Trogir, Croatia

 Croatia is no stranger to fierce winds, with the bura being the most feared.  Forecasts for high winds from the NE send sailors in search of a safe space to ride out the tempest.  Having just experienced our first we did not hesitate to seek out a marina the very next week when yet another bura was forecast.  Unbelievable.  It seems that the old adage about the Med is true: there is either too much or not enough wind!  Although, technically we are in the Adriatic, we have certainly seen these two extremes.  Seems we are either motoring along as there is no wind for sailing or seeking shelter because there is too much wind.

Narrow cobblestone streets of Trogir

We returned to the anchorage in Split only to find that Mario was covered up with work and needed a few days before he could schedule our solar installation.  With the bura coming (again!!) we decided to go somewhere we had not been before to wait it out.  Our plan was to go to Trogir for a couple of days and then once again head back to Split.  

Trogir

If possible, Trogir seems even more medieval than Dubrovnik or Hvar.  Its the very narrow roads of cobbled stone, the stone buildings with the arched doorways and the terra cotta tiled roofs that take you way, way back.  With just a little imagination you can picture what life in this city would have been like with folks weaving in and out of these narrow, winding little streets.  Old buildings now filled with restaurants and shops were called "home" in another time. 

Fortress in Trogir

As it turned out the forecasted bura did not kick up its heels like the week before.  The wind gusted into the 20s but nowhere near the 45 knot winds we saw the week before.  But we had already booked the slip for three days so we stayed ,completed some chores and just enjoyed Trogir. 

Trogir

 Trogir is yet another UNESCO world heritage site.  Their recognition is by virtue of their Venetian architecture, evident in the churches and palaces that dot the little island town. So far Trogir is one of our favorite places despite its touristy vibe. The beauty of the little town won us over but the daily outdoor market was icing on the cake.  We were able to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables and even found some very good smoked bacon there. It was actually so good that we later went back for more!

 

Trogir

If there was a downside to Trogir it was the numerous charter boats that descended on the area over the weekend.  Evenings were loud and boisterous.  Thank goodness we have air conditioning allowing us to shut the hatches and drown out the noise.  Without that capability our view may have been a bit different😌.

Trogir

 

We will be heading back to Split with fingers crossed that the weather stays calm enough for us to have the solar panels installed.  We are anxious to move away from Split as we have spent quite a bit of time there already.  Ready to see more of Croatia!

 

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!
 

A stop by Stari Grad on the way to Split

 

Stari Grad

 Hvar is not only the name of a town but also the entire island that Hvar town is on.  But there are other towns on the island as well.  Stari Grad is round the corner and on the other side of the island and it lies in an area that is a UNESCO world heritage site.  

Stari Grad

 The areas claim to fame is the Stari Grad Plain.  It is a unique UNESCO site because it is not a town or a ruin but an agricultural site.  What is notable and amazing really is that the fields were set up by Greeks in the 4th century BC and the plain is today almost entirely as it was then.  The Greeks laid out plots with rock boundaries.  Those stone boundaries have been maintained for over 2400 years!  The water collection system has also been maintained all this long, long time.  It is recognized for being a prime example of the ancient Greek agriculture system.  Today, as so long ago, they grow olives and grapes primarily.

Stari Grad - Town Quay

 Apparently due to the richness of the soil and the vastness of the plain folks from many different eras have all wanted to settle here.  Therefore the  plain contains layer upon layer of various cultures throughout the years.  There are no fewer than 120 archaeological sites in the plain.  That is an amazing amount of history in just one relatively small place.  Sadly, we did not make it out into the plain itself to see the plots as we were only in Stari Grad for one day.  We have a date that we need to be in Split so we are steadily making our way there.  Nonetheless the town of Stari Grad was a great little stopover and is wonderful in its own right.  But now we are moving on to Split for new solar panels and to catch up with some friends for a visit. 
 

Krka National Park

**THIS POST IS OUT OF SEQUENCE - SORRY**

Krka River

 Down the Krka River in Croatia is this amazing national park.  You can actually take your sailboat down a canal and then enter the river which opens up into a small lake and then on down the river some more to the town of Skradin.  And there you find a marina - a very expensive marina but they have the market cornered😉.  No other game in town.  In the little town, you find the park boat that takes you on down the river to the Krka Park entrance.  The marina is as far as you can go with your own boat as it is very shallow and there is a very low bridge that masts do not fit under.  You could however dinghy to the park but sadly it is not allowed.  The only boats allowed on that stretch of the river are the park boats.

