28 - 30 May - Island Hoping on the Dalmatian Coast in a sailboat - Pt 1

28 May ... around 2pm

After the morning walking tour, we went back to Charlie’s Bar and retrieved our bags to go to ACI Marina.  It was a hot walk along the cobblestones, especially with the heavy camera gear bag and dragging the 20 kg roller suitcase on uneven pebbly path.  Getting out of the city wall of the old city was disorientating and we found ourselves at the south gate, further from ACI Marina than we intended.  We began the palm tree to palm tree walk, then café to café walk, seeing shelter from the blistering sun above.  The longest stretch was between the end of the promenade and ACI Marina.  Many of the tour boats depart from the waterfront rather than from ACI Marina.  Our tour was one of the few exceptions.  Our sailboat was chartered by the tour company running our sailing tour as they did not own any sailboat of their own.

Scarce Swallowtail

Just before we reached the second marina at the tip of the bay, we saw this beautiful and unique butterfly.  It turned out to be scarce swallowtail, a sub-specie that is getting rarer and is on the vulnerable list.  That discovery made up for the hot long walk.    

When we arrived at the Marina, we were not sure where to go.  A young gentleman we encountered was most helpful.  He provided directions for us to walk through the boatyard to the building.  We found a group waiting there but they were from G Adventure.  We had not realised that G Adventures had a cruise like the one we were embarking on.  We met our first boat mate, a middle age Australian from Victoria travelling overseas and by herself for the first time.  We chatted and found that  almost all the shipmates would all be Australians, except for a lady from the UK.  Since we had not had lunch, we got us some bananas and yogurt from the small grocery shop at the end of the marina for 40 Kunas (7.6 AUD).  We had an expresso for 7 Kunas (1.33 AUD).  

Our meeting time was 3pm.  At 5 minutes to 3, Mato, our skipper appeared. 

Our home for island hoping along the Dalmatian Coast

As he helped us with our bag, his first question was why an Aussie was travelling on a Malaysian passport. The answer was that a Malaysian passport is really convenient for travelling developing countries.  One is often exempt from visa requirements and the fees are cheaper, if payable.  Our boat for the tour, our home for the next week was a 52 footer sailboat.  The cabins would be like on other typical sailboats, tiny spaces sufficient only for sleeping. Two would share a cabin. For 9 of us (including the skipper), there were three toilet/bathrooms to share.  The main cabin, the deck and the cockpit were spacious.  That was where we would hang out most of the trip. The young lady from the UK turned out to be non other than Tasha, the Jamaican-English we met earlier on our walking tour.  Except for one husband and our captain, the rest of our shipmates were all female.

Mato informed us that we could have taken a water taxi from the waterfront of Split to the ACI Marina for 50 Kunas (AUD 10).  That would have taken us a mere 5 minutes as there were many plying that route with a big charter fleet anchored at ACI Marina.  So, the lady at Charlie's Bar did not know much about local transportation after all!!  On the bright side, had it not been for the walk, we would not seen the increasingly rare scarce swallowtail butterfly.

Not long after everyone settled into their cabins, we set sail.  Shortly after, we spotted a couple of bottle nose dolphins playing the waters behind us.  We hoped we would see more again later that trip.   We stopped midway between Split and Solta for a swim in the middle of nowhere.  Apparently that was completely safe and not an unusual thing to do in the Adriatic Sea.  The water was crystal clear, salty and 20 deg C.  In spite of the initial shock to the system, it was a great experience to have a first swim in the Adriatic.  We were given a choice as to whether we dock at Solta, (a more sedate and nature stop) or go to Brac (more of a party place for the younger set).  Our crew chose Solta.  After the swim, we headed to Solta as strong winds and storms were predicted for that evening.  

Stomorska, Solta

We arrived at Port PSRD Pelegrin Stomorska.  We could not land a powered site due to the number of boats taking shelter in the marina from the storm.  We went for a walk to explore the village shortly after we docked.  The villagers were friendly.  Warm weather tourism is a major industry for these relatively sparsely populated islands.  Having said that, we have to say that our subsequent encounters with islanders in Croatia also lead us to believe that Croatians islanders are especially friendly.  Our skipper recommended the restaurant we went to that evening - the Turanj (it is the red awning on the right of the picture above).  Kate, our cabin mate and my travelling companion shared a seafood platter, some fries and steamed veg which set us back 230 Kunas (43.7 AUD).  The restaurant was very accommodating as each of us brought all our electronics that need charging for the night there and they more than obliged us.  

We did not stay up for long after returning to the ship as we all were pretty tired.  Many were jet-lagged.  On shore, the locals were watching soccer.  Our skipper went to watch with them.  This was after all his community.  European Cup was in progress.  We were asleep before too long.  

