Vela Stupica, Tratinska, Mala Nozdra, Potkućina, Medoš: nice-sounding names, but far less well-known than Krka and Kornati, for example. And yet these are all bays in the Šibenik archipelago that you can get very close to on the way from the River Krka towards the Kornati islands.
But who goes on a boating holiday in the Šibenik archipelago? For most skippers, the island world off the Krka estuary is worth a stopover at best. Is it because there are no marinas on the islands of the archipelago, with the exception of Murter, and the infrastructure of the few town harbours still has potential for development?
Maybe so. However, many skippers are hardly aware that fantastic bays await bathing-hungry crews here. This is where the real potential of the Šibenik archipelago lies. Six of Croatia's current 51 state-licensed buoy fields are located in the archipelago: Velika Stupica and Tratinska on the island of Žirje, Borovnjaci and Tratica off the island of Kakan as well as Remetić and Kaprije on the island of the same name. Let's take a closer look at this and a little more. But first things first.
At the end of August, all hell is still breaking loose at the offshore boat charter centre in Marina Kremik (Primošten): it's Saturday and that means crew changes. It's fascinating to see the apparent confusion when 20 crews have finished their trip and almost as many want to go out again. Lots of work for cleaning crews and technicians.
The guest, however, who is not interested in this organisational masterpiece, sits on the terrace of the charter office, enjoys a glass of wine or a draught beer and listens eagerly for news from those who have already been on holiday and perhaps have the ultimate tip.
We hear two at once: "There's a great new konoba in Medoš Bay on Kaprije" and "You absolutely have to see the new restaurant building on Ravni Zakan." If that's nothing to start with! Waiting for us at the pier is "Why worry", a Jeanneau Prestige 46 Fly: sporty and elegant, equipped with a powerful 2 x 368 kW (500 hp).
It is a good tradition for us to use the first day of the charter to familiarise ourselves with the boat. And so, after just three nautical miles, it's over: the attractive and popular tourist town of Primošten lies ahead of us. It is late afternoon and the mooring places at the town pier have long been taken.
So we drop the iron in the wide harbour bay in 8 m of water, add 40 m of chain and then mobilise our dinghy for the first time. In the upper part of the small town, a little away from the large flow of tourists around the harbour, we find a nice terrace restaurant with a view of the sea. And as we look out over the harbour bay, we count no fewer than 36 (!) anchor lights, which are still shining in the last shallow
swell of the Maestral as it falls asleep.
Head for Žirje, the westernmost island of the Šibenik archipelago and therefore the furthest from the mainland. Our destination is the bays to the south of Žirje, around 12 nm from Primošten. We set off at a leisurely displacement speed of 8 knots, accompanied by a light breeze (3 Beaufort) from the Maestral, the summer wind from the WNW that promises good weather.
The bays of Mala and Vela Stupica, which cut up the southern coast of Žirje, are well protected from this wind. We have to drop anchor in Mala Stupica - we don't have to do that again. So we moored in Vela Stupica at one of the 32 buoys we counted in the licenced buoy field.
According to the official list (www.mmpi.hr), only 20 buoys are licenced in Stupica - but who cares? The crystal-clear water is perfect for a swim. High above the bay, the ruins of a fortress from late antiquity beckon you to climb up. This fortress is said to have provided protection from Saracens and pirates.
In the north-western tip of the bay, concessionaire Mate Šižgorić runs Konoba Stupica. "Fish or meat?" is the simple question here, as there is no menu and you order "either - or". We opt for fish and realise that the price-performance ratio is right: 100 kuna (13 euros) per portion, and the potato salad is delicious! Rosa is the boss here, and she tells us that in the high season it is highly recommended to book a buoy (phone 00385-98-961 15 00).
We pay for the buoys with our meal and are in for a surprise: just as the number of buoys with a licence does not correspond to the number actually available, the "list price" of the buoys, which should or may be 20 kuna per metre per night, is not taken seriously: We pay 150 kuna for our 14.50 metre long boat. I have no idea how we earned this "preferential price".
The second licenced buoy field on Žirje is located in Tratinska Bay, 5 nm northwest of Stupica on the seaward coast of the island. The bay cuts almost a kilometre into the island and becomes more beautiful the deeper you go in. According to the official list, there are 22 buoys, which is roughly the number we find. A sign on the shore points to "Konoba Julie", which is supposed to be only 100 metres away from here. But we can't find a place to moor our dinghy in this area of the shore.
So we round the north-western tip of Žirje and moor in Mikavica Bay at the head of the 10 metre wide mole. We want to find Konoba Julie. No problem, we think, because Tratinska Bay is just south of Mikavica and only 400 metres away. A bumpy road quickly leads us to Tratinska Bay, which we now admire from above. But where is "Julie"?
