I last sailed in earnest as a teenager in the Caribbean, and some
lake sailing in New York and Vermont a bit later on. It was always an enjoyable
pastime; a peaceful escape from a fixed, land based life into something more
fluid, more open. I always had a yearning to return to it, and in retirement recently
indulged my desires.
MARINA CAŠTELA
So, we left for our Croatian sailing adventure from Budapest on
August 18, stopping one night in Zagreb before arriving in Marina Kaštela, just north of Split, on Saturday the 19th.
Our boat for the week was “TINA,” a 53-foot Jeanneau sloop built in
2008. Our skipper, Tilen, was young
but experienced, and our hostess, Cornelia, also young
and lovely. After a quick orientation, Cornelia was off to purchase our initial
provisions.
The
yacht itself was a bit of a disappointment, slightly worn and configured for a
larger party; four small cabins plus a small crew cabin; toilets un-modernized.
With just Judith and me, we would have been better off with a master cabin
configuration and a newer boat. Next time we will be more discerning, but I
booked late and in the high season.
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| Our Yacht "TINA" |
The
plan was to leave early evening for the close by island of Solta; but there was
a possibility of high winds overnight, so we opted to stay in port overnight
rather than on anchor. We had dinner in the port restaurant and afterward
retired to the forward port cabin. Rather closed in, Judith left after a few
hours and took up position on the salon’s couch – a less confined space. With a
master cabin, this would not have been a problem.
VIS ISLAND
We
had an early start on Sunday the 20th, heading south through the cut
between Solta and Brač Islands and then into open waters. Vis is about 27
nautical miles (say 50 kilometers) away. Shortly out of port, Cornelia served a
wonderful breakfast (the first of many more, in fact). The winds were light,
but the sea was a field of choppy conical shaped waves with no real direction. Last
night’s combination of Jugo and Bura winds set up the conditions, which made
for both heave and sway motions for the boat – we needed to be careful moving
about.
We
entered the northern horseshoe shaped port of Vis Town around four in the
afternoon; a long motoring day, and tied up to the jetty wall, already lined
with yachts. There was time for a quick walk around town, and out to Lady of
Spilice Church on the point. It had a smorgasbord of styles, dating to the
early 16th century.
Serendipity
had brought friends Tim and Ana Maria also to Vis; they were staying in Komiža
on the south coast. We all went to a country restaurant in the hilltown of
Podšpilje, the Pojor Restoran. We split lamb and octopus “peka,” a savory, fire
roasted, slow cooked dish. Peka loosely means “under the bell,” actually a
large cast iron cover over a large fireproof dish, holding in all those
delicious flavors. The lamb with roasted potato was especially good.
More
wind was predicted overnight, and we weren’t disappointed. The northerly gusts
pushed directly into the harbor; the boats (and us) were pounded most of the
night; wind whistling through the rigging, waves crashing into the jetty.
Judith and I had a very restless sleep.
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| Entering Vis |
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| Vis Town Riva |
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| Lady of Spilice Church |
Up
the following morning, the weather had improved but the seas were still heavy.
Further west on the riva a few yachts suffered some damage. Our plan was to move on to Vela Luka on the
western tip of Korčula Island. Our skipper Tilen advised that we instead stay
in port for the day, so we made plans to explore the rest of Vis. There is much
history and mystery here, first settled by the Illyrians, then the Greeks and
Romans. Finally, during World War II, Tito established his headquarters in a
cave here on Hum Mountain.
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| My "Wheels" |
I
rented an old green “chopped” convertible VW (circa 1970) from a local shop,
and we headed out to the port’s headland and visited the castle fortress of
King George, built in the early 1800s. Then it was off on route 117 to the
smaller town of Komiža. It had a certain charm, perhaps less cosmopolitan than
Vis, also with a very pretty and bustling seafront. We surprisingly bumped into
Tim and Ana Maria again, and had an impromptu lunch with them at Fabrika on the
riva. Afterward we were back in our Bettle continuing on 117 to Hum Mountain,
587 meters elevation, visiting a small stone church, St. Duh, and taking in the
wonderful panorama. We continued circling the island until we returned back to
Vis Town and gave back our very elegant transportation.
