The following story could serve as a suggestion for one of your next sailing trips, or just as a nostalgic overview of an exceptional early summer week filled with great winds, fine sailing, beautiful nature, splendid company, and many other excellent things.
This event took place three years ago, when I was still a part of a sailing academy, keen to reach and explore places I had not yet had a chance to visit. My friends and I started our adventure in Jezera, a small fishing village located in the south part of Murter island. The goal was to improve sailing skills and use the wind as much as possible. After leaving Jezera, we faced a strong jugo (the southeastern wind), which gave us a chance to perform some sharp close hauling, which was, after a calm and lazy winter, pretty exciting for the crew.
We left the Šibenik channel the following day. The waves were not as high as they were the day before, but the wind still blew in the same direction, and we calculated that another entire day of sailing is ahead of us. We close hauled all the way from Šibenik to the northwestern end of the island of Šolta. After dropping the anchor in the village of Maslinica, we treated ourselves with a delicious lunch. This was a great opportunity to exercise our cooking skills in a rocking galley.The wind brought some really high waves, which is why we decided to find a shelter for the night and steered towards Skradin, a splendid haven located deep inside the mouth of the Krka river, just north of Šibenik town. Unfortunately, sailing up Krka’s canyon was not allowed, but there were numerous photo opportunities in this beautiful environment that seemed like a reward after the exhausting journey.
As we did not want to waste any wind, we continued our way shortly after the lunch break and headed towards Hvar island. As we approached the town of Hvar, some strange silence took over the crew. Although some crew members wanted to stop in Hvar and walk the town’s centre, the decision was made that we were to continue sailing because we were tough sailors who did not want to waste a chance for good sailing.
The journey continued towards Šćedro, a tiny, almost uninhabited island off the coast of Hvar. Morning exercise was replaced by collecting samphire, fresh capers, sea shells and aromatic herbs. Although nature there abounded with potential food ingredients, we took only as much as we needed for the following few days.
The wind was favourable for another long leg. We sailed to Pomena, in the northwestern part of Mljet island. Being tough sailors, not tourists, we refused to attend a party that took place in the (only) hotel, so we prepared a decent meal on board and discussed our route for the following day. We decided to pay a quick visit to Mljet National Park, just 15 minutes of walking from Pomena.
After visiting Mljet, a fine and pleasant breeze that blew from the north-west took us to the island of Lastovo. Although it lies far from the Croatian mainland, this island offers a lot and sailing around Lastovo and surrounding islets is a splendid experience. Those who like hiking can spend days walking around the island, while those who prefer mountain biking can experience just as much fun and adventure. People who enjoy swimming and snorkeling will also have an excellent time here. Unfortunately, we only had time to take some photos of the unique Lastovo chimneys and buy some local wine to fill our supplies.
The meteorological situation allowed us to sail throughout the night, which is something we wanted to experience. Lastovo is located far from the coast, which is why the forecast has to be carefully observed, with the distance from the coast taken into account. We reached a decision – after an afternoon nap, we would divide into shifts and sail into the night. The remote islands of Croatia will be conquered by reaching Palagruža, the remotest Croatian territory in the Adriatic.
If you would like to experience such journey yourself, charter a yacht with A Yacht Charter Croatia!
I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!