Split

On Friday, before returning to base in Split or Trogir, I recommend refuelling in Milna on Brač or in Rogač on Šolta. By doing so, you will save yourself a lot of time and frustration because you won’t have to wait for your turn in a long queue at the refuelling station on Friday afternoon.

The southwesterly wind known as the Mistral (a daytime breeze) predominates in the Adriatic from the start of June to mid-September. It usually starts blowing around 11:00 in the morning and can reach a strength of 3–5 on the Beaufort scale (BFT) in the afternoon. At sunset it stops again. The Mistral is considered a fair weather wind because it usually accompanies a cloudless, blue sky and pleasant temperatures at sea (bringing refreshment and helping to keep the air pleasantly humid).

• The months of June to August are especially suitable for a family boating holiday. Winds are gentle and the sea is wonderfully warm. In summer, A SW and NE wind predominates offshore in the area around Split. The average wind speed is 7–10 KN. The winds are relatively stable in summer (a gentle wind blows for several hours during the day and stops almost completely towards evening). During July and August, temperatures in this area reach 29°C to 38°C, with sea temperatures around 25°C. Split, and the area around Split, are some of the sunniest places in Europe.
• Winds are more variable in the months of March and April and from mid-September to the end of October. A stronger, gusty wind usually blows for several days and then abates. This may even be followed by a few days of complete calm. The average wind speed during these months is 9–11 KN. It is the perfect time of year for yachting. Favourable winds blow, marinas and beaches are not crowded, and the air and sea temperatures (September to October) are very pleasant.

Caution! To the north of Split, in the Vrulja Bay area, there is a high probability of a strong and gusty Bora wind. In summer, Bora gusts can reach 9–10 BFT in this area. A summer Bora can last anywhere from just a few hours, up to 1-3 days.

Split is a beautiful, ancient city in the very heart of the Mediterranean, in Central Dalmatia. The moment you arrive, this city is certain to captivate you with its atmosphere. Cobbled-stone lanes, romantic bays, cafés and modern bars. Split also boasts several cultural monuments. The most prized gems include Diocletian’s Palace, which together with the historical city centre is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Other interesting monuments that have been awarded three Michelin stars are the Roman Peristyle (inner courtyard of the palace) and the Diocletian Mausoleum (now forming the Cathedral of St Domnius, who is the local martyr and patron saint of the city). There is also a large naval museum in the city. Split is very busy in summer with concerts, folklore performances and various plays being held in the streets.

You can anchor

•  At the ACI Marina in Split, the largest and oldest marina in the Split yachting area. This marina is very busy and is frequently overcrowded (from Friday to Saturday morning, it is mostly fully occupied due to changing crews). The sanitary facilities are very overloaded.
• If you would like to look at the town, you can anchor either at the marina or by the new harbour promenade (still not officially permitted, but mostly tolerated). Anchoring is completely forbidden in the western part of the harbour bay, and although a lot of boat owners ignore this, you could be fined up to HRK 1 100. Near the marina you will find three large supermarkets, several smaller grocery stores, and markets where you can buy fresh vegetables, fruit and fish. There is also a hospital in the city of Split, a dentist, pharmacy, post office, bank and ATM, and laundries.
• Another marina near Split is the modern Marina Kaštela Gomilica. This marina is one of the newest in Croatia. It offers around 400 berths. Services include: nice showers and WC, connections to water and electricity, WiFi, a restaurant, bar, supermarket, reception and lounge for charter guests, superb technical services, a fuel station, car park and refuse containers. Marina Kaštela is located in the small and ancient intimate town of Gomilica. The town comes to life in summer with various cultural events and festivities.

Marjan Hill rises up above the town with a beautiful forest park, walking trails, and winding paths that fans of walking and running will appreciate. If you conquer the hill, a wonderful view over the bay and a medieval rock chapel awaits you.

