Sunsail is investing in their charter fleet with 230 new yachts slated to be added for the 2011-2012 season. The latest, the Sunsail 38 monohull,  is scheduled to sail out of the British Virgin Islands beginning November of this year.

The good-looking Sunsail 38, designed by Marc Lombard, features dual steering wheels and an easy-to-manage sailplan.

The Sunsail 38 is also known as the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 379, which is the latest performance cruiser offered by the French builder. The sleek and sporty boat offers a large cockpit with twin helms, a self-tacking jib, and a fold-down transom that makes boarding easy and is a great launching platform for kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling. Designed by Marc Lombard, this boat follows in the footsteps of its award-winning sister, the Jeanneau 409 (Sunsail 41) and is perfect for two couples or a chartering family.

The Sunsail 38 is easy to sail shorthanded, with all sheets led aft to the helms under the coachroof so the deck stays clear and safe. With a draft of 6’4”, the boat should point well and offer excellent performance even in light winds. There’s a full suite of electronics, including instruments and a plotter that pivots to be viewable from both helms. The Sunsail 38 displaces nearly 15,000 pounds and its 12’ 4” beam offers a lot of living space below.

The interior layout has full cabins fore and aft and a full-sized head next to the companionway with access to a large stowage area under the port-side cockpit.

The charter crew on Tempest awaits the start of the 2005 Transatlantic Race.

Bucket Regattas

If you’re interested in low-key racing, the Bucket Regattas offer three days of regatta fun for owners and crew. Newport, RI and St. Barth’s each host an annual event during their seasons, and when owners can’t make it, they often charter to well-qualified clients. Yachts available for these regattas are typically the higher performance sailing yachts such as SOJANA, WINDROSE, and VIRAGO.

Make sure any charter yacht has a current rating certificate and insurance that covers racing charters (which will probably include special riders for sails and spars). You should also expect at least one dedicated suit of racing sails and a racing-oriented captain and crew. There will often be a surcharge above the usual charter fee, to cover the use of racing sails and additional insurance. You’ll also be responsible for all entry fees, dockage, and any other regatta expenses, just as an owner would, but these costs are usually spelled out in advance.

Offshore Charters

Ranger was chartered for the 2004 Newport Bucket Regatta.

Chartering for a bluewater classic like the Transatlantic Race or the Bermuda Race can be a bit more complicated. “We have to organize safety inspections, haul-outs and crew safety training,” Sandy explains. Since her company is based in Newport, where both of these classic races originate, she is well-positioned to understand the challenges. And since boat owners won’t send their boats offshore in unqualified hands, often the biggest challenge is getting enough insurance to cover the charterer and crew. “Each of the crew needs a solid sailing resume, and it’s preferable if they have a history of sailing together.”

And Sandy adds one additional warning: “Keep in mind that you may also be responsible for the costs to re-position the yacht after the race.” A good thing to know before you step off the boat in a distant port.

Motherships

Chartering a mothership is a great way to involve non-racing guests in an event. Motherships are like floating B&B’s, a way to house and feed sailors for an entire regatta. They also provide a moving platform for guests to follow a race to the next port at a dry and comfortable speed. “I once chartered the Nantucket Light Ship to a client as a mother ship for a New York Yacht Club cruise,” Sandy says. “That’s where the fun really begins!”

For more information or to book a regatta charter, visit Sanderson Yachting LLC.

Sunsail offers Reef Weeks on monohull sailboats from 36 to 48 feet.

And it’s not just the usual “discount in the off-season,” either. Sunsail has made a color-coded charter calendar showing “Single Reef Weeks” for 15 percent off, “Double Reef Weeks” for 25 percent off, and “Make Your Own Reef Week” with variable discounts. Reef Weeks are offered for sailing monohulls from 36 up to 48 feet, in Caribbean destinations from the Bahamas to the Grenadines.

Sunsail offers bareboat and crewed charters for any level of experience. And the Caribbean is one of the world’s most popular charter destinations, with a mix of island cultures and reliable trade winds.

So maybe you can fit in that family getaway after all. But you’ll need to book by June 30.

For more information, visit the Reefweeks web page.

Ipharra and Che spar in tropical waters.

