The 26th of August 2012 had it all. For us, the day began quite innocuously in the Kremik marina near Rogoznica at the offshore boat charter centre. The motorboat we had picked up the day before, a Cranchi 43 Sport with the beautiful name "Chiara", had to be provisioned for our trip, which was to last two weeks. A truly daft job in this humid heat.
In the late morning, station manager Stefan comes to the boat and says: "You want to go to Maslinica. Don't set off too late, the weather forecast has predicted north-easterly gusts of 35 to 65 knots for the afternoon. That would be 8 to 9 Beaufort and really no fun at all.
But you can't really believe it in the sultry breeze when we leave the marina at 2.15 pm. "South 2, sea state 1, humid", says the logbook. So it's no problem to say hello to a crew friend who is anchored in Stari Trogir bay. It takes us a good half an hour to cover the nine nautical miles. When we moor alongside our friends' boat at 3 p.m. without our own anchor, a light wind is blowing from the WNW.
As soon as we have settled in comfortably on the aft deck, we can feel the boats surging more strongly. A look to the north-west: the front is coming in black, very fast and relentless. At 3.35 pm, the wind is whistling around our ears with 5 to 6 Beaufort from the NW. But now it's time to say goodbye and leave. Out of the bay where we are lying between the island of Merara and the mainland on Legerwall.
North of the small island of Arkandel, we set a south-easterly course and can relax: We have the wind from astern and our "Chiara" surfs calmly through the rising waves. Oncoming boats are pounding violently against the sea and are being badly buffeted.
The sea is almost "calm" in the passage between the islands of Mali and Veli Drvenik. Only on the south coast of Veli Drvenik is the sea more turbulent again. But now our destination, the harbour of Maslinica on the island of Šolta, is already within sight. The wind is now gusting at a good 7 Beaufort. Hopefully we can get into the harbour straight away? No way! Five boats are ahead of us and are waved into the harbour one by one by a marinero standing on top of the breakwater. Four are already in, then suddenly there's no further progress. We struggle with the wind and waves in front of the harbour entrance.
I hear a "Mayday!" several times on the VHF. - I can't make out much in this wind. After almost an hour of battling with the elements, salvation: we are waved into the harbour. Behind the breakwater, a marinero with a rubber dinghy is waiting to give us some assistance if the worst comes to the worst. But we don't need it: I manoeuvre the boat into the indicated gap with the IPS drive as if pulling on a string. The mooring ring is handed over, the stern lines are taken - we are moored.
Maslinica: What a splendid marina the formerly rather inconspicuous village harbour has become! Behind the new breakwater and the pier, which has been converted into a promenade, there are 50 berths for yachts up to
40 metres in length. There's no need to talk about things like water and electricity here. The new sanitary facilities in the harbour office are also fine.
However, the highlight of the harbour and the town is the 300-year-old "Martinis Marchi" palace: after sensitive restoration in historical style, a hotel with six suites and a restaurant for discerning guests has been created here. And when you enjoy freshly caught fish, prepared with local herbs and olive oil from the island of Šolta, and a good glass of wine with a magnificent view of the harbour and bay, any stresses and strains of the day are quickly forgotten (www.martinismarchi.com).
Just "over the hill" or, in nautical terms, less than a nautical mile south of Maslinica lies Šešula Bay, which offers perfect protection from the south-westerly winds. Let's stick our noses in there. It's midday and most of the boats have already left the bay. So we have a free choice of mooring buoys in front of the two konobas on the northern shore of the bay. There are seven in front of the "Konoba Šešula" and five in front of the "Šišmiš" restaurant. We opt for the latter. We walk up a few steps from the shore and then sit in the "Fledermaus" (= Šišmiš), where they say they also serve good cocktails. But it's too early for that ... We fortify ourselves with Dalmatian ham and Pag cheese.
The wind and course match perfectly as we head SE towards the western tip of the island of Hvar at NW 2 to 3 Beaufort. We pass Rt. Pelegrin on Hvar and set course in the Pakleni Channel for the ACI marina Palmižana on the island of Sv. Klement, the largest in the Pakleni archipelago.
I can't believe my eyes: I have rarely seen Marina Palmižana this full at the end of August, and more and more sailors are coming in. We are caught up in "The Yacht Week", a flotilla of up to 50 sailing yachts crewed by young people from all over the world. The hoped-for peace and quiet in one of my favourite marinas is over, and the water in the harbour, which is usually so clear, is also murky. Next to us is a crew of six from Latin America. A continuous electro party is the order of the day. And as many cocktails need a lot of ice and therefore a lot of electricity, a second shore connection is installed and ours is simply pulled out. We have to have fun, even if it's at our expense.
