From Laguna di Marano to Otok Rab returning with young crew

My wife Ilse and I wanted to sail from Marina Stella to Croatia to pick up our daughter Sophie and her two sons Laurenz and Valentin from Otok Rab.

After filling in the requested forms we left Marina Stella with high tide and declared entry in Umag. The friendly policeman told us, that the harbormaster's office is closed, but we could pay our taxes next day in Novigrad. So we spent a quiet night in Uvala Dalija and visited the harbormaster - a very nice woman - in Novigrad and paid 672 Kuna tourist tax for 15 days and the yearly boat arrival notification fee of 662 Kuna, together around 180 Eur. With very nice westerly winds we sailed south to Medulin, where the wind finally ceased and we anchored in Uvala Bijeca.

Luka Krivica

Next morning good wind continued and we sailed over the Kvarner Gulf, continued south of Otok Unije to Luka Krivica on the southwesterly end of Otok Losinj. We took a buoy, attached a landline. Soon a heavy thunderstorm cleaned our boat very efficiently. We enjoyed the quiet Luka for two nights and then motored east to Uvala Meli in the southeast corner of Otok Cres, where we spent another day and night enjoying the clear waters and the wild deer wandering around. 

On Monday, 27th July we continued east to busy Rab harbor, where we had to wait for an hour to fill our gasoline tanks. In the afternoon we motored into Supetarska Draga, where we moored in the ACI Marina and had a rich fish platter at Restoran Vojko. Next day our daughter Sophie together with Laurenz and Valentin came on board and we anchored in the nice bay south of Otok Maman. In the morning we motor sailed with weak winds back to Uvala Meli, where the children enjoyed Stand-Up-Paddling and swimming.

Our grandchildren dreamed of visiting Otok Susak, so we sailed there next morning and moored for 2 nights in the new harbor. They enjoyed the sandy beach and we enjoyed good food at Sansegus and Konoba Barbara. For the next days weather forecast looked like getting a bit grim, so on Saturday,  August 1st we crossed the Kvarner Gulf, spent the night at anchor in Uvala Bijeca and continued northwest alongside Istria to Novigrad next day. Because we expected thunderstorms during the night we took a mooring in Marina Nautica, had good dinner at Konoba kod Kristijana, and enjoyed safely two heavy thunderstorms during the night.  

Next morning the weather forecast reported a small time window for a safe sail across the Adria to Italy, so we declared exit in Novigrad harbor and sailed with nice winds and heavy clouds back to Lignano, where we entered Laguna di Marano just 1 hour after high tide and moored safely back in Marina Stella, where we observed heavy thunderstorms. People reported a tornado roaring from Lignano beach to Grado. We celebrated our safe return for the next days at Ristorante Da Michele, Agli Angeli Ristorante, and Da Boschet.

 

 

We sailed 292sm in 54h during 14 days.

You may download our track in gpx-format or view it directly on GoogleMaps.