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| geometry, here we come |
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| weather was perfect |
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| sailboat always has the right of way against the motorboat |
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| many sailboats on the sea |
Monday, 10 September 2018
Croatia - sailing - day 3 - Jezera, Murter
Again class at 8:30, this time we learned about navigation - finding the latitude and longitude, course, distances. And again sailing around Murter.
We anchored for lunch, ate sandwiches and went for a swim. Although it is already September, and last week the weather wasn't good, the sea is still warm enough even for me to take a swim - it was around 25 degrees celsius, which is warm even for much warmer months like June, July and August.
In the afternoon we went back to Jezera.
Sunday, 9 September 2018
Croatia - sailing - day 2 - Jezera, Murter
Woke up early, the class started at 8:30. We had lessons about the lighthouses, marks on the navigation charts, where to anchor etc. Then we went to sail. It took us all a little time to remember all the knots, right of passage on the sea, how to do tack, gybe and everything else we learned on the basic course, but 'till the end of the day we remembered it all (or at least most of it :))
Around 5pm we came back to the marina.
Our instructor Zvone is an interesting guy, and so are Anja (from Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina) and Laura (New Zealand), our crew members. Laura is traveling around the world for the past 8 years, and Anja was also everywhere. Anja and Laura met last year on the Basic course, became friends and now got back together to do the advanced course. Last year they had rought weather, but I'm sure this week it will be good.
Around 5pm we came back to the marina.
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| praying mantis in front of a caffee |
Our instructor Zvone is an interesting guy, and so are Anja (from Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina) and Laura (New Zealand), our crew members. Laura is traveling around the world for the past 8 years, and Anja was also everywhere. Anja and Laura met last year on the Basic course, became friends and now got back together to do the advanced course. Last year they had rought weather, but I'm sure this week it will be good.
Saturday, 8 September 2018
Croatia - sailing - day 1 - Jezera, Murter
Another course in ANAsail, this time Advanced Sailing – Coastal Sailing and Cruising. Arrival was around 5pm, we met other participants and accomodate ourselves in a sailing boat. Easy first day.
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| the marina in Jezera, Murter Island |
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| interesting wooden boat |
Thursday, 7 September 2017
Croatia - Jezera, Murter
This September I took a Basic course in sailing. The Sailing school, ANA (Adriatical nautical academy) is stationed in Jezera on Murter island, Croatia.
Course lasts for 5 days and 4 of us taking the course were lucky enough to have all weather conditions that we could have in adriatic aquatorium (well, beside storm, very high waves and showers) - on the first day we had the wind maestral with ghusts of wind bura that were blowing around 25 knots. Next three days, in the morning it was almost without any wind and afterwards there was just enough of wind to sail normally. Last day we had the wind jugo, which also means a bit bigger waves.
On the 3rd day we were even lucky enough to see a pair of dolphins passing just few meters away from the sailboat.
We learned a lot during this 5 days, and it was easily seen because on the first day we knew nothing, everything was new - expressions, the knots, procedures before, during and after sailing, ... we just didn't know what to do. On the last day we prepared everything by ourselves without any help from the instructor, and successfully managed to do a 360 degrees turn around the island.
Still a lot to learn to be able to say we know how to sail, but knowing so much more than before the course. We all got diplomas and a booklet with confirmation that we sailed 100 nautical miles.
And now some pics...
Course lasts for 5 days and 4 of us taking the course were lucky enough to have all weather conditions that we could have in adriatic aquatorium (well, beside storm, very high waves and showers) - on the first day we had the wind maestral with ghusts of wind bura that were blowing around 25 knots. Next three days, in the morning it was almost without any wind and afterwards there was just enough of wind to sail normally. Last day we had the wind jugo, which also means a bit bigger waves.
On the 3rd day we were even lucky enough to see a pair of dolphins passing just few meters away from the sailboat.
We learned a lot during this 5 days, and it was easily seen because on the first day we knew nothing, everything was new - expressions, the knots, procedures before, during and after sailing, ... we just didn't know what to do. On the last day we prepared everything by ourselves without any help from the instructor, and successfully managed to do a 360 degrees turn around the island.
Still a lot to learn to be able to say we know how to sail, but knowing so much more than before the course. We all got diplomas and a booklet with confirmation that we sailed 100 nautical miles.
And now some pics...
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| Jezera |
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| is the sea tilted? |
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| 1st reef main sail |
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| butterfly sails |
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| Murter |
Tuesday, 20 June 2017
Croatia - day 4 - Lošinj island
Last day. Short trip to island Lošinj (in the past it was part of Cres, but then the passage was made and the bridge between was built). After lunch we went back to Cres, to north, on the ferry line Porozina-Brestova, and then home.