Launched in July 2010, Che is now sailing the Caribbean and will go back to the Mediterranean for charters this summer. After her worldwide premiere at the Cannes International Boat Show 2011, she will sail off to Venice.

For more information, contact Sunreef Yachts Charter.

The Moorings 50.5

A sail area of 1268 square feet and a deep bulb keel (6’6” total draft) should provide lively and weatherly performance in the tradewinds.

The Moorings 3900

The 50.5 is available for charter in the Moorings fleets in the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, St. Martin, and Grenada.

The company’s latest catamaran, the Moorings 3900, is another well-coordinated collaboration between the design team of Morrelli & Melvin and builders Robertson & Caine of South Africa. A development of the award-winning Leopard 38, the Moorings 3900 is set up with three double cabins and two head compartments. The saloon and cockpit are both designed to maximize the dual pursuits of most charterers – enjoying life in and on the water, and relaxing belowdecks. A raised steering station to starboard under a hard-top bimini offers good visibility all around, and the helmsman has winches and sail controls right at hand.

The 3900 will be available in The Moorings’ charter fleets in Greece starting in June, 2011, and later in the year in the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, and Mexico.

Shanti is one example of a luxury gulet.

Turkish gulets (gooh-LET) are traditional Turkish Mediterranean-designed broad-beamed wooden coastal sailing vessels that originated as a design that would keep cargo safe and dry at sea year-round. The vessel’s broad beam provides expansive decks and spacious cabins below. Some are extremely large and luxurious, others much more modest.

Today’s two-masted yachts use that stability to keep guests comfortable; many charter guests comment on how surprisingly stable gulets feel, an experience similar to that of cruising on a trawler yacht. People prone to seasickness often find gulets to be more comfortable than other styles of yacht, too.

Gulets are traditionally built of wood. A gulet owner who invests in proper maintenance can keep a charter yacht looking and operating beautifully for many years, but it is not uncommon in Turkey to find gulets that are rotting from the inside out. For this reason, it is important to book a gulet charter through a broker who has stepped aboard the actual boat within the past 12 months.

For more on the affordable charter vacation in the islands of the Aegean, read my story “Turkish Gulets — Best Charter Value.” To read more on the gulet design and experience, visit our YachtWorldCharters.com page on Gulet Charters.

Last October, Susanne, Georgina (age 9) and I first saw our charter boat Blue Moon off Paradise Island, Nassau, the largest of the Bahamian island chain. The 2006 Hunter 41 was painted in my favourite Captain’s Navy. I’d never come across on-board air conditioning or electric heads before, and best of all everything worked very well. And the boat was so clean I was almost tempted to eat my lunch from the engine rocker cover, though perhaps I’d draw the line at the bilges.

Blue Moon, a Hunter 41, provided an excellent charter platform for the author.

We were a little surprised to see a front loading fridge and freezer, which aren’t especially practical for sailing. Also the electronic chart plotter above the wheel with instruments below was great for motoring but useless for sailing, where the steering position is to the port or starboard side depending on the boat’s tack. Other than this, Blue Moon was perfect for our two weeks of cruising.

Enjoying the pleasant October sunshine on a reach between Eluthera and Davis Harbour

After provisioning and a good (air conditioned) night’s sleep aboard, we set sail for Highborne Cay at the north end of the Exuma Island chain, some 38 nautical miles away. The Exumas form a national park and all are very beautiful and clean. En route, the depth over Yellow Bank was something to keep an eye on but no issue. Wind was an interesting 25kts and we made 7.5 to 8 knots over the ground.

We anchored in a secluded bay on Highbourne, filled the dinghy up with fuel, found our first of many conch shells and had our first taste of sunshine. October is supposed to be low season with rain, wind and cold weather, and maybe it was for the locals. To us it was shorts and bikinis for the duration, with the occasional rain providing a respite from the heat and occasionally, an opportunity to shower! We capped off the day with an amazing sunset.

An amazing sunset capped off our day in the secluded bay of Highbourne.

If you are looking for busy shops, restaurants and crowded bars, don’t go to the Northern Exumas. But if you’d like to see all sorts of wildlife in its natural habitat, this is the place. Rays, turtles, dolphins, sharks, bonefish, flying fish, and hundreds of conch – which I prefer alive but if you like to eat them, I understand they are very good!

