The cast of suspects started to gather in the ancient Croation town of Trogir. Located in the central area of Croatia, Trogir is a town that has come alive as a gathering point for tourists from all over the world.
Our host for the initial gathering was Tommie at the Hotel Tragos. This great hotel is a little over 300 years old, and is located in the center of the town.
We had about 35 people gathering for this year’s event, and on Friday evening we all got together in the garden dining area to get acquainted over a traditional Croatian meal. For hours different seafood dishes were brought out, each one better than the one before. As the night progressed the group of once strangers were soon just a bunch of cruisers getting ready to head out on an adventure the following day.
The next morning, after a little souvenir hunting in the local shops (and the hunting was good!), we all boarded Crazy Ivan’s Magic Bus and held on as he maneuvered this huge bus through streets that had been built for horse carts. To all of our amazement we soon arrived at the Sunsail base in Kremik, and in a few minutes we were boarding the six boats that would be our floating homes for the next week.
The first evening was spent aboard the boats at the docks. Basic provisioning had been provided, but each crew decided on what needed to be added. Oddly, the single common denominator seemed to be cases of the local brews. Since none of us could pronounce the names, the two major brands were soon referred to as “O Beer” or “K Beer.”
Once settled on board, the group boat-hopped for most of the evening, making new and old acquaintances. We had arranged for a local skipper, Damir, to captain one of the boats so we would have some local knowledge. In addition we had the Woody Boat (Captain Woody), the Bob Boat (that’d be me!), the Mike Z Boat (Captain Mike from Alaska) and the Robin Boat (Production Manager Robin and husband Mike Stout). Our sixth boat was the Steve Boat. He’d wanted his own boat, so we arranged with Sunsail for a boat just for two of them. As the sun set plans were made for a southbound departure the following morning.
It was about 9:00 am when the first cruisers started to come out of their comas. It seems that there was a local brew, called Slivovitz, that everyone had to try. On the Woody Boat, the last of the bottle went down at just about the same time the sun started to come up. But we had places to go, so at 11:00 am the six boats that made up our regatta departed from the marina, heading for a day anchorage about 15 miles away. It was on the western end of Drvenik Island; a little day anchorage called Krknjas.
Woody Comment: Try as we might, we never found Dr. Venik. Bad jokes aside, Croatia was shaping up to be an amazing destination and we were already relishing the fascinating scenery and ancient feel. The islands were tall and majestic and covered in green down to a ten foot section of beautiful beige rock that separated the vegetation from the crystal clear water. Each town was hundreds of years old, surreal looking, built of island stone and covered in red roof tiles. The people were calm and engaging.
Each boat took its own route, with some going to the outside trying to catch the wind, and others making their way between the islands enjoying the ancient rock wall formations and country. It was a perfect day for cruising. At a little after one the boats were all anchored in a beautiful bay, with beautiful blue water in a dozen shades. Those who were feeling vigorous dove in to get refreshed. The water was about 55 degrees, so pretty chilly, but many a brave soul dove in. We had a skippers meeting and with the help of our local skipper it was decided we would spend the night at the little town of Stomorska.
About an hour after departure we got a radio call from the Woody Boat saying they found a dinghy floating and had picked it up. It wasn’t five minutes later when a frantic Robin was on the radio. Obviously she hadn’t been monitoring the radio. It seems they’d lost their dinghy and she was trying to find it. Here’s where the fun began! Captain Woody came back with, “You got any cold beer?” To which Robin answered, “No, you don’t understand, we lost our dinghy!”
Woody: “I understand. Do you have any cold beer?”
A few minutes later Woody pulled along side with her dinghy. Robin was holding a cold beer. Woody just looked at her like, “What do you expect to get with that?”
A few minutes later an undisclosed amount of cold brews were transferred from the Robin Boat to the Woody Boat, and the errant dinghy was returned!
Robin Comment: The ransom was reasonable and left us with more than enough cold ones to make it into port. After some thought, we decided that Woody must have loosened the painter on our dinghy and was waiting to ransom it. Of course, framing Woody would turn into a favorite pastime as the week progressed.
Little did we know just how kewl a town Stomorska was. After a great wing and wing downwind run for the 10 miles to the entrance, we turned in and saw what has to be the most perfect Mediterranean cruising destination you could imagine. We were met at the docks by the Marine Director, who helped each boat tie Med-style to the dock. In just a few minutes all six boats were tied and the people scattered to explore.
Damir had told us there was one particular restaurant that was better then most, so as the sun set 35 hungry cruisers descended on them for a truly great meal. Best of all, it was located right across the harbor from the boats, so we sat with a great view of the fleet, enjoying a great Croatian meal. It seems that Croatian pizza is a must! I was starting to live on quatro fromage pizzas.
In the morning we had a quick skippers meeting at a small diner right behind the boats, and soon everyone was scrambling to get out and do some sailing. Woody was the first out, and we all couldn’t help but notice he had all six dinghies tied on behind his boat! We unanimously agreed not to pay the “ransom” of a case of coldies that he wanted, and he soon returned the boats anyway.
Woody Comment: I was framed! I suspect the Mike Z Boat.