Skradin, Croatia

The magnificent trip down the river alone was worth the time even without the spectacular waterfall at the end of the journey. Waterfalls and swans swimming around your boat are a bonus!!  The swans in the area are plentiful and apparently used to being fed.  They come right up to your boat looking for a bit of food. And that is clearly all they want you for - food.  Absent a handout they just growl at you and move on. 

Talaria among all the charter boats

What we did not know before we came to Croatia is that the country is home to 40% of the worlds charter business.  There are literally charter boats everywhere and it is not even the season yet!  So we always feel a bit like the black swan amongst all the charter boats - the only real cruising boat in the marina.  Of course, coming down the river to the park is a popular trip for the folks chartering - so Skradin marina is a busy place.  

Skradinski Waterfall

There are actually seven travertine waterfalls on the Krka river but with your "entire park" ticket you only see one.  So advertising "entire park" is a bit misleading to say the least.  That being said the one waterfall you see - the Skradinski Buk is phenomenal.  Its actually several travertine formations creating multiple waterfalls that all coalesce.  

Krka National Park

There are a few exhibits to see in the park as well along with souvenir shops and food vendors.  And the hike around the park is very nice.  We went early in the day (before it gets too hot) and were glad we did as the park absolutely fills up around noonish.  

The greenest green

In the river there is also a small island that is home to a Monastery.  It is possible to visit but that, of course, is a separate ticket.  We would have loved to visit the Monastery but ran out of time as we needed to check out of the marina.  For anyone thinking of visiting Krka National Park I would say the trip requires creative and thoughtful planning in order to see what you want to see without breaking the bank.

Krka National Park

From here we are headed north.  When we crossed the Atlantic we were able to join a club called the "Ocean Cruising Club" - membership requires that you have made a passage of 1000 nautical miles nonstop.  We joined as there are benefits such as discounts at marinas as well as the connection to others who are also out sailing the worlds oceans.  One day the "roving rear commodore" of the OCC for eastern Europe reached out to us as he saw that we were close to his location in Croatia.  We decided to meet up in Murter for a visit.  So that is where we are headed next.

Visiting Swan

Touristy Hvar

 

Pakleni Islands

The town of Hvar on the island of Hvar is a tourist mecca.  Being listed as one of the top ten islands in the world to visit by Conde Nast has drawn celebrities to visit - curious to see what its all about.  Although we looked we did not run into Beyonce or Tom Cruise.  However, I did see some drunken Irish folks fall down the stairs 😊.  One of the big attractions of Hvar island is the Pakleni island chain that lies just off the coast.  That is where we decided to stay to avoid the commotion in Hvar town harbor.  A quick taxi boat delivered us to Hvar town for a look about.

Hvar town harbour

The highlight of the Hvar town itself is the 16th century fortress at the top of the hill.  You can take steps from the center of town to the top (we did) and then continue to walk a winding path until you reach the fortress.  The views are from the top of the fortress are stunning.

Hvar Town

 Hvar island is a UNESCO world heritage site that has been inhabited since neolithic times.  Story is that they have been making wine on this island for 2,500 years!! On the Croatian islands we have seen so far, the people live near the coastline and then farm the hillsides.  The fields looks so amazingly steep that you wonder how they get tractors up there.  But apparently they do as they have many, many vineyards and lavender fields. Croatians still make a lot of wine but it is not exported as they do not have enough growing space for that. 

Hvar town

Hvar and Dubrovnik are probably two of the best known towns in Croatia and they are beautiful for certain.  But we are withholding judgement until we see more of the country.  One thing is for certain - there are many, many charter boats here.  Something like 40% of the worlds charter trade is here in Croatia.  Its an easy place to sail - good for beginners.  Our experience so far is that there has not been enough wind.  Talaria is a "fat bottomed girl" as Michael likes to say, so she needs more that 5 knots of wind to move her.

Hillside fields

The good part is that its usually nice and still at night which is good when you are anchored.  Unlike Greece where the katabatic winds coming off the mountains try to blow you away!  Greece is a lion and Croatia the lamb.