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| Komiža |
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| Komiža Panorama |
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| St. Duh |
Dinner
for us was waterside at Kolderaj Restoran. Later, Tim and Ana Maria stopped by
TINA for some wine, and a wonderful cheese plate and other savories prepared by
Cornelia. Sleep came easily, but by early morning the northerly wind had picked
up once again and we were jostled about.
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| Ana Maria, Judith, Tim and me |
KORČULA
We
left port after a nice breakfast; the wind had calmed a bit. It was a long
voyage east, about 40 nautical miles, but only a few hours under sail since we
were becalmed by midday. Still the views were fantastic, as we moved between
the island’s 47 kilometers of coast to starboard, and the rugged hills of the
Pelješac Peninsula to port. We arrived at namesake Korčula Town and the ACI
Marina late afternoon.
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| Approaching Korčula Town |
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| Korčula Town from above |
The
old town is a picture postcard, with its sturdy rock walls rising from the sea
and stone pines providing shade along the busy promenade. We had already booked
Lešic Dimitri’s Relais & Chateaux property for dinner, and I decided to
also treat ourselves to a night onshore at its boutique hotel. It has only six
rooms, we were in the eclectic Arabian Suite on the top floor – paradise
compared to the spartan quarters aboard TINA. Tilen and Cornelia joined us for
a very peaceful and pleasant alfresco dinner and then we were off to a quiet
sleep.
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| Arabian Suite at Lešic Dimitri’s Relais & Chateaux |
MLJET
ISLAND
After
a nice breakfast at the hotel, we rejoined our yacht for our trip to Mjlet. The
journey under motor because of very light wind was about 25 nautical miles to
the east southeast; we entered a very pristine bay on the northwest of the
island – the town of Polače, within the Mljet National Park. We tied up at the
Calypso Restaurant, where dockage is included with dinner – how convenient!
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| Entering Polače on Mljet Island |
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| Benedictine Monastery |
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| Veilko Jezero's waters |
We
had the balance of the afternoon free, so we visited Mljet’s internal salt
water lake, Veilko Jezero; and its Sveta Marja, an island in that lake. There
is a 12th century Benedictine monastery with a pleasant cloister located
here – the surrounding waters are a very clear aqua marine with several unique
marine species.
Back
to the boat, we arrived just as an older couple was attempting to dock beside us,
it seemed rather a controlled crash. Tilen adeptly came to their rescue. They obviously
had been sailing for many years, but had never really developed the
coordination needed for any chance of success – “an accident waiting to happen” so to speak.
Dinner,
of course, was at Calypso, and pretty good. We were soon off to a quiet sleep.
PAKLINSKI
OTOCI
With
evening approaching, Judith and I were able to sneak in a swim in a nearby cove
on the south side of the island, a mere 300 meters walk from the marina. Dinner
was also overlooking this same cove, at Laganini Restoran; we had grilled
dentex, a local white fish, both firm and tasty. The four of us wandered back
to the yacht and were soon with our dreams.
BACK HOME
Friday
morning, we made the final voyage back to Marina Kaštela and bid our two young
sailors farewell.
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| Tilen and Cornelia with one of her wonderful lunches |
If you want to reach Tilen about a cruise, email him at: tilen@theyachtbreak.com
Or visit the website:
theyachtbreak.com
We left early in order to avoid the crush of Saturday traffic
heading away from the coast. After an overnight in Zagreb, we arrived back to
Budapest Saturday afternoon.
For
me, it was a wonderful reunion with the sea. Judith too enjoyed her time and we
plan on another trip on a more comfortable boat sometime in 2018.
