Day 6: Starigrad → Split

We were lulled into a false sense of security this morning. As we exited Starigrad at dawn we braced ourselves for another brutal channel crossing, but we were pleasantly surprised by relatively calm waters (a smooth 15kts). We were chuffed that our industriousness and early wake-up plan had paid off and we had made the crossing to Šolta ahead of the bad weather.

That mirage was shattered when we rounded Šolta and were hit in the face with full gale force winds gusting up to 40kts.

We strapped on our life vests and gritted our teeth for two brutal and hours as we made it back to the mainland.

Despite the adverse weather we still managed to make it back by midday. And although we were soaked to the bone and frozen we didn’t want to drop the boat back at the busy marina so early. We wanted to enjoy the last of our time on the Adriatic coast. So we anchored our boat in a little protected bay just outside of Split.

We ate our lunch and were thrown around by the wind some more. Even in the protected bay the winds were so strong our anchor was not holding very well and we had to re-anchor a few times. Despite all this it was actually lovely to be lounging on the water next to such a pretty beach sheltered by our canopy.

Finally we headed back and were greeted by a long line of boats waiting to fill up diesel. We waited around shivering cold, going in circles until our turn to pay extortionate gas prices. And then brought our boat back to home base.

Lucy cooked us a lovely dinner of lamb chops, beans, grilled vegetables, and potatoes. Then we curled up into our beds with the wind howling against the mast.

It’s been a pretty tough last few days of the holiday but it was also exhilarating and feels like it’s been a great bonding experience for the two of us. I’m very lucky to have such a great first mate.