29 May 2016

The bunks were relatively hard and narrow.  Luckily we had the lower bunk which was slightly wider.  It was also great that we were not taller or we would be hanging off the edge. The village rooster was up around 5am and made its presence known.  We thought it was our alarm clock at first as it has the same sound bytes for a morning alarm, but it was not.  It was nice to be awake when not everyone was awake yet.  There was a stillness at the marina.  We sat at the cockpit to breath in the crisp morning air.  These alone moments with nature are so precious.  My travelling companion was remembering her days sailing the high seas in Asia, especially those days at anchor off the islands of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

The marina was sheltered by the mountains on Solta such that we could not really see the sun rise.  Most local folks were still asleep from partying the night before.  The day before, there had been insufficient wind strength to really sail.  We were hoping that it would improve that day.  After breakfast, we queued for the limited number of bathrooms in the marina to shower before heading out.  There was quite a long queue for the female bathrooms.  The important thing, though, was that the water for showers was sufficiently hot and the bathrooms were clean.

The winds that day were as strong as 16 knots.  We sailed with reefed main sail and half a jib.  Even then, the boat was doing 10 knots on the average.  In sailing terms, we were "flying".  Had it been a boat full of experienced sailors, it would have be a great sail.  Our crew consists of three sailors, the skipper, my travelling companion and the other male on board (Don). The first two were experienced on sailboat, Don was experienced mainly on motor vessels.  Bigger boats experience bigger torque on all its lines and equipment. Initially it was a challenge to sail.  The crew learnt quickly.  My travelling companion also had to get used to the stronger torque.  She was also sailing without her sailing gloves.  Luckily the sheets were thicker and the winches were easier to operate than privately owned 40 footer boats which she used to sail on.  We sailed three 3 long comfortable tags that way.  

Our skipper gave really good instructions and we helped with the lines.  Don steered when we were tacking, while my travelling companion worked the lines with the skipper.  It was good fun.  Steph took a turn at the wheel while we were under sail.  Just before lunch, we went back to motoring to find a sheltered cove along the shore of Hvar island.  We lunched in a sheltered a cove not far from our final destination on Hvar.  It was good to stop as the winds had really born down on us and some folks were not feeling too great after the sail.  Even my travelling companion was a little exhausted. 

Lunch cove, Hvar

We made our sandwich from fresh bread and produce complemented with processed meats and cheeses.  Lunch was a group effort with all helping with the preparation.  After lunch, Don brewed all of us coffee from scratch - he boiled the grounds in a normal pot and then let it settle.  It was seriously good coffee.  We had not known this way to prepare coffee without an espresso machine or maker. We gave the bread crumbs to the two kelp gulls that came to check the boat out when we were having lunch.

Since the wind was no longer blowing in the correct direction as we head for Stari Grad, the marina we intended to dock for the night, we switched to motoring after lunch.  My travelling companion took the wheel till we arrived in the marina to give the skipper a break from having to constantly work the boat.  

Stari Grad, Hvar

Arrival at Stari Grad was interesting as the winds made it difficult to berth the boat.  It took us a while to get the boat squared away on the docks.  After a short break where we tidied up the boat deck and lines and hung out our wet swim togs, we went on town orientation walk and to select our restaurant for dinner.  Stari Grad means old city in local language.  It was interesting to learn the history of these islands, especially their individual contribution to great empires of long ago.

Stari Grad is characterised by stone buildings built close together so that the streets are almost almost always shaded from the sun.  Hvar has the reputation of being one of the sunniest islands in the Adriatic.  The open plazas are shaded by large umbrellas under which wooden tables and chairs are set out for outdoor dining.  There were lots of green doors and shutters in this old town.

We checked out our skipper's recommendation – La Guitara.  The host was most welcoming and offered everyone complementary honey grappa shots.  Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from wine making after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers.  Here on Hvar, grappas tend to be locally made.  At first the group was hesitant, but in no time, we were all participating.  We took a sip of ours and passed the rest to our skipper.  We made reservation for dinner at 7.30pm that evening.

The group then broke into smaller groups to pursue their individual interest.  We went for a wander through town with Steph and Hannah. We found St Stephen and St Rocco (the patron saint of Stari Grad) churches before wandering back to the museum that once was the residence of the famous Croatian poet, Petar Hektorović.  

Entry fee to the museum villa Tvrdalj was 20 Kunas (AUD3.8).  The villa and its compound has this feel of serenity.  We could have sat by the pool for ages, reading a book or just watching nature.  

The pool in Tuvdalj

A swift taking a bath

The swifts were putting up a show, playing with each other and taking baths in the pool while the fishes in it watched them.  Leaving Tvrdalj, we headed over to the park opposite the marina in search of more wildlife to photograph before heading back to the boat for pre-dinner drinks and chips with the rest of our ship mates.

