At Sea (or was it Customs?)

  • Post category:2008 Malta

Due to weather and some last minute shopping, it is 1130 before we drop our moorings and leave Marina Kaštela. During the morning we experience a rare weather phenomenon, the so-called ‘Black Bura’. It comes with very dark and threatening clouds, and usually brings bad weather.

Around noon we moor at the customs pier in the harbour of Split. That takes a bit longer than we anticipated. We are leaving the A1 sea area (coastal) and move into A2 and A3 territory (offshore). Therefore, the authorities check whether our boat, the facilities on board, and the crew meet the required regulations. They even get in the harbourmaster out of a meeting with a visiting government minister to check our papers – the first time in six years that anybody takes a look at my skipper’s license!

In the end, we are cleared to leave at around 1600. Which we are eager to do by now. We first pass Splitska Vrata, the channel between Brač and Šolta, and set a course for Lastovo. By the time we reach this island the night watch system is operational. We run three shifts of three persons each: one watch leader and two crew.