The Dalmatian Islands Sailing Itinerary
Overview
The year before we had one of our favorite charters to date in the South Ionian islands. We had always heard about how incredible Croatian sailing was and with the proximity to the Ionians we were excited to plan the Dalmatian Coast. Hvar’s legendary nightlife also attracted us and from a gastronomical point of view the Peka and bread were on our list (but it was tough to beat the variety of Greek food we filled up on previously). The routes were busier and in particular we ran into a Yacht Week hoard, which was probably fun for participants, but not for other boaters residing in the same marina. Overall though we ended with a fondness for the enticing water, sun, and fun.
Itinerary Stops
An overview of our Dalmatian coast itinerary with locations
Charter Company - Dream Yacht Charter
Dream Yacht Charter has shown consistency across the globe and Croatia was no different. Check in was quick, the boat easily accessible on an external pier and grocery stores were a short walk (shown in orange on map). We ended up provisioning at Diskont Stanic, which sufficed, but Tommy Supermarket was supposed to be better, however, further away.
Vessel Selection - Bali 4.8
We have seen the Bali’s on prior trips and wanted to try them since they seemed spacious. The single living space with garage door closure was great for a large group. All of us also appreciated the full-size refrigerator, making it easy to store food for eight people.
A noticeable difference was sailing seemed slower than the Lagoon’s we’ve rented in the past, which perhaps related to the charter versions low mast and small sail area. This was made up for by much more powerful engines that got us going up to 8 knots when we needed to motor.
The major issue we had was missing cushions all around, making some of the large outdoor areas uncomfortable and particularly frustrating because with Bali’s you sacrifice a trampoline for lounge areas. We later got a discount on our next charter because of this.
Day 1 (Saturday): Marina Baotić, Board Boat, Early Departure to Maslinica
Marina Baotić to Maslinica: 8.1nm
Strategy
Easy departure in Marian Baotić
Given the popularity of Croatia in the heart of summer, we wanted to get ahead of the chartering crowd by departing the day we got our boat. The marina was absolutely packed with people, but we paid extra for an early departure, which was definitely worth it. Our boat was docked on the outer marina wall, making our exit off the Mediterranean moored slime lines easy.
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
We knew we would have limited time after checking in and immediately set sail for Maslinica. We had reserved dock space at Martinis Marchi marina, which informed us we had to arrive by 6pm for a guaranteed spot.
It was a short sail, so we got there with time to spare. Docking was as in most of Croatia, Mediterranean mooring with slime lines. The marina itself was perfect with a great restaurant right off the boat, a short walk to town with a few, small shops, and clean shower/toilet facilities.
The only issue was a severe squall hit the marina about an hour after we docked. The winds were probably >40 knots, causing our main sail to start raising. We had to lash it down quickly, otherwise the wind could have taken it up and ripped us and several other boats off the lines.
Martinis Marchi, marina@martinis-marchi.com, +385 21 659093
Onshore
Martinis Marchi Restaurant
We didn’t have much time on Maslinica after checking the boat out of Trogir around 2pm and sailing for a couple hours. We booked dinner at the marina’s restaurant, which was excellent, walked around the shops, played cards on the boat, and went to bed early knowing we had a very early wake for the long sail to Šćedro the next day.
Day 2 (Sunday): Maslinica to Šćedro
Maslinica to Šćedro: 30.6nm
Strategy
We wanted to continue our “one-step ahead” strategy by really setting some distance between us and the base marina on the first full day. At nearly 30.6nm it would take us almost the full day of sailing to get to Šćedro. We also figured that almost no other captains would attempt to go from Trogir to Šćedro on the first day as it would be about 40nm of sailing.
Our research indicated it gets very busy in Šćedro in summer as it’s a beautiful, quiet island. There was also some concern over backup anchorages as many areas along this part of the Dalmatian coast have steep rocky shores and are exposed. To avoid any anchor scrambling we contacted Restaurant Porat Šćedro, which offers moorings, by email and calling. We were able to get a mooring reservation while sailing there and were pleased with that as the bay would later fill up quickly after our arrival.
Šćedro is a sparsely populated jewel in Croatia
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
As we arrived at the well protected main bay of Šćedro we contacted the restaurantand were met by a small tender. The tender guided us quickly to the right side of the bay, which was secluded and has gorgeous clear water.
In order to pack boats in though they have you tie up to a mooring ball in front and in back, so there is no swing at all. While snorkeling we checked out the moorings, which seemed very secure and maintained.
We preferred this location over others in the bay as it was further from shore noise and felt secluded, even though there were several other boats nearby.
Restaurant Porat Šćedro, info@torkola@gmail.com, +385 99 6554387
Onshore
Šćedro was great to get in the water and refresh after about 6 to 7 hours of sailing. We snorkeled around the boat and then took the dinghy to the restaurant, which was a short ride away from our mooring.
Quaint and rustic best described the restaurant’s atmosphere, with fresh seafood straight from the ocean.