We changed into a dress for dinner for a change as others were all dressed up.  We took all our electronics to the restaurant to charge again (just like the previous night).  It appeared that our boat had a blown fuse which made it impossible to connect to shore power.  No matter, as the bartender and restaurant owner were again really nice about such matters.  The skipper was late in getting to dinner place as he caught up with a friend along the way.  The bartender and my travelling companion had a great chat about music and dancing.

For dinner, my travelling companion tried the traditional Dalmatian Pasticada – beef with gnocchi – and Fresh Up Mint (non-alcoholic Mojito).  Dinner was delicious.  The restaurant again offered complementary honey grappa as apres dinner drink. 

During the night, the temperature dropped dramatically and the wind howled.  It sounded more stormy than the previous night.  In the docks of the marina, the waters remained calm. We were really glad that our ship mates had chosen the more tranquil destination of Stari Grad rather than the main party city.  

With the number of young females on board, the topic of the evening went to the opposite gender.  It was generally agreed that Croatian guys are cute and could be pretty smooth.  As we were leaving dinner, the bartender flirted with our travelling companion and drew some attention from her shipmates.  

We wandered back to the boat, enjoying the ambiance of the streets which then took on a mysterious aura from the shadows casted by the street lighting.  Unbelievably, it was already 10 minutes to midnight when we arrived at our boat.…. Time for bed.

30 May

We woke up at 6 am.  No one else was awake yet  Nice!!  After the great experience the morning before, we made it our mission to wake up earlier than the others each morning to savour the peace and spend time with nature.  Our ship mates love to play their music loud even when we were sailing under sail.  They were not the ones to listen to the songs of the waves or the winds or to just enjoy the rocking motions of the sailboat under sail.  We stood at the mast watching the silence in the marina.  In the bay, some fishermen were already on their way out to sea in their individual small boats.

Our skipper went to the boat shop as soon as it opened to try to find that replacement fuse to fix our access to shore power.  The rest of us took off to the coffee place on shore.  We found him later in the coffee place.  The fuse he was looking for was not in stock at the boat shop.  Normally, he would keep a few spare fuses on board as these would fail several times during a tourist season.  He said that someone had been into his stash of these fuses as he has none left in the usual hiding places. On a totally different matter, we discovered that we actually needed sun block as we were beginning to burn under the strong sun, so we went to get some before departure.  As per the custom before leaving port each morning, we also picked up fresh baked goods for lunch later.

Departure was scheduled for 8.30 am that morning, and we left shortly after.  Someone else took care of the mooring line even though that was usually our travelling companion's job.  As soon as we were out of the bay, we switched from motoring to sailing.  Winds that day were around 10 knots.  It was much more manageable for novice sailors.  The boat speed averaged around 9 knots, a comfortable speed.  Our travelling companion skippered the boat for quite a while when it was under sail.  There was one strange tack -  after we tacked, the wind completely changed direction on us.  So we had to return immediately to our previous tack.  

Our target that day was Vis, the farthest inhabited island from the Croatian coast.  The marina at Kut, the twin town to Vis on the side of the island facing Hvar, was not too far. The plan for the day was to get there shortly after lunch and spend the rest of the day exploring the island. Population on the island in all its towns, the largest two of which were Vis and Komiza, was less than 4,000. Vis was once the general headquarters of Tito.  Many historical events took place there including the meeting between Churchill and Tito.  During WWII, it was also one of the bases for Allied planes.  During the recent civil wars post Tito, it was a naval base. Since then, the island had been swept for stray mines (which are kept as exhibit at the local museum together with other exhibits such as ancient amphorae) and some of the ex-military structures had been adapted for civil use.  Quite a few are abandoned and stood in ruins.

The once bunker near the submarine tunnel

The submarine tunnel that never saw a submarine

Part of the military past of Vis

Our shipmate, Don, taking a pre-lunch dip

We pulled into a bay that fronted the submarine cave for our lunch stop.  We were the second boat in that bay.  The sailboat in front of us pulled into the submarine cave as far as their mast would permit.  The waters were crystal clear and some of our ship mates went for a pre-lunch swim.  Our skipper, the English lady and our travelling companion refrained.  To the locals, the waters were still too cold for a dip.  The submarine cave looked like something one would find on the set of a James Bond's movie.

We arrived at the marina at Kut around 3pm.  Our skipper had arranged for us an optional island tour that we had decided to take on.  He had also arranged for laundering of the boat's linen as well as all the laundry services we may need.  That was a pleasant surprise for us as we had thought that we would have to live with salty garments until the end of our voyage.  Fresh clean clothes are a luxury on small sailboats on long voyages.  The tour company had also arranged for an electrician to take care of that pesky fuse.  We should have the luxury of being able to charge our electronics on board that evening.

