Tuesday 26th June

The temperature suddenly shot up when we reached Istria, to the extent that doing anything was an effort, so the air con came into play and the screens went up on the side windows to try to bring the heat down in the saloon. After a night in port, during which time we got a new battery for the generator, we were glad to get back out to sea where there was at least a bit of a breeze. We meandered along the coast to a lovely anchorage and then spent half of the afternoon in the water, as five minutes in the sun meant you needed to get back into the sea to cool off! We debated staying at anchor for the night but in the end went into Pula as we wanted to fill the tanks and then check out of Croatia by the following morning. The approach to Pula is past a broken down breakwater, half of which is now under water, and then up a long channel, and once you get to the port, the first thing that you see is an incredible Roman amphitheatre dominating the shoreline. The next thing you notice is a truly disgusting block of flats right on top of the marina! The only consolation is that the flats will be gone in another decade or two, whilst hopefully the amphitheatre, which was built and in use around the time of Christ, will still be there in another two centuries time. It was dusk by the time we had fuelled up, moored up and made our way into the town to see this Roman construction and it really was amazing. You can go down into the tunnels beneath the theatre and get an idea of what it must have been like for those waiting to "perform". Terrifying. When we came back up, the sun had gone down and hundreds of swallows were flying through the arched colonnades, it was an awesome sight. In the morning, we moved to the Q berth as instructed, in order to complete the check out facilities, where we moored beneath the prow of an enormous sailing cruise ship! The sea, when we came out of port, was just perfect - barely a ripple to disturb the surface, and the trip we had across the Adriatic was one of the best ever, to the extent that, eight miles out from land, we stopped Zaffina and jumped in! An amazing experience! Eventually land came into sight on the horizon - Italy (which was just as well, as that's where we were aiming for!) We sailed Zaffina into the lagoon and up to a marina opposite the island of Burano, where the Marinero was blowing kisses to me even before we had her tied up! It was still so hot that once everything was sorted, we put the bathing ladder down and swam in the lagoon. We knew we had to complete the arrival formalities, so got a taxi into St Mark's in order to visit the customs office. When eventually we found it, the staff were remarkably disinterested in us, to the extent that we wondered if we were in the right place. We were. Eventually someone looked at our passports, glanced at Zaffina's papers and sent us on our way without stamping or noting anything...all in all, a complete waste of time! Still, we were in Venice, and that was all that really mattered. We stopped for a drink at Florian's (which cost the same as dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine the previous evening in Croatia) before returning to the marina and a very good meal in a restaurant overlooking the lagoon. And then the next day, we achieved our ultimate boating dream...sailing Zaffina into the centre of Venice, past St Mark's Square, the Doges Palace, the Campanile, Santa Maria della Salute and San Georgio and over to the one, solitary berth outside the hotel Cipriani. What an experience! I was a bit apprehensive about tying up to those mooring posts so typical of Venice, but Frank brought her alongside so neatly that getting the ropes in place wasn't a problem. One of the pool staff was on hand to take the stern ropes and within minutes we were made fast, and hugging each other with delight as we surveyed our breathtaking surroundings. We had to take a room in the Cipriani (no great hardship really) but on Frank's instigation, we were presented with a silver service dinner in the cockpit of Zaffina, two staff from the restaurant on hand to attend to our every need. It was quite fun watching them negotiate getting onto and off our Azimut, as the tiny pontoon was in an awkward situation for boarding, but they both managed with aplomb and we had a sensational evening. Our two days in pole position passed all too quickly, doing the usual tourist things which mainly involved just strolling around the streets of the city. There can be few places so vibrant and colourful as Venice, and it is lovely to consider the history of the place and to realise that although the merchandise and fashions may have changed over the years, the ambiance and activity has remained the same here throughout several centuries. The Grand Canal was as busy as a motorway but far more entertaining to watch and St Mark's Square proved as awesome as ever, particularly when viewed from the lofty heights of the Campanile. On our final night in