Thoughts on some Croatia anchorages?

[BlakeyD]

Hello! We're an all-adult family of four chartering in Croatia for the first time at the end of the month on a 40' catamaran. We have done several charters in BVI but this is our first in Europe.

I feel like I've read so much and watched so many videos that I'm about to go crazy. I've made some notes and would really like your thoughts on some of the anchorages we have as possibilities for our 6 nights on the water.

Krknjasi - first night. Restaurants and swimming.

Vicisce - first night back up. Must anchor?

Sesula Bay - book mooring and pay ahead of time

Milna - town quay or 3 marinas

Bol - New town quay and moorings. visit Zlatni Rat beach

Jelsa - Town quay only - east or west side. Great restaurants and bars. Winery. VHF 9

Vrboska- "Little Venice" one of the safest harbors. Marina at entrance to bay or town quay.

Stari Grad - Museum. Town quay 2nd largest in Croatia. South side - showers. VHF 9

Hvar Town - Is it hard to get a mooring or dock space here? If so, where would you recommend we stay overnight nearby where we could get a water taxi? ACI Palmizana has been suggested.

Vis Town - Two town quays and moorings. Town tour?

Komiza - rent scooters, ride through vineyards. Small town quay or moorings.

---

Thanks so much for any thoughts you'd like to share. I'd love to know why any of these are a good or bad choice.

[Q. Helm]

Originally Posted by BlakeyD

Hello! We're an all-adult family of four chartering in Croatia for the first time at the end of the month on a 40' catamaran. We have done several charters in BVI but this is our first in Europe.



I feel like I've read so much and watched so many videos that I'm about to go crazy. I've made some notes and would really like your thoughts on some of the anchorages we have as possibilities for our 6 nights on the water.



Krknjasi - first night. Restaurants and swimming.



Vicisce - first night back up. Must anchor?



Sesula Bay - book mooring and pay ahead of time



Milna - town quay or 3 marinas



Bol - New town quay and moorings. visit Zlatni Rat beach



Jelsa - Town quay only - east or west side. Great restaurants and bars. Winery. VHF 9



Vrboska- "Little Venice" one of the safest harbors. Marina at entrance to bay or town quay.



Stari Grad - Museum. Town quay 2nd largest in Croatia. South side - showers. VHF 9



Hvar Town - Is it hard to get a mooring or dock space here? If so, where would you recommend we stay overnight nearby where we could get a water taxi? ACI Palmizana has been suggested.



Vis Town - Two town quays and moorings. Town tour?



Komiza - rent scooters, ride through vineyards. Small town quay or moorings.



---



Thanks so much for any thoughts you'd like to share. I'd love to know why any of these are a good or bad choice.

With regard to Hvar, Palmizana is a nice, quiet and well-protected marina with easy water taxi access to Hvar. And the little bays on the south side of Paklinski Otoci are very pleasant anchorages.

[Q. Helm]

At Vis, we spent the first night on a mooring ball in Stončica bay, where there was a very nice little restaurant with outdoor seating. We went to Biševo the next day to try and see the Blue Cave, but it was a total zoo. You can’t go to the cave in your own dinghy, it’s impossible to get a mooring, and there was a two hour wait for the tourist boat to the cave, so we never saw it. We spent that night on the town quay at Komiža and had another very nice meal, but I wish we had skipped Biševo and gone to Vis town.

[Bullshooter]

I have only been once, so my knowledge is limited. If you want to be able to get a mooring ball in places, put the MySea app on your phone. You can call and make a reservation and know you will get one that way. We found anchoring was tricky in some places, as the bottom is rocky and steep.

We went in June and wanted to get to the Blue Grotto on the island of Bisevo early, before the crowds, since you have to wait your turn to get taken in to see it. If you are going to Komiza, that is pretty close so you can sail over early, check out the crowd, and give it a pass if it is really crowded. If it doesn't look too bad, pick up a mooring ball and wait. It is pretty cool.

We stayed in Komiza at the dock. Nice place. You have to do Med mooring, tie-ing up stern-to, same as Stari Grad.

We moored in Uvala Vinogradisce, in the Paklinski Otoci (Islands). If you moor here, I recommend getting a mooring ball further back in the bay with quieter water.

In Stari Grad, (Old Town) we docked at the marina overnight. Real interesting town, worth a stop. Had a great meal at a restaurant named Kanoba Batana, really excellent.

[BlakeyD]

Originally Posted by Q. Helm

At Vis, we spent the first night on a mooring ball in Stončica bay, where there was a very nice little restaurant with outdoor seating. We went to Biševo the next day to try and see the Blue Cave, but it was a total zoo. You can’t go to the cave in your own dinghy, it’s impossible to get a mooring, and there was a two hour wait for the tourist boat to the cave, so we never saw it. We spent that night on the town quay at Komiža and had another very nice meal, but I wish we had skipped Biševo and gone to Vis town.