Monday we took a short hop to Normans Cay to anchor for more swimming, sunning and relaxing, again alone and secluded. Tuesday we sailed to Warderick Wells, home of the park warden and a small gift shop. Picking up a buoy behind Emerald rock gave us a great base for walking and snorkelling the reefs.

A short dinghy ride from Staniel Cay takes you to the famous swimming pigs.

On Wednesday we headed to Cambridge Cay, and then to Staniel on Thursday. Staniel has great services and a particularly nice restaurant / bar at the Yacht Club – it’s essential that you buy the t-shirt! A quick ride in the dinghy takes you to “Thunderball Cave” (of James Bond fame). This is only accessible at low water slack but absolutely amazing, you swim under a sill in the water that opens out into a large cave about the size of a small house. The roof at some point has collapsed so there’s a natural skylight that lets the sun shine light the pool. This pool is teaming with so many varieties of tropical fish it’s impossible to count. A short dinghy ride in the direction of Fowl Cay takes you to the famous swimming pigs.

Feeding the tame sharks on Compass Cay

Compass Cay has a tiny marina with very little in the way of stores, but it is still an amazing place to visit. Here we swam with and fed the sharks who’ve been tamed by the owner of the island, a very pleasant Bahamian who made us very welcome. On the windward side of the island was an amazing beach where we were all alone. Not so in the small marina though, where feeding sharks was the order of the day (they like cold turkey the best).

By Saturday we were in need of water and decided to take the windward side route to Rock Sound on Eluthera, about 35NM to the North East. Everywhere in the Exumas, water costs about $0.45 to $0.50 per gallon. Davis Harbour charge $6 to $12 per day to connect your hose, well worth knowing if you want to wash down the boat as well as filling your tanks! Mooring fees there are also less than half of elsewhere. We arrived in Davis Harbour Marina late on in the afternoon and found all we needed including a short taxi ride to a very large supermarket and hardware store. The sail across and back were both great with pleasant sea and wind conditions for an easy reach both ways.

Now it has to be said that there are two tricky parts about sailing in the Exumas. On the lee side of the island chain there is a great deal of very shallow water over sand bars and occasional coral. This is easy to deal with using the pilot book, charts and some common sense. All the advice to use “visual pilotage” is correct and must be supported by a good depth sounder and knowledge of your position.

The other tricky part is getting from the leeward to windward side of the chain. Between most of the islands there is a passage where the current can flow strongly and waves can be high. On more than one occasion we found it necessary to pass through at slack or close to slack water. It’s not a problem, just something to be aware of.

On Monday we set sail for Little Farmers Cay and had an outstanding welcome! An interesting island almost entirely populated by the descendents of one family who settled there some years ago. The services are limited but they have everything you need. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet Terry Bain who owns Ocean Cabin. Terry will tell you everything you need to know about the Exumas and even sing you a song!

Tuesday was our last night of solitude, in a tiny bay in the private island Rudder Cut. There are “private” signs on some of the islands but we were assured that this applies only above the high water mark, so it’s fine to swim and sunbathe on the beach.

We had most of the beaches all to ourselves, including this one on the windward side of Compass Cay.

Wednesday was a fairly long sail down the “outside” of the south Exumas. We braved the passage from the leeward to windward side of the islands through the passage between Rudder Cut and Little Darby, a short exhilarating blast out to sea like a champagne cork from its bottle. A few hours on the wind until we got to Channel Cay, where once again we were in the lee of the islands heading for Georgetown.

We found the marina at Georgetown to be a bit choppy so headed over to Hurricane Hole on Lee Stocking Island. This was such a good spot that we stayed for the balance of the holiday. There is an amazing beach just off the Chat-n-Chill Restaurant where again, buying a t-shirt is mandatory. In the bay we saw turtles and also paddled with six foot rays, all swimming along the shore looking for conch scraps from the bar next to Chat-n-Chill.

It’s about 1 mile by dinghy over to Georgetown where you’ll find all sorts of supplies, souvenirs and a post office in case you need one. There’s also an interesting lake that you can motor straight into.

When it was time to go home on Saturday, the hand over back to 360 Yachting was smooth and straight forward. All in all, we’d recommend the company and the destination, but not for novices!