Italy, we dined at the Cip's Club, a decking terrace overlooking the Guidecca Canal and directly opposite St Mark's Square - wonderful - and then strolled along the edge of lagoon after our sumptuous dinner. Before leaving Venice we had one more task to perform: get some photographs of Zaffina in this auspicious location. Easier said than done! I cast off our ropes and whilst Frank held her in place, jumped off the boat and ran round to the front of the hotel, where I hopped on their taxi and went out into the lagoon. Zaffina was waiting in front of San Georgio and as we approached, Frank brought her over in front and then alongside us, so I could snap merrily away and also take some video footage. The boatman was a little disconcerted when I told him that I wanted to jump from his boat back to ours, but once we were out of the main stream of the lagoon he brought her close enough for me to make the transition (a rather inelegant belly flop manoeuvre over the side, I'm afraid) and then we were on our way, retracing our footsteps back towards the Adriatic in the knowledge that we had just had a boating experience we would never forget. Umag was a disappointment. Being back in Croatia was no hardship but the rudeness of the policeman on duty when Frank went to check in was beyond anything we had experienced in this lovely country and after being given the third degree, there seemed no point in sticking around and instead we put back to sea straight away and found another anchorage for the afternoon. The night was spent in Novigrad, a pretty, colourful little town with an excellent new marina - and exceptionally friendly staff! One of the ports we really wanted to visit was Rovinj, a town not dissimilar to Korcula which was one of our favourites last summer. When we approached in the early evening, the wind was starting to rise and there was a queue of water traffic heading for the marina. The Marinero indicated that we could go on the outside quay, but seeing the amount of movement there, we declined, asking instead if there was anything inside. There wasn't, so we went over to try the town quay, but that too was full so we turned back to the marina, only to be told that there was now nothing available for us, inside or out. As there were still a bunch of spaces, that seemed unlikely, but unable to argue, we instead went to pick up a buoy. The fates were against us; the buoy had such a narrow ring on the top that the knot connecting our rope to our buoy catcher got entirely jammed, and it wasn't until the buoy catcher snapped that the tension was released and we were able to get our rope back - but not tied onto the buoy. At that point we gave up, went a couple of miles south and found a perfect anchorage where there was next to no wind and where, in the end, we had a lovely, peaceful night on the hook! Rovinj was too good to bypass altogether, so in the morning we returned to the scene of our altercations and this time managed to get a rope round the buoy before taking the dinghy into town. It was worth the hassle! Rovinj is such a pretty place and we were glad that we had made the effort to get back there for the morning. The afternoon saw us heading down the Istrian coast and across to Cres, one of the larger islands but with very little habitation on it as it's pretty barren. We anchored in a gorgeous cove and swam to the pebbly beach but, having decided in the early evening that we would stay for the night, we had so many problems in trying to get a line to shore that we finally gave up and went into the marina, refuelling en route. I think it was really all a ploy so Frank could get to watch the England game, but it really wasn't worth the effort, especially as we were the only English supporters among a restaurant full of Italian fans! If only someone else had taken those penalties! And then yesterday morning we left Cres and had about half an hour on a glass calm sea before we turned around the northern point of the island and hit a blast coming up the west coast of Krk from the Velabit Channel - the windiest part of Croatia (and possibly Europe!) Fortunately we only had about half an hour of blow before the sea miraculously turned back to glass before we reached Rab and found another glorious, glorious anchorage for the afternoon. Another blow was due through last night so we moved into Rab Town where we managed to secure a berth on the quayside, between the fishing boats and water taxis. Last night turned out to be tournament night - Rab vs San Marino in a crossbow firing competition! It was quite a spectacle, with all the competitors plus half of the town processing in medieval costume before the games, which themselves made fascinating viewing with the crossbows proving incredibly accurate. We eventually wandered off for dinner at a delightful restaurant in a courtyard adjacent to our mooring, to round off a pretty perfect boating day. Oh, and it rained in the middle of the night, but it was sunny again when we woke up!

