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Trip Report #6-2003: Exploring CroatiaFiled from Zadar44 07.2 N 15 13.7 EJuly 20, 2003
Photo: Starboard Home at anchor in Drvenik, Croatia
Dobra dan, family & friends: After we left Starigrad, we found out that we had experienced a seiche while there. On the second night, we were at anchor in the harbor when a thunderstorm came through followed by a frontal passage. At 2 am, the wind switched 180 degrees and the boat swung in toward shore and some very shallow water. We re-anchored and finally went back to sleep only to be awakened again at 5 am. to find ourselves too close to another boat. We pulled the anchor up and attempted to re-anchor several more times, but could not get the anchor to set. There seemed to be a strong current in the harbor, first in one direction and then in another. We watched as the water went up six feet within a few seconds and then down six feet just as fast ten minutes later, continuing like that for almost an hour. Because of the swirling currents we had a hard time setting the anchor for the third time and after things settled down, we went into the quay and tied alongside. Many of the shops along the harbor were flooded and people were walking about with boots on, water sloshing to mid-calf one moment and walking on clear pavement the next. We have since read that seiches do sometimes occur in the Adriatic. These dramatic changes in tidal level occur most often in enclosed areas of water and are caused by very low barometric pressure. Starigrad is an ideal harbor for the production of a seiche. After all of the excitement and good times in Starigrad, we went to a small anchorage just around the corner about 3 miles away. There, in Tiha, we shared the anchorage with several other boats who had the same idea: Narissa, Good Company, Seascape, Lilyana, and Venturer.
Photo: Lilyana & Starboard Home at anchor in Tiha, with a line tied to shore We spent the next couple of weeks slowly gunkholing in the many beautiful and safe harbors and anchorages in Croatia. The small harbor at Drvenik was typical of some of the small villages we visited. On shore we found a market with most provisions and one or two restaurants. There were few paved roads on the island, little traffic and some great views of the harbor and nearby islands.
Photo: Sunset in Drvenik
Photo: Remains of a church, Drvenik
Photo: Walking through the village in Drvenik
Photo: Figs growing on Drvenik
Photo: Stone fences and tiered agriculture in Sicenica One of our favorite city stops is the charming medieval city of Trogir. There are 3 possibilities for mooring in Trogir. Large vessels, apparently those over 60 ft., can tie along the town quay. Smaller vessels can usually find a berth at the ACI marina or can anchor in the bay just outside the harbor. We chose to anchor. The holding was excellent and after the ship traffic stopped at night, it was very quiet and peaceful. It was fun to watch the activity in the harbor, including the kids in Optimus Prams who sailed with the sailing school instructors every day. They would sail up to our boat, do an excellent roll tack and sail off to catch their competition.
Photo: Lesson 10: Reducing Wetted Surface in Light Air off Trogir We met a young German couple, also anchored, who had cruised in the U.S. and had been in Oriental. Small world!
Photo: Baby Johannes, Dad Euver & Mom Leslie in Trogir Trogir had an excellent market, nice shops, several good internet cafes, ice cream, and cool evenings to walk along the waterfront. There was a narrow canal for small boats and dinghies, leading from the anchorage directly to the market, that made it very convenient for provisioning. On several nights, there were large ships sharing the anchorage, but at a safe distance from us.
Photo: Club Med 2 in the harbor at Trogir One of our objectives as we cruised here was to catch up with friends Allen & Chris Laxton on Aldeberan, who have sailed here for several years. They told us they were at the marina in Tribunj and that we should get there fast. The marina had changed hands and, because their license to operate had not been issued yet, they were unable to charge any fees. It was free, including water and electricity. And our friends were there: Seascape, Monabahr, and Good Company. We arrived, did laundry, washed the boat, visited the town, charged all of our small appliances, and had a great time with friends every day. We walked into nearby Vodice, a nice 2 km. walk along the waterfront, and after our chores were done, we had a wonderful lunch of calamari, sardines and salad - best we've ever had and for a very reasonable price.
Photo: The marina at Tribunj
Photo: Aldeberan, Chris & Allen & company Allen & Chris left to see friends in Split and we left Tribunj to sail up the Krka River to see the Falls in the Krka National Park. The scenery along the river to the town of Skraddin is lovely and the trip quite interesting. Although there are many species of bird life in the park, we saw very little of it because of the amount of boat traffic. In Skraddin, one can anchor in one of two anchorages near the town or go into the ACI marina there. The holding in the river was excellent and there was plenty of room for the many boats there. We met Australians Tom, Helen and their guest, cruising on their yacht, Experience, and had drinks on their boat that evening.
Photo: Up the Krka River
Photo: Swans on the river near Skraddin
Photo: The anchorage at Skraddin The next morning, we stood in line to board one of the National Park boats which would take us to the falls, or to a landing area from which we would hike to the falls. The boat ride was free. An entry fee of 55 Kunas, about $9 each, was paid at the ferry landing. The boats left every hour and we could stay in the park as long as we liked, hiking on our own through marked trails.
Photo: National Park boat on the way to the Krka Falls
Photo: Peg & Tom at the Krka Falls
Photo: Krka Falls
Photo: Krka Falls
Photo: Lavender grows along one of the quiet pools near the Falls We liked the small town of Skraddin. It seemed to be as it always had been, no fixing up for tourists, just a pleasant town, genuine and charming. There was one internet cafe in the town in a pension run by a very nice young man and his family. The pension catered to kayakers and canoers and was host to quite a few important crew regattas during the year. The proprietor's sons were very bright and computer literate, even the six year old.
Photo: Proprietor of the Hotel Pini and his 6-year old son and computer whiz One day, we had such a nice sail to Molat that we sailed past our planned destination before we realized it. Since we were close to one of the designated anchorages on Molat and it was getting late, we decided to stay and pick up a mooring there. As we carefully approached the mooring, we could see that we would have to attach our own line. Tom edged the boat up to the float, and I grabbed the round ring on top of the float with the boat hook. The wind was blowing 20 knots and we were fast going backwards from the float until my arm and the boat hook parted company. Fortunately, a very nice man on a nearby Italian boat came over in a dinghy, picked up our boat hook and helped me get a line on the mooring float. We then watched as other boats came in and used a variety of techniques to tie up: some jumped in the water with the line; some had 10 people on board, all doing a piece of the work, one of them in a dinghy; some had one person haul the float up, using the boat hook to do so, while someone else tied a line on the ring; some used a carabiner. My favorite was the boat with a swimmer trailing behind it. When he finally made it to the mooring float, they dropped him a line and he tied it to the ring. Later in the evening, a man in a small boat came out to collect 70 Kunas, about $10, and to take our trash away. This was not one of Tom's favorite places; he could hear the metal mooring ball bump the bow of the boat repeatedly all night long.
Photo: Designated anchorage (mooring field) at Molat Next time we'll talk about Telascica and Dugi Otok, more of our favorite places in Croatia - there are so many wonderful places here. 73s, 88s, Love & Hugs- Davidjenje- Peg & Tom S/V Starboard Home
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Grand Daughters' web pages: Anna's Home Page, Anastasia's Home Page Isabelle's Home Page
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