We’ve been alternating these past days between sliding along in medium to light breezes, or ploughing along into or away from gusty weather, as a slow moving high pressure ridge coming across the N Adriatic from the other side of Italy has led to some variable winds over this side.  Fortunately we've not seen the gales that have lashed the western side of Italy and Corsica for the past week.

We’ve exerienced a couple of thunderstorms, albeit they seem to be  over almost as they’ve begun, but each time we get a forecast predicting one, it does make us consider aiming for a marina rather than risk sitting it out in an anchorage.  Having said this, overall the weathers been good, mostly sunny, and we’ve enjoyed the variable sailing. 

Bobovisce on Brac Island was recommended as a top favourite by fellow blogger Olive Oyle, so naturally we went to check it out.

The inlet of Uvala Bobovisce is set into the western coast of Brac Island, itself located just off Split on the mainland of the Central Adriatic.  The island and this inlet are heavily wooded, and the inlet when further in, divides into two fingers both running west to east.  The top finger has a few holiday homes set around it, and the lower finger narrows down towards an ancient hamlet set around a low stone quay packed with small fishing boats.  The hamlet has a restaurant and a small grocery store.

We anchored just off the two fingers in the wider part, and took a long line ashore to hold the boats head into the sloppy waves. 

The winds got up late arvo, so went to try the single eating establishment, and struck lucky in meeting up with two Ozzie families – one from Freo.  Had a great night, but got soaked bashing into the growing head winds on our way back to the boat.

Bouncy night, but winds eased early hours.

Can see why Olive loves the place.  Lots of charm.

A breakfast chat in a flat calm saw us decide to miss out on Split whilst going north, and cover another 35 miles to the Krka National Park.  We can visit on our way back south later.

Made it to the narrow entry around mid day, dropped the sails and motored in past its guardian castle into the narrow Kanal Sv. Ante which leads you into the river.  No option but to motor at their 5 knot speed limit as you navigate the twists and turns first past a current Naval Facility, then past some WW11 U-Boat pens carved into the cliff faces.  Few locals take motice of the speed limit - especially the power craft!

The Kanal soon opens out into the Krka River proper, which at that point turns west and widens to maybe half a mile, with the large industrial looking city of Sibernik on its northern shore.  This city apparently took a real bashing in what they call ‘The Homeland War’.  Not a lot of charm visible from the river, as a lot of it has obviously been rebuilt, but the guide books recommend a visit.

The river then zig-zags west and north for a further four miles, narrowing as it goes into some impressive gorges.  It does open up for one last time with a 1.5 mile x .5 mile wide inland sea, before closing down again for the last two miles into gorges as one gets towards the village of Skradin.  That’s as far as you can go in your own boat.

Took this shot from a brochure to give you same idea of what the gorges are like.  Apologies for the quality but big cameras gone bust so using small one.

This far inland we could feel a freshness in the air we have not had for a while.  Not cold.  Just nice.

One tends to run out of superlatives for these places in Croatia.  But Skradin is a lovely town.  Old.  Small. With lots of locals out and about enjoying themselves too.  Most park visitors come up from Sibernik by boat as day trippers, so in the evening there a relatively few tourists about.

You’ll find the pilot books say that anchoring off the town in the river is prohibited, but we saw several yachts tucked up close to the bull rushes on the opposing bank, and not getting into any trouble.  But it maybe worth noting that the ACI Marina (where we parked up) is not the only mooring facility.  There is a short area of town quay (which they’ll charge you for) but likely to be cheaper than ACI.  It cost us 67 euros per night.

Saturday we visited the park itself.  Choices to get to the entry points are fixed.  Tripper boat; bus; walk; or hire a bike.  We did the bike bit and enjoyed the exercise of cycling the 5 km along the dirt road adjacent to the river bank on some good quality mountain bikes.  Despite the freshness – the sun was hot.

As we’ve seen elsewhere here, the park was impressively well tended and clean.  We were among the first people to arrive Saturday, and wandering around you could not help by favourably compare the layout and style with some of the better American National Parks.

Forested mainly with pines, and despite the rumble of rushing water thundering in the background, we found it very peaceful.  Just by our entry gate the Skradinski ‘buk’ (waterfall) pours thousands of gallons per minute down a series of drops 150 feet to the river providing spectacular views.  There are a  series of wooden walkways which run back and forth across this falls area, and we spent all morning wandering about in the shade.

Lots of interesting smaller wildlife like bright blue dragonflies and thousands of river fish including trout in rock pools and backwaters, holding position against the current.  No sight of the scarier wildlife apparently still about in this region.  Like - who wants to meet vipers, wildcats, wolves and wild boar on a Saturday morning stroll?  Heres Sue standing on a viewing platform built for the Emperor Franz Josephs vist just before WW1.

Bailed out around midday as the crowds grew, and found a perfect river beach on the cycle back down the riverside.  In we went.  Cold or what?

Stopped over for a second night at the town / marina, and have enjoyed the wandering around so decided to head for a second National Park, this time on the uninhabited islands of the Kornati archipelago.  It's  a further 35 miles northward.

It made for a pleasant sail, first back down the Krka late morning, but as we approached one of the two high narrow bridges that span the river, we got a shock when someone jumped off.

It was just as we aligned ourselves to pass under the middle span (which only has an air clearance of 27 metres and with Swagman having a 25 metre mast we actually do need to get it right), when we  watched open mouthed as a guy jumped off the bridge in a swan dive  right in from of us! 

Fortunately for us all – he was attached by bungee cords to the bridge – but it was in a bloody inconvenient place and his timing could have been better.