Sunday 17th June 2012

Could somebody please tell me where the last week has gone? Our night at Skraddin was followed by a perfect night at anchor in the river; there's something special about being in an anchorage where you can't see any buildings, power lines or other signs of man's intervention with nature. An unseen cuckoo sang out as dusk fell and the water calmed to absolute still, whilst we sat in the cockpit eating our dinner and savouring a glass or two of rich red Croatian wine. An early start the following morning took us into Sibenic, where various jobs were due to be done on Zaffina. The forecast was for Monday to be ok which it was and Tuesday to be fairly awful, so rather than stay on board, we got a taxi 270km down to Dubrovnik and collected the car, which we left there a month ago. Although it was windy, the weather wasn't bad at all (until later in the day), to the extent that the last 50 or so km in a taxi without air conditioning was pretty vile! It was a different story on the way back, when we put the roof down for most of the journey and had a fantastic drive back up towards Split. Sadly Frank got clocked doing 95kph in a 50kph zone...but a very kindly police officer let him off with a minimal fine and a warning not to exceed the speed limit in built up areas again (and an inference that they didn't really care elsewhere!). The heavens opened just before we got back to Sibenic and the last few miles were through a torrential downpour, but we were happy to be back on board and glad that we now had the car close at hand. Once we had sorted a garage on Wednesday morning, we set off back to sea. A quick stop to refuel delayed us a bit and then the weather was so lovely that we decided to stop at the entrance to the Krka River and drop the anchor for a while. The "while" turned into an overnight, but again it was a gorgeous situation and as the sun went down the wind dropped away completely, making it another memorable evening for us. We've been wanting to explore the Kornatti Islands since we hit this corner of Croatia, having read and heard a lot about them. The general consensus is that you either love them or hate them, and so at about 8 o clock on Thursday morning we pulled up the anchor and set off over a perfectly calm sea, with just a few early yachts and a local ferry for company. Our course was leisurely, weaving around a couple of islands further south until we entered the Kornatti National Park. The islands are generally quite stark, with an unusual beauty. Some of them have a reasonable amount of greenery covering them, many are almost barren, and others have splodges of foliage and look as if they've been spattered with green paint. On some of the larger islands within the group, trees and houses cluster together at the water's edge, providing green oases within an otherwise harsh landscape. Some of the ports looked delightful and we earmarked a few to revisit in the future. We kept our speed down and weaved between the islands, eventually choosing a spot in which to drop the anchor and while away the afternoon. While we were there, the park rangers came and charged us for being in the park - an uncomfortable 750kn (about £80) which we thought was pretty steep for one night. They were obviously embarrassed but it, and clearly felt the charge was excessive as they purposely dated the ticket for the following day so that we could stay two nights for the price of one if we so wished! We spent the evening in an almost deserted marina - clearly other boaters are also finding it an expensive place to visit! After breakfast the next day, we continued our journey through the Kornatti, until we reached the north end of the island group, where again we found a place to drop the hook. The sea is getting noticeably warmer (I read somewhere recently that it's up to 22 degrees now, but that obviously varies around the coast) and with the weather getting warmer and warmer, we're diving in more often just to cool down. We debated whether to stay at anchor through the evening, but as we wanted internet access, opted instead to head to a nearby port, where there was another small marina. However, once we got there, it seemed daft to pay for a marina when we could instead tie up at one of the nearby restaurants and enjoy the facilities for free provided we ate at their premises. What a choice we made! Festa turned out to be one of the best fish restaurants in Croatia, and we had an absolutely fabulous (if expensive) meal. We will return! And that brings us to yesterday, when we made the longest trip so far this year, leaving southern Croatia behind, and travelling 80 miles or so to Istria in the north. It was a great trip. The sea conditions were pretty perfect, at least for the first 4 hours and the last hour wasn't bad, albeit a bit bumpier, and the route, winding around islands and through channels, was fascinating. When eventually we got to Istria, we decided to go into an an inlet for the afternoon before moving on into port, but enjoyed it so much that we stayed for the night - a good decision, as there was barely a breathe of wind and the scene when we woke this morning was sheer boating perfection! Just after breakfast, I noticed a visitor. A pigeon was perched on one of Zaffina's side rails...and a few minutes later, it flew through the window into the saloon! After a while, I managed to shoo him out of the door, but he absolutely refused to leave the boat and in the end, we had to close the cockpit door to prevent him going back inside! Our new friend spent the entire day with us, and even when I picked him up and threw him into the air, he simply flew around in a circle, landed back on the flybridge and then hopped down the steps back into the cockpit! Pigeon eventually departed late this afternoon, after Frank had ushered him onto the diving platform, shortly before we too departed and made for the same marina we avoided yesterday. And apart from picking up a lazy line around the prop (not a good thing) on the way into the berth, things are going pretty darn well. Long may it continue!

