The town of Novigrad lies on a narrow fjord at the southern end of the Novigrad Sea. To the east of here, the Velebit mountain range rises both beautifully and menacingly up to 1757 metres above sea level.This is where the dangerous downslope wind of the Adriatic, the bora, is born. Both the Novigrad Sea and the neighbouring Karin Sea are navigably connected to the open sea via the Velebit Canal.
Overland to Novigrad
We chartered a fast rigid-hull inflatable boat from Offshore Boote in Marina Kremik and had it brought overland to Novigrad. The destination of our trip is the Novigrad and Karin Seas as well as the spectacular canyon of the Zrmanja mountain river, which has probably never been the destination of a charter trip before.The Zrmanja canyon has served as a backdrop for western films both in the past and today.
With no wind and smooth water, we steer at a crawl from our mooring in Novigrad into the Novigrad Sea. Just as we're about to accelerate, there's a rumble at our bow. Have we run aground? It's hardly possible at a depth of 20 metres. The boat swims on. Suddenly it rumbles from starboard. Then a bump on the port side. Have we run into flotsam?
An unusual companion
I want to find out and lean overboard at the bow. Suddenly I get a shower right in the face. A human-sized animal disappears beneath me.All I can see is a large tail fin with a small injury on one side. It is so close that I can touch it. It's a dolphin. It comes back and lies on the stern under the engine. We switch off the engine immediately so as not to hurt it. It bumps lightly against the boat again, as if it wants to push it. To breathe, it dives alternately to port or starboard just a few centimetres out of the water.
Adriatic dolphins are now a rare species and I know that any contact should be reported. But where? I call the reception of our hotel "Castrum Novum". It's a hundred metres away from here on the beach.
"Does the dolphin have a small injury on its tail?" I am asked routinely. "Yes, yes!" I reply excitedly. "I see," replies the other side, only slightly surprised. "That's Bobi. Everyone here knows him. He plays with children on the beach. His favourite things are fast inflatable boats and jet skis.
Full throttle to Posedarje
"We can't go any further because it's swimming around directly under our propeller." "Really step on the gas. He likes that." Well, that's good advice! A little unsettled, we start the engine and put it into gear.I look anxiously after Bobi. He stays under the propeller. We go faster. It chases us playfully and stays in the propeller water at the stern. I'm still afraid of hurting the animal, so I ease off the throttle and disengage the clutch. Bobi bumps into the side of the boat again. Is this his call to accelerate? We engage the clutch and pick up speed. Bobi follows us, overtakes us and jumps out of the water in front of the boat.
We try to ignore the dolphin and drive westwards to Posedarje. The town's landmark isthe 15th century chapel standing on a small island, which can only be reached at low tide via a narrow, stony path. We head for the small harbour and take the boat out. Bobi comes out of the water briefly, as if to say goodbye to us. He obviously doesn't want to go into the harbour, which doesn't surprise us given the tangle of lines. Although the harbour has been newly developed, it is largely occupied by local boats. We push our RIB somewhere in between.
The area around Posedarje is said to be home to the bestPršut, the famous Dalmatian hamproduced. Smoked with local herbs, it is hung in the bora for a winter. There are three bars in the harbour where men drink beer or wine. A restaurant a little further back is closed. We can't try Pršut or anything else to eat. But there is supposed to be a good konoba called "Pece" in Vinjerac.
Vinjerac is no longer on the Novigrad Sea, but already on the Velebit Channel in the opposite direction to our home port. As it's already dusk, it's too far for us. A little disappointed, we head back to Novigrad at sunset. It is already dark when we reach the approach to the fjord. Between the lights of the town, we are initially unable to find the faint red light of the harbour entrance and stop.
Our boat gets another push and a small Spaut shoots into the air. Bobi, we'd almost forgotten about you! Sleep well. We'll see you again tomorrow.
On the hotel computer, I search Google for "Dolphin Bobi" - and find a whole series of newspaper articles, websites, TV programmes and private videos reporting on our affectionate companion. Bobi is indeed the region's most prominent resident.
