World of Chartering: Cruising Tales From Croatia and Sweden
Thursday is the vernal equinox — the time we officially sail into spring. Spring leads to summer and hours and hours of warmer-weather sailing. For some, this means signing up for a full calendar of racing, while some prefer the gentle approach and look forward to lazy days cruising and anchoring on the Bay. Then there are those, like Club Nautique sailing instructor and charter captain Rod Witel, who plan their sailing adventures father afield. In Latitude’s March issue, we shared Rod Witel’s stories of taking part in a flotilla in Croatia, then cruising with friends in Sweden.
Club Nautique (CN), a S.F. Bay Area sailing/powerboating school and yacht charter company, sponsored a one-week Croatia flotilla for its members September 7–14, 2024.
For many of the 70+ participants, this was their first international charter, so CN provided pre-charter clinics for Med-mooring (with lazy lines) and to practice picking up mooring balls. Many of the crews arrived in Croatia early to sightsee the UNESCO World Heritage cities of Split, Trogir, and the “Jewel of the Adriatic,” Dubrovnik.
Our flotilla of 12 boats (four catamarans and eight monohulls) set off from the Baotic Marina in Trogir, where we provisioned for breakfasts and lunches. Dinners were onshore. We enjoyed daily lunch stops in idyllic bays to eat, relax, and swim in the warm blue water before sailing to our overnight destinations.
The highlights of the trip started at the quaint village of Milna, Braĉ, where we had a group dinner at Perun, a very accommodating and delicious quayside restaurant. The flotilla remained safely in Milna for a second day as a front brought high winds and big seas. Some chose a wine-tasting tour, confirming Croatia’s excellent viticulture reputation.
From the Pakleni Islands, we took water taxis (20 min./20 Euros p/p) to the famed Hvar, a fun, vibrant town with breathtaking sunset views from the historical Fortica Fortress high above the city.
Our longest sail (24 miles) brought us to the charming seaside village of Komiza on the island of Vis. The famous Blue Cave was closed due to a southern swell, but the crews enjoyed exercising on the town quay, eating yet more delicious gelato, swimming, shopping, and wine tasting, and some booked a military tour that included Tito’s Cold War submarine caves.
We ended with a giant raft-up in Sesula Bay on the island of Solta, and enjoyed a lazy afternoon swimming and relaxing behind the boats. Some walked to the nearby town of Maslinica for live folk music before everyone met up for a delicious dinner at Sismis Restaurant, which provided the mooring balls we rafted to.
My last Croatia charter was in 2011, a one-way charter from Split to Dubrovnik. Since then, Croatia has joined the EU and is much more expensive; it is inundated with American tourists in the summer and the marina fees are exorbitant. Yet it is a magical place to charter, with amazing history and architecture, warm blue water, and friendly people. Croatia should definitely be on your chartering bucket list.