Read the first part of the report here:
We head south along the west coast of Lošinj and then into the bay of Mali Lošinj. The popular seaside resort of Mali Lošinj was once the holiday destination of the Habsburg aristocracy. The elegant buildings around the town harbour and the wide promenade date back to the 19th century. At that time, Mali Lošinj was also a centre for shipbuilding and maritime trade. The mild, sunny climate means that this town of 7,000 inhabitants remains the most popular holiday destination in Kvarner to this day. Guests arriving by boat moor right in the centre of the town. All around the town harbour, countless cafés, konobas and bars beckon. Life here pulsates well into the night. The bays in the south of the island of Lošinj are among the most beautiful in the Kvarner. You could easily spend a whole week’s charter here alone. The most popular are Krivica and Balvanida.
Anchoring in Kvarner
During our visit in June, the buoy fields were no longer in place. However, there are still dozens of concrete blocks on the seabed of both bays, linked together by chains. Anyone anchoring there should know exactly where they are dropping anchor. Fortunately, the water is so clear that you can make out the rows of concrete blocks in daylight. We opt for Balvidina. Here, four sailing yachts are anchored on sandy seabed to protect the seagrass beds in the shallow water. And all the pleasure craft are moored at a safe distance from the natural bathing beach – after all, nobody wants to get into trouble for breaching the new regulations. Suddenly, accompanied by loud disco music, a Croatian party boat speeds into the bay, pulls right up to the bathing beach and drops anchor right in the middle of the seagrass meadow. At that moment, I found myself wishing that the Croatian water police would pay a visit to the Balvanida and enforce the new regulations.
By shuttle service from the boat to dinner
The ‘Flower Island’ of Ilovik is the southernmost point of the Kvarner and a dream destination for many yacht charterers. One hundred mooring buoys are currently in the Ilovik channel, giving a taste of just how busy it can get during peak season. We’re lucky that most of the buoys are still free. There are even some available at the L-shaped harbour breakwater. We moor at a mooring buoy and find ourselves right in the heart of Ilovik. Those who prefer to moor at a buoy can leave the dinghy on deck and take the shuttle (Tel. 099/516 23 49, www.ilovik.hr) to be taken ashore. The journey usually costs three euros. However, anyone who dines at one of the three restaurants will have the shuttle fare credited against their restaurant bill.
The “Amigo” seafood restaurant has been one of the best in Kvarner for decades. The owner, Elza Stojši, treats us to fresh seafood from Ilovicka vrata, served with a chilled Zlahtina. The breathtaking tranquillity, the crisp air, the pristine sea and the sensational cuisine are what make Ilovik so special. Part of this is Senadin Maši, a long-standing local figure from Ilovik who hails from Bosnia and runs the speciality restaurant ‘Porto’ here at this beautiful corner of the world. His terrace seems to float above the sea. Before the season begins, we’re the only guests and are enjoying Bosnian-style stuffed peppers.
Croatia’s green island – A trip to Rab
A week’s charter is far too short. The wind has shifted to the south and is behind us as we sail the entire route from Ilovik back to Punat on Friday, our last day of the charter. On the port side, we leave the wonderful harbour towns of Rovenska and Veli Lošinj behind us. Instead, we plan to moor for two hours in the island metropolis of Rab, which lies roughly halfway to our home port. A great deal of construction took place on the island of the same name during the winter of 2024/25. The harbour used to offer little protection from the Jugo, and there were only a few guest berths at the town pier. However, the breakwater off the old town island has since been redesigned. There are now guest berths here with mooring lines, electricity and water. To curb the Jugo, a new breakwater has been built to the south of the town pier.
A young, friendly harbour master assigns us a berth at the new Old Town pier and takes the mooring lines. “How long do you plan to stay?” he asks. “Just two hours,” I reply. “That’ll be five euros an hour.” Rab, which is over 2,000 years old, is definitely worth a visit. You reach the ‘summit’ of the old town via narrow alleyways. The towers of five churches line the car-free mountain road (Gornija ulica). The bell tower of St John’s Church, situated at the very top, is always open. The view from the top is unbeatable: the old town lies before us in the shape of a ship’s hull, with the church towers acting as its masts.
The best views in Krk
As we cast off, a touch of melancholy sets in. We would have loved to have stayed in Kvarner a little longer. On the remaining 21 nautical miles back to our home port, the jugo pushes us from astern, making for a brilliant sailing experience. We head first for the island’s capital, Krk, to fill the boat’s fuel tank before returning it. As we’ve had good sailing winds all week, the fuel bill remains manageable. Meanwhile, the Jugo has died down. We drop anchor one last time in the shallow waters south of the harbour breakwater and enjoy the view of Krk’s old town bathed in the evening light.
For years, there has been a shortage of guest moorings in the town harbour. Furthermore, the main jetty is too short to provide adequate shelter when the Jugo brings swells from the south. Permission has now been granted to extend the jetties to the west and east so as to create an enclosed harbour basin. Construction work is due to begin after the end of the season. Once the jetties are complete, two new floating jetties will be installed in the eastern harbour basin, where local boats will be given priority for mooring. The moorings in the old town freed up as a result will then be made available to visitors passing through. According to current plans, the construction work is due to be completed by August 2027.
There are plenty of good reasons to return to the Kvarner next season. With the setting sun at our backs, we motor the remaining three miles from Krk to the charter base at Marina Punat. We’ve arranged to check out the following morning. This leaves us time to try out the new ‘Marina’ restaurant before we leave. The restaurant, located in the futuristic new building at the centre of the marina, opened in autumn 2024 and immediately made it into the top ten best restaurants in Croatia. Here, only produce from the island of Krk, as well as fish and seafood from the Kvarner region, are prepared according to traditional recipes. We’re really looking forward to it.
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Area information
Getting here
The ‘In2theblue’ charter base is located in Marina Punat in the south of the island of Krk. The drive from Munich to Punat takes around seven hours; from Hamburg, Eurowings operates direct flights to Krk. The marina is 31 kilometres from Rijeka Airport in the north of the island. Alternatively, from June to September, the ÖBB operates a car train service from Hamburg to Villach. From there, it is a 3.5-hour drive to the charter base.
Charter
As well as yacht charter, In2theblue specialises in sailing instruction, skipper training and regatta training. The charter fleet comprises 37 sailing yachts ranging from 34 to 51 feet, including five catamarans. The bases are Punat and Kremik. The Beneteau 41.1 we chartered (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 yacht costs between 1,100 and 2,400 euros per week. Extras: Transit log (€290), bed linen, towels (€10 per person), outboard motor (€80), gennaker (€500), SUP (€130), end-of-charter cleaning (€100), Croatian tourist tax (€1.33 per person 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 mooring lines. This includes planning the voyage in line with the daily weather forecast, particularly with regard to the Bora. The weather can change suddenly, and the Bora may arrive earlier or be stronger than forecast.
Driving licences
German skippers must hold at least a recreational boat licence for offshore waters in order to charter a boat. One member of the crew must hold a radio licence.
Wind, weather
During the season, the Kvarner Bay enjoys a mild and sunny climate. The Maestral, a fair-weather wind, blows from the north-west from the morning into the afternoon and dies down in the evening. The Bora (from the north-east) reaches its greatest strength in the Vinodolski Channel, the Senjska Vrata and the Velebit Channel. It can also occur in other parts of Kvarner, but is significantly weaker there. Strong winds and rough seas can also be caused by the Jugo (from the south-east) or a thunderstorm (from westerly directions). From May to October, daytime temperatures range from 21 to 30 degrees. meteo.hr / windfinder.com / windguru.cz
Bodo Müller
Freier Autor