The ancient town of Trogir is one of the most beautiful towns on the Adriatic coastline. The town is surrounded by fortified walls with defensive towers and is interlaced with a maze of narrow cobbled-stone lanes and small squares. The centre of the old town is a UNESCO heritage site. Here you will find wonderful Romanesque churches, Baroque buildings, palaces, monasteries, basilicas, museums, and galleries. Pride of place in Trogir is taken by Trogir Cathedral which dates back to 1240, designed by Master Radovan. Trogir is a treasure chest of artworks. The town of Trogir is on an island, which is connected to the mainland and the island of Čiovo by bridges. There are many restaurants, bars, and nice cafés in the town centre and at the waterfront. A doctor, dentist, pharmacy, and large children’s playground are also in the town. Marijana is a good restaurant with a WiFi connection. Other good restaurants are the Calebotta, Pašike, Tragos, Konoba Teuta, Monika, Pizzeria Kristian, Restaurant Kaleta and the konoba, Best.

You can anchor 

• At the ACI Marina in Trogir or moor directly in front of the old town by the quay (berths must be reserved at least 24 hours in advance on tel. +385 91 54 74 491 for a fee of EUR 4/m plus EUR 10 for water and electricity). You can anchor west and east of the old town (outside the sailing channel). When strong westerly winds are blowing, there is a danger of choppy waves in the channel and the town harbour may be flooded. There is also a danger of waves when a Bora is blowing (in the eastern part of the marina).
• ACI Marina, Trogir, offers 162 berths, connections to water and electricity, showers and WC, a restaurant, bar and café, ice, WiFi, two supermarkets, a laundry, technical services, information centre, ATM, gas cylinders and a fuel station. Nearby is a bakery, a scooter rental point, and the Musto shop which sells yachting clothing.
• It is also possible to anchor at the nearby Donji Seget Marina. This marina is an ideal place to set out on a family sailing holiday with children. There is a nice restaurant in the marina with a bar and café, and between the bar and the restaurant is a lovely pool where your children can swim while you wait for your boat to be made ready. The WiFi here is very fast. The marina complex also includes a supermarket, laundry, taxi rank, and scooter rental point. Water taxis run regularly day and night from the marina to old Trogir. Not far from the marina is the town harbour Seget, where you can buy fresh fish at the fish market.

About 20 NM away you will find Vis Harbour where you can park either in the main harbour (VIS Luka), or in the eastern part of the bay in a quieter location, in the smaller harbour of Kut. In VIS Luka Harbour, there are a lot of mooring berths by the town quay with water, electricity and small-scale sanitary facilities. Anchoring is also possible in the harbour bay (anchorages are largely unprotected during a Bora and Sirocco, with strong gusts mainly from the east; ferries can cause tall, unpleasant waves; you have to pay for anchorage but there is a fuel station here). There are many restaurants in the area around the harbour, two fish markets, two cycle and scooter rental points, a wine bar, a doctor, a dentist and a pharmacy. The quieter Kut harbour offers moorings, water, electricity, sanitary facilities, several restaurants, bars, shops and an ATM. From Vis Luka Bay, you can take a trip 8 NM along the northern coastline to Komiža Harbour (one of the most beautiful harbours in this area).

From Komiža, we recommend that you sail to the island of Biševo and the beautiful Modra Špilja Cave (a crossing of approximately 5 NM).

On the western coastline of Biševo, you will find Biševska Luka Bay with the most beautiful sandy beach in this area. There is a friendly bar at the beach where both parents and children are catered for. During a sailing holiday with small children, I anchored in this bay for three days (there are buoys there). In the morning I took the children to the beach, we returned to the boat around noon and then went back to the beach in the afternoon and stayed there until evening. The beach is at its most beautiful until 10:00 and then after 17:00 when there is almost nobody there. During the day, cruise ships from Komiža, ferry people to the beach and it is very crowded. The bay is not suitable when westerly winds are blowing.

