  n the event of stable weather, or of a forecast that at least
does not promise a very strong bora, we will start our cruise from Opatija once
again. The course of this voyage will take us between Cres and Krk, aiming at
the islands of Rab and Pag, located further south in the Kvarner. From Opatija
to Rab Town there are 45 miles. If we want to make Rab before dark, while
planning the cruise we have to bear in mind the average speed of our boat. For
sailing craft, let us be modest, the usual average speed is some five knots.
If we are in no hurry, before we head our prow towards Mala
Vrata, the straits formed by the islands of Cres and Krk, why not drop in at
Voloski? By road or by boat, it is all the same, because it is just a few miles
from Opatija to Voloski. In the wave of fashionable tourist-spot construction
modelled on Opatija, some rather grand hotel buildings were put up in
surrounding towns and villages (in Lovran, for example). However, Voloski has
preserved its original appearance as a fishing village, successfully fitting a
handsomely-equipped tourist industry in with its traditional appearance.
 The
way in which a mass of all kinds of vessels belonging to the local population
are tied up in Voloski harbour will tell the experienced mariner plenty about
how protected it is. There are small craft all the way into the harbour, tied up
and anchored a good way from the shore, because the sirocco and the bora create
a rather nasty mess of waves.
You can moor at the main pier (red lighthouse), on
the inside, where the depth is about 3.5 m. But in practice there is almost
never any room. In the port itself, from the coast going eastwards, there is a
fifty metre long pier, at the end of which is one more lighthouse. Here it is
sometimes possible to find a free berth, and the depth is about 3.5 m at the
head. If we manage to tie up, we will be able to keep any eye on the boat from
almost every one of the many restaurants in the harbour.
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Windsurfers! Windsurfers absolutely ought
not to miss the chance of sailing in the morning tramontana that has for
centuries blown in Preluk Bay (at the very head of Gulf of Kvarner). It starts
around midnight and achieves its greatest strength after sunrise, slowly dying
down towards noon. At dawn, hundreds of windsurfers take part in a motley of
rushing colours, a scene that it’s worth recording with a video camera or
suchlike.
The camp laid out in Preluka right down to
the sea, and protected from the sun by the pine forest, is regularly swarming
with windsurfers. They get up very early, and go back to sleep when the swimmers
start arriving on the beach.
Sailing further along the
beach, if we want to have bid our final adieus to the city hubbub, we shall
avoid the enormous port of Rijeka, its shipyard and everything that we might
want to forget during these few days of cruising. If we have prepared our
journey well, we very likely won’t enter the city port. But if we need a
bit more nautical equipment, such as charts, pilots, lists of lighthouses…
or some other thing for safe cruising, we can find absolutely everything we need
if we put into Rijeka port. The Rijeka Harbour Master’s Office is
available on channel ….
 Since
our aim is to pass between Krk and Cres, this time sailing along the shores of
Krk, on the way we will notice several pretty, interesting and promising places.
The first of them is Njivice.
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 ivice
has a very solid stone pier, at the head of it being a green lighthouse. One can
tie up on the inside of it. The pier is not very long. It has plenty of depth as
far as the mid-point of the inside part. On the outer side there is depth enough
right by the head of the pier. Several dozen metres to the south smaller boats
can be pulled out of the water, but the place is fairly steep. If we have
forgotten to send someone something, it is good to know that the post office in
Njivice is right on the quay, immediately next to the pier. And next to the post
office, a druggist’s.
An opportunity to stock up the medicine chest.
 Njivice
is known for its camp. The camp too has a little wharf, but it is only for the
camp. The depth is adequate, but a warning notice warns that yachtsmen are
welcome only in the event of some emergency.
The camp
in Njivice differs from all the other similar ones that we can encounter on the
other islands, or on nearby Cres, in the kind of trees that grow here. Instead
of the shade of pines, the usual thing on the islands, here the camp is veiled
by the foliage of a dense oak forest.
In fact, the
absence of pine forest, which is the easiest and most common manner of
afforesting bare spaces, says that Krk is not bothered by problems of drought.
