Croatia 2013 - 2016
BOATING in the EASTERN ADRIATIC SEA:
CROATIA/MONTENEGRO
CLICK for more NOTES ON CROATIA for boaters
OVERVIEW OF OUR ADRIA CRUISING on Tarilian
In the years from 2013 to 2018 we did three trips in each summer, returning home between them; the duration of each stay was about three consecutive weeks.
We got to
Piran (Slovenia) in the North, and down to
Kotor
(Montenegro) in the South, and visited most larger
Dalmatian islands, with the exception of those in the Kvarner region. Preferred places to go, with often repeated visits were the central islands, such as the Kornati the Zut, the Split islands in particular Hvar island with its bays and charming towns (the others, not Hvar main town), later adding the Sibenik islands, Zirje, Kakan, Zlarin.
From 2019 we were happy to do two trips per season, one in early and one in late summer, each a little longer than those in the years we did three. This saved on strenuous travel and flights and the preparations when leaving the boat.
The disastrous Covid year 2020 felt very different, but we were grateful to be able to do two enjoyable trips to usual favourites.
Unfortunately we did not have use of our boat during 2021, but returned after the disruption in 2022.
In seasons 2023 to 2025 we explored the North Adriatic, including Istria in detail, the Kvarner islands and finally reaching out to Italy in a trip to Venice. Our recent seasons are covered on the 2022 to 2025 page.
>> 2013 Season South Dalmatia and the Bay of Kotor, Central Dalmatia: Kornati, Vis, Hvar, Zadar, and Sibenik archipelagos
>> 2014 Season
North Dalmatia and Istrian peninsula, Central and South Dalmatia: Vis, Hvar, Lastovo, Mjlet, Brac, Makarska, Kornati
>> 2015 Season Central & southern islands
>> 2016 Season Central Dalmatia
>> 2017 Season Northern & central islands
>> 2018 Season Central islands
>> 2019 Season Central Dalmatia: Kornati, Sibenik islands, Murter, Solta, Hvar
>> 2020 Season Central Dalmatia: Zut, Zirje, Solta, Hvar
June 2013: South Dalmatia and the Bay of Kotor
July 2013: Central Dalmatia: Kornati, Vis, Hvar
August/Sept 2013: Central Dalmatia, Zadar and Sibenik archipelagos, Kornati
During this summer we use Tarilian from her base in the centre of the Croatian Adriatic coast at Marina Kremik at Primosten, and tour the central and south Dalmatian islands.
The threats of organized large scale tourism and more regulation loom (that's what Croatian officials aim at by being a new part of the EU), but let's hope all the lovely unspoilt small places will remain, where locals make every effort to make your stay as a visiting boater comfortable.
First trip: South Dalmatia and the Bay of Kotor / end of May to mid June 2013
To South Dalmatia; via Korcula and Sipan to Tivat and Kotor in Montenegro.
On the way back we visit Mljet and places in Hvar.
Weather in this early part of the season is not as warm and pleasant as hoped, but there are fine sunny days too.
In the first photo of the slide show below, the spectacular path to St John's fortress above Kotor Old Town and quay. More mountain than sea, but Tarilian is actually in the photo - on the tiny looking pontoon sticking off the main quay.
The second, the harbour entrance to the quaint village of Vrboska on Hvar, a very safe location for berthing too.
The third shows Tarilian in Marina Palmizana on the Pakleni islands outside Hvar town, the best place to park your boat when you visit Hvar town.
A memorable experience for me on this trip is my sudden change from a plain marine tourist to the skipper of a vessel wanted by police which had entered the country illegally from foreign waters. O dear, an encounter with authorities.
Click to view or download the cruise report of this trip (PDF):
Around the central Dalmatian islands, including the Kornati, Vis and Hvar.
A gamut of bare islands (view from Katina in the first photo below), coves (here at Tratinska on Zirje island), and old harbours (Milna on Brac).
Do I remember anything really unusual about this trip? Not sure. Complaints about Captain Bligh, I suppose, are as usual as unreliable weather forecasts.
Anyway, click to view the cruise report (PDF).
