Split

Tiago's boat "TroubleMaker"

 

As it turns out the day that we intended to be in Split they were having a rowing regatta in Spinut Bay which is where we intended to anchor.  Mario (the solar guy) was coming to the boat the next day so we wanted to be there waiting.  But nope - no anchoring allowed due to the regatta.  Our friends Tiago, Mariana and kids suggested that we all anchor in a little spot not far from Split called Necujam.  It is a bit of a small bay but popular.  Especially, with the charter boats that have just picked up their boat from Split.  So... we had some company but it was still a nice little bay.  

Talaria at anchor

 It was great to catch up over dinner with Tiago and Mari to hear all about their adventures.  Just very nice, friendly people that we became fast friends with quickly.  Next morning we headed over to Split for our first meeting with Mario regarding the solar panels.  Our current solar panels are very old and outdated by today's standards. Thankfully the efficiency of solar has improved considerably over the years.  So we are excited to explore the solar possibilities for Talaria.

Split Graffiti (Diocletan)

The meeting with Mario went well and when we received his proposal we were surprised by how much capacity we could get at a reasonable cost compared to what we have.  We met with Mario on a Monday and agreed to proceed as soon as possible.  Mario said he could install them that week sometime.  We had another reason to be in Split - the new iPad that I had purchased over the winter was no longer charging.  I tried different chargers, different outlets etc... Nothing helped.  I was told in Italy that we should take it in to an iPad repair center as soon as we knew we would be somewhere for at least a 10 days.  Since we were going to be in Split to install the solar and they had a store that also repaired iPads I planned to take it in there.  We already knew that it was going to have to be replaced so I wanted to get it to them quickly due to the turnaround time to receive a new one.  We use the iPad as a back up for navigation.  Heaven forbid, if we ever lost our chartplotter we would at least still have the ability to navigate.  You hope it never happens but should your sailboat be hit by lightning or become dismasted you would most certainly lose your electronics.  Therefore, its better to be prepared.  We actually like to build in redundancy wherever we can.

Split Graffiti

 On Tuesday I was able to make the arrangements with the iPad repair center to take the iPad in the next day.  However over the night it got pretty windy and by morning it was gusting to 28 knots.  The holding was good so we weren't worried about the anchorage.  But I had to get to the iPad center and with the wind blowing at nearly 30 knots we were not comfortable leaving the boat at anchor unattended.  So we decided to go to a nearby Marina to wait out the blow, catch up on laundry and take the iPad in for replacement.

Building in Old Town Split

Tiago and Mari had taken TroubleMaker to a nearby boatyard for some work.  They decided to come to the marina as well as soon as the work was completed.  By the time they arrived it was blowing 40 knots!  Thats a lot of wind.  Fortunately, the marineros at Marina Kastela are very competent and can get you in safely even when the wind is howling.  

Old Town Split

 Later that night the wind was gusting 45 to 50 knots.  In Croatia, one of their particular winds is called the Bura.  It blows from the NE and can be quite strong - near hurricane force.  Wise sailors seek shelter at a marina or protected anchorage in advance and hunker down.  That is what we were experiencing - the Bura - and it was indeed fierce.  

Split

 Unfortunately, the Bura blew hard for a couple of days which then messed us up on our timeline for having the solar panels installed.  By Friday, the Bura was gone and we returned to the anchorage hoping to reschedule a date for the solar panel installation.  As sailors our lives are totally at the mercy of the weather.  You can try to plan but flexibility is a must!