The mainland, Rogoznica, northwards bound

The mainland, Rogoznica, northwards bound

Saturday 3rd July... Linda - After three nights in Vinisce it was time to move on up the coast. A short 12 ish mile hop to the popular tourist village of Rogoznica. It's a bit bigger than a village in my opinion, but nevertheless Wikipedia calls it a village. It lies in the southernmost part of the Sibenik-Knin County, in a sheltered bay about 30km from Sibenik. To get here we passed inside of a number of small islands along the coast. Sometimes we were hardly off the shore and it almost felt like we were cruising through the countryside.

Are we really in Croatia?

Or is this an English lake?

This is our track and anchorage spot 

in the north of the bay at Rogoznica

Today's shoreline view in the anchorage

.... looking further into the creek

Friends of ours Lindsey and Lee whom we haven't seen since back in Almerimar, Spain were here at anchor too. They invited us over later along with another couple they knew and we had drinks, food, and a game!....yes a game... this one new to us called 'Mexican Train'. It's a domino game. I think we came last. But we had a lovely night catching up and meeting new sailors too. 

Sunday 4th July... Linda - The sea was a little choppy this morning when we went ashore for a proper look around Rogoznica village. So much so that we had to tie the dinghy fore and aft in order to stop it rubbing on the jagged rocks. In fact, it was a perfect little spot for it.

As per usual, the sea looks calm when it actually was quite bumpy

We walked around the inner bay of the harbour and to the big marina here. It's all very well set up for holidaymakers, with a very shallow shelving beach for little kiddies, and an abundance of restaurants and cafes. The marina has everything, even a nightclub next door. There were a lot of cars in the car park. I've never seen so many different countries number plates before in one row of cars, including Poland, Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Bosnia Herzegovina (i think), Italy, even Croatia! We realised that this Adriatic coast is probably the hotspot for a lot of eastern Europeans. 

Gold car advertising the nightclub

At the marina, a fancy bridge and canal 

giving it a Venetian feel

Chain man

Pontoon views, lots of very big boats

We stopped for a nice tasting coffee and then walked across the causeway to the inner island where we found lots more restaurants and cafes, and a Church of course. The bells were ringing and I would have sworn it was a tape recording as they were so melodic, but we actually witnessed the bells swinging up in the tower. In the park there was an aquarium with lots of fish. I said to Dean that some were Bream. I don't know if he believed me or not, until we looked on the information panel which proved I was correct. I know a Bream when I see one!  I caught one once when I was little and I'll never forget it. 

At the park open air aquarium

Me on the Church steps

Climbing up to the sound of music

Looking down to the sea

Pretty restaurants

This one looks tempting

This afternoon we sat on the boat researching where to go next. I think we've got a couple of ideas up our sleeve. During this next week we hope to get to the Krka National Park where they have spectacular waterfalls. Something we are excited about seeing. 

Is it a boat? Is it a car?

Must belong to James Bond?

Monday 5th July... Linda - We had a thunder and lightning storm in the early hours. I woke up at 1.30am and Dean was already up checking everything. He said the wind had been very strong. In fact this morning there was a splattering of dirt on the worktop from our hanging plant! The storm wasn't a surprise, it had been forecast. We always make sure everything is unplugged, and put a mobile phone and the VHF handheld radio in the oven, incase we should get struck by lightning and it frazzles the electrics. We've sat out storms in marinas quite a few times, but it's the first time I can recall we've actually been at anchor during thunder and lightning. It was all over in a couple of hours fortunately, and this morning was just beautiful and calm.

A new day and a new destination. By midday we were anchored in a quiet cove on the south east side of Zlarin Island, just off the coast of Sibenik. We were chuffed to have found a good spot to shelter from this afternoons north westerly gusts. It wasn't long before we realised the wind was coming from the West, not the North West and it was filtering down into the cove. This went on all blooming afternoon. The small bay is pretty deep in the middle so we have a lot of anchor chain out. The west wind was the issue as it was blowing us sideways, instead of blowing off the land.

En-route passing Primosten

A typical Croatian tourist brochure picture

Good job the navy didn't notice we

still had our anchor ball up!

