The trip to Split goes well, and at 13:30 hours we are in the harbour. Our ship ‘Reni’ is waiting for us. We handle all the formalities and check the boat from front to back and top to bottom. Furthermore, we do the shopping. We try to take stores for the whole week, because we intend to spend as little time as possible in harbours. It is always a special experience, a charter base on a Saturday.
Around 15:30 we sail from the marina. Marina Kaštela is a genuine charter base, I estimate that there are around 200 ships departing. A major logistics operation. Fortunately, there is a huge supermarket less than 10 minutes walk from the marina, which makes everything a lot easier. That was different when all charters departed from ACI Marina Split.
There is little wind, about 6 knots from ZO (Jugo). On the engine we cross the bay Kaštelanski Zaljev and around Rat Marjan and Rat Čiova, then across Splitski Kanal towards Splitska Vrata.
As usual the circumstances change when we pass Splitska Vrata. By now, it is 18:00. On the ‘other side’ of this channel between Brač and Šolta there is 15 knots of wind (SE). We hoist the sails, and decide to sail to Luka Tiha, a bay in the Stari Grad channel on the island of Hvar.
Using this ideal sailing winds make three long runs, successively on a southerly, easterly and southerly course. By 20:00 it is dark, and the sea around us is almost deserted. We see some lights in the distance, probably fishing boats. For the rest: empty sea apart from our own navigation lights. The moon is in the first quarter, and stars appear in the sky. Just before 21:00 hours we take the sails down in Starogradski Zaljev, and we motor slowly towards Luka Tiha. Our destination is the northernmost bay of Tiha Luka. There is no light to be seen anywhere, but someone notices our approach and turns on his mooring light. Coming closer, we see two more ships. It still amazes me that so many people do not use their anchor light.
Our anchor held immediately, and while I check whether we are properly anchored we cook some soup. After a meal of soup and bread it is time for bed. There is no wind at all, and it is a quiet night.