MAKING WAVES
Tom Owen touches down in Split, then enjoys a leisurely
cruise around the sights of the beautiful Croatian coast
Croatia remains one of the last unspoilt treasures of the Mediterranean, its coastline and hundreds of islands rich in quiet coves and charming fishing villages. Behind that lies a wealth of colourful history, much of it still within living memory. Sailing is one of the best ways to explore at your own pace, but for those with limited sailing experience or time to organise their trip, it can seem a bit much. This is where specialist tour operators will step in, assisting with everything from finding you a boat to the hiring of crew, if required. We arranged our own adventure through an Anglo-Croatian company based in Oxford, England, which removed all hassle.
Ketch of the day
The first thing is the choice of boat. A standard
30ft or 40ft (9m or 12m) vessel accommodating
six or eight people is surprisingly aff ordable – broken down between the participants, it can
work out no more expensive than an ordinary
package holiday in Spain – and great fun.
However, this year we chartered the Fortuna
Dalmata, a beautiful 98ft (30m) ketch based in
Split. With five double cabins, each equipped with
its own bathroom, there’s no shortage of room.
And up on the teak deck, there’s plenty of space
to stroll around or hide away with a book. All
maritime and culinary duties were taken care of by
a crew of four – a skipper, two sailors and a chef.
We embarked in Split, the capital of Dalmatia,
in bright sunshine. You are, of course, the one
who decides the itinerary, but the skipper
knows the islands and coastline as well as
anyone and is a treasure trove of knowledge
about the most interesting places.
We cruised for a couple of hours towards the
island of Brac, arriving in the perfect little cove of
Lucice just as the sun passed over the yardarm.
No one actually knows what the yardarm is, or
if one is to be found on a boat, but convention
dictates that the passage of the sun over it
ushers in the acceptable hour for drinking.
Cats and bats
But first we dived into the chilly (but not cold) green waters of the cove and splashed about for a while, then made for the shore where a lunch awaited us at the skipper’s home. As friendly tabby cats trotted out to meet us, we were showered with Dalmatian greetings and seated at a trestle table in the shade of orange trees. Lunch was utterly fresh and local. We had bread with prsut (Dalmatian proscuitto), a piquant fish stew with bread and vegetables, and jugs of cold red Peljesac wine. The cats pretended to make friends with us before launching audacious hit-and-run raids on our plates. From here we made our way to Hvar, the Dalmatians’ own favourite holiday spot, and scaled the hill of Hvar town to reach the castle. We then continued to Vis, one of the more remote Dalmatian islands and a military base during the Tito years. As a result, there is relatively little tourist development and what there is, as in so many places in the Croatian islands, is true domestic hospitality. An example is the konoba (vineyard) of Oliver Roki, an Australian-Croatian restaurateur, winemaker and cricketer. On the terrace of Konoba Roki, hidden away in the island’s interior, we dined on artichokes, potatoes and fresh fish washed down with Roki’s cheerful red wine. We learned that Oliver is the founder of the Vis cricket team, whose shirts are emblazoned ‘Remember Nelson’, after the island’s role as a British naval base in the 19th century.
Electric blue
The following day we skirted the coast of
Vis to an islet off shore, home of the famous
blue cave. This sea cave is entered through a
tiny hole, yet inside, instead of gloom, the
cave is brilliantly lit by an otherworldly
electric blue glow from the water itself.
This phenomenon is created by light
getting in through submerged openings.
Our next overnight anchor was Komiza, a
fishing town on the western side of Vis. Komiza
is a relaxing little time capsule – indeed, none
of the Croatian islands would make a good
substitute for a Club 18-30 week in Faliraki.
The following day – our last – we headed to
the beautiful little fortress town of Trogir, not
far from Split, stopping, of course, for a swim
and barbeque en route. Trogir, like Dubrovnik
and the island of Korcula, is a walled medieval
trading post, its houses still bearing the
crest of Venice. Would that there was space
enough to tell the full story, but alas not.
The best solution might be to go yourself.
Csobban