Restaurant Porat Šćedro, info@torkola@gmail.com, +385 99 6554387
Day 3 (Monday) and Day 4 (Tuesday): Šćedro to Palmizana (Hvar)
Šćedro to Palmizana: 14.7nm
Strategy
Everyone onboard was excited about Hvar as we heard it was full of great restaurants, bars, and late-night partying. We anticipated spending two nights in the same location so we could go out late the first night and not have to worry about departing the next day. Thinking we could continue our strategic streak, we booked a slip at ACI Marina Palmizana, which as the name implies is at Palmizana, an island located ~2nm from Hvar’s main port. Our theory was it would be quieter and less choppy to sleep there, and we understood there to be several water taxis that ran late. We couldn’t have gone more wrong with this choice as you will see…
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
The first indication of a problem was on our entrance to ACI Marina Palmizana. We saw what seemed like 100 yachts entering the marina, which we quickly identified as Yacht Week with the flags and banners. All of those yachts were causing chaos in the channel trying to form a queue to enter the marina. We radioed to ACI and were relieved to be given immediate priority to enter.
However, the marina was absolutely packed and still filling up. Literally no space was spared and to get in and out as a 48’ catamaran you had to nudge the front to the point where your front two hulls were in between another boat’s bow with about a foot or two clearance. Once tied up in a Mediterranean mooring with slime lines we had to stand guard on the front as countless boats came in and hit other boats. We even had to get another boat’s insurance as they hit our front hull coming in.
ACI Marina Palmizana
Onshore
Try to avoid Yacht Week when they visit ACI Marina Palmizana
Once our section of the marina filled up, we were met immediately with the madness that was Yacht Week. Boats blaring music, drunken passengers throwing up in the marina, and the same passengers deciding to jump in the pretty foul water. To ACI’s credit they did regulate the boats from loud noise after a certain time, but Yacht Week revelers didn’t care about polluting the marina nor respecting other boaters.
The other issue we ran into, and this was partly our fault for not having a vessel with air conditioning, was the intense heat and zero airflow. ACI Marina Palmizana gets very little air flow throughout the day and evening, making it stifling hot if you don’t have air conditioning.
On our first full day we explored Palmizana a bit, walking to the other side of the island to find Palmizana Beach. Some of us split off and went to the Bacchus Palmizana restaurant that has a beautiful balcony overlooking the bay.
Bacchus Palmizana, bacchuspalmizana@gmail.com, +385 99 477 3903
A group took the water taxis and went to Hvar, which ended up being a late-night hopping from restaurant to bars. Note that the water taxi return has sporadic times, and we had to pay a “premium” to get going when we wanted. With music blaring and full throttle in complete darkness, the water taxis were actually pretty fun.
Day 5 (Wednesday) and Day 6 (Thursday): Palmizana to Rukavac (Vis)
Palmizana to Rukavac (Vis): 13.1nm
Strategy
Diamond Beach with a great restaurant on it called Diamond Beach Fish & Wine, +385 91 885 1916
We tried to learn from our mistake at Palmizana and asked the Yacht Week captains where they were going next. Unfortunately, they said Vis (which is where we wanted to go), but they said they were all mooring in Vis’ main harbor. We immediately looked at alternatives and saw that Rukavac stood out.
It was a short sail across the channel and down the eastern side of Vis. When we arrived at Rukavac we all breathed a huge sigh of relief as our strategy paid off. We were met with the most beautiful bay of our trip!
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
Upon arrival at Rukavac we called Diamond Beach Restaurant, and a tender directed us to a mega yacht buoy that we hooked up to with a lot of comfort. The breeze came through the bay perfectly, cooling us down from our two days of baking in Palmizana. The bay itself is well protected from swells.
Onshore
We instantly fell in love with Vis and went to Diamond Beach to swim and sunbathe. Make sure to have water shoes as it’s rocky like many of the beaches, but absolutely a perfect beach. We agreed to modify our itinerary and spend an extra day moored where we were. To explore the island, we rented cars which were delivered right to Diamond Beach. From there we set out to Vis harbor, which was surprisingly empty as the Yacht Week group was just arriving on the far side of the harbor.
After diving in the South Ionians, which had limited sea life, we weren't that excited about diving in Croatia. However, after some research it seemed like there were some caves and deep trenches that were interesting.
Nautica Diving Center Vis, +385 91 22 66 115
On our last two days we drove across the island and wanted to try Croatian wines with peka (the prized dish of Croatia!). That led us to Roki’s, which was fantastic for both. For dinner we had heard about a lobster place called Konoba Jastožera, where the restaurant was built over the water. It didn’t disappoint and was a memorable last meal while out on the islands.
Day 7 (Friday): Rukavac, Swim Stop at Pijavica, Return to Marina Baotić
Rukavac to Marina Baotić: 31.7nm
Strategy
Our way back was long, but we made great timing with the wind and had a chance to anchor at a group of islands near Marina Baotić called Pijavica. Just be careful as there are a lot of rock areas that appear to be sand from the deck, but are actually light colored rocks.