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**IMPORTANT NOTE: The information below is NOT intended to
be complete, but rather is selective, opinionated, and reflects our own
particular experience at the time.**
Cruising Notes for Croatia
THESE NOTES ARE BASED ON CRUISING IN JULY AND AUGUST 2003 (expanded August
2004).
Croatia is a wonderful cruising ground, full
of pristine national park anchorages and lovely, fascinating walled medieval
cities overlooking well-protected natural harbours. The main thing I will
always remember about Croatia is the scent of fresh pine forests and clean sea
water. Damage from the war of a decade ago has been repaired, and the
Croatian people have moved on with their lives and livelihoods. Although
North Americans have not yet discovered this vacation paradise en masse,
Europeans are thick on the ground. Tourism is a huge part of Croatia's
economy, and the Croatian people seem genuinely to enjoy entertaining their
summer guests. One caveat: In August, every anchorage and
marina and harbour is PACKED with Italian yachts, mostly charterers with varying
levels of seamanship, anchoring skills, and docking abilities. If we
had it to do over, we would avoid August in Croatia. June, early July, and
September would be much better times to go.
Books & Charts
Pilot: The Adriatic Pilot (Imray), by Thompson, was good
and accurate, but not particularly helpful as to designating which of the
hundreds of anchorages
were the best if one has limited time in the area. We did not use the other cruising guide that is available for
these waters.
Charts: The Croatian government publishes two indispensable chart-packs for
Croatia -- one for the south and one for the north. We went as far
north as Dugi Otok and needed only the southern set. The chart-packs
(called "small charts") are available from Imray's
website and from the chandlery at Dubrovnik Marina. (Note:
The chandlery listed in the Pilot as being at Gruz Harbour in Dubrovnik
has closed and moved out to the Dubrovnik Marina.) Our C-Map NT+ cards were very
accurate for the entire area.
Entry
Port of Entry: Coming up from the south, by far the best and
easiest place to clear into Croatia is the small town of Cavtat
(pronounced "TSAV-taht"), about 5 nm south of Dubrovnik on the
mainland. As of 2003, Cavtat is a brand new port of entry, not yet listed in the Pilot.
We heard about it from some other cruisers, and sure enough, it was a great
spot. Clearing into Dubrovnik itself is reportedly not fun. One must
go into the large commercial harbour of Gruz to clear in. Dubrovnik Marina
confirmed that yachts cannot clear into Croatia at the marina itself, which will turn
them away if they have not yet obtained a cruising permit. We cleared into
Cavtat in about 10 minutes and liked it so much that we used it as a base and visited Dubrovnik by water taxi (see below).
Cruising Permit: We paid about US$120 for our cruising
permit. After obtaining the permit from customs, yachts may roam Croatia
at will without having to check in with authorities along the way (unlike in
Turkey and Greece).
Details on Entry at Cavtat: In Cavtat, customs has a
"welcome pier" at which yachts can tie up alongside to clear in
without having to go stern-to at the main wharf. The welcome pier is at
the western end of the main wharf (immediately to port as one enters the
harbour) and is marked by a small sign and a roped-off area just past the
swimming area. Depths are at least 12 feet right up to the quay.
Customs & Immigration offices are a short walk around the wharfside, at the
head of the bay. Officials were incredibly nice, very professional, very
helpful. They are also quite efficient. While we were there, a small
French yacht that had already cleared out of Croatia from Dubrovnik tried to
stay the night at Cavtat and were told politely that they either had to depart
as scheduled or check back into the country.
General Information
Telephone: Obtain a Croatian SIM card and pre-pay top-up cards for the
mobile phone at the post office. There do not appear to be any low-cost
international calling cards available in Croatia as of 2003.
Music: The country's folk/traditional music is vocal harmony by 10- or
12-member male choruses, either a capela or accompanied by
mandolin. The sound is haunting, fervent, and heart-uplifting. I
bought some CDs, but live is best. A male chorus sang as a prelude to the
sword-dancing show in Korcula. There are local competition festivals as
well, which are definitely worth seeking out. The CDs I bought at a small stand on the waterfront in Hvar
Town were recordings of the festivals.