Editor’s Note: Find a charter yacht in the Bahamas. Read more about the Exumas (including a list of highlights) on the 360 Yachting site.

The Casino has been an Avalon landmark since 1929, though it has never housed gambling.

Of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California, Catalina is the best known and most often visited. As the mainland gets busier, the island just holds more and more allure. On any given summer weekend, boats head over as if they were on a cable. The major destinations are Avalon, Two Harbors, Emerald Cove or any of the hundreds of protected coves along the front side in the lee of the island. There are over 1,100 moorings in the major harbors that are open to the public for a fee and plenty of room to anchor for no charge. Although you can anchor anywhere, the smaller coves are often leased by yacht clubs and therefore have restricted shore access. And getting a mooring in Avalon on a summer weekend is like winning the lottery.

Catalina is a perfect charter destination for a week or even a long weekend. The prevailing winds are westerlies which also makes them noserlies when on the way to the island. The straightest and shortest shot is from Long Beach. Departing from Marina del Rey makes for a longer trip, but you might get a nice reach in both directions. Sailing from Newport Harbor almost guarantees a windward slog on the way there and a run home.

Catalina is usually an easy sail from the mainland, with frequent dolphin and whale sightings.

The busiest season is from Memorial Day until Labor Day. After that, Southern Californians inexplicably behave as if they actually experience seasons and the island settles back into a lazier pace. March and April find the island verdant and downright tropical looking, while September through November are warm, golden-hued months perfect for hiking and relaxing. Companies like Bluewater Sailing and Blue Pacific Boating in Marina del Rey, and Marina Sailing which has multiple locations along the coast, will be happy to charter you a boat year-round. So why not take advantage of the off season?

The Lay of the Land
Catalina Island is shaped like a bowling pin with Avalon on the southeast bottom tip and Two Harbors at the neck of the pin. It is 21 miles long, eight miles across at its widest point, and only several football fields wide at Two Harbors near the West End. The total adds up to about 76 square miles. In 1972, the Wrigley family of chewing gum fame and owners of the island at the time, established the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, a foundation dedicated to preserving and protecting the wild lands and nature in perpetuity. In 1974, the Wrigleys deeded 86% of the island to the conservancy, which has left Catalina pristine and mostly undeveloped.

Careful preservation has kept Catalina from being overdeveloped.

There are a few interesting exceptions to the ownership and management of the island. Bird Rock, about a half mile off the beach at Two Harbors (and named for the birds that nest there) is privately owned by a family that has recently put it on the market. Asking price: upwards of $2.5 million. There have been rumors of constructing a casino on Bird Rock, although anyone who has sailed downwind of it might wonder what construction crew would be willing to take on the job. And then there is scenic Indian Rock in Emerald Cove, allegedly owned by Spain. Due to some oversights when deeds were signed, Spain could supposedly plant a flag on the rock, which would certainly confuse arriving boaters.

Things To Do
Avalon on the east end only occupies one square mile and remains the only real town. Its harbor holds 400 moorings, but there’s no place to really anchor safely. Avalon is comfortable in all but easterly and southerly wind conditions when its crescent-shaped harbor can become a lee shore deathtrap. It’s a bustling little place with restaurants, bars, grocery stores, T-shirt shops, plenty of organized tours, and a scuba park off Casino point. I’ve been to Catalina over a hundred times and the more I go, the more I realize how much there is still to see and do, from parasailing and zip lining to hiking and exploring the arboretum. Occasionally, cruise ships anchor out and disgorge hundreds of passengers, much to the delight of the shopkeepers and the chagrin of visiting boaters.

If Avalon is the big city, Two Harbors, called the Isthmus by the locals, may seem like the last outpost of civilization. If you’re looking to get away from it all, it’s bliss. There are approximately 600 moorings between Isthmus and its neighboring Fourth of July and Cherry Coves. A small village consists of the Harbor Reef bar and restaurant, a few flushing public toilets, and showers into which you put quarters for a couple minutes of hot water – if there happens to be hot water that day. There is also one small convenience store, a couple of washing machines, an office where you can book a campsite or find an ATM and a shack that rents bikes, kayaks and scuba equipment. Diving and snorkeling are popular on the nearby reefs, and the surrounding California kelp beds are home to lobster, urchins, sea lions, and leopard sharks – which are harmless.

