| Sep 27, 2005 - The Love Boat
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 | | show all 9 | | Yacht Sweet Yacht, "Passo Doble" | | Korcula Island (Home of Marco Polo) | | Sunset | | |
| Seven friends converged on Split, Croatia in anticipation of a week of sailing the coastal islands of Croatia in the Adriatic Sea. We stayed in a "party pad" in the heart of the old marble walled city which also houses Diocletian's Palace and a maze of alleys with few -but not so many as to detract from the charm- cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. The following day we picked up our 49 ft. Bavarian yacht from the town of Primosten. Our captain, Baki (pronounced "Bucky" --or Lieutenant Dan as Dachauer referred to him) is a salt and pepper haired, easygoing guy who is a living example of the phrase "smokes and drinks like a sailor." In his early 50's, Baki has an extensive sailing resume and is part of a professional Croatian sailing crew (even pictured on an ad on billboards and posters around the area.) Baki went above and beyond to show us the best of what there is in a short week, partially because we had a relatively experienced crew aboard who wanted to sail and, I think, because he just liked us.
Not unlike the old show The Love Boat, our bright eyed, eager and diverse passengers were optimistic about the week ahead. The islands had charming port towns all similarly constructed of light colored marble with terra cotta roofs. One island is known for a cheese, another for lavendar products, and another for handmade lace. The people were friendly and spoke good English. Baki treated us to coffee at each arrival and directed us to the some of the best local restaurants.
After a day or two of poorly tuned Croatian music stations, Paul Dachauer acquired a CD of Van Halen's greatest hits and played it at nothing less than maximum decibals. As we exited each port "RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL" echoed off the other boats courtesy of Dachauer. Baki didn't actually say anything but his face might have said a few words.
We learned in a confined space and "under the influence" temporary romance can blossom, one can find a party anywhere in the world, one can become violently seasick under rough conditions, and a few differences are bound to arise along the way. I'm not at liberty to discuss the details, but at the end of the week in true Love Boat ending it was all good. On the last evening's sail we saw an amazing sunset and ate a fantastic slow oven cooked lamb and potato meal on the island of Solta. Our last morning we woke up to Van Halen "CANNON BALL" courtesy of, BAKI!
In total, we covered the islands of Hvar, Korcula, Mljet, Lastovo, Bisevo (to see a geologic blue grotto for scuba) Vis, and Solta before returning back to Primosten (see map).
From Primosten, 7 of us piled into the Partridge family bus for a scenic ride down the coast. The coast of Croatia by both land and sea is beautiful. Small coastal towns pop up along the winding road which ultimately took us to Dubrovnik. After traveling for four months and seeing so much in the way of diverse landscape and landmarks it is really fun to see a unique and exciting place like Dubrovnik. We headed for the old port part of town and saw what looks like sprawling castle walls enclosing the city. Ornate fountains, clocktower and cathedrals comingle with shops, cafes and restaurants inside. They have done another good job of helping this area retain its charm without overcommercializing. The marble streets look like they have been polished to a shine and there are musicians playing classical music and a few others dressed in traditional costumes adding to the ambiance. It was a great spot to get the sea legs back.
Next stops India and Nepal... |
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