Money & Prices: ATMs are everywhere. Most places take credit
cards. Food and wine are relatively inexpensive in Croatia compared to elsewhere
in the Med. Marinas are not as expensive as Turkey but not as cheap as New
Zealand or the Caribbean. We did not price boat parts or repairs, as
everything on the boat is currently working (knock on wood).
Internet: The larger towns on the main islands have Internet points,
but most of the smaller islands do not. The typical system is to pre-pay for
time. One is given a card with a PIN to type into the computer, with
unused time transferable to the next session. Time cards come in varying
denominations from 15 minutes to 5 hours. The larger cards often cost less
per minute, so if one is planning on multiple sessions, the initial purchase of
a larger card makes sense.
Wine: Many of the islands make their own wines. Many
places have "bodegas," where one brings a container and buys wine
directly from the barrel spigot. The white wine that we liked best is
Posip, from Korcula -- medium dry, full, and tasty. We stocked up.
Ports and Anchorages
Cruising Notes: We used some excellent cruising notes
that we copied third-hand from other cruisers. We do not know the
authors, but we admire their taste. I post the document here (in Word format), but if the authors object to
its usage, please let me know and I will delete it from the site
immediately.
Marinas and Med-Mooring: With the exception of Marina Kremik,
every marina and most town quays that we know of in Croatia are "modified
Med-moor." In "traditional" Med-mooring, you drop your anchor well
off the quay, on a straight line extending to the berth where you intend to end
up. Then you back into the berth while letting chain out as you
back. Once close enough to the quay, you toss two stern lines to secure
the stern to the quay. Then you tighten your anchor line to keep you off
the quay. (In a windy area, you often benefit from dropping your anchor
a bit to windward of the "directly in front" position, to hold your
bow more securely against the wind.) The end result is that the boat is
stern-to the quay, suspended between its anchor and the docklines.
In "modified" Med-mooring, you go stern-to the quay by backing into the
berth as above; but you
do not ever drop your anchor. Instead, you pick up the marina's
mooring line The mooring line has one end anchored beneath the water a
long distance in front of the quay, and one end secured to the quay for
retrieval. The dockmaster will pull this line up off the bottom when you
approach the berth, so that you can snag it with a boat hook. You attach
the line to your forward cleat via the anchor roller; then
you back into the slip and secure your own stern lines to the quay. The
mooring line runs forward from your bow cleat to the ocean floor; it functions
as your forward anchor, holding your bow in place and your boat off the
quay.
In both scenarios, there will be boats on either side of you and no finger
piers in between. You will be topsides to topsides, sardine-style.
Modified Med-mooring has two big advantages over the traditional
version. First, your anchor stays clean and dry :-). Second,
when it's time to go, you simply drop the mooring line and the stern lines and
drive away. In traditional Med-mooring, in contrast, it is virtually
impossible to avoid crossing anchor chains with someone. Departure is
always high drama, often involving dislodging another's anchor (which must
then be reset) or being unable to retrieve one's own with the neighbor's
200-pound Bruce having been dropped directly on top of it. Modified
Med-mooring is definitely the way to go -- even though it means trusting the
marina to inspect and repair the mooring lines -- sort of the same level of
trust one gives mooring-ball operators in the Caribbean and South Pacific.
Here's how to do the "modified Med-moor" that is standard in
Croatian marinas, assuming you have only two people aboard (the
"helmsperson" and the "linesperson").