It is quite incomprehensible why ACI has chosen to organise this event in Palmižana Marina, which is popular for its tranquillity. Of course, the young sailors are promised a big party: "Along the way you will stop in Hvar, which is renowned for its parties and where we host our infamous after beach party", it says on the website of "The Yacht Week". And this beach party will take place on the neighbouring island of Marinkovac on the party beach of the "Carpe Diem".
"Enjoy the day" - but how can you do that when the sanitary facilities are already bursting at the seams in the morning with the onslaught of young people and we old "silverbacks" have to suffer from the constant sound of tipsy boat neighbours? Remember: this applies to one or two days a week in July and August!
There are also a few new developments in the marina: yachts up to 40 metres in length can now moor at the new moorings on jetty D. The power boxes on jetties C and D are fused with 32 amps. The jetty lighting was also brand new last year. New sanitary facilities have been announced for 2013.
Fortunately, there are plenty of bays in the Pakleni archipelago where you can escape the chaos of the marina. The extremely popular Vinogradišće bay, which is located on the south side of the island exactly "opposite" Marina Palmižana, is only suitable for this to a limited extent.
This year, authorisation was granted for the installation of a buoy field, which three concessionaires applied to operate. At the end of May this year, the buoys had not yet been anchored and the licence had not yet been awarded.
This could be very lucrative, because with its five restaurants for different target groups, the bay will continue to attract many guests: chic chic in fine clothes to upscale and expensive cuisine in the "Zori" (Tel. 021-74 49 04). Fine dining enthusiasts and the artistically ambitious will head to the iconic "Meneghello", run by Dagmar Meneghello and her daughters with fine cuisine, which is located just above the bay in an exotic botanical garden (reservation required: tel. 021-71 72 70).
Those who have not lost their eye for beautiful design and lovingly executed details will enjoy traditional Dalmatian cuisine at "Toto's", which was designed and is run by Dagmar Meneghello's son Đenko (reservation tel. 021-71 82 42).
In any case, guests with a more rustic orientation will be well served in the simpler ambience of the "Bacchus" (Tel. 091-253 37 96). And the young people, namely the crews of "Yacht Week", will make a pilgrimage here from the marina to sip cocktails or eat fish from the grill in the chilled lounge bar "Laganini" with "cool music".
If you really want peace and quiet, head for Taršće bay, one nautical mile west of Vinogradišće. From the head of the bay, a hiking trail leads in a westerly direction first to the rustic konoba "Dionis" and finally, in the village of Vlaka, to the "Pension Tonci".
Tonci Matijević is a fisherman and supplies the kitchen with fresh fish. The friendly service is in the hands of his daughter Perina. As they mainly cook for house guests, you should book in advance (tel. 021-74 24 80). Ask for a fish brodetto or a gregada (fish in white wine with potatoes and onions). Simple, but delicious!
The wind has shifted to the SE. So it's good to round Hvar in a clockwise direction: Rt. Pelegrin abeam and then round the north coast of the island heading east from bay to bay. Three nautical miles east of Rt. Pelegrin, we enter Pribnja Bay, which splits at the bottom like a tooth root: To the west, Vela Vira: formerly a ferry harbour, now a small shipyard. To the east, Mala Vira: we discover seven free mooring buoys and tie up. A small boat chugs towards us.
We meet Jure Knezović, who only calls himself "Jure" and speaks perfect German. He runs the "Ringo" tavern at the head of the bay. We reserve a table for the evening. Jure didn't promise us too much: The cosy konoba is packed and the refrigerated display case is groaning under the weight and variety of fresh fish. Jure's brother is a fisherman and fills the table. He also buys in fish, but "only from the local sea", Jure assures us. And he swears by the purity of the fish flavour, which he does not "kill" with garlic. The buoy and seats in the restaurant should be booked with Jure (tel. 091-510 36 86). And Jure orders: "It's quiet in the bay at 11 pm. Anyone who doesn't accept this will be thrown out."
The picturesque bay of Stiniva, 2.5 nautical miles east of Mala Vira, has a 60 metre long pier on its western shore, on the inside of which you can also find good shelter from northerly winds. This is not a matter of course on the north coast of Hvar, where the bays are open to the north. The small "Dalmatia" tavern is only open in the evenings and only prepares food to order.
Head for Stari Grad. Not just the oldest town on the island, but in the whole of Croatia. For me, it is a mystical place whose old town centre never fails to captivate me. It is located on the south side of the long harbour, whose pier on the city side has been magnificently extended in recent years: Murings, water, electricity. What was missing last year were sanitary facilities, the shopping facilities are excellent and the large number of restaurants makes it difficult to choose. We ate at "Pinetta" and were satisfied (Ul. Ljudevita Gaja 3).