This is our longest trip of the season, again in Central Dalmatia.
Through the Zadar and Sibenik archipelagos visiting islands Iz, Dugi Otok and the nature parks Telascica and Kornati (again).
It's August and there are many more boats around than on the earlier trips.
During this final journey of the season, the crew shows slightly mutinous notions and expresses a desire for a relaxing 'holiday'. What a pity, that means our indefatigable skipper should postpone ambitions to reach more distant destinations which require longer motoring hours.
I pick places we liked earlier, as well as new ones, some off the beaten track.
Great Mediterranean high summer weather for much of the time; but we also experience violent thunderstorms and a formidable windspout.
Jane is a little unwell, and I have invited a friend as a guest for a week (both events are unrelated).
English sailors say, guests on boats are like fish, they start smelling after three days.
So, is this about unfortunate events?
To conclude, a few more impressions from the third trip:
In the Kornati islands at Striznja cove; evening in the Prvic harbour (Sibenik islands); and, period Jadrolinja vessel Tijat arriving at Prvic. Just how I remember passenger steamers in Italy when I was a child ...
In the 2013 season we cruised about 7 weeks spread over 3 separate turns, and logged a total mileage of 929 nm.
First trip, BOATING in NORTHERN DALMATIA and ISTRIA, June 2014
In 2014 Tarilian was berthed at marina Frapa. Frapa is an attractive marina in the bay of the pretty village of Rogoznica, a fishing harbour and holiday resort which offers a range of good restaurants.
In early June we venture from our base towards the northern Adriatic, where we have not been yet with this boat.
We are lucky with the weather for almost two weeks. This period of fine weather is followed by rather awful days of rain and storms; anyhow, by that time we had done what we had intended and returned to base.
Our destinations are the picturesque villages and ancient Italianate towns along the West coast of the Istrian peninsula and the Venetian harbour of Piran in Slovenia.
We are going to find that the Istrian coast is today a highly developed tourism area with several touristy 'hotspots'.
The relative proximity to Italy, Austria and Germany has made Istria very popular for generations of tourists, who reach it by car and caravan, and it's well worth a visit. For us boaters, anyhow, the charm of the Dalmatian islands and the variety of destinations they offer, cannot be rivalled.
From Mali Losing we cross to Kvarner channel towards Pula, passing the Porer lighthouse, a landmark for sailors approaching or leaving the Istrian peninsula.
Pula is a busy town with marine industry and large wharfs, as well as important antique sites.
From Pula going all along the Istrian west coast we arrive at the Venetian harbour of Piran (Slovenia) after a couple of days of leisurely cruising in warm sunshine.
In early July we return to Croatia for a second boating trip of around 2 weeks.
We are a bit nervous about travelling at high season; we are going to revisit some of our usual suspects and will take a look to the side here and there where we had not been.
We set out to Komiza on Vis island, one of the most picturesque ports, then pay visits to the islands of Hvar, Korcula, Lastovo and Mljet.
In July it's good to know where to escape from the maddening crowds. One of those places is the island of Lastovo.
For our third and final boating trip of the 2014 season we set out on August 29th.
It is going to be a mixed bag of weather, which makes us return to base a couple of times. We also have to do some maintenance on the boat.
We are going to places nearer to our base at Rogoznica, including Split, Hvar, Brac and the Kornati. By September 18 it's time to go back to base and say good bye to our boating season this year.
My report contains the familiar mix of photos of quaint harbours such as Tarilian seen below in the port of Zlarin, and Kornati restautants like Opat.
Over our three trips in summer 2014 we spent nearly 8 weeks on the boat, and logged a total of 954 nm.
This season we spend three periods of about 3 weeks on the boat. We re-visit several destinations we liked before, and see new ones.
instead of posting a downloadable pdf log I will provide more photos online.
The season has a non-promising start, there have been delays in the scheduled annual maintenance works including a major motor service. The delay is due to technical problems at the yard, their crane had broken down, our maintenance team at Offshore Boote tells us.
On June 2nd, the day we had intended to start our cruising season, our engines are still under work; it will take one more week to complete the service.