Krk is an island that in its appearance least of all recalls the usual idea of
island. Vineyards that have not had to crowd in on the steep slopes, a common
feature on the other islands, recall the plains of the mainland. Sheep are not
penned among stone walls hiding the grass in the next-door plot from them,
because Krk does not have much of a problem with pasture. There is plenty of
rain, and even the occasional brook flows through the fertile valleys. A vivid
example is given by Baška, the road to which winds through a very fruitful
valley. And then, Krk is no longer an actual island, being linked to the island
by an imposing bridge.
A
few miles after Njivice a very fancy hotel complex called Haludovo draws our
eyes. The many hotels stretch along the coast all the way to Malinska, making
the two settlements a single unit. At the very beginning of Haludovo, in the
part called Ribarsko Selo (Fishermen’s Village), there is a mooring place,
a little port that every sailor could only dream of. You can tie up here at any
part of it, except right at the end of the pool that the jetty forms with the
land. Here, too, the jetty, as the very minatory notice affirms, is reserved for
hotel guests. But who is to say that once you have landed you are not going to
become one of their guests?
Malinska. Malinska
can be said to be exerting noticeable efforts into providing a good reception
for yachts. The great embankment that protects the interior of the port ends a
bit further off in the sea with a sign marking shallows. On the chart one has to
take great care from which side you sail in. It is planned to extend the pier a
bit more, and it is likely it will be prolonged as far as this sign. The deepest
part of the harbour is located alongside the longest quay of the port. There are
hookups for water and electricity, which is also true of the whole of the shore
alongside the bay in those places envisaged for the reception of yachtsmen. In
the northern part of the bay there is a crane, and there are deeper berths by
its quay, which is at right angles to the outer pier. From the crane all the way
to the old wharf on which there is the red lighthouse the sea is very shallow,
not exceeding one metre. The manner in which the local people tie up their
vessels here also warns of the shallows. They lie at some distance from the
shore, tied up to a lot of buoys in the centre of the bay. At the head of the
old quay there is plenty of depth. For caution’s sake, however, one ought
to tie up as close as possible to the base of the lighthouse.
As
with Haludovo, in front of the Malin Hotel, the name of which is very visible on
the building, there is a little harbour for the use of the hotel’s guests.
In an emergency it will afford good shelter.
After Malinska, on the part of Krk we are turning
round, entering the Srednja Vrata itself, there is an interesting place with a
highly visible monastery building. Glavotok. Although small, the harbour
conceals one rather interesting feature - a monastic boathouse. Just as people
keep their cars in garages on the ground floor of their houses, the foundations
of the monastery hold a space filled with sea-water and vaulted by the walls of
the monastery. Glavotok is situated at the place where two boras cross; in the
vicinity of them, whether because they cannot agree, there is almost a lull.
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 n
Cres, the island opposite Krk, when we are in the neighbourhood of Glavotok
already (the western part of Krk), it would be a shame to miss the chance to
visit what is at the very least an unusual village - Beli. But if a bora is
forecast, or already blowing, tying up in Beli will not provide us a good
shelter.
Two miles to the south of Glavotok we will come upon
two bays: Vela Jana and Mala Jana. Something rather serious is being undertaken
there, but if we go a bit further in, we can find a good mooring. There are also
pontoons, and we can hope that all the other things will soon be finished.
In Srednja Vrata we will see the attractive and safe
Torkul Bay. Only a mile or a little bit more to the south lies the car ferry
port of Valbiska. This is the well-protected bay from which the regular ferry
lines link up Krk and Cres. Even in the worst of weather, when the other ferries
will not ply, the line here never stops. In fact, sailings are too frequent, and
it’s a good idea to get past the bay as soon as possible so as not to
bother the ferry traffic.
