Revierreport Venice: Sightsailing in Venice's lagoons
That's what you call bad luck. The engine of the "Black Bird" had only just been completely overhauled, they say. And now this: shortly before the ship is handed over in Umag, the flexible shaft coupling gives up the ghost. The rubber sleeve is shredded during the transfer journey. And tomorrow is Sunday. In other words, the crew will have to start the trip with a shore leave.
Not so bad. Can happen. A good opportunity to practise stoic composure. There is no wind anyway to make the trip from Istria across the Adriatic to Italy. Heading for Venice, to be precise. We want to cruise the lagoon and sail wherever possible. Do a bit of sightsailing. The "Black Bird" with its variable draught is perfect for this. Even accidentally falling dry shouldn't be a problem if you miss the fairway.
The boat is a custom-built, one-off design in the style of a Cornish Crabber. And therefore anything but a typical charter boat. A ship of character is more like it. With its large gaff sail, it is probably a unique selling point on the charter market in the entire Mediterranean region.
On Monday morning, it's time to cast off! The damage has been repaired, the engine is working again, but is not needed for the time being. The winds are favourable for the Adriatic crossing. But first we have to clear out. Emphasis on "still", mind you. Rumour has it that Croatia's accession to the Schengen Agreement and the introduction of the euro will put an end to this in 2023. And hoped for. But what is a sailor's joy is a civil servant's sorrow. The man in uniform, who copies the ship's papers of the "Black Bird" and stamps the crew list, is not very fond of the upcoming changes, as he lets on. After all, the limitless sailing could cost him his job with a sea view.
A quick glance at the chart and the gaff sail is set. From the cockpit, it looks like hard labour. More suited to four hands than two. It's good to have a strong craftsman on board as a co-sailor. The last few metres in particular, where the gaff is steepened on the second halyard after the first one has been taken up, are hard on the muscles. As a helmsman, you're sweating just watching.
"There is probably no other place in the world with as much boat traffic as in front of St Mark's Square"
As soon as the large cloth is put to its intended use, pressure is put on the rudder. And not too little! It takes two hands and at least one leg resting on the opposite cockpit bench to keep the boat on course. Only when the bulbous headsail is unfurled on the jib boom is the balance halfway right. It's a shame that the forestay has so much play. But you probably wouldn't win a regatta either way.
After all, the "Black Bird" is picking up speed. At five and a half knots, it certainly feels like sailing in half the wind. The ship is certainly no racer, but it conveys solidity and safety and enters the waves smoothly.
Towards evening we reach the Italian mainland and moor in Mariclea. A small, charming club harbour that apparently has a tendency to silting up, as the depth gauge clearly shows. We make it over a bar in the middle of the harbour entrance just in time before a thunderstorm hits. The rain squalls ruthlessly expose the weak points of the deck hatches in the foredeck. But that is the comparatively minor evil. If we had headed straight for Venice, as originally planned, the storm would have hit us on the open sea.
Rain is followed by sunshine. And with it, the next day, the necessary medium high water to be able to leave at all. I have no idea how the larger yachts in the marina do it. Maybe they slalom with a pilot. The harbour master has a map of the entrance with the date of the last measurement ten days ago and places with a depth of 1.20 metres.
We set off with the famous hand's breadth of water under the retracted centreboard. Course for the lagoon. With an offshore wind and flat seas, the "Black Bird" sails around the endless holiday resort of Jesolo. Between the mainland coast and the Lido, the region's newest and most expensive concrete structure finally comes into view: the "pop-up dyke", as the German magazine "Der Spiegel" called it. The multi-billion euro water bulwark called "Mose" is designed to stop future floods. Venice was last flooded in 2019 and the damage was immense. The scandalous weir system is now in operation at the three passages to the lagoon.
The boat is pushed towards Venice as the water rises. The closer you get to St Mark's Square on the Royal Route, the choppier the sea becomes. Vaporetti, water taxis, car ferries, barges - it's hard to keep track of all the boats. For someone who was socialised sailing on the Elbe, this is reminiscent of Hamburg's harbour birthday. With the difference that it is so busy here 365 days a year.
The fellow sailor from Berlin feels overwhelmed by this maritime state of emergency as a human radar. It is hard to imagine that there is a greater density of ships anywhere in the world than directly in front of St Mark's Square. And that's not even counting all the gondolas. At least the cruise ships now have to stay outside.