1. Prepare to moor well before you enter the marina area.
a. Attach your longest docklines to your stern cleats on both sides of the boat, and prepare them to throw ashore.
b. Put out every fender you have, on both sides
of the boat. Also (and this is crucial), hang a large fender on the
stern-most projection of the boat (bottom of the sugar scoop; end of the
windvane, whatever sticks out farthest astern at quay level). This stern fender should
cover as much horizontal space as possible; we used a large rectangular
foam pad attached to our swim ladder and stern rails. plus two small
fenders on either side of it to protect the
entire stern of the boat from port to starboard.
c. Prepare a boat hook to pick up the mooring line,
called a "slimeline" for reasons that will become obvious the
minute you touch it.
d. Station the linesperson on one side of the boat,
near the stern, with the boat hook to pick up the slimeline. If you
are a European boat, ensure that this person is wearing few if any
clothes.
2. Upon approach to the marina, the helmsperson should hover
expectantly near the entrance and look
for a man with a whistle around his neck. He will look you over and
assign you a spot. With a whistle chirp, he will motion you in the right direction and go
over to the berth to help you moor. Everyone else on the quay will
stop what they are doing and watch you come in. They won't help, mind
you, but they will serve an important judging function.
3. Do not expect finger-piers or a "slip" such as is
known outside the Med. There will be a space that looks ridiculously
too small for you to get into. There will be a large expensive yacht on either
side of where you are supposed to go. The other yachts' mooring lines will
extend in such a way that they appear to obstruct the entrance to your
spot. There will be zero maneuvering room inside the marina. Do
not panic. It's easier than it looks. Expect those fenders to
come in handy, though.
4. GO VERY, VERY SLOWLY.
5. The helmsperson should position the yacht so (s)he can back
straight, or at least reasonably straight, into the slip. Take a deep
breath and start backing. If you hesitate at this point, the wind will
take your bow, and you will be toast.
6. The dockmaster will have retrieved the slimeline from the
bottom. It will be "floating" on the top of the water now
(extending in a straight line out from the quay), ready to be snagged with
your boathook. The dockmaster wil begin giving you instructions.
However, and this is important -- ignore everything the dockmaster says.
The only boat the dockmaster has ever moored is a 15-foot power launch with
a bow-thruster and seven crew members. The dockmaster has no clue
what you need to do. Smile brightly and tune him out.
7. The linesperson must snag the slimeline at his/her earliest
opportunity. Everything depends on getting that slimeline
aboard. Take the line in your hands (yuck),
set the boat hook down, and immediately walk the line hand-over-hand forward to your anchor
roller. Run the line through the anchor roller; quickly pull it aboard
until you start feeling a little tension on the line; and then quickly cleat it off
on the forward-most
cleat. Don't get it too tight. There should be enough slack to allow
you to back up to the quay. But don't let it be totally loose either,
as it functions to control your bow as you back. I will pause at this
point and just re-emphasize that there is no bitter end to a slimeline.
When you pull it through the anchor roller, it will still be attached both
to the anchoring spot well forward of the boat's bow and also to the
dock. So you will just be pulling the middle portion of the line
aboard. It may seem odd, but you will get used to it.
8. The helmsperson is still backing VERY SLOWLY, just enough speed to
maintain some semblance of control. (S)he is also casually hopping out of
the cockpit from time to time to fend the boat off the neighbors.
9. The linesperson, after cleating off the
mooring line, now strolls aft. When the boat comes within line-tossing
range of the quay (and not a second before), toss the windward stern line to
the dockmaster. The linesperson may need to fend off from time to
time, too, but the important
thing is to get the windward stern line ashore. Trust your fenders
(gulp) and your helmsperson (no comment).
10. Once the dockmaster has the stern line, he will not -- repeat, will
not -- tie it off on the dock. This is important: He will run it
through a metal rung on the quay and toss the end back to the
linesperson on the boat. Be prepared for this toss.
He'll do a head fake and then blindside you. The linesperson should catch
the line on the first try :-), feed it through the stern chock, take up all
slack, and cleat it off on the stern cleat. (To be clear, I will
summarize that the net result is that the stern line is looped through a
rung on the quay and cleated off at both ends on the boat.