Further down the coast of Krk, Krk Town will provide
a variety of features for us, cultural and practical. In Krk harbour there is a
filling station, the last before Rab, and it would not be a bad idea to check up
on the boat’s tank. When a sirocco is blowing, the sea in Krk harbour
creates a nasty swell, and one needs to be on guard. Alongside the pier on the
end of which there is a red lighthouse there is no room to tie up, the whole
length of it. The sea here is very shallow. Opposite there is another broad
wharf with a green light. Alongside it the depth of sea is fine for mooring,
ranging between 2.5 and 5 metres. The filling station is at the very head of the
bay, and right by it the depth of water is some two metres.
The island of Plavnik is the border point between
Kvarnerić and Srednja Vrata. Plavnik is also very frequently a boundary for
various meteorological
conditions. If we are sailing from Opatija, the bora will never have achieved
the strength that awaits us after Plavnik. Rounding Plavnik, you begin to feel
the effect of Senjska Vrata, place known for the wildest buffeting from the
bora. With the sirocco too, immediately after Plavnik (going towards Opatiija
now) the wind loses its force. Interesting detail for hunters: Plavnik, which is
well forested, is becoming increasingly known as a chase. It abounds in birds.
There is a place to tie up by the western cape of Plavnik, right by the
lighthouse that by night marks the sea-lane between that island and Cres.
 If
the bora takes us unawares, there is no point in struggling with it very much.
It is smart to sail into the safety of Punat Marina, and spend some time
enjoying this haven.
  unat
Marina is one of the biggest in the Croatian part of the Adriatic. It is located
in Puntarska Draga, a lovely bay embellished with a rather famous island called
Košljun. The entry into the bay is fairly shallow, and marked by green and red
marker buoys and lit up at night. Since the depth at the very entrance outside
the marked route suddenly drops to less than two metres, you have to keep a
sharp eye on the chart and navigate precisely according to the marks.
Punat Marina has almost 900 moorings in the sea and
space on land for 300 vessels. Together with reception area, restaurants, shops,
cranes, sanitary facilities and a courteous staff - everything to meet the needs
of the sailor, then. Immediately by the marina is a shipyard, and even quite
major operations can be conducted on a boat. The tradition of this yard, taking
its cue from the longevity of everything human on Krk, is a guarantee of the
quality of its work. It bears with pride the title of oldest shipyard in the
Adriatic for wooden craft.
Punat village is a well-known holiday-making spot for home and foreign
guests, with a mass of restaurants and nice beaches. Punat’s pride and joy
are olives and quality olive oil. Alongside the waterfront, which is the main
car park today as well, there are always a lot of fishing boots tied up. In
summer fishermen’s fiestas are organised on the very waterfront, and they
are very frequent during the time of the traditional sailing regattas that draw
many a local and foreign yachtsman to Punat.
Leaving Punat, turning our bow to the nearest capes of Rab, we have to be
aware of the fact that we are arriving in the area exposed to the Senj bora. The
bora of Senj can sometimes reach gale force in summer, hurricane force in
winter. If the bora is already strong, or merely for the sake of caution, it is
a good idea to sail along the very coastline of Krk, and when we feel the wind
is starting to come from the beam, head straight for the nearest coast of Rab.
As soon as we get behind the first capes of Rab we will find a pleasant refuge.
 Before
passing Senjska Vrata, we will notice a little settlement located on the
very steep coast of Krk, surrounded by cliffs - the town of Stara [Old] Baška.
Several miles before it, following the direction of our journey, we will come
across several lovely beaches that are inaccessible from the land and that will
very likely change the plan of our expedition. It is extremely hard to resist
the beauty of them. Although they are quite well-visited, for they are the
frequent destination of local excursion boats, the austerity of the surrounding
landscape will certainly inculcate a feeling of loneliness in us. Among them
there is one very unusual beach at the end of a long canyon that drops all the
way down to the sea. The cobbles it is composed of seem to recall the course of
a once swollen river. The neighbouring beach, of similar appearance, the last
before the shore above which Stara Baška is situated, belongs to a camp.
Unluckily,
there is no place to tie up in Stara Baška itself that we can recommend.
