Croatia Dalmatian Islands Charter September 2019
Sue and I flew Easyjet Southend to Dubrovnik, arriving Saturday around midday and got a taxi to the ACI marina, cost was 450 Kuna. Checked in and were handed the boat about 15.30, a Bavaria cruiser 34 run by dream charters. Probably the best equipped we’ve had. Mike and Kirstie joined us around midnight. We also rented a paddleboard for €100 and had great fun with it every day.
Sunday was a light wind cruise to the island of Mijet (pronounced Milyet). Not enough wind to sail although we did hoist the sails a few times, 2.5 to 3 knots was about all the speed we could manage. Stopped for lunch and a swim in an Anchorage on Lopud Island and made Okuklje about beer time. The local restaurants have built basic jetties and you can moor there for free but of course are expected to eat at their establishment. We were encouraged to moor at the first jetty by a very helpful lady and enjoyed a very good but expensive meal that evening.
Mondays plan was to sail to korcula (pronounced korchula) and stay at the marina but we were disappointed to be told it was full when I called. The cheaper marina lumbarda was also full so we anchored in Uvala Racisce, a sheltered bay with a good local restaurant at the waters edge.
Tuesday dawned overcast and wet although still quite warm, we decided to have a day ashore in Korcula. By this time we had discovered the marina charges €114 a night for 34ft boat so we anchored in the lovely sheltered inlet of Vuala Luca, only half a mile walk from Korcula. We checked out the marina to see if it was worth the money but it all looked a bit of a squeeze. We found so many sheltered bays and inlets there, no need to use marinas unless you need to top up with water.
Wednesday saw a much better sailing day and we enjoyed a 17 to 20 knot reach to Polace on the north east tip of Mljet. There we found a wonderfully sheltered almost landlocked bay where we anchored close to the shore with a stern line to a rock and spent the rest of the day swimming, paddle boarding, exploring. There are several restaurants and a well stocked shop. you can moor at the restaurant jetties if you wish. The whole area is designated as a National Park and you are obliged to pay 400 Kuna to a chap who comes to your yacht, he will also collect your rubbish from the boat in the morning.
We left Polace late the next morning in light winds and motored to Sipan island anchoring off the pretty town of Luca. We could’ve chosen a better Anchorage or moored at the town quay as the wind got up around midnight blowing straight into the bay. We had a bumpy night!
Friday saw a light wind beat to the island of Lopud where we stopped for lunch and a swim then motored back into Dubrovnik in very light winds. We were advised to refuel in the main harbour on the right just before the bridge to avoid the queues and general melee at the ACI dock which worked for us taking about 10 mins. There were a lot of boats waiting for fuel when we came into ACI but it was better organised than Greece, so no real problem.
On Saturday we woke to a thunder storm and torrential rain, which continued on and off all day. We all took the bus into Dubrovnik (12 kuna if you buy before or 15 kuna on the bus) bus stops at Pile gate outside the old city. It’s a must if you have time although we spent most of the day sheltering from the rain. Mike and Kirstie flew out Saturday evening. Sue and I moved into a nice apartment overlooking the river where I am writing this blog. We watched the fleet of charter yachts pass on Sunday morning!
Would we come back, yes. We loved the sailing area, the warm clear blue water and many lovely bays to anchor for lunch and overnight. Winds were generally light but we did get a couple of good sails. Eating and drinking out was more expensive they we expected around £20 a head for a simple meal. But good. Worth noting, we didn’t find fresh water in the bays.
By Ian Jones
