The Geezers first sailing trip

Of course the first trip had to be to Velika Luka. We did manage to get the Genoa up but with the wind almost behind us there was no point is putting the main up. Arrived in time for lunch then got the dingy ready for the trip ashore.

 

Once ashore we ordered large cold beers.

It was even too hot for the resident cat.

The coolest place was in the swing chair where there was a nice breeze, trouble was the sun was still very strong and the next day my shoulders were a little sore.

That evening Dave made his best ever carbonara, we stayed on deck until late under the almost full moon.

Next day we had a leisurely breakfast and cooled off with a swim off the back of the boat.

  

We didn’t go ashore again as the bar seemed to have plenty of customers and after another good supper we watched the sunset.

The next day we headed for Murter an island just a few miles away. We found our way into Hramina harbour.

We had been recommended 2 restaurants so we unloaded the dingy again and headed ashore. Murter old town was very picturesque, the recommended restaurants were very expensive so we found 2 others that seemed a much better option for supper the following night.

However, during the night the battery alarms went off and showed that they were down very low. When we tried to start the engine to charge them up we found that the engine battery was too low to start it, the previous owner had wired all the batteries together, something you should never do, and so we were without power.

We went ashore and walked to the marina where a very helpful charter manager lent us a battery and jump leads, and a shopping trolley to transport it all to our dingy, what a nice man. It did the trick and the engine started, we returned the battery etc to the marina and it was decided that it would be prudent to return to our home marina to sort the problem out.

By way of compensation, once back in Biograd we went ashore and had a great meal in Casa Veccio. The battery problem will need investigation and in the meantime a search for a generator so that we cannot get suck again in the future.

Paradise Bay AKA Velika Luka

 

Our first night at anchor. We had to motor down to Velika Luka because there was not enough wind to sail, isn’t that always the way. But once there it really is paradise bay, Velika means large and Luka means bay or cove, next door is Mala Luka which means small cove!!  Mala Luka is too shallow for us at just over 1 metre but a few motor boats were at anchor in there.

The Konoba had lights on so they must be open we shall have to check it out tomorrow.

 

Konoba means small bar, usually one that only serves drinks and snacks. A boy ran out from the bar to take our lines, very helpful.

It’s called “La Spuz” which means the snail, I think that refers to the pace of life here.

Well it was definitely worth the agro of getting the dingy and outboard off, the beer was cold and the surroundings were amazing, like being in the Caribbean.

We asked about food and were told they cooked what ever they had on their equivalent of a BBQ, the large outside fire in a purpose built open fronted oven.

The bar was made from the side of an old boat and everything was made from abandoned bits and pieces.

The cab of an old boat served as a sort of plant shelter.

The sewing machine and table had all sorts of oils and condiments.

Not sure what this was but now it seemed to be a good place for a siesta.

After a couple of beers Dave moved onto white wine, too hot for red!!

Then after a very pleasant afternoon we headed back to the boat.

It’s out there somewhere, now which one is it?

A Day Trip to Split

As we still can’t get out sailing we decided to go to Split in the car. We took the coast road which follows almost every cove and headland so the views were terrific.

We took a detour down a small road which looked like it went down to a small cove but the tarmac turned into concrete and then dirt and finally rubble so we gave up and turned around. However we passed through a small village with a little chapel.

 

Further down the coast we stopped for a picnic lunch and watched a wind surfer who seemed to spend more time in the water than on it and children splashing around in the shallows.

A large motor yacht was anchored in the bay, I think it had a British flag.

We arrived in Split and found a parking space right on the front overlooking the ACI marina. Parking ticket cost 5 kuna which is about 60p for an hour and a half, UK parking companies please note!!

Split is Croatia’s second largest city, after Zagreb, and the main port of arrival for visitors. Sometimes there can be as many as 8 cruise ships in port which can make the town very busy, we seem to have picked one of those days.

The heart of the city lies within the massive 25m high and 2m thick walls of the Diocletian Palace which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

The south facade, which used to rise directly from the sea, now has a marble promenade called the ‘Riva’, and is lined with expensive cafes overlooking the Adriatic.

The palace was built in the third century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as a retirement residence. After the decline of the Roman Empire the palace was abandoned. Later it was occupied by refuges from Salona who divided up the vast imperial apartments into modest living quarters and converted the Emperor’s mausoleum into a Cathedral.

 

Parts of the palace are still derelict but the bars and restaurants make use of every available space.

 

Each of the four outer walls has a gate, called the Golden, Iron, Silver and Bronze Gates they are connected by two streets which run east-west and north-south.

Off these are numerous little streets and alleyways which meander through the shops and houses.

The Golden Gate is the most impressive and best preserved.

Outside of the Golden Gate is a statue of Bishop Gregory of Nin. It is considered good luck to touch the big toe of his left foot and it has been worn gold by hopeful passers by.

We stopped for a beer in a shady bar and behind Dave you can see the temporary seating that is erected in squares and courtyards during the Split summer festival of classical music and opera.

Outside the Palace the town has spread with Venetian-Gothic influenced architecture and classic Italian Piazzas paved with gleaming white marble.

We had intended to return home on the motorway so that we could visit Skradin  on the way back but instead we returned on the coast road so that I could take some more photos, I had been on the ‘wrong’ side of the car on the way down.

The restaurants were preparing the evening meal, spit roasted pig over a wood fire.

Will have to return another day and make sure we stop at one of them to test it out, it certainly looked good.

Croatia

Well we have been in Croatia for 3 weeks now, the temperature has on average been 30 dec C during the day and 16 dec C at night, a slight breeze most days has made it very pleasant but the humidity has been 45% on occasions and that is uncomfortable as you feel constantly damp!! 

However a cold beer in the Marina Bar always helps to bring you back to normal again, well as normal as normal is normally!!

The boat is looking cleaner now, we spent over 2 weeks cleaning the inside and now its time to start on the outside. Too hot during the heat of the day so early morning and late afternoon is the only option. Hence nothing else to do in the day except laze around or take a walk into town to pick up some supplies and, of course, have an obligatory beer in a shady bar, 15 Kuna a half litre about £1.75

At the week ends the town really fills up, car parks full and the tow truck works 24 hours picking up cars with it’s crane and depositing them in the pound, must be making a fortune. The streets are bustling and the restaurants are full of happy sunburned diggers. We have found a couple of back street bars that only serve beer and wine and they stay quiet until the diggers finish their dinners which is when we leave and return to the peace and quiet of the cockpit on the boat.

Come Tuesday the place calms down, the charter boats have gone out sailing and the diggers have gone home or to the beach and the town is very pleasant, the fruit and veg market is open everyday.

The supermarkets have everything we need, well almost everything and nothing we can’t do without. The restaurants have space to eat at any time of the evening and you can walk along the pavements without being barged onto the road by pushchairs, why do parents use them like weapons? 

We haven’t been able to take the boat out for a sail, Dave’s hand has not healed enough yet to handle ropes.  We have checked the instruments though and it looks like a couple of them need to be recalibrated so we will need a couple of days at least to get everything checked out. However in the meantime we have fitted the new water purification system and the Navtex both of which are working fine.

So,  we have found a happy way of living with the change of pace but we are looking forward to the end of summer when it cools down a little and the diggers go home for good,

AND the Geezers Ken & Carole come out to stay with us for a while.  Roll on September 4th  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!