Although the bora doesn’t create any awkward waves in the bay, swinging
and veering off the high cliffs it blows from various quarters, hampering
anchoring and mooring. At the very top of a smallish jetty in the southernmost
part of Stara Baška there might perhaps be room for a single vessel, but if
there were any wind at all, tying up would not be very easy. But if you do find
the time and anchor, and then go in with a dinghy, don’t miss the chance
to stroll around Stara Baška. The street along the whole of the settlement is
so narrow that two vehicles can pass each other only with difficulty, and yet
every hundred metres or so there is a pedestrian crossing. Pedestrian crossing?
Right behind the houses located the highest up you can see a well-marked
climbing route, perhaps mountaineering itinerary, leading to the steep nearby
peak. Nice view!
Thus, circumstances permitting, if
there is a strong bora, better to drop anchor and swim at the beaches mentioned
or, if it is too cold, for the bora is still strengthening, then to return to
the security of Punat. Only greenhorn sailors are going to try to prove their
courage by braving the bora.
 And
anyway, if you haven’t yet visited Košljun, you won’t have any more
excuses. For Košljun is really worth a visit. Although the purpose of this
guide is not to tell sailors about the cultural treasures of the Kvarner
archipelago, the unusual features and sheer persistence of this island deserve
mentioning even on this occasion.
Košljun keeps stone capitals of the 8th century. In the 12th century a
Benedictine monastery was founded here. In the 15th, the island was taken over
by the Franciscans. The Franciscan Church of the Annunciation was built in 1523.
The monastery has its records and a library with incunabula; for sailors, the
copy of the Ptolemaic atlas printed in Venice between 1563 and 1570 would be
most interesting. If the bora has dissuaded you from travelling further at the
right time, perhaps you might attend one of the concerts put on in the
monastery. It is not necessary to draw particular attention to the fact that
many of the extant documents are written in Glagolitic. This is what Glagolitic
is like:
“Don’t be stubborn.”
 f
course, there will always be the stubborn who want to cross the channel that
divides Krk and Rab even when the roughest bora is blowing. Very likely sailors
with motor boats will be more careful, because the beam waves that come from the
Senjska Vrata itself will set them wallowing for good, and force them to go back
in time.
Sailing boats are more stable, and
insufficiently experienced sailors are like to set off on adventures. If that is
the way it is, and they decide to go on with a voyage that has been very
pleasant so far, the advice has to be: raise the mainsail, because in the waves
that take hold of the vessel we cannot put our trust in the strength of an
engine. And anyway, because of the angle of the boat, an engine will often stop
working. There are many reasons for this, but in such conditions you won’t be
able to discover them. And so, however strong the bora is, the mainsail has to
be up, reefed to the extent that the power of the wind demands.
Unluckily, on the basis of experience we can say that in such conditions
sailors most often raise the jib. Here, when the wind comes from the beam, the
jib will just take a yacht off its course.
If need be, with the main sail we can even get back, while the jib will pull
us more and more towards Cres. And on Cres, if there is a strong bora, you
won’t find shelter.
After passing the Senjska Vrata,
although our first objective is to take cover in the safety of Rab, it is not so
easy to choose which of its bays to sail into. There is a choice of Kampor,
Supetar or Lopar (this last one is a rather ordinary cove). Sandy beach lovers
can’t go wrong. If God created the Kornati of the stones that were left in his
hand, here plenty of sand must have slipped through his fingers. Hundreds of
sandy beaches, just hundreds. The one in Lopar is called Rajska - Paradise
Beach.
The Supetar Bay [Supetarska draga] ACI Marina is
without doubt the safest refuge for sailors. If we have not set out on the
cruise early enough, or if we have lingered somewhere, and been overtaken by
night at sea…
Two orientation points can be used to navigate by.
There is Sorinj Point, on which there is a white lighthouse (B Bl 3s 10m 6M) and
Kalifront Point, on which there is a lighthouse B Bl(3) 10s 11m 8M. If you use
GPS, the precise position of the lighthouse on Sorinj Point is N 44 50.7 E 14
41.0. Between Kampor Bay and Supetar Bay lies the islet of Maman, close to which
are shoals. The ACI Marina lies at the head of Supetar Bay. The jetty of the
marina is about 200 metres long, and there is a red light at the head of it (C
Bl 5s 4M).