Although it is tiny, Vis is divided into two parts.  Kut is where the Marina is.  Vis is where the ancient Greek and Roman graves are found.  On the other side of the island is the fishing village of Komiza with around 800 inhabitants.  Apparently Vis is even older than Stari Grad, by some 6 years.  We went to the museum and learned that the Austrian Monarchy back in the days was a big power with great influence.  It and the Ottoman Empire rivaled each other.  Vis had had encounters with most of the major powers in history.  

The things about history that one learns.  It would appear that schools often teach only local histories at the expense of global history.  Unless one was curious and interested, one may never understand the true forces that shaped our political world to its current state.  All these great empires declined in time.  It would be interesting to fully understand the circumstances and the characteristics of the leaders at the time of the decline.  What finally dealt the nail in the coffin for all these great empires?  What could management of large organisations learn from these events?

We noted that in Croatia, schools are called "Skola".  The same sounding word "sekolah" in Malay also meant school.

Here again we learnt that the local people loved Tito.  In the US, and elsewhere, he was perceived as a dictator.  This was probably due to the fact that he was ally to both the US and Russia at one point and at the same time not partisan to either to ensure the sovereignty of Yugoslavia.  Tito's military base on Vis was apparently built with Iranian loans that were never repaid.  In Tito's era, Yugoslavia was considered the third largest power in the world.  Here we see both sides to this story.  One could be the insider who loved Tito or the outsider who deemed him a dictator.  We wondered if there was a cultural aspect as well.  Premier Lee of Singapore previously was once deemed a dictator (benevolent but a dictator nonetheless) by the western countries while within Singapore he was deemed a great leader who did the necessary (while at times not popular within) to ensure Singapore's survival

View from submarine tunnel

Inside the submarine tunnel

The island tour took us for a walk into the submarine tunnel as well as the bunker on top of the hill that we had seen earlier from the boat.  It appears that this submarine tunnel has never seen a submarine since it was built. 

At the end of the gun tunnel at the bunker 

From gun tunnel

We walked through some of the old gun turrets and got a feel of how it could have been when it was Tito's military headquarters.  In between that visit and the visit to the a lookout point over Komiza on Hum (highest point of Vis at around 600m), we stopped at the pharmacy to pick up some antihistamine for a ship mate suffering from serious hay fever. The initial idea was to see Tito's caves on the hills before hanging out at a chapel of Saint Spirit on Hum for the sunset view over Komiza.  Our tour guide had brought a small picnic for us to enjoy at the chapel - wines, olives and cheese.  We spend some time soaking up the atmosphere at the chapel after having chosen not to bother with visiting Tito's caves.

View of Komiza from Hum

Coming down from Hum, we stopped at the restaurant overlooking the site of the previous RAF field.  Having learnt that his guests were mostly Australians, our guide had to show us the cricket field there.  

The cricket pitch near the former aerodrome

Today, it is still actively used for friendly matches.  There is a restaurant there serving traditional Croatian fare - food cooked under a "bell" over charcoal fire.  

Meal cooked in a bell

The restaurant also had an impressive collection of wines which some of our ship mates purchased.  Although it appeared popular with tourists, our skipper had thought this place to be overpriced and quality of food not as high as merited by its price.  He had planned for us to partake of such a traditional meal later in the voyage.

We were dropped off at the little hill on top of Vis  where we walked down a neighbourhood street into Kut.  It gave us an opportunity to witness the sunset over the marina.

Sunset over the marina

That evening, we had dinner at a local restaurant in Vis.  It was rather busy but the food was rather cold when it was served.  It was an inexpensive place.  For once, our skipper did not recommend any restaurant.  This place was a random pick.  None of us were impressed with the food.   

After dinner, it was time for a seriously warm shower at the reasonable marina facilities.  During the course of the evening one of our ship mate would develop symptoms akin to food poisoning.  The skipper had to be woken up to assist.  Luckily, the situation did not deteriorate further. 

Note : More human, scenic and nature photos as usual will be published over the next few weeks on Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/SylviaTanPhotography/ 

Footnote 1 : Once the island of Hvar was famous for its grapes and wines, especially white grapes.  The arrival of phylloxera from the Americas killed a lot of its vines in the late 19th Century and destroyed that industry.  These days, they graft the local vines onto to the phylloxera resistant American roots for wine making.  

Footnote 2 : We heard about the special wines that a friend of our skipper sell to high end restaurants.  The wines are aged in amphoras that are cellared at the bottom of the Adriatic sea.  They are sold complete with encrustation from the sea for novelty.