Tuesday September 8th  –  Uvala Vinisce,  Mainland Croatia

We had to resort to Central Dalmatia’s expert to solve our engine, generator, VHF, chartplotter problems and have been dealing with the most charming, but infuriating marine electrical engineer. He runs a highly successful business but guards his knowledge well making him constantly in demand and therefore indispensable.

He promises to meet at an appointed time then doesn’t turn up and is uncontactable. Has amazing excuses ….caught in a storm while towing a yacht in his RIB from Vis… held up in Montenegro with incomplete paperwork for the authorities!

However, last Wednesday our generator was at last craned back into the boat, sadly, he didn’t have time to check that it was working so another 24 hours waiting, to find he had re-attached two wires incorrectly. It’s all behind us now, working wonderfully. We are now independent again, the watermaker performing perfectly.

Since our last post we cruised Brac with Ros and Phil Dey. A return visit to the moorings in Bobovisce then decided to go with the wind to either the north of Hvar or the north of Brac. The wind changed 180 degrees three times, so did we, and after an hour we were back where we started. So much for going where the wind takes you! An executive decision to sail, well motor, as the wind settled into an easterly, to Povlja on the north east of Brac.

There are two inlets, the town of Povlja and Uvala Luka, there we anchored for two magical nights. No internet in this bay though. Uvala Luka is famous for it’s restaurant but we weren’t really interested in going ashore with this crew…they are Bridge players!

We lunched in Povlja and met a couple from Castle Hill in Sydney. He comes from this unspoilt village and visits several times a year. He managed to escape the Communists in the 1960’s after refusing to join the Party.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We discovered another magical bay, Krknjasi on Otok Drvenik Veli, with Debbie Humble. A shallow, sandy bay protected by two islands, complete with atmospheric restaurant under the trees. Debbie very kindly treated us to dinner, sadly no meat at all tonight, so we had the fish, delicious, but these people do take advantage of the summer tourists, outrageous charging!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a stop at our favourite Movarstica we ended our week with Debbie at Marina Frapa, a very smart marina and a haven for the coming storm. It is in the sheltered bay of Rogoznica where there are many anchoring opportunities.

 

 

 

 

So the storm came and cleared the humidity and cooled the air, we actually sailed to our current anchorage, Vinisce, in a 15-24 westerly. Yet another safe harbour, Croatia continues to delight us.

 

 

 

 

 

Julie has been known to be the only sailor living in the Med for 5 months of the year who does not get her hair wet when swimming, well, all has changed and feeling liberated she’s now perfecting her half pike!

While Terry supervised the Expert, Debbie & Julie had a long lunch in Split

Memories in Kastela