The marina has some 270 moorings and 50
places on land. The moorings all have water and electricity hookups, and the
facility has the usual ACI marina services. Reception, money changer,
restaurant, toilets and washroom, workshop, 10 ton crane, a slipway. There are
no fuelling facilities here.
 In
the morning, or if we have decided not to loiter on the sandy beaches of the
north-western part of Rab, rounding Kalifront Point we continue towards the
south. Kanitalj Point is located in the middle between a lot of bays that have
bitten deeply into the western part of Rab. When we catch sight of Frkanj Point,
the end of which is marked by a red lighthouse, that is a sign that we have
sailed almost as far as Rab Town.
The island of Rab is
often compared with the denizens of the deep. For example, its outline on the
chart recalls a lobster. Stojan and Kalifront points are its claws… Another
time it might be described as a squid, and then Prvić, Grgur and Goli, islands
that are located to the north of it, are the ink blots it has voided in its
flight from hungry Krk (a conger, presumably). But no plan of any island can
represent the true picture of it. For, quite simply, a sailor is not a bird.
Sailors distinguish islands by their scents,
colour, the depth of the coasts, recall them by the taste of the wine from their
climes. And Rab, Rab Town, has to stick in a yachtsman’s memory for the number
of its towers. For the sweet harmony of the sound of their bells.
This ought to cause no great surprise, for John Baptist of Rab, year of birth
not precisely determined, died 1540, was a true master bell founder. He cast his
greatest bell in 1506 in Dubrovnik, and it weighed more than two tons. Of
course, the kings and princes of the time also made use of bell-founders, for
the same skills went into the making of cannon.
But alas, flicking over the pages of the rich history of Rab, one part of it
will remain absent - the smell of the mulberry, for silk was being produced on
Rab when it was still unknown elsewhere in the West.
One can sail into Rab harbour by navigating between Frkanj Point, on which
there is a red lighthouse (C Bl 2s 5m 4M) and the Frkanj shoals, marked by a
green light on a concrete base (Z Bl 2s 2m 4M). For people with GPS, the exact
position of the shoals is N 44 44.49, E 14 45.59. You can also sail round the
shoals from the south-eastern side. The entrance into the harbour itself is
marked with a red lighthouse on Sv. Ante Point (C Bl 1.5s 7m 3M) and a green
lighthouse on Tuner islet (Y Bl 2s 14m 4M). Because of the shoals in the
vicinity of Tuner it is advisable to head closer to the red lighthouse.
Entering the town port, we will
notice one more pier, which protects the harbour from the southerly winds. On
the wharf there is a mass of rubber fenders, a sure sign that passenger ships
tie up here. Somewhat further off there is a part of the port that is suitable
for tying up, but it’s mostly full of fishing vessels. At the very bottom of
the bay there is a gaggle of buoys that yachts can tie up to. Since it is
shallow by the shore, it’s best to make fast to a buoy from the stern, and the
bow to the shore.
And this is the end of the bay. On the other side there are lots of vessels
owned by the local people, tied up to several pontoons. Here the sea is shallow
and it’s not a good idea to add to the throng.
Between these moorings for the locals and
the Rab ACI Marina is a filling station. And right behind it are the pontoons of
the ACI Marina. These moorings can supply water and electricity, and the other
marina facilities - reception, washrooms, restaurant - are just over the road
that runs along the very shore.
Although the whole of
the bay is most unpleasant during any very strong sirocco, it is most unsafe to
tie up in the city part of the harbour, right by the walls. As well as the south
wind creating nasty waves, the sea level can rise so fast that sailors do not
manage to decide on time to shift somewhere else (the marina) or sail out of the
bay. When the sea reaches the level of the harbour itself, it is very hard to
find a sure way of protecting your craft from damage
Rab
is a real tourist town, or city rather, for it really has everything that
holidaymakers want to give to their vacation.
Southward
ho! This journey will lead us alongside the long island of Pag. Good luck!
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