11. The linesperson should then scramble to the other side of the
stern and repeat the toss, catch, and cleat there -- all the while nodding,
smiling, saying good morning in as many languages as (s)he knows, and
ignoring everything the dockmaster says. The linesperson will then
begin a bobbing maneuver -- going from side to side taking up slack and re-cleating
the stern lines as the boat backs further into the slip.
12. When you are more or less into the slip but still a safe
distance from the quay (maybe about 8-10 feet), the helmsperson should go
into neutral or possibly even give a little forward propulsion to take the
reverse way off the boat and maintain a safe distance from the quay.
(By the way, don't worry about being in forward gear against taut and
straining docklines for a short period of time. It always looks like
you're either going to pop the lines or take the dock with you, but we have
done it often enough now to say with some conviction that if you have good
quality lines, it's not a problem.)
13. The linesperson or helmsperson should then stroll in cool Mediterranean fashion to
the bow, where (s)he will wrap the slimeline around the windlass and use it to
tighten the mooring line as tightly as humanly possible. If the
helmsperson performs this task, the linesperson should step into the cockpit
in a sort of tennis-doubles court-covering strategy. Whoever is in the
cockpit should be prepared to give occasional short bursts in forward gear
to stay off the quay. Those stern fenders often come in very handy at
this point in the action.
14. When the slimeline is as tight as you can get it, the
helmsperson should go into reverse and take the boat as close as necessary
for the gangplank to reach the quay. If the forward mooring line is sufficiently tight,
significant RPMs will be required to move the boat backwards at this point. This is what you
want -- maximum tightness forward and aft. When the boat is close
enough to the quay for the gangplank to reach, the linesperson should tighten
and re-cleat both
stern lines while the helmsperson remains at the wheel in case of emergency.
15. If the quayside spectators now resume their activities with an
air of disappointment, you will know that all has gone well.
16. All that remains is to set the gangplank and stay aboard until
you are certain that nobody else is coming in next to you.
17. If you find yourself spending long periods of time at the quay,
invest in a widely available Med-moor contraption with springs and a metal
eye for your stern lines to compensate for surge and prevent chafe.
Anchorage Notes: We liked everywhere we stayed in Croatia.
Each of the following places is recommended. The order that follows is the
route we traveled -- clearing in
at Cavtat and clearing out at Marina Kremik near Primosten.
Cavtat
Berth: After clearing in here, we went stern to the quay
at
42deg34.94'N, 018deg12.98'E (quay-master Antonio 091-798-5581). Water
and electricity hookups are on the quay, along with trash pickup. It is also possible to anchor in the middle
of the bay. In the occasional strong westerly, the swell rolls in,
creating a surge onto the quay and making the quay just a
little up-and-down scary. The anchorage becomes somewhat rolly as well. In that event, it is a
good idea to motor about 10 minutes around the spit north to the town's other
anchorage, which has better westerly protection. We gutted out a
strong westerly at the quay and were fine, but in retrospect, we should have
moved.
Navigation: There are some rocky hazards near the entrance
that are well-marked on the charts. You can't get lazy in this area.
Marine facilities: None. Antonio speaks perfect English and can
help you get started in finding what you need. The marina and chandlery
in Dubrovnik are an hour's bus ride.
Town: Cavtat is an extraordinarily charming village with just
enough low-key resort amenities to enhance the fun. People
stroll arm-in-arm every evening along the flower-lined quay to cafes and
restaurants. The wine bar in the center of the quay (it's called "Anoca"
or something similar) has Internet connections and many
local wines by the glass. The proprietor is very pleased to give
Croatian Wine 101 to whomever is interested and will also make suggestions for
winery tours on the islands. To find the post office, outdoor fruit
& veg market, grocery, and ATM machines, step off onto the quay and turn right, following
the walkway along the water for about 2 minutes until it forks, then turn
left. There is a bakery at the fork.