The indented northern shore of Stari Grad Bay offers endless anchorages with good protection from northerly winds. You should have more time! We round the headland that juts out far to the north-west and head for Zukova Bay on its eastern side. We find a picturesque anchorage in the eastern tip of the indented bay: a swimming break is the order of the day.
We set course for Vrboska, which is hidden in a fjord that cuts deep into the land behind the Glavica headland. A boat heads towards us well before the ACI marina: "Come into the town harbour. It's better than the marina and cheaper." This new way of attracting customers reminds me of the unpleasant tug-of-war between so-called "restaurants" for guests in Dubrovnik's old town alleyways ...
We moor as planned in the ACI marina on the southern shore of the fjord. Marina director Zoran Krstinić tells us that his complaints against the "poaching attempts" of the city harbour have so far been in vain.
The marina is in good shape: a new disabled toilet is due to be built in 2013, the laundry room will be equipped with a new washing machine and tumble dryer, and free Wi-Fi is already available. The petrol station is 100 m away.
On the way to the town centre, we follow the narrowing fjord past the town harbour, which offers mumming, water and electricity, but no sanitary facilities. The fjord flattens out at a small island just above the town harbour. Two bridges connect the neighbourhoods separated by the water. Here, the picturesque town with its remarkable Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings looks like a small lagoon town. The fortified church of St Mary is a popular excursion point. The town has good shopping facilities and plenty of restaurants.
Jelsa is located just two nautical miles south-east of Vrboska. The old town of the popular seaside resort spreads out on the south side of the spacious harbour basin - on a gently rising hill against the spectacular backdrop of the island's mountains, which rise up to 600 metres in the hinterland. Sports boats are moored on the starboard side of the harbour at a pier with moorings, water and electricity opposite the old town. There are numerous restaurants and cafés to discover in the immediate vicinity!
And now, at the latest, you should familiarise yourself with the wine of the island of Hvar: On the eastern outskirts of
Jelsa is the "Bastijana" winery of the great winemaker Andro Tomić. A wine tasting there is a must for wine lovers. My tip is a speciality of the island of Hvar: the dry, indigenous white wine "Bogdanuša", which translates as "God-given" - and tastes like it (www.bastijana.hr).
Four beautiful bays on the north coast of Hvar, to which we dedicate at least one photo tour: Velika Prapratna, just under 3 nm east of Jelsa. A very quiet bay with a number of holiday homes on its steep shores. Great pebble beach. Anchoring at 5 to 7 metres.
Just under 2 nm further east Mala Stiniva. A double bay with steep rocky banks at the western end and a few houses on a small beach at the eastern end. Anchor here at 4 to 8 metres.
The steep rocky shores with their caves in the bay of Vela Stiniva, 1.7 nm to the east, are extremely spectacular. A boat can moor at the head of the pier. Inside, everything is covered and shallow. There is a bollard for land parties on each of the steep banks of the bay. There is a pizzeria and the "Kod Mate" buffet on the beach.
Pokrivenik, the widest bay on the north coast of Hvar (4 nm east of Vela Stiniva) is more touristy than any other. At the eastern tip of the bay, there is a 30-metre-long K.u.K. pier in front of the "Cico" apartment building, which can also be moored alongside. Nearby is the "Timun" hotel with restaurant. The spacious south bay offers the best anchorages.
Cape Sućuraj marks the easternmost point of the island of Hvar. Rounding the cape almost always brings a surprise: the change in wind strength and direction in the Neretvanski Channel compared to the conditions on the north coast of Hvar. But this time the conditions remain the same: a breeze from WNW around 2 Beaufort. Sućuraj is a ferry harbour, and you should be careful not to obstruct incoming or outgoing ferries at the relatively narrow entrance.
The harbour warden assigns us a berth at the far corner of the breakwater. Not ideal, but the pleasure craft jetty behind the ferry dock is occupied and two sailing yachts are already moored further in at the breakwater. So we got the last free spot, although there are only about five or six berths for pleasure craft of our calibre in this harbour anyway. At least the breakwater also has water and electricity.
The peaceful village has hardly been touched by tourism and is therefore very authentic. There are two supermarkets and several restaurants. Apart from that, Dalmatian serenity is the order of the day. We end the evening in a restaurant on the cosy harbour promenade.
