Kvarner is the largest bay on the Croatian Adriatic coast and one of the largest in Europe. Its dimensions are enormous: from Opatija in the north to the island of Ilovik in the south, it measures an impressive 55 nautical miles. And the west-east extension of the bay from the southern tip of Istria to the Velebit Mountains is 40 nautical miles. The Greifswald Bodden would fit into it more than 17 times. Kvarner is framed by the Istrian peninsula to the west, the Velebit Mountains to the north and east and the Adriatic Sea to the south.
Kvarner: closer, quieter, cheaper
There are more than 65 harbours and bays to moor in on the Kvarner islands alone - not counting the mainland coast. In addition to the four large islands of Krk, Rab, Cres and Lošinj, there are more than a dozen smaller islets, so more than enough cruising destinations for a week's charter. What distinguishes Kvarner from the much-visited cruising destinations in central and southern Dalmatia? Boaters from southern Germany and Austria particularly appreciate the fact that Kvarner can be reached by car in a reasonable amount of time. Nevertheless, it is not nearly as crowded as the southern Adriatic. As a result, many things are much cheaper here - from boat moorings to the bill in a good konoba. And sailors appreciate that there is usually more wind in Kvarner during the season than in the south.
With sun on your face and spontaneity in your luggage
So there are many good reasons to charter a yacht in Kvarner and go sailing in the largest Adriatic bay. We took over a Beneteau 41.1 sailing yacht in Marina Punat to discover the most beautiful places in Kvarner for ourselves. With the sun shining on our faces, we leave the marina in the evening and head west. Anyone sailing in Kvarner should not arrive with a fixed sailing plan in their luggage, but should always react flexibly to the current wind direction. In the afternoon, the bora gives us a little intermezzo. We take advantage of the cool shifting wind from the north-east and head south-west to the uninhabited island of Plavnik. Uvala Krušija, a small anchorage bay that is well protected from the bora, lies on the south coast of the island.
In search of loneliness
When we arrive, there are two sailing boats and two smaller motorboats moored there. We drop the iron at eight metres - everything is wonderful. The only annoying thing is the noise from the fish picnic boat moored alongside the short pier. When we want to go for a swim, a carpet of fish scraps wafts across the bay. Obviously the dishes have just been washed. Let's get out of here. We stop briefly at the Blue Grotto in the neighbouring bay. When an excursion boat comes here too and moors between a buoy and a bollard, we leave. It's only three miles to Krušcica Bay on the east coast of the island of Cres. Three sailing boats and three motorboats are anchored here in a secluded natural setting. The crystal-clear water is perfect for swimming and snorkelling. And the few yachties have the marvellous beach to themselves. There is no road to the interior of the island, so hopefully Krušcica will remain a paradise for a long time to come.
Cult address in Kvarner
A fresh southerly wind wakes us up in the morning. We wanted to head south towards the island of Lošinj, so we would have to sail the entire route. We decide to change our plan and head south-east towards the island of Rab. Heading 128 degrees, we set our sights on Supetarska Draga bay and managed to keep our course close to the wind. After a good two hours, we reach the entrance to the bay and lower the sails due to the land cover. We leave the two rocky islands to starboard and head straight for the jetty of the "Stiegenwirt" through a dredged channel. Along the concrete jetty, we literally only have a hand's breadth of water under our keel.
The restaurant is officially called "Belvedere", but has been known to sailors for decades as the "Stiegenwirt", because you have to climb exactly 100 steps from the jetty to the restaurant. Ivan Lovric has been running the popular restaurant since 1981. He specialises in fish and seafood. He has since handed over command of the kitchen to his charming granddaughter Marija. Anyone approaching the jetty for the first time with a draught of two metres or more should call senior chef Ivan, who will guide guests by phone from his terrace to the dredged (but not buoyed) fairway (Tel. +385/51/77 61 62). The restaurant is packed in the evenings, even in the low season. Mostly boaters from southern Germany and Austria meet here. The food and service as well as the view at sunset are sensationally good.
In the wake of the Romans
In the morning we have a light bora again, wonderful! With the cold wind behind us, we set a south-westerly course and head south along the impressive rocky coast of Cres. With a north-south extension of 65 kilometres, Cres is the longest island in Kvarner. In the far south lies the widely ramified Luka Pod Sv. Križ with more than a dozen sub-bays. We steer into the Kolorat sub-bay and moor at a buoy. At nine o'clock in the morning, we take the Osor bridge and pass through the historic fairway between the islands of Cres and Lošinj. The eleven metre wide, navigable trench was built by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago. The Osor Canal is still an important shipping route for small cargo ships, fishing vessels and pleasure craft.
Read more here the second part of the report
Read here: What's new on the Adriatic?
Precinct information
Journey
The charter base "In2theblue" is located in Marina Punat in the south of the island of Krk. The journey from Munich to Punat takes around seven hours, while Eurowings flies directly to Krk from Hamburg. From Rijeka Airport in the north of the island, it is 31 kilometres to the marina. Alternatively, from June to September you can take the ÖBB motorail train from Hamburg to Villach. From here it is a 3.5 hour drive to the charter base.
Charter
In addition to yacht charter, In2theblue specialises in sailing instruction, skipper and regatta training. The charter fleet consists of 37 sailing yachts from 34 to 51 feet, including five catamarans. The locations are Punat and Kremik. The Beneteau 41.1 chartered by us (12.43 x 4.20 x 2.18 m, three double cabins, two bathrooms) is easy to handle even by a small crew thanks to its furling mainsail and electric winch. Depending on the season, the boat costs 1,100 to 2,400 euros per week. Extras: Transit log (€ 290), bed linen, towels (€ 10 p. p.), outboard motor (€ 80), gennaker (€ 500), SUP (€ 130), final cleaning (€ 100), Croatian tourist tax (€ 1.33 p. p. per night). Contact: In2theblue Charter, Puntica 7, 51521 Punat, Croatia. Tel. +43/676/898 62 83 04 in2theblue.com/yachtcharter
Navigation
The crew should be proficient in basic seamanship such as anchoring or mooring with murres. This includes planning the trip according to the daily weather forecast, especially with regard to bora. The weather can easily change and the bora can arrive earlier or stronger than forecast.
Driving licences
German skippers need at least a recreational craft licence for chartering. One member of the crew must have a radio licence.
Wind, weather
The climate in Kvarner Bay is mild and sunny throughout the season. The fair-weather Maestral wind blows from the north-west in the mornings to afternoons and dies down in the evenings. The Bora (from the north-east) develops its greatest strength in the Vinodolski channel, in the Senjska vrata and in the Velebit channel. It can also occur in other parts of Kvarner, but much weaker. Strong winds and swell can also be caused by the Jugo (from the south-east) or a thunderstorm (from the west). From May to October, daytime temperatures range from 21 to 30 degrees. meteo.hr / windfinder.com / windguru.cz
Bodo Müller
Freier Autor