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| Veli Lošinj |
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| Veli Lošinj |
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| Veli Lošinj |
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| Mali Lošinj |
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| Istra |
Monday, 19 June 2017
Croatia - day 3 - Cres island
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| Cres island |
After 2 days on Rab it is time to visit the biggest island in Croatia - Cres. To go there from Rab we had to get a ferry to Krk and then to Cres (lines Lopar-Valbiska and Valbiska-Merag, around 30€ altogether for 2 persons with motorbike). On one of it we saw large longhorn beetle.
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| why fly if you can get from place A to place B for free :) |
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| waiting for a ferry |
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| Cres |
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| Cres |
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| Cres |
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| Cres |
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| Cres |
On Cres it is very hot. It is like in a pit where there is no wind. But there lies one of the most famous beaches in Croatia - beneath a place called Lubenice (translated - watermellon). You can get there by foot from Lubenice (around 40 minutes of walking in one direction) or by sea, so it shouldn't be crowded.
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| Lubenice |
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| Lubenice |
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| beach beneath Lubenice |
Cres is one of not so many islands that has its own source of drinking water, thanks to the lake called Vransko jezero. The lake's water is so clean that it supplies water without any filtering.
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| Vransko jezero |
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| view from Cres island |
In the afternoon we arrived to southernmost part, Punta Križa, where we piched the tent in a (overpriced) camp. I saw a caterpillar and after few hours found out that there are hoards of them in a camp.
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| beach in a Punta Križa camp |
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| caterpillar |
Sunday, 18 June 2017
Croatia - day 2 - Rab, Rab island
After a good night sleep we woke up with some sand in the tent - the whole camp lies on a sand which is bad for our airy tent when there is wind. But it wasn't so terrible so we decided to leave it like it is until we come back in the evening.
Today we went to see the town Rab (which has the same name as the island). It is not far away from Lopar. Rab is really beautiful, with old stone houses, narrow streets (that seem like they could be slippery when wet), some viewpoints with a great view on the city and coast, great restaurants and bars.
Today we went to see the town Rab (which has the same name as the island). It is not far away from Lopar. Rab is really beautiful, with old stone houses, narrow streets (that seem like they could be slippery when wet), some viewpoints with a great view on the city and coast, great restaurants and bars.
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| from a viewpoint |
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| from a viewpoint |
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| panoramic view |
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| stone houses |
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| lunch time |
Rab also has a forrest park and we saw many agavas in bloom. Since agavas flower only once and then die, this is not such a common sight.
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| forrest park |
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| forrest park |
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| agava in bloom |
The sea is obviously very clean because all around there were sea urchins. Unfortunately, some of them couldn't be seen :)
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| sea urchin |
Saturday, 17 June 2017
Croatia - day 1 - Lopar, Rab island
Since we came back from the Netherlands few days before planned, why not go to the sea? So after 2 days of rest we took the motorcycle and camping gear and went to another trip - Adriatic sea.
We drove on the "old road" - that is what we, natives, call the road from Karlovac to the sea; it was the only road from the middle part of Croatia to the sea before highway was built. It is a much nicer trip to the sea because of the nature and local delicacies.
It passes some places you can not see from the highway. For instance, Lokvarsko jezero (former Omladinsko jezero) near Lokve, artificial lake made in 1955 that also holds the record for the largest caught river trout in the world, weighting 25.40 kilograms.
In the afternoon we arrived to the south of Rab island (with ferry line Stinica-Rab), and then drove to the north to a place called Lopar. It is a tourist place with a huge camp that won the "Best camp in Croatia in 2017" award. We will be staying here for 2 nights.
We drove on the "old road" - that is what we, natives, call the road from Karlovac to the sea; it was the only road from the middle part of Croatia to the sea before highway was built. It is a much nicer trip to the sea because of the nature and local delicacies.
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| Storks |
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| Jezero Bajer (Bajer lake) |
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| Jezero Bajer (Bajer lake) |
It passes some places you can not see from the highway. For instance, Lokvarsko jezero (former Omladinsko jezero) near Lokve, artificial lake made in 1955 that also holds the record for the largest caught river trout in the world, weighting 25.40 kilograms.
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| Lokvarsko jezero |
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| Lokvarsko jezero |
In the afternoon we arrived to the south of Rab island (with ferry line Stinica-Rab), and then drove to the north to a place called Lopar. It is a tourist place with a huge camp that won the "Best camp in Croatia in 2017" award. We will be staying here for 2 nights.
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| this is how you park on Croatian ferries (hint: look at the last car and the gates that are not fully closed) |
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| view from the road close to Lopar |
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| Lopar |
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| beach in the camp |
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