Export Dune

24th May

Mission: To export Dune out of Croatian waters and return under the New Zealand flag

We departed Marina Kastela at 06:00. Dropping the moorings and motoring out of the marina was a breeze. Our 1st destination was Split harbour. We had made arrangements to pick up a local skipper. We arrived in good time, to find out that the skipper had been given different instructions. He was still in bed, and was still 45 minutes away

So Brett decided to take us back out of the harbour, as we were in the way of big ships and ferry's. He took us through some drills, and did a little maneuvering. Backing up into an imaginary mooring. As it turns out, we need a lot more practice!

What we should of been practicing was, maneuvering into tight gaps, between ferries, and picking someone up off the dock on the bow. Because that's how it was, the skipper had requested to be picked up in this way. Brett's nerve endings where frazzled, his forehead beaded with sweat. The skipper keep prompting him to come in closer and closer to the concrete dock. As the skipper threw his luggage onto the bow and jumped on, the anchor just touched the wall. Brett let out a sigh of relief and remembered to breathe, as he reversed out of the way of the ferries. The disembarking passengers from the two ferries looked on with disbelief

Short introductions where made, as we needed to get to the other side of the busy harbour to customs. We moored side on to the dock, which was under construction. Unfortunately, we discovered that the sewage pipes from a portacom were draining almost into the stern of our boat

The three of us sat in the boat outside customs, while the local skipper sorted the export of Dune with the Harbour master

Marie and I decided to go and gather some supplies for our trip. We made an attempt to just innocently walk through customs, to get out on to the main street. We were stopped and interrogated. The skipper had our passports, and trying to explain to foreign speaking police that all we wanted to do was to find our way out to get some groceries. In the end, when they realized we were from Dune, we were granted 10 minutes over the border. Luckily straight through the gates was a market

We departed Split harbour at 10:45, well stocked, to make a two day journey out of Croatia and back. As we motored out of Croatia, the local skipper shared many a tip and tale. It was exciting when we caught wind in our sails and the motor was turned off. It was a long day and I even managed to get some sleep along the way

We birthed at the Island of Vis for the night, in a marina. Brett made an attempt to back into the dock, it proved to be a bit challenging as the wind had picked up. The local skipper took over and placed us. Marie and I were getting really good at fastening knots by the end of that day

Not long after we arrived, other yachts came in. We witnessed some hard case attempts of docking. The yacht that came in beside us, cut the mooring with its propeller, and another backed in with such speed it bashed up against this boat, it was all very messy!

At the Island of Vis, we were greeted by a friend of the local skipper. Who by day worked the moorings and his wife ran a restaurant from their family vineyard in the evening. We were whisked away in a taxi and taken a distance into the island, to a beautiful little setting in the middle of a vineyard. The place was called 'Magica', and indeed it was. Homegrown wine and vegetables. The hostess was very hospitable. Our meat was cooked over an open fire. Apart from being asked at the marina if we preferred meat, chicken, or fish, there was no menu given. To our surprise we were given la festa di tutte le feste (the feast of all feasts)

It had been a long day, we returned to Dune feed, watered and hit the sack