But, we are lucky, our contractors, who are motor yacht charterers, can help out and provide us one of their boats as courtesy yacht so we can go out and make the best of the week.
This reduces the inconvenience to a minor issue.
It's early June and the weather is summerly hot for the time of the year, but Jane and I suffer from an unusual cold which takes several days to clear.
In general, this season is characterized by periods of very hot weather. Even in September we have many days of over 30 deg C. That may sound great to someone who only goes to the beach, but not so much if you want to cruise, when the engines heat the boat up further, and you have to do work as well. We use our air conditioning system often, but it isn't of help in the nights.
Another unwelcome weather pattern, to us as motor boaters, are periods of Jugo, the dreaded southerly wind. For 5 days in September it blows with up to force 6, while the weather at the same time is hot and clear. We do not like going places in strong winds, given the difficult berthing manoeuvres, unsettled nights on buoys and inadequate moorings; we have got enough time to sit out unfavourable weather.
A few technical gremlins give us trouble. At one stage the dinghy engine ceases running and needs a repair. The passarella quits moving on another occasion; it's only due to a bad electrical contact at the motor, but very disruptive - unless you know how to fix it straight away.
Some other electronic bits give up their ghost, too, reminding me that electronics and sea water are a bad pairing. The perfect boats of glossy sales ads are a myth, regardless how much you try to keep things together and going.
Enough of grumbling, summer 2015 offers a lot of pleasure too; we enjoy good boating time and pleasant surprises as well.
Much of our 2015 cruising is similar to earlier trips, so I am not going to present pdf reports like in 2013 and 2014, but publish more impressions here.
IMPRESSIONS FROM OUR BOATING IN CROATIA 2015
After taking our courtesy boat, Grazia, the same we chartered in 2008, to Stupica Vela bay on Zirje and staying a couple of nights on a bouy, still nursing our unusual cold, we make a nostalgic visit to touristy but nice Primosten on June 7th.
All goes well; the mooring helper informs me about a new 'service' where you can call him on his mobile to reserve a place, at a fee. That's handy for the busy harbour in high season, but is that fee not just his invention and goes into his private pocket?
Getting a little annoyed about some boorish blokes on the next boat who arrive drunk and moor somewhat erratically. Still, have a nice evening and good dinner at Toni's as usual.
Nuisances come and go, we stay here for another night and enjoy.
June 8th we take Grazia to Potkucina bay on Kakan, in the Sibenik archipelago, and moor on one of the 50 or so buoys of the Borovnjaci anchorage.
Lovely warm and calm weather; Grill Babalu, a small smart restaurant, provides nice dinner. The night on the buoy is peaceful and perfectly calm.
On June 11th we can finally take Tarilian to our new home berth at Marina Frapa, which feels very much like being on holiday.
In high season it seems a good idea to choose an outer island to avoid the crowds. We want to visit Lastovo this time and go all round the island.
Our starting point is a restaurant with moorings, Augusta in Zaklopatica cove, by Lastovo's previous town, on July 12th.
From the Zaklopatica we start going round the island anti-clockwise. We find Mali Lago and the island of Prezba a lush scenic environment of small wooded islet with deep clear water in between. After anchoring by Mrcara, and later touring Veli Lago, proceed to the south coast and Skrivena Luka ("Red Port") cove.
July 13th berth at Porto Rosso restaurant with its long yacht pier, a mini marina. Porto Rosso is a stylish good quality restaurant with large menu; the mooring has to be paid separately.
The following day we carry on rounding the island. Leaving Porto Rosso we pass the Struga lighthouse which is impressively located on a cliff.
July 15th, less dramatic than the previous setting is the Loviste bay,
a small laid back holiday village at the west end of Pejesak peninsula.
The public pier offers no facilities but is free, and the small fish-only restaurant next to it, Barsa, is a surprise treat. Have deliciously fresh gurnard; a good find.
July 21st, after spending a night on Solta, in the upmarket Martinis-Marchi marina in Maslenica, we anchor in nearby Krknjas cove east of Veli Drvenik. Always a popular anchorage for its turquoise water, in high season it is crowded with trip boats, the nouveau-riche on chartered luxury yachts showing off their toys, and the rest of us mere mortal sailors displaying an interesting range of anchoring skills. Click gallery pictures for full view.
