29 & 30 September, & 1 October 2022 - Biograd

 

Someone buzzing round the marina on a powered board, not a SUP board

We have spent several more days waiting for the weather to improve. We have filled our time with the inevitable chores, preparing to be able to leave as soon as we can, and admin from home. The weather has been so changeable, one moment wind from one direction, then no wind, then the other direction, then no wind but rain. It has been strange when there are times when it is glorious and we felt that we could have been out sailing, but within half an hour the weather has changed, and our decision not to leave seemed entirely sensible. 

When we were in Zadar on Wednesday we saw preparations for the CroRace, the cycling tour of Croatia. There were TV cameras being set up for the finish, and preparations being made for the roads to be lined with barriers and closed, and policemen on every corner of the route. We were unable to stay to see it, as there was a 2 hour gap between buses back to Biograd, and we didn’t want to be too late back. On Friday, we were disturbed by a helicopter flying around, and thought it was probably the police looking for someone. This opinion was then supported by hearing sirens from the town near where the helicopter was circling. It was only when in the distance, I saw a peleton on cyclists going down the harbour front, that I realised exactly what was happening. I looked up the race route on the internet, and lo and behold, Biograd was the start of today’s stage. When we had been into the town earlier in the day, we had seen absolutely no evidence that anything was going to happen. The only thing that may have been related, was that for 2 days before, they were resurfacing the road at the marina entrance. It was really frustrating to be so close and not to have any idea that it was going on. It would have made an interesting diversion on a day that not too much else was happening.

The helicopter filming the CroRace

Fridays and Saturdays are the liveliest days in any of the marinas we have visited, where charter fleets are based. We watch the “port theatre” with a mixture of emotions, although in Biograd we are safely away from the danger zones. The boats start to flood in from about midday on Friday. We had a long chat with “Marina” Marko (as opposed to “looking after our boat Marko”) and he told us about the processes that the marina guys follow on these days and the level of competence that you have to charter a boat here. It explained a lot about what we had seen. Friday night is then a big party night for the departing charter crews, the restaurants are packed, there is plenty of noise in the marina. On Saturday morning we could see plenty of examples of people who may be regretting the night before.

On Saturday these folks depart and a new lot arrive, excited to start there week’s adventure. There seem to be 2 or 3 different profiles of crews, the most common being half a dozen or so guys, with one in their late twenties and the rest all considerably older. We then see them provisioning the boat from the supermarket for the week.  The trolleys seem to contain at least 4 cases of beer, usually more, plenty of other drinks, water, coca cola etc, and sometimes some food.  They must wipe out the beer supplies in the supermarket.  The other common profile is 6 or so, in their twenties, with an even split of genders.

Still T shirts and shorts for us, while someone tries to fly a spinnaker in the marina

We watched some of the boats leaving the port with a mixture of success, there was still a strong cross wind blowing. One near us powered out of their berth, and only just succeeded in making the 90 degree turn to go down the lane to exit the marina without being blown across onto the bows and lines of the boats opposite. We also saw one boat where the new crew had had to sit waiting to depart for several hours, while the charter company had a guy up the mast, fixing something in the rigging. When they were able to go, they made it nearly a boat's length before being blown into the lines of the boat downwind of them. The marina guys had to come in their tender and tow the off.

My day was made on Saturday when an older guy from one of the charter companies came past and stopped to look at our boat. I was working on deck at the time and we struck up a conversation. He said that he thought we had the best boat in the marina.  I couldn’t disagree!

Miles Today - 0

Miles 2022 – 1319

Steve (and Tricia)