Trogir - 18th & 19th Sept.

Dinner on first night at charming fish restaurant in old town, sitting under grape vines listening to the peel of Sunday church bells and watching planes flying overhead! Toured tiny cobbled streets in this quieter, prettier place than its newer more crowded neighbour of Split. Retired to boat for nightcaps which quickly grew into a party!
Weather deteriorating overnight and woke Monday 19th to strong wind warnings in the area - Juog winds blowing in from SE/SW bringing winds and rain storms of 30-45knots!! Decided to hole up in Trogir for an extra day so Im off to climb the steps of the castle (see sunset photo), browse the open air market and sit and drink coffee at the many quaint little cafes and jusk soak up the atmosphere!
See you at the next internet stop - probably from island of Hvar!
Did I tell you how hot it is here - need two showers per day and tons of deodorant!

Trogir - 18th & 19th Sept. 2011

Sail from Kremik to Trogir - Sunday 18th Sept.

Cast off at 10.55am after skippers meeting at 9am. Winds SE 10-15 due to build in afternoon to 20knots. Put first reef in when raised main sail. Sailed upwind, close-hauled/close reached, tacking all the way south past Primosten and shoal of islands close to shore. Switched up helm with crew (Nik and Sean) and ladies prepared lunch underway. Moved jib cars back to position 12 (of 14) for max sail trim. Navigated 80m channel in early afternoon gusts between shore and group of islands as we neared north end of Solta Island heading for Trogir. Decided to douse jib quickly, but not easily upwind (should be on broad reach for this manoeuvre!) and put engine on. Fairlz shallow waters at 50-60m watching GPS/charts for rocks! Saw another boat under power up ahead almost collide with our lead boat (Bob Davis) who said they passed about within feet of his bow. Then came up on Dutch boat with naked helmsman - saw his rear end from afar with rosy cheeks! Amusing to watch him bear (bare?!) away as we approached. Reached 7.8kn across open stretch of water heading for Trogir harbour, heeling about 20 degrees with lots of weather helm in gusts. 15.30 approached ACI Marina, lowered sails and prepared vessel for docking and stern tie manoeuvre with lazy lines. Reversed into slip with stern to wind and turned 45degrees into dock to catch port side lazy line for bow, then stern ties to dock. Great first day sailing and crew calm and compliant! All is well aboard my vessel - Foolish Pleasure!

Kremik to Trogir - 18th Sept. 2011

Krka National Park - 18th Sept 2011

10am bus from Split took us all north to Krka National Park, an area of 109 square km encompassin g the Krka River with its seven travertine cascades. The area is rich in flora and fauna because of its distinctive position and diverse habitats - over 860 plant species live in the park. Many amphibians also live here including reptiles (poisonous viper) and fish - I saw carp in the lake. I hiked a wooden trail to the glorious waterfalls and swam in the cool waters in this lush parkland. Then back on the bus bound for Kremik Marina with a stop for provisioning en route.

Split photos

Split

Arrived by bus in the late afternoon heat after four flights and 16 hours of travel - Vancouver, Frankfurt, Zagreb, Split - so sat down on the Riva (front) and sipped a cold beer (only $2.60). Quaint little "pension" villa up narrow street on west side of town oozing stray cats, terracotta pots and balconies and terraces dripping fresh laundry onto the cobblestones below. Toured the Diocletian Palace today with its many historical sites including the cool basement - the Peristil - under the Palace, much of which has been excavated to reveal its ancient ruins and beams from its original structure. This is a world heritage site after all. Peered into the Sv. Duje Cathedral which can be seen from most points in the city with its tall bell tower. Even crept into the Crypt. The Green Market just outside the Palace gates is a great place to buy anything from fresh food to inexpensive clothing and shoes. Narrow streets burst into large piazzas framed with cafes for people watching, and around every corner lurks another tiny corridor enticing you into this veritable maze.
Tonight most of the crew - that is about 30 people - meet up for a local Croatian feast in a hidden hilltop village somewhere not far away, and tomorrow the bus transports us all via a waterfall park (name tba) en route to provision the boats that await us at Kremik Marina.
My next missive will be after a few days sailing - most likley from Hvar town where internet access is as good as here in Split - and I can recount my first sailing adventures as skippy between Kremik, Brac Island and Hvar Island................watch this space!