SATURDAY 9TH JUNE 2012

Cruising north from Hvar to Skradin was an interesting experience. Last summer we spent the entire season between Dubrovnik and Hvar, where there are quite a few islands, but nothing like the number further north, and on this trip really we started to get an idea of quite how many there are around here. Apparently, Croatia has approximately 1,100 island scattered along the coast and they range from tiny little blobs, not much more than rocks really, to large islands featuring a number of towns, villages and ports. We kept the pace down for most of the journey as the sea conditions were lovely, although Frank couldn’t resist a quick blast up to 30 knots just for the sheer pleasure of flying across the water. However, fuel consumption at 30 knots is a completely different animal to fuel consumption at 10 knots and a quick glance at the read-out persuaded him to drop our speed back down fairly quickly! Skradin is situated several miles up the Krck River, the entrance to which is guarded (or was, in times gone by) by a fort situated right at the river mouth. The trip up river was gorgeous and varied, and once we were out of the breeze of the open sea, the temperature rose dramatically, especially when we passed between towering rocky canyons where no wind could penetrate– it must be absolutely scorching there in the heat of the summer. After the canyons, the river widened out into a fjord-like area with a number of inlets and anchorages, before narrowing again and winding between more cliffs to our destination. Turning the last corner and suddenly seeing Skradin for the first time was one of those special boating moments. It is a pretty little town with a church tower, topped with an onion shaped dome, rising above the red roofed houses along the waterfront. A number of gulets were tied up along the quayside, and we were shown into a berth in the marina opposite, a great place to watch the comings and goings along the quay. A couple of swans drifted past Zaffina, and then a couple more, all searching for a tasty morsel and obviously aware that the visitors here are a good source of food! The swans will actually stretch up from the water and take bread from your hands if you lean over the side of the boat with an offering – but you have to be careful because they get a bit upset when supplies have gone and are likely to try to bite your hand instead – or your feet if you’re feeding them from the pontoon! A couple of the pairs of swans had young with them, fluffy cygnets swimming between their parents and on one occasion, when the swim had obviously got too much for one of the youngsters, we saw a baby perched on the back of an adult swan, tucked safely between the soft white wings and enjoying a free ride! The reason for coming to Skradin was to see the waterfalls, so after an night in the marina, we hopped on a tour boat and ventured up river. You aren’t allowed to take your own boat any further than the marina, but the tour boats depart every hour and the service is free, although you do have to pay to get into the national park that features the falls. And it was worth every penny! The waterfalls were just fabulous, and although we thought we’d seen everything within minutes of arriving, after a little walking we realised that they’re actually very extensive, with tiers and tiers of falls going back up the river like an elaborate, watery wedding cake. We took the boardwalk path around the park and it was absolutely delightful – beautiful butterflies and dragonflies everywhere, the air full of birdsong and the croaking of frogs and wild flowers along the pathway. The frogs were fascinating – they were everywhere, but so well camouflaged that you had to search diligently before you could even spot one, and then you’d realise it wasn’t just one but three of four nestled up together. And boy could they make a racket! Our guests selected a restaurant for the evening where we had a great meal sitting on an upstairs terrace and sampling a fair amount of the local Bibich wine, which the waiter proudly informed us was grown just two miles away. He also told us about the hard winter they'd had and we think (but we're not entirely sure) that he said that wolves came down from the mountains and attacked some children. Sadly Frank didn't hear this exchange properly and when the waiter had finished his sorry tale, he smiled broadly and said something along the lines of "well, that's nice"!! From Skradin we again turned to the north, meandering between dozens of islands until we reached a totally natural and beautifully sheltered anchorage at Dogi Otok or long island. Within minutes of dropping the hook in splendid isolation, a small boat motored up to us and demanded payment as we were anchored within the national park! They charge per adult on board and we paid up happily as it was well worth the donation to keep the park maintained in its natural state. With the weather still unsettled and another blast due in a few days, we only spent one night at Dogi Otok before turning back towards the south. A swim to the shore after lunch on board the following day resulted in Charles treading on a sea urchin, so we put into the quaintly named Marina Bettina for the night so he could have the spines removed at the local hospital, and then set off again the next morning. As we approached our destination, the very well sheltered Marina Frappa, Charles was driving the boat whilst I was keeping a beady eye on him. Frank had gone below when we noticed a small yacht with two people on board which was obviously in difficulty. They waved us down, and I brought Zaffina around whilst Charles went to drag Frank back onto the flybridge to negotiate us alongside, so we could throw a rope to the floundering yacht. Surprisingly, we managed this feat without too much difficulty and then towed the yacht a couple of miles back to the shore from where it had been blown out to sea. We awarded ourselves a Blue Peter Badge for Lifesaving and continued to Marina Frappa. As predicted, the wind came up and up, and we were extremely glad to be in such a sheltered berth. The marina was modern and very well appointed, complete