A gravel road runs along the bay about 100 metres from the shoreline. So this is where we must meet Julie. Think again. At some point, a sign points to the left to Konaba Julie, which is located in a completely unspectacular position on the road from Mikavica to Žirje: around 350 metres from Tratinska Bay. A good 2 nm south-east of Mikavica lies Muna, the small harbour of the island's capital Žirje. It's a proper little place with a restaurant and shop, but unfortunately still without moorings at the harbour pier.
We then leave Žirje and set course for the southern tip of the island of Kakan, heading north between Kakan and Kaprije, and after less than a mile the deep bay with the island's capital Kaprije opens up to starboard. The harbour master assigns us a berth in front of Muring on the inside of the outer pier. A little deeper in the bay are 18 licensed buoys, which are managed by the local harbour office.
And the buoys are indeed needed in this popular place, as the pier is fully occupied in the evening. We pay 364 kuna for the berth, including electricity and a maximum of 100 litres of water, which can be filled up in the morning between
7 a.m. to 12 noon, and WLAN at the jetty! The mooring fee corresponds exactly to the official requirement of 26 kuna per metre of boat and is the price that has to be paid in all town harbours in the archipelago. There are no sanitary facilities in Kaprije, but there are three restaurants and a mini-market where fresh bread is delivered twice a day by ferry (9.20 am and 1 pm).
Another warm summer wind wakes us up. The buoy fields in Tratica Bay and Potkućina-Borovnjaci off the island of Kakan are just what we need. After a round of photos in Tratica Bay (pier and floating dock with 6 moorings, 16 authorised buoys, "Paradiso" tavern near the pier), we are drawn to Potkućina-Borovnjaci Bay, where the offshore Borovnjak Islands make the dream of a lagoon perfect. 60 licenced buoys are generously distributed throughout the spacious lagoon. On the shores of Kakan, the rustic barbecue bar "Babalu" ensures survival.
Dangling idly from the buoy, a cashier comes alongside and demands 100 kuna. "We don't stay for the night," I say. "Don't worry", he says, "I don't charge you for the night, I charge you for the hour", and hands me a price list from "Riva-Tours" with the buoy fees in the "Kakan Park", as the two bays Tratica and Potkućina-Borovnjaci have recently been called. I can't find anything there about an "hourly fee" of 100 kuna. A daily price of 250 kuna is shown for our boat. But I don't feel like arguing with him ...
Heading south along the west coast of Kaprije. Cape Lemeš is the southernmost point of the island, and we are already heading NW into the bay of Mala Nozdra. Seven (unlicensed) buoys are deployed in front of the Matteo restaurant, and there are further moorings in front of Murings on the paved shore. Matteo is owned by Mate Obratov, whose specialities are tuna carpaccio and peka, which can be enjoyed on the terrace overlooking the bay. (Pre-booking is recommended in high season 098-336 335).
Mate has to share the bay with the "g8" restaurant, which offers seven mooring places on a floating jetty and a section of paved shore. The "g8" receives high marks from skippers for its cuisine. (Booking 091-522 82 25). There are 16 (illegal?) buoys in the bay of Vela Nozdra, which is completely open to the south and east. We have SSE, which is probably why there are only a few boats moored at the buoys.
We almost passed Konoba Antonio, half hidden behind the islet of Oštrica off the east coast of Kaprije. After passing Oštrica on a northerly course, three red buoys in front of a conspicuous building caught our attention. Is something closed there? We slowly approached and saw a relatively freshly poured pier. A man on the jetty waves to us. "Muring, Muring" he calls out, signalling with the mooring line that we are welcome. We tie up.
Antonio Junakovic started building his konoba and guesthouse here in 2004 and has grown a little year by year. The water depth at the pier is 1.50 metres, so that deeper boats can also moor with the bow ahead. The passage between the mainland and the islet of Oštrica is impossible due to the lack of water depth! Antonio's specialities include lamb peka, octopus and calamari, which can of course only be ordered in advance due to the long cooking time.
We leave the island of Kaprije for the time being and head past the islands of Zmajan and Tijat towards Zlarin, once the island of coral divers. In the town harbour, the harbour master of the "Yacht Club Zlarin" orders us to the second inner jetty, a rather narrow spot for an almost 15-metre-long boat. Here we are moored in front of Murings with water, electricity and Wi-Fi, practically in the centre of the attractive little village. There are several restaurants and a well-stocked supermarket.
Off the mainland coast, we now head south-south-east, past Zablaće and Marina Solaris and then head for the island of Krapanj. On the north-east coast of the island, only around 400 metres from the mainland at Brodarica, a small hotel harbour has been built in the fine surroundings of the "Spongiola" diving hotel, which offers mooring places with water and electricity. Sanitary facilities are available at the hotel. The small beach between the old and new harbour piers is tempting.
Why are we already approaching our charter base again? We had booked too late and therefore had to take over another boat after a week. After "Why worry" now "Grazia", a Yaretti 1570, a very cosy classic with 2 x 375 HP.
Part 2 follows.