On Sept 11th, in brilliant late season weather, we re-visit Stupica Vela cove on Zirje island, a lazy straight 12 nm trip from our base. Enjoy dinner in the simple yet reliable and satisfying Konoba. In the evening it's now getting cooler, and there are fewer diners.
The next morning we explore the interesting ruins of the byzantine fortress of the 6th century overlooking the cove.
Sept 18th we leave to visit Sibenik, the regional capital, which we have not seen yet. Berth Tarilian in the new marina Mandalina.
Sibenik has got attractive historic buildings in its old town, but the modern city seems run down.
On approach, we anchor for lunch in the bay east of the Sv Nikola fortress at the entrance to the Sv Ante channel. Take out the dinghy to visit the unrestored Venetian fortress which more recently served as a prison.
Click gallery pictures for full view
In summer 2015 we spent nearly 9 weeks in Croatia and logged a total of 700 nm and 89 engine hours.
Average fuel consumption was 3.9 ltrs/nm.
Summary and statistics of our 2016 season
Same as in the previous years, we visit Croatia three times, in June, July and September; each visit is between 2 ½ and 3 weeks long.
Our home berth is still in Marina Frapa, Rogoznica, Sibenik county. When the weather turns unpleasant, we use to return to our convenient home port in good time.
1.Trip: We spend 10 out of 20 days cruising* (50%); 5 days are stormy or rainy/thundery.
2.Trip: We spend 10 out of 17 days cruising (59%); 3 days are stormy.
3.Trip: We spend 13 out of 21 days cruising (62%); 4-5 days are rainy or thundery.
* 'cruising' just means being on a journey / away from our home berth
Total mileage in 2016: 623 nm. Engine hours: 83. Average Diesel consumption: 3.8 ltr/nm
The relatively low fuel consumption shows that most of our cruising was done close to displacement speed (8.5 to 9.5kn).
All in all, for us 2016 is weather-wise a reasonable season, with a patch of above average weather in September.
We start our season with a short turn north towards the Kornati islands, June 4th to 8th.
Fine weather but a bit cool at only 20 to 22 deg C day temperature, the sea is still too cold to swim. It’s early season. At the Borovnjaci anchorage on Kakan, the small taverna Babalu has just opened the day before.
At Opat we note that the restaurant attracts more large luxury motor yachts, apparently crewed charter yachts. Their nouveau-riche guests are different from the kind of boating people we used to see and feel comfortable having around us. The cove is still nice and the food as fine as we found and enjoyed it in previous years.
After Opat, we spend a couple of happy days in fine weather at the Mare restaurant on Katina. Mare too is popular with motor boaters, but here you usually see experienced owner operators. Be aware, that there are problems with mobile network coverage at Katina due to shading between hills.
In the second part of our first stay, between June 13th and 15th, the weather has been warming up but is not all that stable. We go south, spend a night in our favourite cove Tiha in the Starigrad channel (Hvar), and the following in Stomorska harbour on Solta, a very pleasant stay this time, with still not too many other yachties and tourists around.
For June 16th and 17th Jugo (strong SE wind) has been forecast. It blows strongly at Rogoznica, marked with a red circle on the left side of the forecast chart.
For a short trip, after the Jugo, we head again for Kaprije and Potkucina cove, and enjoy a sunny afternoon and pleasant evening.
By that time, June 18th, the sea has warmed up enough for a night swim.
Be aware that several of the numerous buoys in that cove are in a poor condition and rickety.
By the way, the label "Res. Paradiso Tratica" is only an ad, it does not mean you are expected to go eating there, or go eating at all.
On the following days the temperature is going to drop and rain is coming...
We already have to think about leaving for London.
Sod’s law has it that a period of stable summer weather finally settles in just as we leave.
Our ‘high season’ visit to Croatia starts with properly hot weather at 32 deg C.
