Dubrovnik – Korčula – Hvar – on Anchor – Zadar (Part I)

20 June 2024

Mikel and Rachel joined us in Dubrovnik on Wednesday evening to embark on a five-day cruise to Zadar. From there, they will fly back to Luxembourg and Maryland, respectively. Our route will take us to Korčula, Hvar, two nights at anchor, and finally to Zadar by lunchtime.

We departed from Dubrovnik and headed to Korčula marina, adjacent to the walled city. Known as the birthplace of the famous explorer Marco Polo, Korčula boasts a rich history and stunning medieval architecture. The wind was stronger than PredictWind had forecasted, but the journey was pleasant despite the hazy clouds, which we later discovered were due to a fire in Montenegro. We secured our berth around 1500 and connected to shore power, allowing us to enjoy the air conditioning—a welcome relief from the humid weather.

We explored the walled city and its many restaurants. On a whim, we decided to try the tasting menu at LD Restaurant, a renowned establishment with a Michelin star. The restaurant is celebrated for its innovative dishes that blend local Croatian ingredients with modern culinary techniques. The food was quite good, though a bit “too saucy” for my taste. The meal, accompanied by an excellent selection of local wines, took over two hours, and we went to bed soon after, enjoying a nice walk back to Anna.

The next morning, we set out at 0700 but were delayed by a long line at the marina office for check-out. Additionally, I got too close to the opposing boats after leaving our berth and caught two mooring lines on Anna’s starboard stabilizer fin. One of the marina deckhands managed to free one line, but the other was more difficult. Brian jumped into the water and tried to free it with a screwdriver, but it didn’t work. Another deckhand arrived in a dinghy, pulled the free line towards the bow, and successfully freed it. After this embarrassing moment, we were on our way, about two hours later than planned.

We proceeded to the island of Hvar and docked at a northern marina in Vrboska. Hvar is renowned for its vibrant nightlife, beautiful beaches, and historical sites, including the oldest public theater in Europe, established in 1612. The water was like glass the entire way, but there was little breeze, making it quite hot. We arrived around 3:30 PM and had an easy mooring alongside a long pier on our port side. We connected to electricity and water, only to be informed that the electricity was out due to the fire in Montenegro. I started the generator to get the 220v needed to run the A/C until the electricity was restored about an hour later.

In Vrboska, often called “Little Venice” due to its numerous small bridges, we walked around the small town, had a late snack, and bought provisions for the next two days as we would be at anchor and wanted supplies to cook on the grill. The town is also known for its fishing heritage and beautiful Gothic and Renaissance architecture. That evening, with an almost full moon marking the first day of summer, Brian and Rachel took a romantic late-night stroll while Mikel and I turned in early to read our books.