We set off again in the morning from the Novigrad promenade. At the exit onto the Novigrad Sea, we accelerate briefly and then stop. It doesn't take a minute before Bobi is at our side. We head north, where the impressiveCanyon Novsko Ždrilo which forms the outflow of the Novigrad Sea into the Velebit Channel. In ten minutes of gliding we have crossed the Novigrad Sea and are at the entrance to the canyon. At 27 knots, we have safely left Bobi behind - or so we think. On the eastern shore, we go alongside the new Maslenica pier and have a coffee in the bar on the pier.
As we pass the canyon at the prescribed eight knots, the dolphin is back. The change from the slightly salty Novigrad Sea to the Velebit Channel, which is as salty as the Adriatic, doesn't seem to bother him.
The waterway cuts deep through the mountains and is spanned by two high bridges. We reach the Velebit Canal, which is mainlyfeared because of the bora is. For this reason, only a few Charter boats here. Sailing yachts are rarely seen. Small, fast motorboats are more likely, because they can quickly sail away and hide when the bora blows.
The harbour of Vinjerac is located in the south of the Velebit Channel and is protected by a high pier. We moor in the middle of the harbour in front of a wine bar. The friendly landlord says that all the berths are taken. It is only possible to moor on the north side of the centre pier - unless an excursion boat is coming. We move to the designated spot and tie up comfortably with a mooring line.
The recommended konoba "Pece" is located 300 metres away on the south side of the harbour bay on a hill. From the table of the restaurant we have a beautifulView over the harbour. It starts to rain. No excursion boat will come in this weather. We enjoy a delicious fish soup and scampi in Dijon mustard in the lovely ambience and good service of the "Pece".
During a break in the rain, we get into our oilskins and motor back to Novigrad. By now we know our way around the small sea and find our way without the faint beacons. We see and hear nothing more of Bobi that evening, he has probably gone to sleep.
From the Novigrad Sea you canthrough the Karinsko Ždrilo strait into the Karin Sea. In the far south lies theVillage Karin Gornijwhich means something like "Upper Karin". In front of it, small motor and sailing boats bob at their buoys. Not an inviting place to moor. We try Donji Karin (Lower Karin), just under a mile further south-west. Here lies the Franciscan monastery of Karin, which gave the village its name. And this is where the river Karin flows into the sea of the same name.
Where to moor? Wind and waves from astern push us towards the shore. Boats are moored there on jetties we've made ourselves. The water becomes shallower. You can already see the bottom and the short waves are crashing harder and harder against the stern. Don't touch down in Legerwall now!
Skipper Siegrun switches to idle and trims the outboard motor upwards. We drift - and it gets shallower and shallower. We reverse slowly to try and avoid running aground. Then we see an old man on the shore by the boats who gives us hand signals. We follow his instructions. Suddenly we're swimming in deep water again.
Slowly and without risk, we approach the shore of Donji Karin. The man guides us through the narrow corridor of a deep fairway. Seagulls stand on the sand next to us. We reach the shore in front of the monastery and go alongside a fishing boat. But the friendly pilot, whom we want to thank, has suddenly disappeared.
The Franciscan monastery stands at the mouth of the Karin. We want to enquire there whether we can go up the river. Maybe we'll meet our helper who guided us through the shallows. We knock on the door, but no-one answers. Surely they must have seen us in the strange boat long ago? But nobody lets us in. However, a side door leads into a chapel where candles are burning. A touching silence pervades the room. In the monastery garden, we say goodbye to the cats and silently thank a stranger for showing us a safe way through the shallows to the monastery.
We leave the sacred place again in this fairway and head back towards the Karin Sea. Once we have moved the lever forwards, we reach the sound that forms the connection to the Novigrad Sea in ten minutes. It will soon be dark. We therefore look for a place where we can moor and relax. In the fjord between the two seas, we discover the small village ofRibnica the sign of a restaurant with the name "Duje". We steer backwards to the pier and fish for a mooring line. The young owner Duje Perica lets us try his house wine and recommends a fish platter.
