Sailing the Dalmatian Islands

I just spent one blissful week on a boat cruising up and down the coastline of Croatia.  Words cannot describe the beautiful scenery of this part of the world.  The water is impossibly clear.  The islands are stunning mountains rising straight out of the sea.  The people are warm.  And the food and wine is delicious.

Swimming hole at Maslinica

Our boat: reefed, heeling, and loving it!

This week, I joined an ASA (American Sailing Association) flotilla with 14 other people and we chartered 2 boats and sailed them ourselves.  I lived aboard a 54ft Beneteau with 6 of these folks as we island hopped for a week. It turned out I was almost the youngest member of the group, but we all loved to sail and to eat so we all had a great time.  Everybody ended the week feeling stuffed, tanner than we have ever been in our lives, and scheming about how soon we could come back.  


I have done this type of trip with friends in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).  That first trip was the event that initially piqued my interest in sailing.  There is nothing more relaxing than skimming across water with no sound except the wind and no feeling except the sun on your face.

Exploring Tito's submarine tunnel
psst - there is a secret passageway!

The surreal Blue Grotto from the inside

 On these week-long boat charters, each day is spent swimming in beautiful water, relaxing in the sun on some island beach, sailing from one island to the next, and/or eating great food with friends.  Your boat makes its own itinerary depending on what everybody likes . . . "Want more swimming time?  Here is another beautiful cove or beach where we can park for lunch and swim."   "Do you see that thing on shore?  Let's take the dingy to that island and go hike to it." "I hear there is a really good restaurant on this island.  Let's sail there today and make reservations for tonight."  There are so many things to do in these islands that you could sail around them for months and never run out of new experiences.  and the best part is . . . Its just you.  There are no cruise ship crowds.  There are no tour directors hurrying you back on board.  You can do whatever you want to all week long, stay as long as you want, and enjoy everything at your own pace without anybody else spoiling the party.

Traditional Lamb Dinner at a small
winery on the island of Vis

Dolphins decided to join us during our sail around Vis!

The Carribean and Dalmatian Islands both offer this kind of relaxing adventure from a boat.

Walk right off the back of the boat
into a quaint Croatian town

But the Dalmatian Islands enhances the experience by providing some of the most delicious food and wine I have ever had.  This week also differed from the BVI because we docked most nights at marinas.  That means we could walk off the back of the boat into a centuries-old town with showers and gourmet restaurants. Ken didn't have to go a night without his Croatian gelato.

Gourmet Dinner at Palmizana

Our ASA group had the distinct advantage of being led by Captain Jean De Keyser and his beautiful wife Mila.  They love to sail and to eat good food and the rest of us benefited hugely from their experience!  This was their 7th year to lead an ASA flotilla in Croatia and they seem to know all the restaurants and sometimes the people in every port.  Thank you for an amazing week!

Magic Winery

Hvar Town at night

FRESH fish prepared well

Exploring the fortress in Hvar Town

Views from Stiniva's Beach

Swimming in Stiniva

Sunset while sailing

Anchoring off the famous Bol beach

The windsurfers were having just as
much fun as we were having sailing

Sunset from town

Here is a rough map of how we chose to spend our week in the Dalmatian Islands.  

Please excuse my lack of artistic skills.

Trogir --> Docked at Maslinica
Maslinica --> Anchored at Submarine Tunnel --> Docked at Kut/Vis Town
Kut --> Anchored at Stiniva to swim --> Moored at Komiza
Komiza --> Anchored at the Blue Grotto --> Docked at Palmizana
Palmizana --> Anchored at some small cove on Hvar Island --> Moored at Stari Grad (dinner in Hvar town)
Stari Grad --> Anchored and swam at Bol --> Docked at Milna
Milna --> Trogir

Who is up for a trip in July of 2016?  I have a birthday coming and can think of no better way to spend it than with friends in Dalmatia! 

 I can captain the boat or I know a guy . . .