Recreation: The walkway that lines the bay is a pretty walk,
whichever way you go. If you step off onto the quay and turn left (away
from town), there are several nice little swimming and sunning places among
the boulders and small beaches out on the spit. The water is clear, and
there seem to be a few more fish to watch via snorkel than elsewhere in the
Med. Around the other side of the bay's southern spit are the nude
beaches. There is a water polo venue roped off in the bay past the quay,
and local people play almost nightly. All the usual resort water-skiing, paddle-boating,
etc., is available on the beach on the southern side of the bay.
Dubrovnik Sight-Seeing: From the Cavtat quay, it is a pleasant
40-minute water taxi ride directly into the harbour fortress of the city of Dubrovnik.
We opted for this method of visiting Dubrovnik, as non-local yachts are no longer
allowed inside the city's harbour. (A decent alternative is to anchor at
one of Dubrovnik's off-lying islands and dinghy in, but the anchorages are
fair-weather-only.) Alternatively, a bus into Dubrovnik departs from Cavtat
near the post office. Whatever the transport chosen, and wherever you
choose as a base to leave the boat, Dubrovnik is a
don't-miss destination. The best bit is just wandering
around, particularly atop the old city walls or in the meandering narrow stone
alleyways.
Note on Dubrovnik Harbours: We took the bus from the Dubrovnik
city center to Dubrovnik's
Gruz Harbour and to the Dubrovnik Marina in search of Croatian charts.
Gruz Harbour is about a 30-minute bus ride from the heart of town at rush hour
(probably 10 minutes at other times); and the marina
is a little farther. The chandlery listed in the Pilot as being
at Gruz Harbour is now located at Dubrovnik Marina, across from the grocery store. Gruz Harbour is, as the Pilot
indicates, somewhat noisy and dirty, but it would be perfectly fine and even
interesting for a short
stay. The marina is nice but isolated and remote from town (way too far
to walk). Nevertheless, it stays busy; and the manager recommended arriving
mid-morning Mon-Thurs to have the best chance of getting a berth. In our
opinion, however, one is just about as close to Dubrovnik in Cavtat as one
would be at the marina..
Mljet Island (National Park)
Anchorage: We anchored in the large, lovely, sheltered Luka Polace
at 42deg47.35'N, 017deg22.63'E in 48 feet, mud bottom, good holding. It
can get crowded, but there is plenty of room. There are shallower areas
to anchor, but we got there late in the day and missed out on the shallower
spots. We were more or less right out in the middle, which was
fine. By the way, the rock that extends out into the bay, as mentioned
in the Pilot, appears to have more water over it than indicated.
We did not go over that patch ourselves, but many other sailboats --
especially local ones -- did so without seeming to notice any problem.
National Park: It costs about $10 per day to anchor in Croatian
national parks, including Luka Polace. If you go ashore and buy a ticket
to hike in the park, the ticket covers the anchoring fee as well. A dinghy will come out
into the bay to collect the ticket or fee (on an off-and-on schedule that allows a
decent chance of an occasional free night).
Ashore: There is a small settlement ashore with a few restaurants
and shops. A don't-miss activity is hiking the lakeshore path. One
can get to the lakes by either a 30-minute walk on a good path that starts
just behind the naitonal park ticket kiosk (which is right at the dinghy
dock); or else the ticket entitles you to take the van, which departs and
returns often during the day. The ticket also entitles you to a boat
ride to the monastery on an island in the middle of the lake. All we did
was walk for hours around the lake, and it was glorious.
Korcula Island
Anchorage: We anchored in Uvala Luka, the bay next door to Korcula
Town at 42deg57.18'N, 017deg08.57'E in 40 feet mud, good holding. The PIlot
gave the primary anchorage as further inside the bay behind the small central
island, but we went back there and it was buggy and stiflingly hot. So
we went back out and dropped the hook on the outer part of the bay and had good protection and more
air. There is a public beach and swimming area. Leave a big lane
next to the swimming area for local water-taxis and tour boats. (The
Coast Guard made us move a bit.) It is about a 5-minute dinghy ride into
town. We left our dinghy at the marina, which is right at the edge of
town, and nobody objected.