We could not change direction without risking the mast, but slid past as he bounced around upside down waving to us, only 10 metres on our starboard side.  Happened too quick to even get a photo.

Once out of the river we hoisted sails and covered the sea miles northward reaching before a light SW wind, and felt happy that the boat could maintain 6+ knots for most of this journey.  

Its super sailing days like this one that dispel our thoughts of trading Swagman for a bigger boat.  We have discussed this, and Sue would love us to get an Oyster or a 53 foot Amel.  Something with a broader cruising specification.  I know sailors out there will wonder why I don’t jump at the chance, as it’s not often ones partner encourages you to buy a bigger boat. But even Sue agrees when you are sliding along overtaking everything in sight, then the advantages of the bigger but invariably slower cruiser, seem to shrink.

Fetched up for the Monday night in a deserted anchorage on the tiny islet of Svrsate Vela, right up the top of the park area.  We’d spent the last few hours gliding up inside the main park island of Kornat – a long skinny island with a surreal look.  Low barren almost lunar environment all around. 

The islet was itself tucked into a bend at the top east side of Kornat, and it has a 10 metre shallow bay on its northern end, so one's protected virtually on all sides.  We dropped the hook into very clear water and once engine was off, wondered at the stillness and quiet all around us.

The park is set off the Croatian coast between Zadar and Sibernik, and contains another 87 lunar landscape islands.  For most of the year the islands are uninhabited, but in the summer a few locals either resume residence in solar powered small holiday homes, or set up small restaurants in some of the bays.

They charge for park entry, and the stillness was broken at sunset when a rubber duck roared around a corner with two friendly young wardens on board seeking our 300 kunar park entry fee.  Seems the fee has changed only recently. 

Used to be a charge of around 90 kunars per person, but now it’s a charge per day calculated by length of boat. 

The lunar landscape was man made.  Years back the shepherds burnt off all the trees to help generate better grassland grazing for their sheep, and whilst there are few stunted trees making a slow comeback, it is mainly grassland and rock faces that cover the low rolling hillsides.  The opposite to the mountainous lushness experienced elsewhere so far.

This was the first night we’d not had any other boats anchored even close by, and as darkness fell you could believe we were the only people in the world. 

A BBQ plus skinny dip, then laying back counting the brilliantly lit stars reflected on the mirror flat surface, was a great way to end yet another cruising day.

Tuesday saw us sail around and check out some of the islands, but after a phone message and discussion, we turned round and headed back south towards Split.  We’d received a call from a pals son who is backpacking in the area with his girlfreind, to see if we could maybe link up.  They are coming by rail, so Split seemed a most suitable spot. 

That days forecast was for thunderstorms later, so also a good excuse to head for a marina!  Had a absolutely bolter of a sail across the then blowing northerly building wind find shelter on the top end of Murter Island close to the mainland.  As it happens, the harbour bay at the top end of this island is wide and shallow, so we chose to anchor as opposed to going into the Hramina Marina .  Evening fell and so did the wind, but the predicated thunderstorm arrived during the night but I was totally oblivious to it all.  Fortunately Sue woke, and got all the cockpit cushions safely below!

Slid off the Tuesday before still strong northerly winds and had with poled out genoa rocketed downwind towards Split.  Sue chose to do most of the steering and ended up having an impromptu ‘race’ with a big catamaran also legging it along at over 9 knots. 

Well, we had a race.  They probably did not even recognise the competition.

Seeing more Slovenian and Polish yachts up here than down south - but the number of charter boats is apparently increasing by 30% per annum.  Also seeing a few more mega power yachts - certainly a lot more than in Tureky or even Greece.  Trouble is, the harbour and marina infrastructure is struggling to keep up - and often marinas get full before sundown. 

Arrived late arvo off Trogir which is only 10 miles from Split, still with strong winds from the north.  Trogir is a small fortified island sitting between the bigger island of Ciovo and the mainland.  It’s only maybe half mile long and a quarter of that wide, and the channel either side is narrow. It has an ACI Marina and we were lucky enough to get one of the last berths free as many others also scurried for shelter.  Interesting parking up with 25 knot tail winds and 3 knot current wooshing through the marina berths. 

Another thunderstorm hit the town just as we were ending our evening meal – and we were at an open garden restaurant!

Ducked the puddles down cobbled lanes back to the boat through the tourist crowds. This small city is full of medieval houses, churches and alleyways.  No cars.  A Venician castle plonked on one end of the palm tree lined main waterside promenade sets off the scene.

Swagman was parked up on the outside of the marina right opposite all this – so sitting under the bimini sheltered from further rain – we had a grandstand seat of the late night action.

Here’s a shot of the waterfront taken from the top of the castle tower the following day.

And here’s Sue with Swagman in the background over in the marina opposite.

The winds still up and more thunderstorms predicted to still arrive over the next 24 hours.  So will stay here one more night before moving onto Split.  Hopefully Jonathan and his lady will arrive Friday, the bad weather system will have crossed the northern Adriatic and we can feel more sure of settled weather, and we’ll take them out for a weekends R&R on the islands.

Probably after that, we’ll continue back south to Dubrovnik, and from there plan out our crossing to Italy and all points further west towards Ibiza 1,100 miles from here.  We’ve amended our pick up point for our visiting Ozzie pal from Sicily to the Balearics so we can end up there in August, get as a result the boat slipped maybe in Denia on the Spanish mainland coast to have the work done.

That will allow us to make Gibraltar and get ready to cross to the Canaries in September before the last of the Portuguese trades.  If we leave it until October, we might need to sit around and wait for the right weather window to and avoid the southerly busters that begin to arrive in that month.

Then we can take it from there. 

Cheers

JOHN