Buffalo wander the island freely.

And then there are the buffalo, which wander freely about the place. Fourteen American Bison were brought over in 1924 for the making of a movie and when they proved too difficult to round up at the end of the shoot, were left on their own to graze and mate as they pleased. The herds are managed today so you can enjoy a low-fat buffalo burger in the bar. If you’d rather enjoy them on the hoof, check out Catalina and Little Harbors on the back side where the giant beasts snack on grass near the shore or in the campgrounds.

Two Harbors, called the Isthmus by the locals, is bliss for anyone trying to escape civilization.

The buffalo have led to the creation of the Isthmus signature drink called Buffalo Milk. It’s a concoction of seven different liquors, milk and whipped cream. Even if you think the first one is a too-sweet kiddie milkshake, the third one is guaranteed to go down smoothly. Thereafter, nothing is guaranteed.

History and Hollywood
The first Catalina Islanders were American Indians whose origins are a bit hazy. It seems that various native peoples occupied the island for over 7,000 years. Take a bus to the Airport-In-The-Sky where you can visit an old Indian midden, and find shards of pottery and outlines of structures.

The island was “discovered” by a variety of European adventurers including Don Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 and Don Sebastian Vizcaino of Spain in 1620 who named the island Santa Catalina, apparently to honor St. Catherine of Alexandria on whose feast day he sighted the land.

In 1919, the Wrigleys purchased the island and poured money into Catalina’s development, building hotels, a bird park, the Cubs’ spring training camp and even a pottery factory that for decades produced the famous Catalina Island tiles. They also built the Casino, a landmark building in Avalon since 1929. The Casino, which never housed any kind of gambling activity, still functions today and offers tours of the upstairs ballroom (which can hold 3,000 couples) and a 1,200 seat theater downstairs.

A few of the pirates who dress up for Buccaneer Days every October.

Over 20 movies have been shot on the island since 1911. Watch closely and you may just see Cat Harbor used as a tropical South Seas setting, minus the mooring cans and dinghy dock. The list of celebrities who have vacationed or lived on Catalina is long, and their tales are sometimes sordid and often glamorous. Humphrey Bogart used to sail his ketch Santana to Avalon. In 1981, Natalie Wood fell overboard from the family yacht and drowned in Isthmus Cove under circumstances that have been much debated. Winston Churchill set a record by catching a 188 pound marlin in 1929. Norma Jean, (aka Marilyn Monroe), came as a sixteen-year-old bride and settled in Avalon for a year and half.

Buccaneer Days – The Phenomenon
On the first weekend of October, a weirdly renowned event takes place at the Isthmus called Buccaneer Days. Typically, around 4,000 aaargh-growling pirates storm Two Harbors. The three-day party, complete with cannon fire and pirate/wench wear, makes Las Vegas seem tame. Saturday night is the apex of grog drinking, and an estimated 500 gallons are served, plus of course all accompanying liquids if grog is not your poison. Despite the debauchery, there are few serious problems – mostly loose dinghies and minor injuries for pirates not sticking their landings.

Cat Ship Rock

Sunday mornings are sometimes not as sunny and clear as Saturday, and I’m not just talking about the weather. A few bleary eyed pirates are strewn about the beach or seen wandering around the Harbor Bar in their costumes from the night before. Coffee and Bloody Marys are the tonic of choice and as the harbor clears out, the occasional cannon fire and a few weak “aaargh mateys” are heard, but mostly, everyone settles in for a long rest to prepare for next year’s celebration.

Everyone’s Doing it
In the summer, the middle of the channel puts you out of the sight of land in either direction due to the marine layer which obscures just about everything ten miles out. In winter, during the Santa Ana winds, the visibility is so good you can see minute detail on the island shore from the mainland as if the island had been reeled in closer. And although Catalina is a year-round destination with a wonderful Thanksgiving spread at the Isthmus and a ball in the Casino for New Year’s, don’t get lulled into complacency. February storms and nasty winter desert winds can kick up the channel so steep you’d swear you’re on an episode of The Deadliest Catch.