Thanks! Maybe we will do the Blue Cave as a day trip from Split when we arrive a few nights early.

[BlakeyD]

Originally Posted by Bullshooter

We went in June and wanted to get to the Blue Grotto on the island of Bisevo early, before the crowds, since you have to wait your turn to get taken in to see it. If you are going to Komiza, that is pretty close so you can sail over early, check out the crowd, and give it a pass if it is really crowded. If it doesn't look too bad, pick up a mooring ball and wait. It is pretty cool.

We stayed in Komiza at the dock. Nice place. You have to do Med mooring, tie-ing up stern-to, same as Stari Grad.

About how early did you get the Blue Cave? And where did you pick up a mooring? At the Blue Cave or nearby? How do you hire a boat to take you in?

[Q. Helm]

Originally Posted by BlakeyD

About how early did you get the Blue Cave? And where did you pick up a mooring? At the Blue Cave or nearby? How do you hire a boat to take you in?

There’s a little bay just to the north with a few mooring balls, a dock for the tour boat, some sort of ticket office and a restaurant, or snack bar. Thinking back, when I said it was a two hour wait for the tour boat, I think I was being generous. I believe they actually quoted us three hours. We were there somewhere around midday.

[more]

Originally Posted by BlakeyD

Hello! We're an all-adult family of four chartering in Croatia for the first time at the end of the month on a 40' catamaran. We have done several charters in BVI but this is our first in Europe.

I feel like I've read so much and watched so many videos that I'm about to go crazy. I've made some notes and would really like your thoughts on some of the anchorages we have as possibilities for our 6 nights on the water.

Krknjasi - first night. Restaurants and swimming.

Vicisce - first night back up. Must anchor?

Sesula Bay - book mooring and pay ahead of time

Milna - town quay or 3 marinas

Bol - New town quay and moorings. visit Zlatni Rat beach

Jelsa - Town quay only - east or west side. Great restaurants and bars. Winery. VHF 9

Vrboska- "Little Venice" one of the safest harbors. Marina at entrance to bay or town quay.

Stari Grad - Museum. Town quay 2nd largest in Croatia. South side - showers. VHF 9

Hvar Town - Is it hard to get a mooring or dock space here? If so, where would you recommend we stay overnight nearby where we could get a water taxi? ACI Palmizana has been suggested.

Vis Town - Two town quays and moorings. Town tour?

Komiza - rent scooters, ride through vineyards. Small town quay or moorings.

---

Thanks so much for any thoughts you'd like to share. I'd love to know why any of these are a good or bad choice.

you sail from trogir or around

first night
solta-stomorska town if wether good anchor necujam bay.
2-night jump to Vis
3-night go to hvar in town come before 12.00 and wait for free place.float 1-2 hour.
4 night go to starigrad
5-night bol day stay on zlatni rat night staj vrbovska or jelsa town-marina or anchor
6- day milna
1 week gone

[Bullshooter]

Originally Posted by BlakeyD

About how early did you get the Blue Cave? And where did you pick up a mooring? At the Blue Cave or nearby? How do you hire a boat to take you in?

I think we got there around 9:30-10 am. You will see the mooring field as you approach from the East. If there are only around 20 sailboats or so, the wait won't be so long. Pass close to one and ask them about the wait, pick up a ball and relax. I think you dingy over to the dock and buy tickets in the meantime, and just wait on your sailboat. A small tour boat will come over when it is your turn, and run you over to the cave.

The pics make it seem like they have lit the cave with artificial lights, but it is natural. Sunlight reflects through a gap in the rocks making the effect

[BlakeyD]

Hi All,

Just wanted to give an update on our Blue Cave experience for others than might search and read this post sometime in the future.

We dropped our morning at Komiza a bit after 8:00 am and grabbed one at the Blue Cave around 9:00 am. We got the last available mooring for our 40 ft boat (some are too close to eachother to really use.)

Two of us were in the dinghy pushing off from the boat when one of the Blue Cave guides approached in his boat and asked how many people we had. We told him 4 and he said to wait at our boat, he needed to see how many had had from a boat that arrived earlier and maybe he could take us with them.

Miraculously, he came back, we hopped in, and after a 5 minute stop at the dock where our guide hopped out and bought our tickets with money we had given him (100 kn per adult, kids are cheaper) we were off to the Blue Cave. Our guide was friendly with excellent English. The tour lasts about 15-20 minutes and he dropped us off at our boat. Really the experience couldn’t get any better.

He told us that some folks arriving on day boats would wait over 3 hours, even at 9 am. I don’t think it’s worth that kind of wait.

Overall a fun experience but you really need to plan it so you’re positioned at Komiza the night before. The sun (blue effect in the cave) is best in the morning.