26 June 2024
| Metric | Details |
| Departure Time | 0945 |
| Expected Wind (max) | 5.0kn |
| Expected Wave (max) | 0.5m |
| Engine Hours | 4382 |
| Generator Hours | 1767 |
The Hotel at Brijuni National Park
We didn’t choose Brijuni National Park because of what it is, but really because of where it was. When we arrived, we found a very nice cove to anchor in, but no one was around. It was almost spooky that we were the only ones there. Then it dawned on us that maybe it was a national park and we should anchor somewhere else. So, we headed to the northeast side of the main island and found a hotel with a small marina and a large boat anchored just in front of the marina entrance. We dropped anchor there as we were not planning to stay beyond the morning.
Once we were settled, the national park patrol came over and informed us that we could not anchor there as it was for larger yachts that could not moor in the marina. So, we pulled up anchor and went into the marina where they helped us Med-moor Anna. As it turns out, Brijuni National Park has a very famous hotel that movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton frequented. The park is renowned not only for its luxury accommodation but also for its extensive natural beauty and historical significance.
Brijuni National Park consists of 14 islands and islets along the coast of Istria, Croatia. The main island, Veliki Brijun, is the most accessible and offers a variety of attractions, including a safari park with exotic animals, archaeological sites from the Roman and Byzantine periods, and beautifully preserved Mediterranean landscapes. Visitors can explore the park’s unique flora and fauna, historical sites, and even a dinosaur footprint site.
The park’s blend of natural and cultural heritage makes it a fascinating destination. There’s also a 9-hole golf course, and you can rent bikes or electric cars to explore the island. The Brijuni Islands are a protected area, ensuring that their natural beauty remains unspoiled for future generations.
We ended up staying two days as we decided not to go further up the coast but to take the 56-hour non-stop trip to Saranda, Albania, where we wanted to get some cheap fuel. Upon checking the systems the evening before we left, I noticed that the aft house battery bank box was bowed, indicating that our batteries were bloated, hot, and over-charged. After further inspection, we confirmed that four of the six batteries were bad and dangerous, while two were in salvageable shape. We spent about three hours disconnecting all the batteries. For the technically inclined: we have six 12-volt batteries, which make up three 24-volt batteries by wiring the pairs in series. Then, these three 24-volt batteries are connected in parallel to give us 600 amp hours. Essentially, we took four batteries out of service and kept two for the trip to Saranda. The idea was to purchase six new batteries in Albania, but I decided to wait until we got to Athens as the two remaining batteries were working okay.