A first short trip takes us again to Kakan and the Borovnjaci anchorage. Most of its 60 or so buoys are already taken, but not all boats are there to stay overnight. Yet again I find that the buoy we have tied our boat on is broken; the bracket on its bottom has cracked open and the ground rope is just hanging on one side, a deadly defect which you cannot see from above the water when you moor.
Cloudless skies, a perfect sunset and a completely calm evening and night.
But, in Croatia, even in July the fine summer weather isn't lasting, the next days bring thundery rain and bora (NE wind).
We make our way to Kremik marina to visit Offshore-Boote. There may be some cross wind but I am not worried as it is a well protected place and we are very familiar with the berthing situation. However, an overzealous helper suddenly starts meddling with our manoeuvre and jumping on deck without being asked; in a momentary lack of concentration I leave the engines in gear while I rush from the fly helm to the aft deck to take control. I realize instantly what’s happened and am fast enough back at the helm to stop the boat. Just in time. A sobering experience that reminds me that the risk of accidents always looms, even in situations you feel you are perfectly familiar with.
Sitting out the bora in our home berth at Frapa over the following two days. We watch BBC World and Sky News with shocking reports of the Nice terror attack and later the ‘coup’ attempt in Turkey. As an aftermath of the bora, temperature has dropped to 18 deg C.
Sunday July 17th is a special day at Rogoznica, the traditional religious event “Return of the painting of our Lady to her chapel”, a procession from the main church, over the bay on boats, and to the chapel at the tip of the peninsula.
In the evening we go across to the village by dinghy and have dinner at Mario’s Konoba; next to it, on the newly designed Riva, is a small stage presenting a concert of “3 Dalmatian tenors”.
July 18th sees the decrease of the NE wind and the return of summer weather.
Our first target is Lucice cove on Brac, and I reserve a table and buoy at the popular restaurant Marino (Smrce), now called Lucice. We arrive at Lucice cove at 16:00 and are guided in by a keen mooring guy in his rib. 300 Kn is charged, although the buoy belongs to our restaurant. The mooring guy offers to take us ashore and back in the evening.
Lucice a lovely bay; we have a skarpina (scorpion fish) for two, and a most romantic table right by the sea.
However, Marino’s prices are inflated, fish is charged 600 kn/kilo, sides and wine are expensive too, without being anything special.
Considering, that the restaurant is a short distance from Milna by road, and they charge extra for their buoy, we find it poor value for money. I hear later that the other two restaurants in Lucice bay have both some issues and are not worth recommending.
For the next night I call Vrboska harbour master but hear they have a flotilla. I reserve a berth on the quay in Starigrad.
I have discovered a potential issue with the Passarella (another issue) and am happy that I do not depend on the tender. On the way across the Hvar Channel towards Starigrad, we pick up a buoy in Tiha cove for lunch and a swim.
As the afternoon commences, a ‘The Yacht Week’ flotilla makes an appearance at Tiha and starts occupying the whole large north bay, Veli Dolac, of the cove. We are only too happy that we are not staying here over night.
Starigrad proves overall as pleasant as we had hoped; we stay for two nights. We marvel at the improved old town quay, and the works to extend quays on the north side of the harbour to provide additional yacht berths. There may be some temporary safety hazards to pedestrians here and there, but so it be; H&S doctrine has not yet replaced reliance on common sense.
The spell of wonderful summer weather continues; Thursday night we stay on a buoy in nearby Tiha cove (having made sure there is no flotilla) and Friday 22nd we go to the Palmizana marina (Hvar) to re-visit one of the excellent restaurants of Sveti Klement.
On Fridays and Saturdays this popular marina usually has spaces because charter yachts are away, but the rest of the week it is fully booked despite its nowadays very expensive prices. Euros 143 per day for a boat like Tarilian, plus an extra rip-off reservation fee if you book online; I feel that an extra booking fee, combined with requiring full upfront payment, is unreasonable and must be abolished. Hvar town has managed to become the hectic epicentre of Croatian island tourism and is priced accordingly. In addition to tourist marketing, millions of reviewers seem to have "discovered" it and raved about it in social media. The town has become a seasonal tourist folly, and is empty outside the season.