That said, Catalina is usually an easy sail with frequent dolphin and whale sightings. Standing at the mainland slip, you can go 30 miles north, east or south and still be in the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles. But 30 miles to the west, you’ll not only cross an ocean but step back in time. It’s no wonder people keep coming. As the song says, “Forty kilometers in a leaky old boat, any old thing that’ll stay afloat….” Everyone wants to go, heck, even the rattlesnakes made it across on a bunch of debris. Oh, didn’t I mention those?

For more information or to find a charter boat near Catalina, visit the YachtWorldCharters.com West Coast destination page.

Sunset in Pula

During your cruise keep an eye out for the Bura wind, the only wind that can be dangerous in this area. A strong Bura, rare during summer months, is a cold northeasterly wind that blows from the Velebit mountains, and it starts suddenly and blows in strong gusts. Check the weather forecast before crossing the Kvarner. We do not recommend crossing the Kvarner on the first day of the cruise, or leaving the return across for the last morning of the charter.

You might find settling in and provisioning the boat enough for the first afternoon, in which case you can spend the evening in harbour taking in the sights and getting used to being on holiday whilst enjoying a dinner on shore.

Day 1
Pula has a large marina called Veruda just outside of town, and a smaller ACI marina immediately under the Roman amphitheatre in the middle of the commercial port. For those who would prefer to get away immediately, there are two nice bays for anchoring just south of the entrance to marina Veruda. The northern part is a very safe anchorage called Uvala Soline (sometimes referred to as Vinkuranska Vala). Just south of the peninsula there is a bay formed by the islands Fraškerić and Frašker, which is one of the best swimming spots in this part of Istria. Beware of the shallow passage between the two bays; always sail around the island of Veruda.

The best place to moor overnight on Unije is a cove called Maračol.

The southern tip of Istria, the Premantura peninsula, is only six miles away and could be reached the first day. For swimming and anchoring there are two lovely bays, Debeljak and Portić, at the entrance to Medulinski Zaljev, which is just the other side of the Premantura peninsula. Beware of the strong currents that flow along the peninsula, as well as the shallows in the wide bay. At the bottom of the bay is ACI Marina Pomer, right next to the lovely village of the same name where there are a few nice restaurants.

Day 2
Sail across the Kvarner, leaving the Istrian peninsula for the north Adriatic islands. Check the forecast as this crossing can get rough if the Bura is blowing.

Option 1: Unije has a charming but not very protected harbour and lovely beach, as well as a landing strip where planes can be seen transporting children to school on the bigger islands. The best place to moor overnight is a cove called Maračol on the other side of the island. There are many buoys to moor to, and it’s a picturesque walk to the main town from here. There are two good taverns; the one called Unijana specialises in fresh local produce and vegetarian cuisine, but it is wise to call ahead as it is not always open. The other is Palmira where the local lamb is a speciality.

Option 2: The Island of Susak is unique, first because it is entirely made out of sand which is very unusual in the Mediterranean, and second because it has a strong cultural heritage. Unfortunately due to its extreme poverty many of the inhabitants have been forced to emigrate. Only 130 people live on the island year round, whilst more than 3000 Susak islanders live in New Jersey. This has resulted in Susak adding some very strange traditions to its strong local folklore; they play baseball on the island. Many people return and build on their native ground. It is also worth visiting the local graveyard as others return home only to be buried.

The swimming is excellent on Susak in a bay called Bok, just southeast of the entrance to the harbour. It is relatively shallow so take care when anchoring, and the bottom is all sand, which is also what makes such a nice beach. The harbour is well protected with moorings, water and electricity. There are no great restaurants , but a visit to the upper village is still recommended to see the graveyard and winemakers; there is a long tradition of winemaking in this sandy soil.

Day 3
Sail to the island of Olib, pick up a buoy on the east side of the island and go for a swim on the lovely sandy beach. Olib is shaped like a figure of eight and on the west side of its narrowest part is the port, whilst on the east is the beach. Its highest point is only metres above sea level.

