no capital gains tax ever paid.  Second, the heir does not inherit the share's original basis, rather his new adjusted basis is "stepped up" to the current price of VTI. The result of these two policies, if the asset is not sold in the investor's lifetime, is complete and total capital gains tax avoidance for both investor and heir. And as of my writing, a couple's estate must be over $11 million for there to be any estate tax paid.

One can easily see that these tax policies muddy up an investor's rational economic decisions about buying and selling. In the market in aggregate, they unintentionally discourage efficient redeployment of capital and rational rebalancing of portfolios. The effect is to prop up inflated values and discourage capital movement to more productive assets. 

Unfortunately at certain times investors must sell. These are times of extreme fear, or out of a need for liquidity. I am describing a panic, a market meltdown, a crash. I believe this tax policy will magnify market sell offs. The analogy is with a landslide. If conditions somehow restrain the eventual collapse, when the landslide eventually comes, it will be more catastrophic. Our bubbles will be bigger!

There are better ways for the Biden administration to raise these funds and mitigate the "lock-in effect." They estimate that this capital gains tax change would generate, in the best case,  approximately $350 billion over the decade. There are other ways to accomplish this. If the "stepped up" basis were eliminated, it would raise $105 billion over the decade, and lowering the estate tax threshold to $3.5 million ($7.0 million for couples), where in was in 2009, would raise $281 billion. These in total, would be $386 billion. The added benefit is that "lock-in effect" would diminish.

There are many other sensible ways to raise revenues. If income tax rates on the top two income tiers were raised one-percent (35% to 36%, 37% - 38%), which would only effect households with AGI greater than $408,000, $125 billion would flow to the treasury over the decade. 

There are other wonderful ideas out there, like retrospective taxation of capital gains income, which would raise the tax rate over increased holding periods. But in this political climate, it is best to keep things simple. Ultimately, however, America needs a "clean sheet of paper" approach to taxation, perhaps including VAT and carbon pricing, among other progressive solutions. 

A well regulated and competitive capitalist system has proven to be a superior mechanism for the productive deployment of resources. Our government should avoid tax regimes that inhibit its process. 

The Loyalty Problem

I think this country, perhaps the world, has become so dysfunctional because we forgot how complex the concept of loyalty can be. It seems a simple and unambiguous word. “Loyalty” is basically defined as: “the quality of giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance.” In these last years I believe we have paradoxically become more loyal, but with too little thought or consideration of the recipient of our fealty, whether this be a person, institution, or idea.

Today’s more intense loyalty has come at the expense of judgment. Loyalty was never a substantive virtue alongside wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. Loyalty requires prudence and vigilance in our assessment of the object of this support.

Blind and unconditional loyalty is unhealthy to relationships, families, leaders, institutions or causes because it removes judgement. Circumstance must guide decisions to be loyal. This is not easy work, it takes understanding, deliberation, evaluation, and study; it requires nuance. We must ask “what is the effect of my loyalty to this or that?” Remember, it is not true that good leaders foster intense loyalty, they inspire and promote principled behaviour. It is the bad leader who stresses loyalty above all else.

Context must be used in the calculus of “where does my loyalty lie?”  This isn’t hypocritical, it is moral, and it requires inner conviction. By way of example, on a small issue or minor piece of legislation a congressman or congresswoman might vote with his or her party; however, he or she should not thoughtlessly have allegiance to party for a destructive major legislative initiative or for entering a badly thought out foreign intervention. A worker might let a minor misbehaviour go but not a systemic fraud. Loyalty without context is idolatry. Loyalty without context has given us tyranny over the ages.

Bad leaders and corrupt institutions enforce loyalty over morality. Sadly, loyalty has become binary in our country today. James Carville, the acidic pundit, has said you can’t be loyal to us without “stickin’” it to them. In current times when a politician, educator or your neighbour tries to be non-binary, they are trashed as traitor by their side and unprotected and exploited by the opposite side.

We have been on this slippery slope for a decade or more, so this conduct has become normative. Partisanship is not the problem; it is the symptom of loyalty gone awry. We need to get our loyalties back to a healthy state. We all need to speak up, teach our children, talk with friends of different persuasions, and call out loyalty tests as malign. Whistleblowers need protection not disparagement.

Re-examining our concept of loyalty will go a long way in bringing back a more civil society.