An alternative to the ACI marina is the Vinogradisce cove on the opposite, south, side of Sveti Klement, which has nowadays got a "high-density" field of buoys; pricey too as you might have guessed.
Saturday July 23rd. For this night we try to re-visit Stomorska on Solta, but alas when we arrive at 15:35, though plenty of spaces are available, we are told the harbour was “fully booked”. I am angry; someone can book a whole small harbour for their flotilla, and private boats that arrive first get turned away. I hear the same happened to a friend on a previous day.
It’s the second time we experience this within a few days. It must be the sign of times in high season Croatia; ever increasing flotillas, run by mercenary skippers with 'connections' (others might call it corruption) who elbow out individual yachties. It reminds me of the unfair treatment we experienced in Komiza harbour some time ago, where the harbour office lied to us saying that they would not accept bookings (except in 'special' cases, we found out).
I call Milna ACI marina, an old haunt of ours; they have space; we berth in a more godly place, by the church with its lovely loud bells.
The large ruined house on the seafront right of the church is a sad case. We saw it in good condition with a solid roof in 2000, 2006 and 2007. By 2013 the roof had been taken off and the house deliberately turned into a ruin. Knowing Croatian property law might help understanding why this is happening, it is not the only time we noticed it.
From Sunday July 24th the weather is expected to deteriorate, with wind starting late afternoon; but the morning is bright and calm.
On the way towards Frapa we anchor at Krknjas (Drvenik V.) at 12:00 for lunch. The beautiful anchorage is in season a restless place of yachts coming and leaving, but I usually get a space in the deeper, not so "blue lagoon"-coloured part.
We leave the anchorage at 13:00, the NW wind has got up. In the passage between the Drvenik islands and the mainland the NW wind blows like in a funnel, it has a long reach from the open sea and can whip up chop.
Half way through towards Rt Ploce (Punta Planka), east of the Arkandel island, I decide that the gusting head wind is putting unacceptable stress on the bimini and I need to fold it back; this is not easy under such conditions but helped. Near to Rt Ploce the waves increase to 1.5m; much earlier than expected. A couple of steep waves brake right before our bow and send water over the flybridge. Arrive Frapa at 2:30pm.
The next morning I have the passarella taken off and the bracket inspected; the bolts are not broken as I had feared. They put it back on, Sika-flexed and with new doubled up nuts. It's not a very strong construction, and a big dinghy. Hopefully the fix will last for the rest of the season until I get a more solid bracket custom-made.
Part 3 - Third Trip Sept 1-20
The weather is fine and summerly. It seems to become our habit to do a first short trip to Kakan and moor at the Borovnjaci anchorage. All is nice there as usual; the buoy guy already recognizes our boat. Night is mild at 23deg C, but getting a little damp and dewy.
Sept 2nd, Friday we continue NW to re-visit marina Piskera, where we had last been in 2004.
Mooring with the stern against the afternoon wind is no problem.
In this area the T-Com network coverage provides only for voice calls, data does not work; on the VIP network we get data. The problem with T-Com is confirmed the next day by the marina office.
I had read bad environmental comments, but to me the Piskera seems still ok; fish, sea grass and urchins seem going.
It’s Friday, and so no charter yachts. The pontoons are empty, it feels lonely. The whole place is a magical setting between rocky white islets, just as we remember it.
Next day we make our way back SE, under gloriously blue skies. We stop at Tratinska cove on Zirje, a beautiful cove with solid mooring buoys to stay overnight, and a simple restaurant. The buoy operator isn’t busy. Talking about immigration he tells us how much Croatians would hate Muslim immigrants. Furthermore, that it "has already been pre-determined that Trump will win over Clinton". Ah!
We stay in the bay until next afternoon, then return to our home berth.
On Sept 7th Jane’s daughter PK arrives in the afternoon.
Sept 8th. With a forecast for mostly clear settled weather, we start a trip south. We try, first time for us, Bobovisce cove on Brac, north of Milna; an easy day trip of 27.5 nm.