Everything is freshly caught, assures Duje and proudly tells us that up to ten motor yachts are moored here during the season. "We have electricity and water. And if someone needs diesel, we order a tanker."
The sumptuous platter of grilled fish, calamari and chard potatoes is delicious. We set sail at night to return to Novigrad. We have barely left the Karinsko Ždrilo strait when Bobi greets us again and pushes against our bow. We step on the gas.In the moonlight, the dolphin is by our side. As we head for our mooring in Novigrad, he splashes the water once with his tail fin and says goodbye in his own way.
The Novigrad Sea has such a low salt content because a mountain riverClear, emerald green fresh water brings in. Only a few boat people know the river with the difficult-to-pronounce nameZrmanja. Anyone who has seen the Karl May films "The Treasure in Silver Lake" or "In the Valley of the Dead" will remember the rugged canyons with breathtaking waterfalls.
However, Winnetou and his blood brother Old Shatterhand did not ride through a canyon in the Wild West of America, as one might think. These impressive scenes were created here.
Many Native American films, especially those based on Karl May, have been shot in Velebit for 50 years. The Zrmanja forms aWestern backdrop straight out of a picture bookred canyons with steep rock faces, wild rapids and waterfalls as well as a lonely mountain landscape untouched by man.
As far as we know, no charter crew has ever ventured up the river to the waterfalls. We don't know if it's possible either. But we have a boat that seems suitable. It's light, with a 175 hp engine so powerful that we can take on even strong currents, and so shallow that we can pass under low obstacles.
In the north-east of the Novigrad Sea, we take the entrance to the Zrmanja canyon. We say goodbye to Bobi and head into the mountains. The landscape impresses us enormously: framed by 200 metre high cliffs, the river has carved its way through the rugged karst over millions of years.
From the estuary up toObrovac is theZrmanja marked as a waterway with red and green spars. Rangers are supposed to collect entrance fees at the entrance to the canyon. But there is no one to be seen. Captivated by the mountain landscape, we chug uphill at the prescribed eight knots.
Suddenly a Croatian boat glides past us from the front.Has the speed limit been cancelled? At a narrow point, an excursion boat with a bow wave pushes behind us from astern. The skipper signals with a clearHand gesture that we should drive faster. Okay, we don't want to be a traffic obstruction. We accelerate briefly and clear the way. Then we stick to the prescribed eight knots again.
After ten kilometres, we see the church spires of Obrovac and above them the remains of an ancient fortress. Up close, however, it becomes clear that the town is not very cosy. The banks of the Zrmanja are disfigured with new housing blocks. Remains of the old town centre are partly desolate and uninhabitable. But there is a beautiful new waterfront promenade with stainless steel rings for mooring and pillars for electricity and water.
Before theRiva Rafting Centre We moor up and ask how far the river is still navigable above Obrovac. The friendly ladies who sell rafting tours on the upper Zrmanja explain:
"Definitely as far as the ruined water mills at Jankovića buk. If you're brave, you can make it to the waterfall."
There is no navigation chart describing the route there. But at least we learn that the Zrmanja is still navigable from the bridge in Obrovac. As we say goodbye, one of the two ladies warns us:
"This is no longer an official shipping route. You will be completely on your own."
We stock up on food and drinking water in the mini-market. We have enough petrol. With our heads down, we pass the bridge at Obrovac. This is where the signposted waterway ends. After the next bend in the river, we leave the town, modern civilisation and the last buoys in our wake.
The mobile phone network breaks down. The rock faces become steeper, the current faster and faster. To be on the safe side, we take the outer radii of the river.
We are still hesitant at first. Gradually, we feel more confident and step on the gas. The water is so crystal clear that we can see at least two metres deep on the shore. We have to drive faster and faster to avoid being pushed back.
There is no road to be seen, no track, no power line or anything else that would indicate a human settlement. We have arrived in the inaccessible Velebit.Bears and wolves still live here in this wilderness. The deeper we go into the gorge, the more torrential the Zrmanja becomes. But the 175 horses of our outboard motor easily make it uphill.