 

"The Apprentice" 2.0

 

Donald Trump is a narcissist and emotionally unhinged, but in my opinion, he is very much a calculating individual. I think the President is confident he will lose the election and is now auditioning for his next act – producing a pilot if you will. The debate was his demo reel.

Think about it. If he were truly seeking re-election, even he would make a bit more effort to woo the undecided. But in the last month or two, Trump has done the exact opposite. He hosts super-spreader rallies, fails to condemn the violence of far right groups, mocks the CDC, the FBI and the FDA, continues with the unsupported claims of election fraud – the list goes on. He has turned up the rhetoric exponentially pandering to the base, not even disavowing Proud Boys while on stage. Watching the debate, he is cunning. This is not political Tourette’s Syndrome; this is a man honing his act, trying to make his future audience love him.

I think Trump’s calculation is that he can land on his feet and create a more virulent “Apprentice” vehicle, married to the “Bannon-sphere,” well to the right of Fox. Sadly, there is an audience: the 30-35% of ardent MAGA worshipers.  Trump’s only real commercial success was that of entertainer and promoter, bringing in almost $500 million with “The Apprentice” and it’s merchandising. He desperately needs a second act because he is deeply indebted. I’m sure the new gig will be a blockbuster for him; and continue to sow discord well after his term ends. I do not think he is ideological. His first and foremost concern is his self-interest. He does not have a “True North.” Trump is counting on a reincarnation to bail him out. That’s his game plan; country be damned. Let’s see what happens. 

I wonder what the name of the new show will be. I have a suggestion: “A ME RICA”.

Biden's Bridge

 Joe Biden, born November 20, 1942, is less than seven years older than me. Yet he seems of a different generation. Pondering this a bit more, I realize that Biden is not technically part of the Baby Boomers (1946 – 1965), as am I.

Biden is in the tail end of the Silent Generation, a small cohort within the birth years of 1928 – 1945. Parents of the Silent Generation were in the Greatest Generation (1901 – 1927); these mothers and fathers had lived the Great Depression and the World Wars. Biden exhibits an echo of his parent’s generational attitudes. He was of the time before meritocracy fully took hold of us, leaders were more humble stewards of position and power; perhaps feeling less entitled and less confident.

Our last four presidents, Clinton (born 1946), G.W. Bush (1946), Obama (1961) and Trump (1946) have been Boomers, governing for almost three decades (1993 – 2020). Of late, much of the progress and achievements of these Boomer governments have lost their lustre. More than a touch of hubris has been exposed.  The last of these, Trump, was a gargoyle of Boomer privilege, laying waste to his inheritance and making a mockery of merit.

Biden somehow comes across as “older”, with more grounded experience than I think I have. But this doesn’t really make much sense. Only 8% of living Americans are older than me; Biden’s percentage is 5%, so not a big difference. There must be something else at play. It is also no coincidence that the runner up for the nomination is also a Silent Generation member, Bernie Sanders, born in 1941. Please know that I’m not wishing to give the Silent Generation sainthood; they had their sins: segregation, misogyny – and let us not forget Vietnam. No rose coloured glasses are being worn.

But here is my point. Many studies have found that crowds have a certain uncanny wisdom, and we may be seeing this play out in the current election cycle – I hope so. Perhaps Biden is the bridge connecting the past Silent Generation’s humility and art of compromise with the hopes and dreams of the younger voting cohorts of late Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z. Maybe this election is about slowly moving us sixty and seventy year olds out of the picture, and out of power. 

I’m hopeful that Biden and Harris put together an idealistic yet grounded group of smart younger people to find fresh solutions to climate, China, race, gender, and income disparity. I’m happy to put the last years of my life into their hands as they create a better future.

But first, let’s defeat Donald Trump on November 3.

Croatia Sailing: July - August 2020

Our second half of the season was more of a vagabond affair. After getting back to Šibenik on July 5th from our southern trip, we had a few days of bad weather with very strong winds out of the northeast. Tilen and I did a minor repair on the skipper's cabin hatch drain, we got in some provisions but generally lazed about. And on the 8th Tilen left for an extended weekend to attend his mom's birthday, Cornelia went to a multi-day safety course and Judith and I decided to spend a few days ashore so checked into one of the hotel's villas.