This new cove doesn't seem to have a name that I can identify with. Earlier on whilst the wind wasn't too bad, Dean got his scuba gear on to give the prop and the bottom of the keel a really good scrub off. He said it was a tough job with his scraper. Whilst in the water with his gear on he tried to check the anchor, but it was just too deep and dark to see, and he said the water was a lot colder below the top surface layer. I haven't been in today, although it does look very inviting from on deck.

Tonight's spot, all on our own

now the daytrippers have gone back to base

Last views of the day 

looking across to the mainland

Tuesday 6th July... Linda - Lots of info today so will have to put it all in a nutshell as we need to get to bed early for a big day out tomorrow in Krka National Park.

Morning dinghy row around our own private cove

Dean's giving me rowing lessons

so it's my turn now

Lonesome Thesee stern tied to shore

before departure

Have to clean the dinghy too afterwards apparantly

Next stop approaching the River Krka at Sibenik

Boat sailing out getting in our way

Here's Sibenik

First of two bridges to go under!

Mussel farms along the river

Bridge coming up, holding our breath

Should be plenty of clearance

Made it, now looking back, busy busy

We stayed to the centre

Now two more boats one coming one going

It's like sailing through the Grand Canyon, nearly

Time to get a selfie

Sharp bend coming up

Next bridge, this one higher

Still wobbly leg time though

Yikes

Now at Skradin on a buoy

Swan lake here

Ugly ducklings, not

Dinner table inside the boat here

We had a couple of hiccups on the way. The first pontoon we had booked along the river we had to abandon. It was one of those for free if you eat in the restaurant. We were there for one hour trying to get the boat to sit properly on the lazy line, but it was obvious that it didn't suit a boat of our size. The lazy line was like a piece of string and wouldn't keep the boat from hitting the pontoon. So we legged it and went up to Skradin, picking up a buoy in the busy buoy field on our 5th attempt. Well it could have been 5th, I lost count. The river must have been running strong, and the wind was up too by this time... 3pm. It was another of those days when you become the local entertainment. 

Wednesday 7th July... Linda - Today was one of those days that will be imprinted in our memories for a long long time. We spent a day out in the Krka National Park at the spectacular Scradinski Buk waterfalls, with a visit to the tiny river island of Visovac, and a further trip to Roski Slap waterfalls. Thank goodness for digital cameras, I took a record 127 photos today. However am I going to choose the best to show you??

Lets start with the 8am ferry ride from Skradin to Stradinski Buk.... the entrance to the National Park and the Stradinski Buk waterfalls. An absolute gem of a morning.

Arrival at the waterfalls. The site covers a large area, and everywhere you look and walk there is a waterfall next to you. Until this year it was allowed to swim in the pool in this first photo.

From here and after a coffee we boarded a second boat to go further up the river to the Monastery on the river island of Visovac.

A half hour stop and walkabout then back on the boat and upstream again to the waterfalls at Roski Slap. There was only one set of tall falls here, and the rest was a huge area of small gently cascading pools. We soon found a cool shady spot for our picnic lunch along side one of the pools with dragonflies all around. Perfect. The place was lovely and worth a visit. Unfortunately the boat ride to get there was quite boring, and a lot of the seating on the boat was inside. I made sure we were first in the queue going back so we could get outdoor seats.

One of the restaurants had table seating actually in one of the waterfalls, so you could sit and eat with your feet in the lovely cool water! We took a walk around the mill, and some of the staff were dressed in their national costume.

On our way back now to the original waterfalls. These photos taken from our OUTSIDE seats! Makes all the difference you know.

Back at Skradinski Buk we took the very very long and windy boardwalk through the other side of the waterfalls. It really was superb at every single twist and turn.

We had taken two flasks plus a large bottle of water with us and had drank nearly all of it. I was gagging for a coke and Dean for a beer, so before boarding the ferry we sat in one of the bars and chilled out for an hour before boarding the 4.30pm ferry back to Skradin. 

After a short rest on Thesee, we grabbed our gear and went for a shower in the marina before taking a table in one of the restaurants for dinner. An expensive day all in all, but worth every penny. Thank you Dean xxx

Thursday 8th July... Linda - Time for a chill out day, but not temperature wise as it was 36 degrees inside the boat. No afternoon winds, which is good in one way but no good for keeping us cool. We are still in the big lagoon anchored off a small village called Raslina. There's a small inlet and we joined another two boats already at anchor.