Marina: We did not stay at the marina here, but the amenities
are nice. The depth appears shallow. There is zero maneuvering room once you get
inside,
so one might want to ask for a spot near the opening. Some yachts were
moored to the outside of the breakwater, and that looked dangerously
unprotected to us when the wind whipped up. We would never have tied up
there in a million years.
Town: Wandering around this medieval town is a highlight of
Croatia. The best restaurant in town in our opinion is the tiny Adio Mare, which
is on one of the winding streets in the center of town. It serves
traditional Croatian food and is packed nightly with local residents, so arrive early
and/or expect to stand in line. Another local-targeted restaurant that we
enjoyed is the one in a triangular area just across the street from the
supermarket, near the marina, with covered outdoor tables and no apparent name. There are plenty of cute
tourist-oriented places on the waterfront. The marina restaurant
had excellent live folk singing most nights. There are 2 Internet points
in town. Tickets for the sword dance can be bought in advance from
the tourist information office to avoid a long wait in line. The dance
itself starts out kinda slow, but we were mesmerized by the end. Well
worth the effort to go see.
Hvar Island
Anchorage: We anchored in Hvar Town harbour, just at the very
entrance at 43deg10.2'N, 016deg26.39'E in 45 feet mud, questionable
holding. We held there just fine, but several other boats dragged during
the night -- however, they were charterers, and it looked to us like they used
maybe 50 feet of chain in 40 feet of water. I have never been in a more
crowded harbour, not even at Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke on New Year's
Eve. It was chaos all afternoon, as more and more yachts arrived.
We were within boat-hook distance of three other yachts at anchor, and it made
for a sleepless night. There did not seem to be a better place to
anchor, though, and the quay was triple-stacked. Next time, I think we
would go to the marina on the island just across from town and take the water
taxi in. One more warning: If anchoring in the town harbour, stay WELL
CLEAR of the ferry dock, which is the first quay to starboard as you enter the
harbour. Another note: We were here in August at the height of the
season, and it is quite possible that the harbour would be less crowded at
other times. Even in its over-crowded state, it was a fun place to be. Just put out plenty of extra fenders.
Town: The waterfront is Venetian-inspired and lovely -- archways,
white stone, graceful architecture. A fresh pine scent wafts through the
air on a regular basis. Expect to see movie stars and wannabees on giant
luxury yachts. This is a place you can dance until dawn or climb up to
the fortress for some solitude and a phenomenal view. Internet &
supermarkets are ashore, and there is a farmer's market past the cathedral on
the left.
Rogoznica (Roger's Knickers)
Anchorage: We did not anchor where the Pilot said to, but
rather continued on around to the east side of the island to drop the hook in
40 feet of sand at 43deg31.7'N, 015deg58.39'E. It was well-protected and
peaceful (blissful after the chaos of Hvar), with clear water and a view of a pine-covered
hill. A few other yachts were at anchor nearby, mainly in the space just
behind the causeway between the island and the mainland.
Ashore: There is a walking road/path that goes right around the
island. At the marina is a massage therapist (022-559-980), but she was
too booked for us to get an appointment for the three days we were there, so I
would recommend calling well ahead. There are several good
bakeries and low-key restaurants.
Skradin (Krsk River)
This river and lake were high points of an already top-heavy stay in
Croatia. Apart from the novelty of sailing up a river, it has to be good
for the
engine and refrigeration to have a little fresh-water rinse from time to
time. (Don't forget to turn off the watermaker!)
Approach: The Pilot mentions two power lines that
stretch across the river just before the marina. In addition, there is a
third line past them, associated with new bridge construction. Although
the third wire/line looked lower than the first two, we cleared it easily at the
center, and our mast is 75 feet (23.4m).