"Allegedly, the inhabitants of Burano painted their houses in different colours so that they could find their way home even when drunk"
Theoretically, you could even sail here, but in practice you would have to keep the engine running near the Doge's Palace. However, it is questionable whether there is a black cone on board that you could set. That seems at least as unlikely as the Italian water police seriously caring about this aqua anarchy. But we don't want to bet on it after all.
After an hour between St Mark's Square and the island of San Giorgio opposite, we head for the marina on Certosa, which seems like a parallel world: an oasis of calm! In the midst of birdsong. Just one vaporetto stop away from the "mainland".
The marina is being heavily invested in and modernised: sanitary facilities like at the Hilton or Ritz and a chic lounge bar with a view of the marinas opposite. The berth prices are similar everywhere in the lagoon, almost as if secretly agreed. Only the crew's thirst for cappuccino is curbed by the steep hipness surcharge on Certosa. Perhaps it's better to take the ferry for dinner and then be picked up again by the posh taxi boat from Venezia Certosa Marina. That has something. A touch of grandeur. And it's free of charge. It's a shame that the passage back to the island is so short.
Next day, new destination. Course for Burano. The fear of not being able to find the fairway because of all the poles is a thing of the past after two days at the latest. Firstly, you can orientate yourself by the local boats. And secondly, of the three wooden poles that make up the dolphins for the fairways, a third, longer pole protrudes from the top of the bund at junctions. Usually provided with a speed sign. All that remains to be observed is that the numbering of the dolphins is clearly visible to the helmsman.
Anyone who thinks they can take a shortcut despite the tempting open sea areas has only themselves to blame and should allow for at least one tide delay. Like some of the houseboaters we meet, whose nautical skills are clearly not up to the demands of the lagoon. Just as well that they are on holiday and not in a hurry.
Burano itself does not have a marina. We therefore moor at the guest piers of the "Venissa" on the neighbouring island of Mazzorbo. This is a winery with fine dining. The two islands are connected by a bridge. From there, it is easy to explore the psychedelically colourful Burano.
Incidentally, the island legend goes like this: it is said that the inhabitants of Burano were so fond of alcohol that they often couldn't find their way home. The bright colours of the houses were supposed to help them find their way to bed. Nowadays, this is probably more of a marketing gimmick. Or Ayurveda for the eyes: colourful, colourful, most colourful. To be able to literally hold its own next to Venice.
Burano is a popular excursion destination during the day. Tendency: too popular. It's therefore better to wait until the evening before setting off on your own keel and travelling one lagoon island further to Torcello - a former bishop's see. In the 10th century, the island had between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants and was larger and richer than Venice. This also explains the mighty cathedral on the small island.
There are a few pits right next to the imposing church where you can moor. As we are the only boat, we take the precaution of mooring up to the jetty so that we don't have to stay overnight, even if the mooring is rarely pretty. Unfortunately, all of the handful of restaurants on the island are still closed in the low season.
So let's continue our island hopping and head for the Isola di Sant'Erasmo. This large and green island was already the vegetable garden of Venice in the time of the Doge. It promises the crew the prospect of an unusual pizza from a mobile wood-fired oven.
We have to use the engine for the last few miles to make it in time. Because the shop is due to close at 8pm. Extremely unusual for Italy. So we quickly moor up at the quay wall and make the last few metres to the "Pizza Ovunque", which means "pizza everywhere", but is not quite true. The mobile pizza maker was distributed by Certosa with his wood-fired oven mounted on a three-wheeled scooter. They didn't want any competition in the form of a mobile feeding trough. Now he has set up shop with his Ape one island away. On a field next to a canal. A real experience: pizza has rarely been eaten so charmingly. Only the mosquitoes, which are also hungry, are a little annoying.
After the last youngsters have worked off their adrenalin in motorboat races and the last vaporetto has passed through, peace returns to the canal at Sant'Erasmo. Opposite, on the dolphin, a single night angler. A little owl in the trees. Above you, the firmament. And in one: complete satisfaction and a really good pizza.
