Day 1: Marina
Kaštela (Split) - Luka Tiha (Hvar)
The trip to Split goes well, and at 13:30 hours we are in the harbour. Our ship
'Reni' is waiting for us. We handle all the formalities and check the boat from
front to back and top to bottom. Furthermore, we do the shopping. We try to take
stores for the whole week, because we intend to spend as little time as possible
in harbours. It is always a special experience, a charter base on a Saturday.
Around 15:30 we sail from the marina.
Marina Kaštela is a genuine charter base,
I estimate that there are around 200 ships departing. A major logistics
operation. Fortunately, there is a huge supermarket less than 10 minutes walk
from the marina, which makes everything a lot easier. That was different when
all charters departed from ACI Marina Split.
There is little wind, about 6 knots from ZO (Jugo). On the engine we cross the
bay Kaštelanski Zaljev and around Rat Marjan and Rat Čiova, then across Splitski
Kanal towards Splitska Vrata.
As usual the circumstances change when we pass Splitska Vrata. By now, it is
18:00. On the 'other side' of this channel between Brač and Šolta there is 15
knots of wind (SE). We hoist the sails, and decide to sail to Luka Tiha, a bay
in the Stari Grad channel on the island of Hvar.
Using this ideal sailing winds make three long runs, successively on a
southerly, easterly and southerly course. By 20:00 it is dark, and the sea
around us is almost deserted. We see some lights in the distance, probably
fishing boats. For the rest: empty sea apart from our own navigation lights. The
moon is in the first quarter, and stars appear in the sky. Just before 21:00
hours we take the sails down in Starogradski Zaljev, and we motor slowly towards
Luka Tiha. Our destination is the northernmost bay of Tiha Luka. There is no
light to be seen anywhere, but someone notices our approach and turns on his
mooring light. Coming closer, we see two more ships. It still amazes me that so
many people do not use their anchor light.
Our anchor held immediately, and while I check whether we are properly anchored
we cook some soup. After a meal of soup and bread it is time for bed. There is
no wind at all, and it is a quiet night.
Day 2: Luka Tiha (Hvar) - Uvala Stončica (Vis)
At 07:45 I listen to the nautical weather forecast via Split Radio via VHF
(announced on VHF Channel 16). The weather looks good again for today. No change
in temperature, and during the course of the morning a good sailing breeze is
expected. However, for the evening and night a storm is forecasted in the
northern coastal area. We will monitor how far this storm will extend to the
south.
During the morning we take it easy. Some swimming, some snorkeling, and catching
up on some sleep. There are large groups of small fish in this bay. A great
sight while snorkeling.
Around noon we leave the bay and head W to Rat Pelegrin, the western tip of the
island of Hvar. The first hour the wind is still unstable. Headsail on and off
and on and off... Conditions change after we pass Rat Pelegrin, and the island
Vodnjak (the most western of the Pakleni Otoci, the group of islands south of
Hvar). The wind is now from SSW direction and increases to 15 knots average.
Sailing with a pleasant speed we head towards the island of Vis. We decide not
to go to the town with the same name, but go slightly further east to
Uvala
Stončica, a bay on the northeastern tip of the island of Vis. Here we anchor
around 16:30 in the small bay on the west side. Given the high temperature (over
30 degrees Celsius), it is time for a dip in the water.
During the early evening, clouds come in from the northwest.
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Luka Tiha near Stari Grad
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Day 3: Uvala Stončica (Vis) - Korčula
Early in the morning, at 06:00 hours, I wake up because the wind turned to the
north. This bay offers no protection for that, and the swell makes our stay
rather uncomfortable. I woke up twice during the night, because it was raining.
It seems to be a southern extension of the storms in the northern coastal area.
Time for us to go south.
Despite the early hour, we lift our anchor and we sail from the bay. Our course
is 100° towards Korčula. The nautical weather forecast at 07:45 confirms this
choice. At 09:00 we pass Šćedro island. We see the contours of the lighthouse on
the island Pločica on the horizon, we will hold it on our portside.
After a beautiful sunrise through the clouds, the weather clears up a bit.
Unfortunately, that means that there is no wind at all. But it is rather busy on
the water, with many fishing boats and some cargo ships. The latter are probably
on their way to Neum, the seaport of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Later that morning we enjoy a group of dolphins in the vicinity of our ship.
They are not very close, but it is still a beautiful sight.
By 12:30 hours, we anchor in the bay behind the rock Plič Vrbovica, a bay about
3 miles west of Korčula. We take our time for a quiet lunch and a round of
swimming. There is quite some human activity around the bay (including the
construction of holiday homes), and there is (as a result?) not so much life in
the bay. Not really an interesting place to dive. An hour later we sail on, and
a little after 14:00 hours we moor the boat into the rear corner of
ACI Marina
Korčula. Time for a shower...
That evening we have a delicious dinner at
Konoba Mareta.