En route we stop at Krknjas (Drvenik Veli), our pleasant and convenient (albeit busy) lunchtime anchorage. Boats usually huddle in the shallow parts. At Bobovisce, there is a space at the very end of yacht quay. The docking manoeuvre looks a bit chaotic at first, because the mooring helper hands over a far too short mooring line, then one which runs in a ‘wrong’ direction, backwards; with lack of a suitable bollard ashore I have to rig a longer landline across small boats to stay safe. I fix the short mooring lines to forward side cleats rather than to the bow, rearrange ropes and eventually get all tied up. This is a protected cove and there is settled weather so no worries.
In addition to the moorings on the quay there is a row of buoys on the opposite side of the cove, with landlines to tie up ashore. Sounds good and some might prefer this, but if I have a choice, I always go for a mooring with direct access ashore and no need for a dinghy.
Bobovisce is a nice and picturesque village in a narrow cove with steep slopes up on the sides. There are quaint old stone houses, which remind me of pretty harbours such as Zlarin, Vrboska or Stomorska. But, here is also a little viewing tower, maybe from a derelict fortification, overlooking the cove. We will climb up the next morning and enjoy the views.
Have dinner in one of the quayside restaurants, on a table inside as the evening gets cooler; quite pleased, and value for money.
Sept 9th, Friday we continue our journey and tie up on a buoy in Tiha cove in the Starigrad channel. For dinner we visit the new simple grill in the north cove, a useful addition to this beautiful bay where food had been unavailable.
Saturday morning in the bay, swimming, paddling and watching wildlife, then move to Starigrad town, our favourite harbour on Hvar. Moor up on the newly built up north quay. It is quieter than the town quay opposite side, but the walk to the harbour office, all round the harbour, takes about 20 minutes (each way), be aware.
We are in for a treat tonight, there are celebrations of “2400 Years Starigrad”, including a gathering and parade of vintage boats.
By the way, the feast in town does not mean that all restaurants are full; locals go out eating far less than foreigners.
Our next trip from Frapa is in northerly direction to the Sibenik islands, just 17nm to go, in calm and stable weather. Yet again we go on a buoy in Potkucina cove (Borovnjaci anchorage) on Kakan. The large bay is not empty but there are many buoys left, a sign of late season. Dinner at Babalu grill, a nice and quiet September evening, still pleasantly warm.
The following day, Sept 13th, still in sunny weather, we re-visit nearby Stupica Vela cove on Zirje, and its simple but good restaurant run by the Old Ladies.
Buoys here are in a better state and more secure than at Borovnjaci. But, be aware, if you have a long boat, a few of them are quite close together.
In the afternoon we walk the short path up to the picturesque ruins of the Roman fortification with its splendid views. Another beautiful sunset and a quiet night ensue.
The following morning is completely calm, but, with a large patch of sea fog covering the cove and creating an unusual autumn light and mood at the anchorage. By 10:00 the sun starts comes through and slowly dissolving the fog.
We leave the anchorage at 11:00, visibility is still less than 1nm. Half an hour later the fog has dissolved further and visibility increased to 4nm. Berth at Frapa by 13:00, later in the afternoon PK takes a taxi to Split airport.
After this period of stable weather a low has passed over us. By Sept 20th it has been filling and the weather clears; still NW wind but reducing and only light in the night. A final short trip to the popular Sesula cove on Solta, a place we have only seen from afar before. I have booked restaurant Sismis, who reserve buoys for their customers. We get there by 16:00. The cove is narrow and deep; assisted by friendly mooring helpers we tie the bow to a mooring rope, and rig a landline at the stern which, in our case, attaches to a small chain. This chain is on a bracket cemented into a crack on the rocky shore.
The position of the restaurant and the views over the cove could not be nicer, the food is good too. We are just disappointed how early the sun sets at this time of the year, just before 19:00. With the darkness comes a drop in temperature and increase in humidity, eating outside becomes less comfortable. Around this time in September one should go to dine outdoors by 18:00 at the latest.
The following day we return to Frapa in calm and bright weather, refuel the boat and prepare to leave. Flights to Gatwick in the early evening bring our summer 2016 season to a conclusion.
