8/7 Day 18: Mljet – Dubrovnik (YC Orsan)
46,2 NM – Not a swimming type of morning. Clouds covered all the sky and wind started to blow strong even into famously well sheltered bay Polače. We raised two handkerchiefs instead of sails and headed out. Eight hours of fantastic tough sailing against the wind up to 30 knots! Thanks to the strength of wind our speed towards the destination (velocity made good) was too small, so despite we enjoyed it, we had to start engine in certain moment. Otherwise we would arrive to Dubrovnik next morning. 🙂
We decided to try cheaper Yacht Club Orsan inside Gruz harbor. We were lucky, at least on the first glance – the outer pier was almost empty. We happily landed alongside and went to ask club manager for place. After a moment, we realized that with every wave boat gets a nudge from bottom. Our keel was really sitting on the rock. So shallow bank at pier 30 metres from coast was at least unexpected. Escape manoeuvre consisted of pulling two parallel mooring lines from bow and stern together. At certain moment, we dropped the bow line and turned the boat through the wind around the back mooring. Theory was quite good, but “messenger” (leading line of the mooring attached to the pier) was too short. As we pulled ourselves further from the pier, messenger got too close under the boat and our beautiful folding propeller picked him up. They fell in love immediately and our helpful friend let us down.
We turned the boat 90° with help of other ropes and secured her there. After 8 hours of sailing no one had energy to go under water and talk the propeller out of this love affair. So we called guys from Emergensea again. Gabby, our new crew member was waiting for us on the pier and watching that all.. What an entrée!
9/7 Day 19: Dubrovnik (YC Orsan – ACI marina)
Rescue boat arrived in the morning and one paunchy guy in pants went down and made a straight cut. Our friend was free again and because we were not happy with this place at all (no showers, almost same price as ACI, and even after the turn we had around 20 cm under the rudder) we didn’t let him rest and moved to ACI marina, hidden up in the Dubrovacka river. After stressful evening in the commercial harbor of Gruz we were amazed by beauty of this place, hidden between steep mountains, surrounded by churches and Venetian palace.. Very nicely maintained marina, located 20 minutes from the centre of Dubrovnik, became a nice home for us for two days.
10/7 Day off in Dubrovnik
Almost everyone is around Dubrovnik, me and Luigi in marina organizing repair of diesel generator. In the evening rewarded by wonderful dinner in Konoba Marco Polo, then quick glance into the opening ceremony of local summer festival. Nothing visible from the streets, so we rather took a digestive walk up through the city walls and watched still stormy waves crushing on cliffs under the majestic walls of Dubrovnik. Moon was almost full and together with lights of the town made a breathtaking colors on the clouds…
11/7 Day 19: Dubrovnik – Cavtat
13,2 NM – Mechanics took the sea water pump from generator to their workshop yesterday and because we wanted to leave by 14.00 to avoid paying another night in marina, they promised to come and finish the repair in the morning. However, strong rain was too big barrier for them. Around 11, when the rain was over, they finally arrived and started assembly. They put everything together and made our genny working at 13:45. We left the berth five minutes before the limit and headed towards Cavtat, so called Ragusa Vecchia. Because we encountered big waves on the sea, we stopped for a lunch at Lokrum, the green island in front of Dubrovnik. There was no usable wind, so we motored towards Cavtat and dropped anchor in Uvala Tiha. Passed frontal systems conjured up an incredible sunset, one of the most beautiful I have every seen.