Robin Comment: Woody framed? Hmmm…
We had about 30 miles to sail that day, and there were two or three great day anchorages scattered along the way. A few hours later we were all enjoying what had to be one of the best days of sailing you could imagine; fifteen knots of wind on a close reach across a beautiful Adriatic Sea. It doesn’t get any better.
Woody Comment: It was here, in the middle of that beautiful channel sail, that my quiet, well behaved boat and crew were ruefully attacked by the piratical pillagers on the Mike Z Boat. They snuck up slowly from leeward with happy smiles and friendly waves. When only a few feet away and directly abeam, they unleashed the contents of large dayglow water cannon and pistol. Hardened from previous battles, my unarmed crew acted quickly bringing up pots of water from the galley. With the upwind advantage it didn’t take much to get the ammunition from our deck to theirs. I would call it a draw, but I may be biased.
About half way across the channel there was an isolated island with numerous hidden coves. Each boat chose their own favorite, and soon folks were swimming and just enjoying the day. Oh yeah, did we mention the sea temp? Well, I doubt if it was over 55. But still, most of us did brave the cold water, and it was some brisk swimming to say the least.
That evening we all headed for the town of Kut on the island of Vis. This is one of the further out islands, and we were looking forward to exploring this ancient town. Damir had arranged for a very special evening. Mid island there is an ancient winery which opens its doors to small groups and prepares a traditional Dalmation dinner. They prepare large platters of meat (lamb, veal) or fish (including octopus) which they cook for long periods of time in a “bell” with all the potatoes and vegetables. It is then served up family style. This was one of the true highlights of the voyage. We were picked up at the docks by three vans and whisked away up into the hills of the central island. There we discovered a farm and winery that were over a hundred years old, and for the next few hours we drank great local wines and stuffed ourselves on the local cuisine. It was a truly magical night that no one will forget.
Robin Comment: What a night! The meal, camaraderie and revelry made lasting memories and it didn’t stop there. We caught the first van back to the boats and finding Woody’s boat unlocked, took the liberty of locking it up for him. Of course, we used our lock which Woody didn’t have the key for. It was a classic scene when Woody and crew returned to find they were locked out of their own boat.
It was midnight before the cruisers were returned to the docks, and no one wanted to stop the party, but some (those of us with a little common sense) actually headed for the bunks. Some of the others were not so lucky, and the sounds of Jeagermeister rounds lulled me to sleep!
Woody: My boat hooked up with the Robin boat and set in motion an elaborate pirating scheme for the Mike Z boat. The plan was foiled when Mike’s Minions wouldn’t put the bottle down and go to sleep. I finally passed out. Sometimes partyin’ late is a good thing.
Robin: We were one of the first to return to the boats and found Woody’s boat wasn’t locked up so we “helped” him out by using our lock to lock up his companionway. It was hard to keep a straight face as Woody’s crew returned to the locked boat wanting to know what Woody had done with the key. We kept hearing Woody protest, “I swear I didn’t lock it,” so we came over after a few minutes to let them know we had locked their boat “for security reasons.” This led to the great pirating plot to take over Mike’s boat but it wasn’t to be. Mike’s boat wanted to party more than we wanted to pirate.
After a great breakfast consisting of a platter of eggs accompanied by local cheese, capers, proscuitto, tomatoes and fresh bread, we once again had a skippers meeting, deciding on the day’s plans. It seems that just 15 miles from where we were anchored was the Blue Cave. This, we were told, was a must-see. Soon the fleet was heading upwind, up island, to the small island of Bisevo where we would visit the Blue Cave.
As we approached the first thing we noticed was, we were not the first to hear of this kewl cave. No, there were already about six boats vying for position to drop off their occupants. It’s too deep to anchor there, so one or two people have to stay on the boat while the others row into the cave. Of course, on entry you find a man in a rowboat with his hand out. There is a 30 Kuna fee (about $6.) per person to enter.
But it is well worth it. The cave winds around, with the light from the ocean casting a blue hue on the walls. Of course the brilliant blue of the water is what gave the cave its name. It’s broken up into three rooms, and it is well worth visiting!
Robin: The Blue Cave was awesome! It’s big enough to take your dinghy into and there’s an underwater entrance near the back of the cave that lets in enough sunlight to give the water an eerie blue glow. A couple of our crew decided to hop in and do a little snorkeling inside the cave. When we were coming out the guy that takes the money at the entrance told us there was no swimming, so we told him they had fallen in.
Once we had switched crews so everyone got a chance to see the cave, it was time to “race” back to the town of Komiza, which is on the west end of Vis. As you know, cruisers don’t race, BUT whenever two sailboats are heading in the same general direction, it becomes a race. The Woody boat and my boat were hard on the wind when a third boat joined us. It was a German crew on a Baltic 50, and they were all in black and red shirts and matching hats. It was a fun race and we all led at one time or other. Woody was the first in with the German crew close behind, and we “cruisers” on the Bob boat sauntered in last (again!).
Once we docked we found that Komiza (#6 on the map) is a medium-sized town, very ancient, with a lot of cafes on the waterfront and very narrow streets you can wander.
