The Missus Let Me Go on a Cruise to Croatia

A year ago I went sailing to Croatia. It was my second-ever sea cruise. The first I did on the Baltic, and I already knew that I liked sea sailing. After passing the exam for yacht sea skipper, the time came to organise my own first cruise. The choice fell on Croatia. The Adriatic is a fairly simple body of water, and on top of that it's warm there.

The cruise began at the marina in Zadar, familiar to me. Despite it being the end of the season, many yachts still stood there and quite a few people passed through the port. At around 12 o'clock, I picked up s/y ALTOPO (Bavaria 38 M). The yacht measured 11.39 metres in length, had 3 cabins and accommodated 8 people (6 in cabins + 2 in the saloon). In the town itself, sunny weather greeted us, only for a storm to appear towards evening.

The morning, on the other hand, brought very nice weather and our yacht set off towards the city of Split. A fair distance, but the winds favoured us and blew from astern. A beautiful day under sail was shaping up. The genoa and mainsail eagerly caught the air and pulled the boat in the right direction.

During the cruise I tried to visit the ports I already knew from the previous trip. I anchored by the port of Hvar, from where there are always beautiful sunset views. From the island it's also fairly close to the very nice islet of Biševo, from where you can set off to explore the Blue Cave (Modra špilja).

It's best to reach the cave around 11:00–13:00. That's when the sun falls at the right angle and lights up the water inside, giving an amazing blue colour. Touring the cave costs a fee. Around it there are buoys for yachts, from where smaller boats take tourists inside. Another place worth visiting is the small port of Drvenik Veli. It's truly charming. A beautiful little bay where you'll find quiet and calm.