with hotel, night club and swimming pool. Sadly, although it was by now the beginning of June, none of the above were open for the season yet! We did find a very good restaurant though, and ordered the local speciality of veal under the bell which we had hoped to enjoy sitting under the stars. Until it bucketed down with rain! Thunder and lightning provided the music and light show for the evening, and by the time we were ready to walk back to the marina, the rain was coming down so hard that we had to ask the proprietor for a lift back. He willingly obliged but only had room for 4 in his car, so Tim and Charles walked back shaded by our two flimsy umbrellas and performing an impromptu "Singing in the Rain" en route. With time running out for our guests, we had to start heading back towards the mainland, but first detoured around the island of Solta, popping into a delightful marina called Maslinica. It was so delightful that after a afternoon at anchor off Brac, we returned there for the night. When Charles and Liz went out for a stroll they discovered that the castle overlooking the marina was in fact a fabulous boutique hotel with just six bedrooms - the owner had originally converted it for his own use before deciding to open it as a small hotel - plus a terrace overlooking the water and swimming pool in the courtyard. Beautiful! Maslinica is probably one of the most beautiful places we've seen since we set off from the UK 3 years ago, and we'll certainly be going back there. Rather than returning to Split, we opted to go to Trogir for the last night with Tim and Annabel and Charles and Liz, and we were lucky enough to secure a berth on the waterfront. The trip across from Solta was lovely, with a leisurely few hours at anchor en route, and Trogir is a beautiful old town with tiny winding alleys and small squares. It also has a fabulous green market just outside the town walls, perfect for anyone wanting to stock up on board! At this time of year, the fruit, flowers and veg are just fabulous, rich, ripe and plentiful and the market stalls are each a work of art, with produce piled high and arrayed in all the colours of the rainbow. Our last supper together was in one of the small squares within the old town, a restaurant that had been recommended by the people at the hotel at Maslinica, and we had a good meal accompanied by copious amounts of very good red wine. Not for the first time, we were the last people to leave the restaurant, and as we were about to wend our way, we noticed a guy who looked a lot like Pavarotti (although more alive...) and naturally, we demanded that he should sing to us! However, when he obliged by belting out La Donna e Mobile, we were completely flabbergasted. Not only did he look like Pavarotti, he also sang like the great tenor. In fact, he turned out to be South Africa's most celebrated opera singer, Johan Botha and we were privileged to have an impromptu private performance! Sometimes life is stranger than fiction. Our guests departed in the morning, and even that was an adventure! The taxi failed to arrive and when Frank called the driver, he was told that he couldn't, after all, do the pick up! Frank ran in one direction, Tim in another. Tim secured a taxi and our four guests piled in as I ran off to try to find where Frank had gone. Our goodbyes consisted of a quick wave at a departing taxi! After a blissfully still night at anchor near the Fort at the mouth of Krck River, we went into Marina Mandolina for some work on the dinghy yesterday and then with yet another blow due, we came back up river to Skradin last night and here we are, with the swans swimming around Zaffina again, and tapping on the side of the boat when they don't get fed much to Frank's annoyance!

Tuesday 29th May

Our trip last week from Palmizana up to Split was lovely, a leisurely potter over a calm sea and then a bit of exploration before striking out for our destination. On Brac we made a delightful discovery, the town of Milna which is up a long creek and features two marinas - a definite destination for future trips. We also checked out a couple of places on the island of Solta and stopped for lunch in a lovely anchorage, again likely to be useful later in the summer when we want somewhere sheltered to stop overnight in easy spitting distance of Split. On arrival in Split, we were directed to a berth on the outside of the marina breakwater - not great, as there was quite a swell coming straight in towards us and a forecast that promised a real blow overnight. We asked the Marineros if there was space on the inside but were told that nothing was available so we tied up as directed and as soon as we were made fast we went up to the marina office and repeated out request. Five minutes later, we were moving to the inside and a sheltered position between two other boats - what a relief! Another boat, which was unable to move in, spent a pretty ghastly night rocking and rolling on the swell as we watched from the comfort of our new berth. We took a water taxi trip over to Split Town (the marina is a short distance but a long walk away)for dinner on Monday and then Frank flew back to Jersey on Tuesday, leaving me to explore at leisure. Unfortunately it rained all day on Tuesday, thus reducing my shopping time by a full day...but I made up for it on Wednesday! Split has an amazing number of shoe shops, competing even with Gijon in Spain which, until now, I thought was the shoe centre of the world! And I think I checked out most of them on Wednesday, although I may have missed one or two! On Thursday I went for a walk along the coast and found a pretty little beach where I thought I'd stop for lunch at a beach cafe; it turned out to be a bar and didn't serve food so after a largeish beer, I had a woozy half hour on the beach before the appearance of a few dark clouds prompted me to make my way back to Zaffina. My chore on Friday morning, prior to Frank's return, was to get over to Split Town again and do a massive restock at the fantastic green market - the array of fruit and veg was stunning with dozens and dozens of stalls, large and small, offering beautiful, fresh local