While at the hotel I chipped a tooth that required a quick repair at a dentist in Vodice, but finally on the 16th we motored to nearby Kakan, had lunch aboard, and then were off to Tijat and Tijascica Bay for the night. Of course, dinner was at Spirito's - I had two appetizers: a nice shrimp tempura followed by beef tartare. In the morning we headed back to Šibenik.

After another day in the marina we took the long trip to Vis, motoring for the first two hours and then sailing on a broad reach in a steady wind of 16 - 20 knots; we used the traditional rigging for the genoa and MISSI performed admirably. We secured to a buoy in Kut and took the Williams to dinner at the lovely Villa Kaliopa, surrounded by it's 16th century gardens. After a glass of wine aboard, it was easily to sleep.

Villa Kaliopa

In the morning I did some maneuvering practice before leaving under sail to St. Clement Island and the Bay of Vinogradiŝĉe. While setting the shorelines I unfortunately ran the Williams over the line, which was sucked into the jet intake; wrapping around the shaft. Tilen and I worked on dislodging it for hours but to no avail. This certainly put a damper on our evening dinner with Tilen's family at Zori's. They had taken a charter for a few weeks and we had planned to meet here. That evening I dozed off annoyed for hacking the shorelines!

We arranged to meet the Williams dealer in Strobrec Cove, south of Split. We anchored, had lunch and rendezvoused with the technicians who towed our stricken tender to their base. Luckily they were able to remove the line and we had our Williams roaring back to us in about an hour. It was then motoring again to our overnight off Drevenik Veli. We anchored and laid out shorelines (I swam to shore this time). Cornelia prepared a nice dinner onboard.

Drvenik Veli

The following day, July 22nd, we had a swim and some sun. In the afternoon we were off to Rogonzncia, taking a buoy off Kopara, deep in the bay and away from the marina. It was a peaceful spot. In the morning  Tilen took us ahore for a long walk around the rest of the bay and after lunch motored back to Šibenik, once again disappointed by the wind. We tied up in a strong crosswind, cleaned up, had dinner and were soon asleep. The next two days we were in our marina; weather was not cooperating.

On July 26 we were off again, with a nice sail on a close reach to Žirje and Stupica Vela, taking a buoy for the night. Lunch and some swimming followed, but the day turned cloudy with a strong west breeze. We left early the next morning for the Kornati Chain and the island of Ravni Zakan, anchoring nearby the pontoon of Zakan Restoran.We had an excellent dinner and some interesting people watching since there were a number of large motor yachts tied up at the restaurant's dock.

Zakan Restoran

Zakan Restoran
Judith's "no pictures" face

We had a nice morning in the cove with some swimming and sunbathing. It was then off motoring to Murter Island, anchoring in the shallow bay off the marina. We sometimes plan our interrary around our stomachs - we were once again dining at Fine Food Murter, greeted as usual by the lovely proprietor Gracia. 

The next day, we had lunch off nearby Cape Mala Zecia and afterward motored up the narrow channel between Pasman Island and the mainland to Biograd na Moru and the Kornati Marina. Dinner was onboard; another wonderful Cornelia creation.

We took about a week off to attend to some dental issues, fun getting old! It was then back to S/Y MISSI. I arranged our flight back to London, but we still had a bit of time to take some nice day trips.

There was a good sail west on a broad reach in a fresh breeze to Mali Borovnjak off Kakan Island. We stopped for a nice lunch but decided not to go for a swim; a bit windy. At 3:30 we upped anchor and motored home, encountering some rain on the way. Luckily we avoided the strong gusts that were popping up and safely got onto our pontoon in the marina without incident. 

Mali Borovnjak

On our last weekend, we had a nice trip to Žirje Island and its tranquil bay of Stupica. We had a bit of sailing, then motored for the balance of the trip. A lunch followed aboard, and some sun and swimming afterward. Around four, we left the bay and headed northeast on a broad reach in 16 - 20 knots of wind. It was a great last sail, MISSI pushing over 9 knots at times. We were through the Šibenik channel around six, stopped at the fuel station to replenish some diesel and tied up the yacht for the last time this season.

S/Y MISSI's Croatian flag off Stupica

It was a wonderful 9-weeks and 752 nautical miles of adventure on the water and away from the worries coivd-19. We left for London on August 10 - back to real life on land.