"Bura this afternoon," says the harbour warden the next morning and asks us to leave our berth: "Not safe here, better leave!" We phone Zlatan Plenković, the builder and owner of the new harbour in Sv. Nedjelja, and want to know whether his harbour is safe in Bora: "No problem at all in Bora," says Zlatan, "come into the inner harbour basin and moor directly in front of the restaurant." It's 28 nautical miles to Sveta Nedjelja. If we want to, we can make it in an hour with our "Chiara".
When we set sail from Sućuraj at 11 a.m., there is no sign of bora: ESE 2-3 Beaufort. We therefore treat ourselves to at least a flying visit to the bays of Srhov Dolac and the harbour of Zavala. The town seems to be clinging to a steep slope. The harbour is a wild jumble of mooring buoys and small boats. The inside of the harbour is occupied.
At 1.30 pm we are moored in front of the restaurant "Bilo Idro" (White Sail) in the harbour of Sv. Nedjelja in a light breeze from ESE. A breathtaking backdrop: Rising above the harbour is the highest mountain on the island at 628 m: Sv. Nikola. The village is halfway up, with extremely steep vineyards to the left and right. The harbour is also a small miracle: how can such a harbour be built on this stretch of coast, which is mercilessly exposed to the extreme swell of the Jugo?
But Zlatan Plenković doesn't give the impression that he doesn't know what he's doing. After all, he is not only the owner of this marina (moorings, water, electricity, showers, toilets), but also one of the island's great grand cru winemakers. During an evening wine tasting on the terrace in front of the striking twin towers of his wine cellar, he is really in his element.
And when a few bora gusts whistle down from the mountain during the tasting of the famous wines from "Zlatan Otok", you know that the boat is safe and sound and slowly climb from the "Zlatan Crljenak" (Zinfandel) via the simple "Plavac" to the "Zlatan Plavac Barrique" to reach the summit with the "Zlatan Plavac Grand Cru" at the end (www.zlatanotok.hr).
DISTRICT INFORMATION
Company
With currently 29 yachts from 11 to 21 metres in length and three different types of inflatable boat, the Austrian company Offshore-Boote is one of the largest charter providers for motor yachts in Croatia. It is part of the philosophy of the traditional company, founded in 1991, to prioritise tried and tested classics in the fleet over modern, but possibly not yet fully developed new builds. Of course, this philosophy only works if the older yachts are also looked after, maintained and regularly renovated with immense effort. And it is precisely in this respect that Offshore-Boote has been working in an exemplary and therefore successful manner for years. Offshore-Boote's base has been the Kremik marina near the small town of Primošten since 1997.
Boat
The Cranchi 43 chartered by us joined the offshore fleet for the first time in 2012. The racy, sporty glider not only impresses with its outstanding handling characteristics, even in rough weather, but above all with its excellent manoeuvrability, which, thanks to the IPS drive, allows the boat to be manoeuvred safely and stably even in the tightest of spaces. After a short period of familiarisation, this boat should be the first choice for all skippers who find it difficult to manoeuvre with shaft drive. In addition, the speed potential of the boat, which can reach speeds of up to 36 knots with 2 x 415 hp, ensures "exhilarating exhilaration". The boat offers 4 berths in two cabins (bow and stern). Each cabin has a separate wet room. In other words, a suitable boat for two couples. Like all yachts in the offshore fleet, this boat is perfectly equipped. There's no shortage of pots and pans or technical "toys" to make you feel at home: Generator, dinghy, hydraulic gangway, microwave, television, CD/MP3 stereo radio. And of course there is also a full range of safety equipment on board.
Technical data:Length 13.80 m; width 4.15 m; draught 0.90 m; engines 2 x 305 kW (2 x 415 hp); water tank 300 l; diesel tank 1100 l; consumption at displacement speed 1.5 to 2 l/sm, at planing speed 3 to 5 l/sm.
Prices:Depending on the season, the Cranchi 43 costs between 5460 and 7800 euros per week. For longer bookings, there is a 5% discount for the 2nd week. The final cleaning costs 110 euros. The deposit to be paid is 4000 euros (cash, Visa or MasterCard).
Information and booking
Offshore Boote, Baumgasse 83, A-1030 Vienna. Tel: 0043-1-799 23 45, Fax: 0043-1-799 23 45 - 417, Skype: offshore-boote1, www.offshore-boote.at
Further information
The Croatian National Tourist Board provides a lot of information for boaters on its website (de.croatia.hr and at.croatia.hr), some of which can also be downloaded. Nautical brochures can be ordered free of charge: Croatian National Tourist Board, Hochstr. 43, 60313 Frankfurt/M. or Rumfordstr. 7, 80469 Munich, or Liechtensteinstr. 22a, 1/1/7 A-1090 Vienna.