The next morning, the low tide replaces the alarm clock before it gets too flat at the wall. At sunrise, the "Black Bird" sails towards St Mark's Square. Before the rush hour. Under sail, the boat even attracts attention in the lagoon. Or is it because people rarely sail in the fairways per se? Even one or two vaporetto captains wave appreciatively and favourably. Not a hint of annoyance that we were making ourselves too wide in the fairway. Our destination this time is the marina on San Giorgio. Opposite the Doge's Palace. You can't get any more exciting in Venice. It's more like a box than a mooring. At the foot of a gigantic church tower that clearly towers above the masts of even the largest yachts.
After experiencing nature, it's time for culture today. And great ones at that. This year is the Venice Art Biennale. The famous pavilions in the Giardini serve as exhibition spaces. You shouldn't miss it. Even if Venice itself has more than enough attractions to offer.
On the fourth day, we finally set off southwards. Heading for Pellestrina and Chioggia. It's Saturday and the water is rising, easily recognisable by its fresh colour. There are several boats moored off the deserted island of Poveglia. The anchorage resembles a navigable open-air swimming pool. Ideal for a swim, and with an impressive backdrop to boot.
Poveglia is a former quarantine station and hospital island. In 1803, yellow fever broke out in Spanish territories. Only Venice dared to keep its harbour open for the Spanish ships. The quarantine took place on Poveglia.
Long and narrow, Pellestrina is the last major island in the south. The Adriatic Sea in front, the lagoon to the rear. At Chioggia, the gigantic "Mose" weir releases us back into the open sea.
Unfortunately, the trip begins as it began: with a breakdown. On the day we return the boat, of all days, we run out of diesel in a calm in the middle of the Adriatic. The fuel gauge had fooled us into thinking we had a full tank. Rarely have we been more sensitive to every breath of wind, only to end up mooring under sail in gusty conditions - at the outer pier of one of the expensive ACI marinas in Rovinj, of all places, instead of at the clearance pier.
Well, the local customs officer's computer is supposedly on strike anyway. But the man knows a driver who can take the skipper to Pula. The boat is supposed to stay in Rovinj until then. A lot of stress for nothing. Arbitrary behaviour on the part of officials. We can only hope that this will really be a thing of the past from next year with clearing in and out. It would make the trip from Istria to Venice even more attractive.
Territory tips
Navigation and seamanship
Once you have familiarised yourself with the dolphins, Venice is as safe to navigate as a traffic kindergarten. It is essential that you keep to the fairways, do not use them in the centre or try to sail wide. You can sail anywhere with half to full winds. The engine only needs to be running in front of St Mark's Square. We strongly advise against setting sail in fog. The trip across the Adriatic is possible from Umag in northern Croatia, where you can also clear in and out. For the trip to Venice, you should allow two to three days from Pula or Medulin, the home harbour of the "Black Bird". The tour is practically impossible to complete in a week, unless you only want to spend a day in the lagoon. Or you could plan a long overnight trip back to Pula at the end to clear in.
Wind and weather
The lagoon is a sheltered area and swell is mainly generated by shipping traffic. The typical fair-weather wind is the summer maestral from the west to north-west. It starts in the morning and increases to up to five wind forces in the early afternoon. The Bora is unpleasant, blowing from the north-east from the mountains over the lagoon and Veneto. Its path of incidence is near Trieste. Precipitation is usually brought by the Scirocco, known as Jugo in Croatia, which comes from the south and accumulates moisture on its way across the sea, bringing bad weather and rain for up to three days. It is also often foggy in spring and autumn.
Charter
The "Black Bird" is a one-off in the style of a Pilot Cutter 30 from Cornish Crabbers. Open, cosy and surprisingly spacious below deck (headroom!). Not to be compared with conventional charter boats. However, there is no separate cabin, and it gets cramped for three or more people. The ship is more for individualists. A little sailing experience is recommended. The owner - Clement Brysch, a Swiss coach - uses it to finance his hobby and also wants to offer incentive sailing in the future. Bareboat, the ship costs 1,000 euros in the low season and 1,700 euros per week in the high season. Book at www.klassikcharter.de
Literature
"Lagoons from Venice to Grado" by Heinrich Breidenbach, Edition Maritim, 29.90 euros.
For the shore excursion: "Venice" by Lonely Planet Verlag, 19.95 euros