produce. A quick visit to the excellent fish market for langoustines and prawns completed by shop and I was back in the marina for Frank's arrival at 10.30. We celebrated with a very good meal at the marina restaurant that evening, but the wine, which had quite a spirity flavour to it, may have been stronger than we realised because the following morning neither of us could remember much about our return to the boat (in fact, I had to ask Frank whether we'd had dessert or not as I could recall ordering something but have no recollection whatsoever of eating it!) Our first guests of the season, Tim and Annabel and Charles and Liz, arrived late on Saturday evening, by which time the wind was up again and rain falling, so we put down the covers and had a late dinner in the snug of the cockpit. Fortunately things looked a little brighter in the morning, but with an unsettled forecast for the ahead we decided not to hang about in Split but to head straight out to the islands. We went across to Brac and followed the coast around before striking out across to the north coast of Hvar and a marina that Frank had read about in the pilot books - it turned out to be lovely, well up a winding creek at a little town called Vrboska which, due to the fact that is has two small bridges, is apparently the Venice of Hvar!! (Not quite.) Sunbathing was a bit of a chilly experience that afternoon due to the wind, and eventually we gave up and went for a long walk along the coast which was thoroughly enjoyable. On the way back, I opted to go ahead and prepare dinner whilst the others stopped for a drink at a cafe en route. Frank and Annabel each ordered a glass of white wine but the waiter brought them red instead. When they pointed out the error, he just said "you wouldn't want to taste the white, believe me." As it happened, they didn't really want to taste the red either, it was so disgusting! After a quick visit to the only fortified church in Europe, we left Vrboska yesterday morning and made a leisurely journey around the coast of Hvar back to Palmizana. The sun came out, the wind dropped and all spent a happy afternoon relaxing on Zaffina. Tim, Frank and I took our first swims of the year and hearing out positive comments about the state of the water, Charles jumped in to join us. In his opinion, it wasn't warm enough to justify the sudden immersion! After a quick trip into Hvar Town last evening, we came back to the island and went for an excellent dinner at a restaurant on the opposite side to the marina, where the waiter, surprisingly, remembered us from last year! And now we're waiting for Tim to go and buy some bread for breakfast and Frank and Charlie to return from Hvar where they've gone to complete some paperwork, and then we're heading north to one of the national parks which, apparently, features some beautiful waterfalls. Life is pretty good!

Sunday 20th May 2012 And we're off! Another season has just started, I can't believe this is our fourth summer on board Zaffina, but if it's anything like as good as the last three, then it should be wonderful. We've had an interesting couple of weeks since we left Jersey. Frank had decided that we would drive down, and hey, what's sixteen hundred miles on the road? In fact, it was brilliant if exhausting. We had a stopover for a day in Salzburg which was beautiful, especially as Frank had booked us into a castle on a lake for two nights and the weather was just gorgeous. I even managed, somehow, to get a hat for Christian and Leonie's wedding to exactly match my outfit in the first shop we walked into! We drove to Berchtesgarten but couldn't go up to the Eagle's Nest (Hitler's retreat, perched high on a mountainside above the town) as it wasn't open until later in the month, but we did visit Konigsee, a stunning lake far below. Austria was in full bloom, with all the meadows covered by a carpet of spring flowers and their scent in the air was a delight as we drove along with the roof down. The weather got better as we got further south until, two days later, we were haring along the Croatian motorways at 90 or so mph, roof down, music playing and a warm wind blowing around us. When we got to Dubrovnik there were a few problems with the boat, the main one being with the thrusters - the things that enable a boat to move sideways, which are essential when trying to negotiate in port when there's any wind - and until everything was sorted, we couldn't move on. Instead, we hopped back in the car and went to Bosnia! Not everyone's first choice for a holiday admittedly, but the old town in Mostar was beautiful although hugely damaged during the war and a lot of the buildings were either just burnt out shells or showing evidence of gunfire. Nearby was the largest natural water source in Europe (ok, so they're not technically in Europe...) and on the way back to Croatia we visited some amazing waterfalls which we had almost to ourselves. So, that was all a little adventure in itself. We finally left Dubrovnik yesterday morning in glorious sunshine (the really good weather broke last weekend and it's been mixed since then) but quite chilly once we were underway, so well wrapped in jeans and sweaters rather than the T-shirt and bikini cruising of last summer. Hopefully that is still to come! When we set off, we hadn't decided where to spend the night - Sipan was a favourite from last year, but only an hour from Dubronik so too close; Mljet was another obvious choice as was Korcula, but eventually we completed about 3/4 of our journey to Split and opted to stay overnight in the beautiful marina at Palmezana, a stone's throw from Hvar. And here we are now! The marina is almost empty this early in the season, with just a handful of yachts keeping us company, the sunlight is sparkling on the water and birds are singing their hearts out in the pine trees nearby. Life is good. Today we intend to complete our trip to Split, then Frank will fly home for a few days whilst I stay on board and explore the town. Our first guests arrive next weekend, and hopefully the rain which is forecast to arrive this afternoon will have passed through by then, and the summer will be on its way.