The port of Silba

A walk from the beach to the port takes a good twenty minutes, which is quite long in the heat of summer. The port is good and one can moor on either side of the breakwater as well as pick up a buoy. The quay has moorings, water and electricity. There are no cars on Olib as the streets are too narrow, so many of the locals get about on quad bikes. Olib natives have traditionally been farmers and herders, while the nearby island of Silba has become famous for its mariners and merchant captains. Silba is a good alternative spot for spending the night, with a good port to moor in. Dining out on Silba? Our recommendation is Konoba Mul.

Day 4
Sail through the passage between the island of Škarda and Ist, one of the nicest parts of the Adriatic coastline. Here you will see a rock called Hrid Funestrala that is the shape of a sphinx. Once past the island of Molat you will soon enter one of the widest bays of the Adriatic, on the northwest part of the Dugi Otok. A large part of this bay is completely sheltered, resembling an atoll lagoon. There are many buoys to pick up and a small marina next to the village Veli Rat. Opposite the marina is a very good restaurant called D&M.

Day 5
A short trip around the point to the southern side will take you to a lovely turquoise bay called Sakarun for a swim. From there sail north to the island of Premuda and pick up a buoy behind the large rock south of the island’s north point, next to the small fishing village called Krijal. This is an ancient shelter for fisherman.

The Venetian fort ruin on the island of St Peter.

Another option is to continue to the island of Ilovik. The passage between the island of Ilovik and Sveti Petar is very picturesque with many buoys, a quay with moorings, water and electricity, and an old Venetian fort ruin on the island of St Peter. Swimming is great in the bay Paržine on the other side of the island.

Day 6
Enjoy a short sail to Veli Lošinj, stopping by two small islands called Orjule where there are some very nice swimming spots on the eastern side. Or have a look at the southern point of Cres Island. Punta Križa is also a nice place for swimming and anchoring, especially Meli Cove.

From there go through the passage called Privlaka into Mali Lošinj harbour. The bridge opens every day at 18:00 hrs. If you miss the bridge or do not want to stay in Mali Lošinj you could also spend the night outside in Veli Lošinj or the bay next to it called Rovenska, which is a safe harbour if there is no Bura blowing. In Rovenska there is an excellent restaurant with Italian food called the Bora Bar.

The Privlaka passage

The town of Mali Lošinj is big and well developed, with many bars and restaurants. Our suggestions would be Corrado or Artatore. Artatore Bay is a good alternative to mooring up in the busy port as it is a safe and beautiful anchorage.

Day 7
Return across the Kvarner. You can make a quick stop at the island of Unije in the port and swim on the point underneath the lighthouse on the island. Once you have crossed the Kvarner you can moor in for the last night in any of the places you did not have time to visit on the way down. We do not recommend leaving the return across for the last morning of the charter.

There is an alternative destination very close to Pula; the island of Veliki Brijun. Only the port can be visited in this tiny but lovely archipelago that is also a national park. Rent out bikes and cycle around the lovely paths, visit the Roman ruins, even play golf or visit the safari park. These islands were the personal resort of Tito the “dictator” of Yugoslavia. It is relatively expensive to moor in the port, but well worth the visit for its unusual history.

Editor’s Note: For much more detail about chartering in Croatia or to find a boat, visit the Yachtworldcharters.com Croatia page. For more photos of the area, visit the Croatia Photo Gallery on YachtWorld.com.

Marko Knezevic is a dealer for Hallberg-Rassy in Zagreb, Croatia. He has been sailing since the age of seven on dinghies and a series of family boats. He studied at the University College London’s naval architecture and management school and has since sailed on San Francisco Bay, the Solent, the English Channel, and in France.

New to the Nicholson fleet is the 1998 Radford Ke Ama II, which is available for charters in Fiji. Ke Ama II takes six guests with two crew. The master cabin has a queen-size bed, one guest cabin has a double-size bed, and the third guest cabin has twin beds plus a fixed, bunk-style berth. Ke Ama II‘s weekly base rate is $25,000.

New to the Churchill fleet is the 80-foot Palmer Johnson Volterra, which is shown in the photograph at right. The sloop was originally built to circumnavigate the world and has strong credentials on the regatta and racing circuit, including having competed in the 1997 Transatlantic Challenge Race. Volterra will be available in the Caribbean this winter, taking six guests with three crew. The weekly base rate is yet to be publicly announced.

Editor’s Note: Nicholson Yachts is a sponsor of CharterWave, where this blog originates.