The Hann Croatian Cruise

Eveleen, sailing the coast

 Having spent one evening 2+ years ago aboard H2OBO while she was comfortably tied up in the Toronto harbour, we felt ready to fly to Croatia for eight days with Maggie and Branko as they toured the coastal islands.  While Maggie’s mention prior to arrival of “sitting on anchor” did raise questions in our minds like… “Does this mean we are not tied to a dock?” and “hmmm… so how do we board the boat exactly if she is anchored off-shore?” we boldly decided to “just do it” knowing that answers would reveal themselves as the adventure unfolded.

Linda, Eveleen and the inflatables

Branko and Branko at breakfast

Linda and Eveleen,  first taste of chibabchaha

Maggie guided us into Croatia with reaffirming emails… meet you at the bus station… no, the airport… no, the bus… no, there is no bus… but there is a station, however the buses only go one way which is the opposite direction to what you need.  Staying true to our “just do it” resolution, we flew to Dubrovnik and were ecstatic, relieved (more than a little), and comforted to be met with a giant bear-hug from Branko right at airport arrivals.  The kindness of Branko’s friend Pero (spelling?), who brought Branko out to meet us and shuttled us all to the dock, gave us an early taste of Croatian hospitality.

What followed for us over the course of the next eight days were a series of delightful discoveries and the revelation of a number of closely held sailing secrets:

Sailing Secret #1:  A dinghy is used to move people between land and boat, and vice versa.  Seriously… there is no fold-out bridge like those multi-million dollar yachts come equipped with.  And climbing from said dinghy to a very high step on the boat is required, so ladies... leave your fitted skirts and heels at home for this one and break-out the lycra capris.

We had a wonderful first day with Branko and Maggie in the charming village of Cavtat and over the course of a fine Mediterranean dinner and tasty local beer, they made mention of a “bora” wind that is experienced on the Croatian coast.  Later that night, awaking to a howling wind, the rocking of the boat, and the sound of voices, chains and the ship’s motor as the anchor was hastily pulled in and the boat safely repositioned to withstand the wind, we learned:

Sailing Secret #2:  Bora winds KNOW when sailors have land-lubber guests on board, and they blow-up out of nowhere in the middle of the night, and the next night, AND THE NIGHT AFTER THAT… and so on, and so on.

In the midst of fine friends, food and drink, the wind, even a Bora, simply becomes part of the experience and adventure of being on the high-seas (ok yes, we were in a small, sheltered bay but it’s all relative to our highly limited sailing experience).  We embraced the adventure and on our second night, came up-top during Maggie and Branko’s “night-watches” as the Bora blew and an electrical storm set alight the dry vegetation along the coastal hillside.  For several days on end, fire-fighting planes doused the flames during the day, while Bora’s fanned them at night.  We quickly came to appreciate having a sizeable expanse of water between us and the smouldering hills.

We had the pleasure of a beautiful sail up the coast to meet with Branko’s cousin’s family and again experienced a wonderful welcome, kind hospitality and a fun day on the beach wrestling inflatable water creatures and counting down to diving in as many languages as were collectively known.  After having spent the week prior to arrival in Croatia on a primarily meat-free diet, we learned:

Delightful Discovery #1:  Cured and tastefully seasoned meats are a mainstay of the Croatian diet, and Branko’s cousin is expert in making the most amazing delicacies of smoked and spiced pork loin, sausage and a truly remarkable “Speck”.  “Mmm-mm good!”
Delightful Discovery #2:  When you can’t speak Croatian and are trying to ask for wine mixed with soda water, it may result in your wine being topped up with MORE WINE.  Again... “mmm...mmm good” and simply requires added caution when later descending the steep hillsides.

The entire Croatian coastline is a beautiful blend of exposed rock, earth and greenery dotted with orange clay tile rooftops.  The walled city of Dubrovnik is a beautiful and remarkable site from the sea (yes, us ladies were all intensely talking with our backs to the coast as we sailed past “the jewel”and almost missed it, but good conversation between long-time friends was also one of the much enjoyed aspects of this visit).  We also had the good fortune of arriving while Maggie still had significant provisions on hand from Sicily - olives, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh pasta, aromatic garlic and local Croatian delicacies like fresh figs – which further broadened the remarkable culinary aspect of this adventure.

We’d be remiss in not mentioning a further revelation from our visit. Living on a boat requires significant conservation awareness.  Fresh water and space are limited, so one must thoughtfully consider how much of both are needed and used.  Practicing strict conservationism can give rise to a broader reflection on what one truly needs in life:  fresh water, nutritious food, clean air, a comfortable bed, and good friends.  So while faced with some of the “limits” that life on a boat presents, we also discovered that we in fact had it all... right there on H2OBO with Maggie and Branko!

Thanks for letting us share in the adventure!

Linda & Eveleen

Sailing Secret #3:  Ok I know we said all one needs is water, food, air, sleep and good friends but I'm just going to expand that needs list a wee bit... on a sailboat one also needs sunblock, a hat, sunglasses, large bottles of good, cheap beer, a ladder to climb up the side of the boat after a swim because there is no way I’m going to pull myself up into that dinghy, a step-stool to reach the coffee grinder if you’re under 5’-5”, oh and balance, one also needs good balance, if not balance then a crash helmet perhaps, and fast-drying shoes, and...