Saturday 15 October 2011 (Jersey)

I'm feeling more than a bit guilty for not writing this up for a month, but my only excuse is that things were pretty hectic during that time (nothing to do with being lazy then.)
That was the end of the rat...thank goodness! We were worried that there may be have been more than one on board, but after a few rodent free days, it was clear that he was a lone operator, and we began to relax again. So far, the only evidence of his presence is the chewed mosquito screen - and as we heard about a yacht which ended up with seven thousand euros worth of damage after a rat got on board, we feel we got off quite lightly.
With Frank back after his trip to Jersey, we had just a couple of nights on our own before my Goddaughter, Sarah, was due to arrive. She was eager for a few days of sunshine, so we were aghast when we checked the forecast to discover that storms were scheduled to arrive soon after she did! And sure enough, after one beautiful day, during which we picked her up from Cavtat, motored down to Porto Montenegro and lazed around the pool for the afternoon, the clouds gathered, the heavens opened, the thunder roared and the lightning dazzled! The storm went on for 36 hours and was spectacular, with the wind rising from nowhere, battering the marina, and then falling away again. Once it had passed through, we hired a car and drove to Kotor, and then up into the mountains above the Boka Kotorska. The views were sensational, and the landscape away from the coast was amazing, especially the huge plateau at the top of the mountain. On the way back to Porto Montenegro, we got our first view of Sveti Stefan, the landmark island which originally housed a monastery and now a hotel, used in all the advertising blurb for this region.
By morning, conditions had improved and we were able to fill the tanks and retrace our footsteps up to Croatia. Having hoped to have a night at anchor off one of the islands, we were disappointed when the wind (which wasn't particularly strong) was all over the place, and so we opted to go into the creek at Zaton which had provided us with good shelter in the past. Sarah finally got some proper sunbathing in, but by evening the wind was rising a bit, and our anticipated meal at a restaurant had to be cancelled as we didn't fancy the dinghy trip or leaving Zaffina when she was getting blown around.
We ended up having a pretty appalling night! Huge gusts of wind kept pushing us around, seemingly coming from any direction, and the noise of the waves on the hull, combined with the anchor alarm which kept going off, prevented any of us from getting a good night's sleep. In fact, it was the worst night we can ever remember at anchor...and Sarah's first!! Not a great experience for her.
The next day we all flew home, as Frank and I were coming back to Jersey for Chris and Jenna's wedding. (What a fabulous occasion!) As Ken and Hilary were due to join us whilst we were still away, we left the keys for them and told them to make themselves at home till we got back! It was strange to return to Zaffina with guests already on board! As soon as we'd unpacked, we dropped the lines and headed out to sea, taking them to Sipan for our first night together, and introducing them to Kod Marka, the lovely restaurant which we have christened "fish or meat" due to the lack of menus. It was up to its usual standard, although I think the waiter, Gino, was pleased that we were a little less rowdy than last time...down to the company!
Croatia was determined to impress, and in lovely conditions we started the trek up towards Hvar, but as we went northwards, the wind came up again. With Ken at the helm, there was a sudden shriek as the bow cushions detached, flung themselves into the air and then into the sea! We had an impromptu and, I'm pleased to say, very successful man-overboard practice, rescuing both cushions before they got waterlogged and sunk beneath the waves.
