We made it and tucked ourselves in as the storm sailed off to plague some other poor sods and the Sun came out. It's a perfectly good place to spend the night although nothing to get too excited about. At least it is safe, secure and free.
Next day we headed for Hvar. We avoided the obscenely expensive marina and the only slightly less expensive harbour buoys and instead headed for the nearby Pakleni Islands. We tried to anchor near Antonio Patak's restaurant but it was crowded, deep and dubious holding. So we went round the island and mistakenly tied up to a buoy that was used overnight by tripper boats. It was getting late by the time we realised the error of our ways and fortunately found a good secure anchorage in the bay on the south side - marred only be a medium-loud all-night disco. Next day we slid round to Anton's again hoping to pick up a buoy as someone left and were really lucky - we got one after lurking for only10 minutes. Tried to catch a water taxi to Hvar and got ignored by two. Eventually, a kind bloke in a nearby power boat who was going in by RIB gave us a lift.
It's a nice little place. Good shopping, pretty winding streets, Cathedral, Medieval theatre and a castle. The latter is a long hot walk up the hill but it is very well preserved although not huge or particularly impressive. It does have stunning views across the harbour and islands and a very welcome bar with well deserved ice-cold beers. Hvar also has a launderette just to the left and behind the cathedral.
We had a good meal in Antonio's (the buoy was then free). Next morning we wanted to catch an early Taxi so L could do the laundry and get back so we could leave by 13:00. No chance! They don't start till 10:00 or later. So we took our lives in our hands and set off over the shipping lane in our little dinghy. Started at 06:30 and arrived at 07:00 not a boat in sight. D went back on his own, leaving L to catch a taxi back when shopping and laundry done and had a few hairy moments when buzzed by high-speed craft but made it back OK.
We spent another day in one of the other lovely bays on the south side of the Pakleni islands in clear turquoise water than headed for Gradina near Vela Luka.
This is a really beautiful, quiet little bay with quite a few boys plus plenty of room to anchor. No facilities other than a single restaurant which was excellent. D had a gentle argument with a young man from the harbour authority in Vela Luka (5 miles away!) who wanted to charge us £10 for anchoring (the buoys are £15). Talk about money grubbing! They've taken them away from the restaurant this year so they're no longer free if you eat. I argued that we were more that 150m away from a buoy (well maybe we were) and so the charge was illegal. He went away.
We stayed two nights and on the second were hit by a storm. For the first time ever, we dragged even though the anchor had been well set - and we didn't even notice. I woke up to find us in the wrong place and with our keel on the ground. A few more meters and we would have been grinding against fishing boats. We stayed put till it got light and we could see that there were no lines near the prop then lifted the keel and off we went. Lucky we don't have a fixed keel and even luckier that it got shallow before we reached anything nasty. And so we got an earlier than expected start. We motored down to Vela Luka for a quick look - not particularly impressed, then set off for Loviste.
We rounded the point and headed East only to find an unexpectedly strong Westerly making waves and general discomfort. So we changed plans and headed for Scrado - closer and to the North of us so we could get a good sail in. And what a lovely place it is. There is a multi-headed inlet in the middle of the north side with restaurants in some of them.
We went into the South West corner and took a buoy. It has to be just about the clearest water we have ever seen with lots of giant mussels on the sea bed (strictly preserved). The restaurant is run by a German lady who is married to a Croatian who was born there and they live there all year round. They must be the only (permanent) inhabitants. The food is simple but good and reasonably priced. An enterprising young man comes round in his boat selling liqueurs, face-creams, etc and takes orders for bread, milk, etc which he delivers early the next morning. We loved the place and will go back.
Next day we did the short hop to Loviste. It's a good sheltered anchorage on blue sand with masses of space. There is a Supermarket in the village - competent but basic and restaurant at western head of the bay with buoys which we didn't use.
We stayed two nights and on the second were hit by a storm. For the first time ever, we dragged even though the anchor had been well set - and we didn't even notice. I woke up to find us in the wrong place and with our keel on the ground. A few more meters and we would have been grinding against fishing boats. We stayed put till it got light and we could see that there were no lines near the prop then lifted the keel and off we went. Lucky we don't have a fixed keel and even luckier that it got shallow before we reached anything nasty. And so we got an earlier than expected start. We motored down to Vela Luka for a quick look - not particularly impressed, then set off for Loviste.
We rounded the point and headed East only to find an unexpectedly strong Westerly making waves and general discomfort. So we changed plans and headed for Scrado - closer and to the North of us so we could get a good sail in. And what a lovely place it is. There is a multi-headed inlet in the middle of the north side with restaurants in some of them.
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