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