Sailing Greece - Part 5

Sunday, 12.5.2019

Timy sails into the dark night, past Albania and Italy, the night is calm, there is little wind, because there is still a signal on the phone, I check the weather forecast again, which does not show a very good outlook, because there will be more than enough wind and there will be no shortage of raindrops. However, the end is slowly approaching and it will be necessary to sail to the safe home port. Since the south wind is forecast, this means that the sea will certainly be quite wild, but a little more favorable, because it will blow towards home, and this means sailing with the wind astern. Since there is no time to wait for a more favorable return home, there is no other choice. In the morning hours, the wind begins to strengthen as predicted, and with it the speed of sailing. It is also necessary to gradually shorten the sails, and the waves are getting bigger, but there is nothing worse than the boat rocking. Initially, the plan was for the sailing direction to be similar to the path that Timy sailed on. However, since the south wind has not subsided for a long time, this would mean crossing the Adriatic with the wind on the side, which is quite unfavorable. Therefore, the plan is to sail directly with the wind, or slightly astern, to the nearest port in Cavtat. Since the wind has strengthened significantly and the waves have formed several meters high, the mainsail is already at its last shortening, and the genoa is also already half shortened. Every now and then, waves come so big that they start rolling, and a few times they even splash and flood the cockpit. Since the wind still does not subside, the mainsail needs to be closed, which is not so easy in these waves and wind.

For safety reasons, I always wear a self-inflating life jacket, and I am also tied to the boat with a strap. If I had storm sails, I would definitely use them, but Timy is still waiting for these sails. These are sails for strong winds, where it is no longer possible or advisable to use classic sails. These are very strong sails, with orange trim or they are all orange, so that they are clearly visible, and their square footage is very small. In short, the mainsail is stored in a lazy bag or sail bag, but I noticed that it was the last time for this measure, because two of the reinforcing battens broke.

Timy continues sailing with only the main sail – the genoa – slightly open. Later, the instruments show that the wind has reached exactly 60 knots or 111 km/h, and the GPS-measured sailing speed is 12.4 knots or 23 km/h. A few more words about the waves, the jugo is a fairly steady wind from the southeast, which means that it blows somewhere along the Adriatic coast and consequently creates very large but steady waves. The size of the waves is difficult to estimate, but it looks like when the wind catches up with you, you are sailing up a hill, and when the roller catches up with you or overtakes you, you are sailing into a valley. After a good day of sailing, the wind calms down a bit, and Timy reaches the coast of Croatia.

Monday, 13.5.2019

After a tiring sailing, Timy is safely moored in Cavtat, where formalities for entering Croatia must be completed. Rain clouds are inevitable and not an hour goes by without it washing and soaking the deck, but today it is highly recommended, as the rain has washed all the salt from the sails and deck. Since it is already late and the officials are no longer working, we spend the night at the customs pier.

Tuesday, 14.5.2019

In the morning, the storm clouds dissipated, and even the sun's rays appeared. Due to the humidity and cold, it was even necessary to heat the interior of the sailboat. Finally, a slightly sunny and warmer day was on the agenda. First, it was necessary to visit the captain's office, where the documents were checked, and a tourist tax flat rate was purchased. This was followed by a visit to the police, and with that, sailing in the territorial waters of the Republic of Croatia could officially continue. After 2 weeks, it was also necessary to fill up some fuel in the tank, so a visit to the gas station in Dubrovnik followed. From the south side, it was possible to see the ancient city and its walls, then sail around the city and enter from the north side, where there is also a marina and a gas station.

The forecast for the next few days is not favorable again, as a hurricane-force bora is predicted. The strongest wind is predicted for the area we are heading to. However, we still need to adapt to the weather a bit, and since the numerous islands along the Adriatic coast now offer more safety, it is not a big problem to find suitable shelter in the event of a hurricane wind. We leave Dubrovnik in a calm sea, and after a few miles the wind already strengthens. The closer we get to the island of Mljet, the more windy it is. In a good hour the wind reaches a maximum speed of 49.2 knots or 91 km/h, and Timy is forced to seek shelter at the end of the island of Mljet in the national park in the bay of Polače. We sail into the bay past three small islands, which offer good shelter from the wind and waves. The bay is well protected from all winds, so we anchor safely and spend the night.

Wednesday, 15.5.2019

After a peaceful night's sleep and the cessation of the bora wind, our journey continues towards the island of Korčula. The weather is partly cloudy again, partly sunny, and a few drops fall in between. Before the town of Korčula, I drop anchor and tie up with the stern to the shore, followed by a walk through the streets and sightseeing. After an hour of stopping, after purchasing essentials in the store, it is time to continue our journey towards the northern part of the Adriatic.

Today is a slightly less windy day, and a bit more sun, which is pleasant. We sail towards Hvar, between Hvar and Korčula lies the island of Ščedro, where we anchor again and it is time to prepare a hot meal. We continue our journey past Sveta Nedjelja and the red rocks, to the town of Hvar. We look at the town from the sea side and then sail a mile away to the Pakleni Islands, where we end our voyage.