Monastery/Nunnery

Talaria gets several looks and comments because folks are not used to seeing a boat like her around here.  She is a serious ocean going vessel - solid and sturdy.  Built for the open ocean and for safety - everything about her says "seaworthy".  Also, the American flag throws people off - Americans are also an oddity here.  We are asked all the time - "how did you get here?  Did you sail your boat all the way across the Atlantic Ocean?" 

Streets of Old Town Hvar

 Next stop will be Stari Grad which is also on the island of Hvar and then on to Split. 

Making our way up the coast

Sipanska Luka

 Croatia is beautiful!  Mountains, lush green landscape, islands galore and deep blue water.  There are lots and lots of boats all around but our first anchorage on the lovely island of Sipan was nice and not too crowded.  It was actually all good until a huge motor yacht had to do some fancy maneuvering to get out of the way of the ferry.  He got very, very close to us... a bit nerve wracking!

Sipanska Luka Anchorage

The houses and buildings here are largely limestone with red clay tile roofs.  Against the backdrop of mountains and the lush vegetation the uniformity of the gray and red structures paints a very pretty picture.  It would look abnormal to have different colors of houses.  Similar to all the white and blue structures in Greece - anything else would seem out of place.

Beautiful sunset at our first anchorage

The entire region is known for their lavender but for now the only lavender we are seeing is in the night sky.  Our next stop was on the island of Korcula.  Although we did not visit the town sailing past it looks like a mini Dubrovnik with its city walls.  We only spent one night on the island anchored in a small bay.  Most folks anchor near an old monastery but this bay looked a little more protected.  As it turned out the wind did kick up that night but the anchor held well and we felt very secure in the little bay.  Even if we did feel that our presence was possibly a bit intrusive for the town folks.

Old woman sweeping the sidewalk in Korcula

We are making our way up to Split without lingering too much as we have an appointment with a fellow to see about upgrading our solar.  Our solar panels are ancient by today's standards and they are pretty inexpensive these days.  So we are at least going to investigate our options.

Anchorage on Korcula Island

As we make our way back down the coast we will take the time to visit the places that we just sailed past on the trip up the coast.  Our plan is to be in Croatia at least another month so we will have time to linger. 

Old town of Korcula

 We will see the touristy places but prefer to see the places the cruise ships don't go to!  Hopefully, we will get off the beaten path soon. 

Welcome to Croatia

City walls of Old Dubrovnik

For many Europeans, Croatia is sailing heaven. Or at least it was.  Since Croatia has grown in popularity so have the fees associated with sailing in their territorial waters.  In some places they even charge you a fee just to drop your anchor!  For many folks that is just a bit too much.  For those reasons Croatia was not on our radar.  We thought maybe we would just do the touristy thing and fly over for a quick visit.  So, so glad we did not do that.  

Entering Dubrovnik Port

 We finally got our weather window we were waiting for and off we went.  By the time we were able to check out of Italy it was two in the afternoon.  For the first part of the afternoon and evening there was decent enough wind and we were doing over 6 knots.  By the middle of the night though the wind died off completely.  We arrived in Dubrovnik at nine am and went to the customs quay to get checked in to the country.  

City Walls of Dubrovnik

Although we prefer to anchor out we went to the marina across from the customs quay as we were done for the day.  Tired and needing a nap we got tucked into the marina and got caught up on some sleep.  

The Stradun (main walkway)

In the end we decided to stay an extra day at the marina so that we could go to see Old Town Dubrovnik.  Medieval Dubrovnik is an UNESCO world heritage site.  It is a magnificent city fortified with massive stone walls that surround the Old Town - the outer walls are an impressive 13 to 20 feet thick!  The old town also has some well preserved 16th century architecture that contrast with all the modern shops and restaurants now lining the main street (Stradun).  

 

Dubrovnik

Down many of the tiny, narrow streets that exemplify the city you will now find accommodations for visitors. We did not walk the city walls on this trip but that is the plan on the return trip.  On our way back down the coast we will spend some more time in Old Town Dubrovnik as we most definitely have not given the city its due. 

Old Dubrovnik port

 After our return trip, I promise to post photos of the historic buildings and the city walls.  Dubrovnik is stunning - a giant step back in time.  We are so very happy that we decided to sail to Croatia after all as our first impressions are very good!