Marina: We Med-moored at the Skradin Marina at 43deg48.92'N,
015deg55.26'E. It is a very nice place with laid moorings (no anchor
needed) and water and power on the dock. However, there is a constant
turnover of boats, often charterers, coming in to dock that requires some
vigilance (or extra fenders) to protect the topsides. Plenty of markets
and restaurants ashore. Like all marinas in Croatia, it's first come,
first served -- no reservations.
Anchorage: In two spots, immediately before the marina and to
the right of the marina, as one approaches, are good anchorages near the
shore. Although the Pilot said overnight anchoring was not
allowed, we saw many yachts staying for several days and nights. Perhaps
if the marina had been less full, the no-overnight rule would have been enforced. There are also several anchorages in the lake before you get to
the marina (see below).
Town: Skradin is very cute. There are markets and little
restaurants and pub-like wine bars. If you follow the main road out of
town, there are vineyards and farms. The only Internet point in August 2003 was in
the office of the hotel/bistro on the corner just before the post office.
Basically, the hotel has an intermittent connection that they allow tourists to use on an
occasional basis.
National Park: The main draw here -- and it shouldn't be missed --
is the river and waterfalls. We took our dinghy up the river and were
roundly rebuked by the forest rangers for having done so. Technically,
no boats whatsoever are allowed in the river, except the park transport boats
to the waterfalls. When we turned off our outboard and rowed, however,
we got no further hassle, so maybe rowing is tolerated. Take swimming
gear to the waterfalls, which have eco-friendly boardwalks above them for
walking through the watershed. The official transport launch to the waterfalls
leaves from Skradin town dock and is included in the price of park
entrance. You can also walk -- approx 45 minutes from the edge of town
to the waterfalls along first the main road (no shoulder to speak of) and then
after the park entrance kiosk, along a deserted gravel road. Nice walk.
Lake Prukljansko Jezero
Anchorage: After we left Skradin, we went only as far as the
lake that lies between the sea and the national park. We anchored in
what we think was Uvala Parna, at 43deg48.32'N, 015deg53.66'E in 38 feet mud,
good holding, good protection. Nothing ashore. Gorgeous sunset.
Dugi Otok
This national park island was our favorite spot in Croatia. There are
probably fifty good anchorages in the long bay on the way up. The one we
chose was the innermost, all the way up at the head of the bay.
Anchorage: We anchored at the head of the bay, behind the two small
islands, at 43deg55.27'N, 015deg07.95'E in 30 feet mud, good holding.
Although several charter boats dragged during the night, it was the opinion of
the cruisers in the bay at the time that their scope was grossly inadequate
for the depth. Protection is excellent from all sides, and there is just
something about this bay that imparts a feeling of serenity. We
approached from the portside opening (leaving both islands to starboard), and
had plenty of depth all the way to the coordinates above.
Ashore: There is a road that you can climb to the mountaintop for an
excellent view. At the NE corner of the bay is a small informal
restaurant serving good family-style dinners on picnic tables. They get
very crowded during summer, and the highly recommended action is to dinghy
over about mid-morning to make reservations. The best dishes are for 4
or more people, so it is also recommended to get a group together to go.
Otherwise, there's nothing ashore.
Primosten
Berth: There is berthage at the town quay and also just south of the
city at Marina Kremik. We stayed at the marina (43deg34.19'N,
015deg56.29'E), which has actual
finger-piers as well as stern-to berths. The marina coast US$65/day for a 17m
boat, including water and plentiful electricity.
Marine Facilities: Marina Kremik is huge and new and has a very nice
chandlery called "Boot Shop" (022-571-791). The marina also
has a fuel dock and travel-lift. One can clear into or out of Croatia at
the marina quite easily.
Other Facilities: The marina office has an Internet point.
Next door to the office is a small but good grocery store.
Town: From the marina, a shuttle bus makes the 5-minute run to Primosten town every
half hour or so. The town is darling and fun to explore. We had an
excellent meal at a steakhouse called Stara Kuca, which posts its only menu,
written in longhand on multiple pieces of typewriter paper, on the door
outside daily. The house red wine is quite good.
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Voyage of Heartsong III