By late afternoon most of the Share The Sail crowd had gathered at a dockside tavern, and soon tales of what all had encountered this trip took the rest of the afternoon, along with numerous ice-cold brews.
That evening some folks cooked on board, while others sampled the local cuisine. They had everything from 300 Kuna lobsters (about $60) to great pizza and local dishes. The fee for tying up Med style in Komiza was 420 Kuna (about $80) for the night, which is the highest we’d paid since starting our cruise. It was decided that most of us would opt to anchor out the following evening.
But first we were going to finish seeing the far side of Vis. As it turned out, this was the highlight of our voyage. We cruised just off the shoreline, and cave after cave dotted the coast. Some were large enough to take your dinghy into. Then we turned into a cove that went about a quarter mile and ended on a small white beach. Very kewl indeed!
At the northeastern corner of the island are some small islands, and on the first one is a huge cave with two entrances. Once inside there is a small hole in the top of the 50′ ceiling which the sun shines through, making a brilliant blue, and then reflecting onto the walls and ceiling of the cave. Captain Woody, Dena and I were the last to enter, and Dena “fell overboard” and swam into the light. It was very, very kewl!
Then it was time to head out for a group of small islands off Hvar. We’d anchored there and went swimming on the way up, and decided it would be a great place to anchor for the night. The wind was perfect as we sailed back on the reciprocal course that had taken us to Vis two days earlier.
We pulled into our quiet little bay only to find a half dozen boats anchored at the end of the bay. No matter. We picked a glassy spot about halfway down the inlet, pulled into about 10 meters of crystal blue water, and dropped the hook. Shortly, five of the six boats from the flotilla were anchored there and the boat hopping began.
As the Woody boat had the most to offer (more women, louder music and more rum!), soon there were a dozen or so participants partaking of their hospitality. By the time the sun started to set most of the crews ended up on the Woody boat. This was due, in no small part, to an extremely intelligent flotilla organizer (that’d be me!) who knew that once you get a collection of rum-soaked cruisers on your boat, they could not be moved with less than a pound or so of C4, or a well aimed blundersbus!
Woody: It’s true, offering up iced rum punches in paradise draws a crowd. The trick is to get enough people to visit so you can honestly say that you don’t have enough food to have them stay for dinner. After dinner (on our own boats) most of the late-nighters ended up on the Mike Z boat for a rousing session of Name That Tune. Hey Mike, were those bubbles that I saw drifting out from your cockpit and across the moonlit cove?
Somewhere around the time the big dipper was well overhead, I escaped. Just about the same time Robin decided to steal all the dinghies and hold them for ransom. The going ransom for a dinghy was about six cold beers! She got all but ours.
Robin: Soon after the party moved to Mike’s we set in motion a daring raid. I got in our dinghy with my accomplices, Tracy and Mari, and we headed over to Mike’s boat. After sharing a drink we bid farewell, but as we were leaving we untied all the dinghies as we were hopping in, and made off with the lot right under their noses. We went for Bob’s on the way back, but when he saw us coming trailing all the dinghies, he was ready for us.
In the morning, Captain Mike started steaming out of the bay without his dinghy. She hollered at him that she had his dinghy, to which he replied, “Kewl! You can drag it to the next anchorage!” Her plan had backfired!
Robin: We didn’t get the ransom, but we’ll never forget their faces when motored away with all the dinghies.
A few hours later we pulled into the town of Hvar. This turned out to be the best town we’d encountered so far. It was a large city with an anchorage, and the harbor lined with shops and taverns. Above it all was a huge castle/fort. The walk up was enough to humble just about anyone, but once you reached the top the view was spectacular.
Back in town, the food was excellent and there were plenty of shops for the souvenir hunter.
Once again, the shenanigans started when Captain Woody “commandeered” Captain Mike’s boat. When they returned, Woody ransomed it for some cold beers.
Woody: It started out as a good deed, really! We got back to the wharf early and saw the empty Mike boat swinging close to a yacht. I went out and backed her down, but then the boat was close to the ferry path. I hauled anchor and then … decided it would be just as easy to loop a dock line from his bow to my stern. The “Mike boat” temporarily became “Woody boat dinghy.” And yes, Mike graciously offered up some coldies for the effort upon his return.
Of course, during the negotiations I pulled alongside the Woody boat to commandeer the female passengers, with the intent of ransoming them as well. Not for beer, but for rum. Pirate! Unfortunately, the women decided to wait for the cold beers from the other transaction, so, alas, no pirating.
After the fooferaw was all finished we headed out once again, this time for a town on the far side of Solta, about 20 miles away. It was a tight sail, but most of the trip consisted of sailing hard and fast. The last two miles around the point we motored into it, and came around the corner to the town of Maslinica. This turned out to be a very cute town with about 500 people and a dock not quite large enough for all the boats. Last boat in (Captain Mike) had to anchor out, but it was a smooth anchorage so he wasn’t complaining. The crews scattered to the three taverns that were open, and soon we felt as if we were truly cruising in Croatia.
We have to thank Sunsail for the great boats. Having six boats sail the Croatian coast for a full week and not a single problem, well, unless you can call too much Jeagermeister a boat problem! Thanks guys.