We recommend that you also visit the western coastline of Biševo. There are two bays here with a sandy beach. The more northern Sabulnara Bay has bar on the beach, while Porat bay has two restaurants, an anchorage and buoys. The southern bays of Potok and Trešjavac are also very lovely. You will probably be the only ones there.

Also the crossing back to Vis to Stiniva Bay. Stiniva is on the southern side of the island of Vis. This is a wild, romantic bay with a pebble beach (the depth of the water is not suitable for anchoring). Right next to it is the Mala Travna anchorage (you will discover a beach here and a small restaurant belonging to the writer Sdenko Karuza, suitable for quiet and patient customers; depth 6–12 m, mooring to the shore, rocky bottom) and Vela Travna Bay (with a beach and anchorage). Also worth visiting is the small harbour Rukavac with a breakwater (anchorage, beach and two restaurants), the island of Ravnik (the large Zelena Špilja cave at the southern part of the island), and the island of Budikovac with a beautiful lagoon to the west.

The romantic Vinogradišče Bay and anchorage has several superb and expensive restaurants. There are mooring buoys here, too. The crossing from Vis is about 10 NM. A romantic and very popular place is the Palmižana Marina (an ACI marina), offering 180 berths, water and electricity, a supermarket, WiFi connection, technical services, and two restaurants as well as a water taxi to the harbour at Hvar.

Be careful if you are sailing in when it is dark! If you arrive from the isolated danger mark, avoid sailing directly to the green light of the lighthouse as you risk getting stuck on the western side of the entrance to the bay (we recommend that you study this in the Pilot). The Dionisis is a renowned restaurant on the island of Sveti Klement. This can be reached from Taršce Bay (with anchorage and nice beach) or Soline (with anchorage and buoys belonging to the Paradiso restaurant for HRK 200 per day). A nice beach and anchorage can be found at Stari Stani Bay.

Hvar Harbour has mooring by the breakwater. If a southerly or southwesterly wind is blowing, there is a danger of rough waves inside the harbour, and then it is better to stop for the night in Palmižana. Several anchor buoys are nearby (on the southwestern side of the bay). You have to moor up to the shore with a long line far enough away from the shore. Several berths for guests with moorings, water, and electricity are available on the eastern coastline of the bay. There are several discotheques, bars, and restaurants in the area around the harbour. The harbour is relatively busy at night. You will find supermarkets, ATM's, a laundry, a farmer's market and a fish market, a bakery, butcher, doctor, dentist and pharmacy in the town. Hvar is a beautiful, ancient town redolent with the fragrance of lavender. It has its own specific charm and is certainly worth visiting.

Blača Bay is a lovely bay with a beach. You can take a trip to the medieval Blača Hermitage, which will take you about 30 minutes. This hermitage atop a rock, was established to provide protection from pirates and today serves as a museum—a remarkable site that is well worth visiting. The sailing route from Hvar harbour is approximately 11 NM. Bol harbour – a busy harbour offering several mooring berths, restaurants, a supermarket, water and electricity, and a fuelling station. Not far from the harbour is a most beautiful white pebbled beach, Zlatni Rat with a bouncy castle and other water attractions. The Dugi Rat anchorage can be found here, as well as buoys to moor up to.

• Milna Marina (an ACI marina) is backed by a charming harbour town. The marina offers 170 berths, water and electricity, WiFi, technical services, an ATM, supermarket, several restaurants and bars and a butcher. Milna harbour has several restaurants, a dentist and a supermarket. If you are sailing past Milna on your last day at sea, it is worth refuelling there. You will save time waiting for the pumps on Friday afternoon in Trogir, where around a hundred boats will be refuelling. You can also refuel in Rogač harbour on Šolta.
• Bobovišče Bay is a lovely bay with a small harbour and small restaurant, berths at the breakwater (11 mooring lines) or at the buoys (25 buoys), a well sheltered location, parking fee HRK 20/m, electricity and water HRK 80. There are also two shops here. Great swimming and an anchorage can also be found at Stivina bay. The crossing from Bobovišće Bay is roughly 15 NM.