Krk 2016/2017 - 60kn

As we left the dark skies behind us and arrived to the south shore of Krk we found a nice spot to anchor for the night:
In fact is was so nice that we stayed there a couple of nights enjoying the clear water and the relatively few boats.  This bliss came to an end due to another system approaching which was followed by three days of a decent Bora off the Velebit over Krk - though in Punat Bay, which we wanted to check out anyhow, there was lots of anchoring space in really good holding clay/mud.   Plus Punat marina is very nicely organized with a decent bar/restaurant and the best shoreline chandlery on the east Adriatic - so when we felt the need for some shore-time we'd leave the boat and dinghy over to the marina...

We also saw there's a bus stop at the NW-corner of the bay...  So one morning we took the bus into the (another guess what - Venetian) town of Krk.

After a couple of centuries...	...people still in love with cats
... and boats	maintained and working.
Entrance...	...to a medieval cool bar for refreshments in the heat

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This year,

we had a nice leisurely sail from Rabac to our 'bay' on the south shore of Krk (see above).   Alas it was crowded... and noisy with locals.  So before night fell on the longest day of the year, taking a quick glance at the map and considering the nice weather, we hightailed over to Cres to an unmarked indent.  I liked it from a distance because it looked that there were 'more desireable' bays to the left and right of it... ;-)   But ours turned out very picturesque...

... from the 'left'...	... and from the right :-)
... above ...	... flora ...

There were two of them a short distance apart.  Dora almost walked into one of the nets as they are perfectly camouflaged within their surroundings.  I guess this couple found the bay and anchored/tied to shore before us, so in their honour I named the bay "Spider Bay"...


Two nights later we pressed on to Punat as a front was approaching.  This time the forecast called for southerlies, so after a day at the north end of Punat bay we repositioned ourselves to the much nicer looking (and popular) southern end, near the small island of Kosljun which has a functioning Frankopan-Benedictine monastery with an amazingly well organized museum.  The monks make money by charging an entrance fee to the museum and making souvenirs.

Unfortunately we lost the photos we took in the museum - or maybe we didn't (take photos)?   Anyhow, I was impressed by the full-size 200 yr old small fishing vessel that was still used until about 60 years ago at which time the children of the last owner/user donated it to the monastery.  It's an oversized rough-wood flat long-boat (about 7m/24ft long), all tarred black, with a steel grill over the bowsprit where one would make a fire to attract the fish at night.  It's two huge heavy oars were displayed too.  Apparently it is the only one of its kind in existence.  The other items were all kinds of ancient weaponry (with or without gunpowder), cookware, houseware, beautiful handmade dresses and clothing, very accurate model sailing ships from an old master who made them for decades, old (and new) banknotes from almost each existing of defunct country of the world  (yes the Canadian $1 note was there, and the 50c and some Roman coins :-)

60kn... (knots, not kunas)

The night after our visit to the monastery, the front came by to visit us...  Of course around midnight, and it promptly knocked us over with a gust that I watched go up to 60kn on the navigation computer within a few seconds.  As we weren't expecting such a feisty bugger, we didn't lock drawers and cabinet doors as we do when we go sailing, so a few things popped out...   The important thing is the anchor held as the wind kept it up with gusts for 10 minutes, then dropped to the 30-50kn range for another couple of hours...  The other important thing is that the few boats there at anchor held (save for one small sailboat (22ft?) who got 'rescued' by grabbing & tying to the sailboat some distance ahead of us with the help of the owner of that boat).

Friends

Our long-time Canadian-Hungarian good friends, Kato and Joska were spending their two month vacation in the region, so they drove over from their hotel in Opatija (Abbazia) to spend a day and night with us on board Dazzle and catch up on each other's experiences...  Over the years they went all over the world on various exclusive cruises on slightly bigger ;-) ships, but not yet on Dazzle...

We had a great time!

- Z -