On the Skradin buoy before we left this morning

Dean had a small job to do on the anchor windlass, checking the size of the seal for ordering a spare. Whilst he was cleaning around the windlass area he noticed that the small hole which lets water drain through, actually was making water drain right onto the windlass gearbox. Could this be why our gearbox corroded and went kaput after a number of years?  Mmmm?? In a jiffy Dean had been in his spares cabin, found a piece of plastic tubing and was making it fit the hole to divert water away from the new gearbox. He's such a clever clogs.

Head in a locker, a usual sight

Look, he's going to fix the drain hole

Tube going in

Almost in situ

Later we noticed a small boat coming past with the engine running but no-one in it.... another mmmm? Oh look, the guy is in the water enjoying a nice gentle drag to cool off. Ha ha.

What a good idea, or maybe not...

The small headland

All was quiet and peaceful until the excitement of a fire fighter plane emerging from behind the headland. He was just above the water and as he ascended he turned our way and flew right over us. We thought it would be nice if he dropped the water on us to cool down.... only joking! But he did drop it just after us as he went over the trees.

It's a fire fighting plane

Going up

Coming over here!

Double yikes !!

There it goes

Water drop

I cooked some chicken drumsticks and we went ashore for a look around. There's not much here, one shop, couple of bars, and a campsite with a quirky sign.

It would be too hot for a tent today

Our anchorage, at Raslina

Only a short row to get ashore

Friday 9th July... Linda - A second day at anchor in Raslina. It's fresh water here (not sea water) so a good time for Dean to give the decks a wash and scrub. By the time he'd finished we decided not to go ashore as there was a bit of wind due, which didn't really materialise. As always Dean finds something else to fix. Today he was trying to make the fans a bit quieter, trying for the umpteenth time to fix my roving fender which has been burst and dodgy for ages, and rubbing down a bit of gelcoat where the anchor chain had damaged yesterday when it got a bit stuck.

A boat did come and anchor rather close to us, luckily only for a lunch stop, or we would have been telling him to move over. A nice day really, recharging ourselves and planning the next adventures. 

This evening's sunset

Saturday 10th July...  Linda -  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUMMER

Time to move on. We're just about done here in the lagoon area, although we could easily stay longer. Departure from the anchorage was at 9am and we made our way out through the river without seeing a single boat either way. It was a bit spooky and we wondered where everyone was..... until we realised it was Saturday and all the charter boats are back at bases for changeover day. We thought it was too good to be true and that we were bound to meet a boat coming the other way when we reached the bridge. But no! We had it all to ourselves this time. It made for a more leisurely journey and we had chance to look around.

Approaching the bridge, all ours today

Passing Sibenik

Next part of the river

Some kind of traffic lights system 

for large ships we presume

Some kind of man made cave here

Bye bye to Sibenik

Yet another short hop across to the island called Prvic Luka where we dropped the anchor in the hope of spending the day and night. We were semi happy with our spot, only enough room for about three sailboats to swing in comfort. There's a ferry comes in here and you need to make sure you keep well out of the way. As usual we had done our homework on the place, but we then noticed a no anchor sign just along the shore from us which made us uneasy, until we realised it just meant there was a pipeline running out to one of the other islands. We were well away from it so felt reassured knowing what it was. Then the blooming afternoon blow started and made us nervy swinging around towards shore.

This island is reportedly very lovely with a beautiful walk. But that would have to wait until another day as we made the decision that we should move.... where to though?  We went back through the gap between islands and round to the east shore of Prvic Luka. It was somewhat calmer and a boat was at anchor so we joined them. We are still here tonight. It's very open and there have been a lot of day boats about. The wind is just calming down to nothing so we should be ok for tonight. 

Arrival at Prvic Luka anchorage

The ferry leaving

This island is the first one off the mainland and seems to have the most protection. There are a lot of islands outside of this one which seem to be getting the worst of the wind. It's a bit of a funny coastline. The scenery is not so dramatic here as the Split and southern islands area, but it is still beautiful to see all of the islands and travel in between them. 

Our impromptu anchorage to sit out the wind

The next blog post will be called 'Island Hopping'