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Plocica lighthouse
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Day 4: Korčula - Tri Luke (Korčula)
Around 10:30 we leave the harbour and motor along the coast between the islands
towards Lumbarda and the SE point of Korčula. Near Lumbarda we hoist the sails
in a NW wind (5 - 8 knots). We sail around the cape Rat Ražnjić, and head west
along the southern coast of the island Korčula.
Around noon, the wind increases to 12 knots. We tack with long runs in the
channel between the islands of Lastovo and Korčula. During the afternoon, the
wind increases even more, first to 16 - 18 knots (wind 5) and later to 20 - 24
knots (wind 6 Beaufort). Perfect sailing conditions! Our ship is holding well,
running through those high waves. Occasionally we catch some water in our
cockpit.
The south coast of Korčula is beautifully wild and virtually uninhabited. We
pass a few small villages, the rest is wild and empty. We are clearly outside
the normal sailing routes, because we do not meet any other yacht.
By 18:30 we enter the bay Tri Luke. It is situated on the SW side of the island
of Korčula. The bay is protected by the islands Trstenik, Pržnjak Mali and Veli
Pržnjak. Because of this, it offers a well protected anchorage in almost all
types of wind. With our minimal draft, we can go deep into this bay, and we moor
in the most northern part of the bay. Around us there are 10 other yachts in
this bay.
That night we have a unique experience. For the first time in all my years as a
sailor, I am lying in a bay where every ship has an anchor light. And around
21:00 that evening we have a late-night swim in the dark, to cool down after the
warm day. Swimming in the moonlight, followed by another glass of wine, and
another good night of sleep is guaranteed.
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Badija monastery, east of Korcula
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Tri Luke
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Tri Luke
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Day 5: Tri Luke (Korčula) - Luka Tiha (Hvar) via Vela Luka and Hvar town
Early that morning (06:30) I am in the cockpit to experience the beautiful
sunrise. There is no sign of life on the other yachts, nor at the various houses
around the bay. I always find this one of the most beautiful moments of the day.
An hour later, the nautical weather report tells us that an area of high
pressure will stay firmly above the Adriatic Sea for the next few days. In
short: it's great summer weather, and also in terms of the wind we expect no
change.
Around 08:00 we leave the bay and motor around the peninsula and the cape Rat
Velo Dance to Vela Luka. We want to refuel to ensure that we need no harbour
during the coming days. A small tanker ship is just bringing in new supplies, so
we have to wait for half an hour.
Vela Luka looks beautiful from a distance, but up close it seems messy and not
very authentic. We feel no urge to stay around longer. By 10:30 hours we anchor
in the lagoon behind the island Gubeša. That bay can be found some 3 miles west
of Vela Luka on the north side of Zaljev Vela Luka. It looks like a very
promising bay on paper. It is shallow with an open connection to the sea. But
even here there is a lot of human activity around the bay, and there is not much
life in the bay. It is, however, an excellent place for anchoring, with a depth
of 6 meters and a sandy bottom.
Around noon the wind starts to blow, 15-18 knots from NW direction. We hoist the
anchor and leave the bay. Once we round Cape Rat Proizd we sail a course 320 -
330 degrees toward the island of Hvar. Purely out of curiosity we sail a round
in the harbour of Hvar town around 16:30. It is extremely busy, the port is
literally brimming with yachts of all shapes and sizes. The port authorities
have put mooring buoys at all possible places in the harbour, and they are all
taken. Even outside the port you see sailing yachts and motor yachts everywhere.
Five years ago, this was a nice place drop by occasionally, but for now they
will not see me here.
We continue in a westerly direction through Pakleni Kanal. By now we are using
the engine, because the wind has decreased and changed direction, straight on
our bow. After rounding Rat Pelegrin we continue ENE towards Rat Kabal. By 19:00
hours we anchor in Luka Tiha. We still have time for a pasta and a glass of wine
before it gets dark.
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Vela Luka
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Gubesa Lagoon
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Gubesa Lagoon
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Rush hour in Hvar-town
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Day 6: Luka Tiha (Hvar) - Marina Kaštela (Split) via Uvala Nečujam (Šolta)
On this last day we can feel a change in the weather coming. During the day, the
clouds increase slowly but steadily. The wind is changing. We use the morning to
sail to Rogač (on the north side of Šolta) and to refuel. This queue at this gas
station is usually not as long as the one in Milna (Brač), where the service
station sits next to the exit of the marina. Yet even here there are seven ships
waiting in line.
Then we sail to the bay Uvala Nečujam, slightly further east. In this bay we did
some great snorkelling last year, but this year the situation has deteriorated.
The water is less clear, and the sea life has decreased. Even the colours of the
coral are gone. It seems that another piece of seabed has been lost.
Around 14:30 we depart from the bay towards Marina Kaštela direction. At first
with the wind right from behind, which makes great sailing. Unfortunately the
wind dies after an hour or so. We continue on the engine. By 17:00 our ship is
moored safely to the pier in the marina and it is time wash off the week’s salt.
