Monday, April 3, 2017

Sailing Croatia Day 3: Zimnjak Island - Kremik Marina

The morning saw me getting woke up by Dad and Stefano discussing about getting ready to leave. When I heard that they wanted to leave at eight I checked the clock and saw that it was quarter too. As I didn't really want to lie in bed with and engine running next to me, I got up pronto.
By the time my head came up over deck Stefano and Dad had already untied from the buoy and were heading out to sea. Calm, no winds and flat conditions, the ocean was close to a mirror. The water here is so clear you can see to the bottom of the sea in quite a depth. Sometime later Caro and Rhiannon awoke, too, so we all sat down for breakfast. We had some of the fruit salad Caro prepared the night before and a lot of other things. After breakfast we/Dad cleaned up the boat, but all still under motor as the wind was nearly not there. For quite a while there we had the auto pilot running, as the battery was being charged by the engine anyway.
To me, the sea up until now didn't really feel like and ocean, as we are surrounded by islands until to the horizon, but later on in the morning Stefano spotted some dolphins, so we must be in the right water (it's salty, too). A lot of the islands around us have, or still are, inhabited by humans. Old stone walls separating olive plantations or collapsed houses out of stone are dotted everywhere. And then you'll also find a small town tucked away in a sheltered bay somewhere. Also there is the odd structure which no one knows what it is used for. An outside toilet looking like structure made from concrete was one. 
Past the islands we did find a stretch of sea which was open all the way to Italy. And that is where the wind really picked up. Dad had just gotten his T-shirt of to get some sun and the wind picked up. T-shirt back on again and sails up. Rhiannon, Stefano and Dad put them up whilst I tried to keep it in the wind. Shortly after Rhiannon took over the helm and we started sailing along in a straight line with over five knots. It was very well planed (or lucky) that we just arrived at the opening when the wind picked up, as we got across the open stretch fast. Once we reached the islands on the other side again, we got close to the planned marina. Dad tried reaching them on channel 16, but no answer. In the end he phoned them and got them. After closing and and taking down the sails, Dad motored us in whilst Stefano and me took care of the roped. Going backwards was and interesting thing in the yacht. No real steering until some speed is there.
After getting all moored up we had a toilet run and took a taxi in to town for some dinner and shopping.
Then back to the boat again for blogging and sleep.
Track at GPSies.

Time: 7 hours

Weather: Mostly sunny with clouds later on. Decent wind from midday until three in the afternoon.

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