With sea conditions deteriorating, we went into Mljet for the night and celebrated Ken's birthday with another good meal in the tiny village. Anchored in the pool nearby, Zaffina was inundated with wasps! Although they didn't seem inclined to sting, thank goodness, they were strangely attracted to the brightwork, and loads of them could be seen crawling over the rails, the wheel and elsewhere. They even landed on us, crawled around for a bit and then flew off. In the end, I made a jam jar trap which they were more interested in and kept them off us.
Our next stop was the lovely little town of Korcula, and the next episode in our eventful week - another rope around the prop! As we were directed into our mooring space, the marinero pulled up the line diagonally across the berth - and then wondered why it got tangled. Again, the marina admitted liability, and all was sorted amicably.
We finally completed our trip to Hvar the next day, returning to the lovely marina at Palmazana which was almost empty. When we went across to the town - the taxi was a high speed rib this time, rather than the slow boats on the route in the summer - we discovered that it was a local saint's days and there were massive processions around the harbour, bishops, monks, choristers and locals, singing and chanting as they headed into the cathedral. It was quite a sight to behold. In the evening, we went to a fabulous concert in a Fransiscan Monastery, where we sat beneath the stars in the cloisters and enjoyed an excellent programme of music. By contrast, when we came out and wandered back to the square, there was a live rock concert blaring out at full volume!
Ken and Hilary opted to get a ferry back to Dubrovnik so we could continue our wanderings around and north of Hvar for our last week, but when we enquired about the timetable, we discovered the last ferry had left several days earlier and the next one was due next year! The winter timetable simply didn't exist, and the only solution was for us to take them back to Korcula, where they could get a boat and bus to the airport. So, over a beautifully calm sea, we returned to Korcula town.
Hilary and I were shopping in Korcula when she suddenly realised that she had lost one of her diamond earrings. We went back to all the shops we'd visited and then back to Zaffina but there was no sign of it. The only possibility we could think of was that it had dropped into the water when she jumped down from Zaffina (we were moored side to) so the following morning, our heroic skipper armed himself with a mask and jumped into the marina. After his first foray into the deep he emerged with a battered tea spoon and we sent him straight back in again, but the second time, amazingly, he was triumphant and returned to the surface bearing the diamond earring in his hand. I'm going to send him down for treasure more often! Hilary was delighted.
We checked the forecast and realised that last week would have to be curtailed - high winds were on their way and it was time for us to start heading back towards our winter berth. Ken and Hilary departed on the 6am bus and after watching the sunrise, we dropped our lines and headed back to Mljet, where Frank nosed into an inlet we hadn't been in before. It was sensational! A tiny hamlet, with a few restaurants, a couple of hotels and a handful of houses, faced a little port, completely sheltered from just about every direction. We anchored in an adjoining bay and spent a glorious night on board, watching the sun go down over a completely flat sea. It was hard to believe that things were going to change in just a couple of days.
For our last night out of port, we returned to Jakljan, another favourite, and it seemed as if Croatia was trying to persuade us to stay, conditions were so perfect. During the afternoon, Frank backed Zaffina up to a tiny pontoon in the anchorage, I leapt ashore and he paraded our lovely Azimut in the bay in front of me, whilst I took photographs and videos for Motor Boat & Yachting Magazine. In the evening we watched the sky melt from blue to lemong to gold as the sun dropped and the night descended. We promised ourselves a swim with the sunrise, but when we got up in the morning, the day was beautiful but the sea was not - a passing boat must have emptied its black water tanks in the vicinity, and there was no way we were swimming in that! So sadly, we pulled up the anchor and returned to Dubrovnik Marina.
We had just 24 hours to clear the boat ready for our return home. In fact, it was more like 4 hours as the sun was still out when we got into port, and I spent most of the day lying out on the bow, taking in the last of the glorious weather, before rushing round, getting packed and clearing us out! By morning, the wind was starting to come up and things felt a bit cooler. We went to the office to check the time of the lift - Zaffina was being taken out of the water for the winter - to be told that the rate we'd been quoted didn't include the use of the crane! A rather large argument ensued, during which Frank threatened to take the boat down to Montenegro for the winter, whilst I blanched at the thought of making the journey again, until eventually they backed down and peace broke out. After that, everything happened remarkably quickly; we took Zaffina around to the lift out dock, manoeuvred her into position and then she was lifted. It's quite an emotional experience, seeing your home being removed from its natural environment, dangling overhead, and then put away for the winter! The hull was amazingly clean, barely a barnacle in sight!
And that was it, summer over.
Roll on 2012!

oops, it seems to be Wednesday

How did that happen?