However, film crews have always visited here: in the sixties of the last century, cinema westerns based on books by Karl May were produced here. Many will remember film posters showing Winnetou riding over mountain ridges or posing with his horse "Iltschi" in front of a raging waterfall. These pictures of the "Wild West" were taken on the River Zrmanja.
The Apache chief Winnetou was played by the legendary actor Pierre Brice. The American Lex Barker slipped into the role of his blood brother Old Shatterhand. He is said to have originated the saying thatthe most beautiful Western landscapes are not to be found in America, but in Yugoslavia are. The canyons in Velebit are still used today as backdrops for Native American films: In summer 2015, RTL and Rat Pack Filmproduktion filmed three Karl May classics here. The TV première is scheduled for the end of 2016.
After an S-curve, we feel spray on our faces. Fine rain floats everywhere in the air. A roar drowns out the engine. To the side, we see the remains of collapsed buildings from which small waterfalls pour. Have we arrived at the old water mills?
Beneath us, the water bubbles up as white as if it were boiling. It is difficult to keep the boat on course. In front of us is a five metre high white wall of water.This must be where Winnetou and Old Shatterhand met. We drive as close as we can to the rushing water with the RIB. We are inJankovića buk arrived. It is breathtakingly beautiful and pure adrenalin. In the old films, the hunting grounds of the Apaches begin at this waterfall.
You can't go any further uphill, at least not with a motorised rubber dinghy. But we can hardly get enough of it. As the rocky peaks cast long shadows, we turn the boat round and rush back down to the valley with the current. We reach Obrovac quicker than expected and dock in front of the Riva Rafting Centre again. This time their skipper is there. Toni congratulates us: "No charter boat has ever dared to go this far upstream."
And after a pause, he adds: "The film landscape only begins at the waterfall near the old mills." We look at him questioningly. "Further up, at the confluence of the Zrmanja and Krupa rivers, it's even wilder and more beautiful.There lies the true Indian country." "How do we get there?" we ask as if from the same mouth. "Not with your RIB," laughs Toni. "Winnetou didn't have an outboard motor either. Be here tomorrow at 10 a.m., then we'll go on a boat trip where we don't need a motor."
In the evening, we drive back down the Zrmanja and across the Novigrad Sea to our hotel in Novigrad. We have ordered a peka for the evening in the "Maslina" tavern. The owner, Bernarda, drives us four kilometres up into the mountains above Novigrad. Her tavern is located in the village of Pridraga and servesBest peka in the region is said to give. The secret of this traditional dish is that the meat is left to cook for four hours in a cast-iron casserole under the embers of charcoal.
We are served the famous pršut from the Novigrad Sea as a starter. As Bernarda opens the lid of the peka and pours in a dash of red wine, a tantalising aroma wafts over the highlands between the Novigrad and Karin Seas.
Early in the morning, we motor along the now familiar route up the Zrmanja to the Riva Rafting Centre in Obrovac. In Toni's car we drive 20 kilometres over narrow mountain passes to Kaštel Žegarski on the banks of the Zrmanja, which is still narrow here.Toni puts us in wetsuits and life jackets, gives everyone a paddle and a helmet.
The rafting boat immediately shoots off at incredible speed. The trip takes three hoursWhite water trip over rapids and small waterfalls. When we arrived inObrovac we are completely exhausted - and as hungry as bears from the wild Velebit. Fortunately, the Mićanovi Dvori estate is located above Obrovac, where we can change our clothes. We relax in the wine cellar with Dalmatian ham, sheep's cheese and a fiery Plavac Mali.
At night we motor back across the Zrmanja and the Novigrad Sea. We take the throttle off just before Novigrad.Bobi is back at our side. He escorts our RIB all the way into the harbour to the berth. Does he realise that this is our last trip together? We feel a little melancholy when we have to say goodbye to our faithful companion of the past few days. ▪
