Umag

Yes, I have started my cruise. The last couple of days in Koper I was becoming rather restless. My departure was delayed, again and again. But today at 11:15 I finally cast off the ropes and left Koper. My first trip is a modest one, 17 nautical miles, from Koper to Umag. Today's challenges were customs and clearing Europe and entering Croatia. In Koper I went to the Capitanja and the police station. I smiled a little, showed them all the requested papers, and I was free to leave Slovenia. So.....I had a little stress.....
All the people I had seen leaving the port the last couple of weeks had to sail their boat to the Capitanja for inspection, receive stamps on their papers. And I can just leave? Strange? Maybe I should ask the girls from the Marina reception. They smilingly assured me that everything was okay. Apparently everybody is happy I am leaving Koper. Today's wind was a little weak, and also from the wrong direction, so I decided to start with engine.An excellent opportunity to test and calibrate my autohelm (electronic automatic steering). The last leg, allready in Croatian waters, I hoisted my sails. Lovely, just sailing....


Sailing!!!

The apoach to Umag is rather narrow because of shoals. Just before I passed between the bouys a very expensive, big and sailing very fast speedboat arrived. Unfortunately he had right of way, so I changed my course. At the customs pier he had berthed his boat in the middle of the available space. Leaving insufficiant room for me the berth on either side. Men!!!
On entering the police station a very friendly female police agent performed all the neccesary work for entering Croatia. I stuck to the "stay friendly and smile tactic", we'll see how it goes. After give or take 20 minutes and answering al sorts of questions, resigning various papers, I thought that would pretty much round it up. But no, first I needed to visit the Harbourmasters office. Here I was able to buy a cruising permit, pay the neccesary taxes, and receive al the essential papers. The Harbour master had actually already seen my boat was in Koper on the AIS. So big brother is watching you!! But for me this "being visible" is why I invested in the AIS transponder.


5 meters away from the police station

 I am berthed 5 meters from the police station. I think This is the safest mooring ever. It is still low season, so I feel a little like the happening of the day.

Umag

Finally

Finally!! My adventure has started. Staying in Koper was okay, but I came to the Mediterranean to sail and discover new places This morning I need to go to customs, the Harbourmaster, and the policestation. No, you cannot just leave Europe. Paperwork is involved. After the paperwork, my adventure can officially start. My first sailing trip is to Umag, Croatia. This is one of the port you can also enter in the low season. Just for entering Croatia I need to pay a lot. Tourist taxes, cruising permits, and fees. But what is a couple of hundred euro's for a lifelong dream?

Being a tourist

Just a short message for all of you that are wondering what I am doing to pass the time while waiting for my important letter. My parents recommend that I visit the Postajnska Caves. These limestone caves extend over al length of about 20 km. When you have to depend on public transportation, planning is of the essence. After an evening behind the internet, I knew exactly what busses and trains to take. The next morning, upon arrival at the Koper Trainstation, no trains were running. Fortunately they had arranged for an alternative bus. To make sure everybody understands which bus to take, the parked the bus right next to the tracks. Chystal clear. I arrived at the next station in time to catch the next train to Postajnska. From the railway station there would be a bus to the caves. Despite my preperations, reality is different when it is still low season. After al long walk to the caves, I joined the heard on the train. And afterwards followed the Azians who were taking photographs of just about everything. 

This "train" was running

Last Tuesday I also made a daytrip to Trieste. In the sun I had the cutest small cappuccino for just 85 eurocents.

AIS II

Let's see how long this solder will hold. My AIS position is visble again!!!

AIS

Currently my AIS position is not visible on my site. It turns out that I am a terrible solderer. The antenna conection is not adequate enough to transmit my position. Hopefully I will succeed in repairing this problem tomorrow.

Bora

Last Sunday and Monday I was very ready to leave for Piran. Even worse, I actually set my alarm clock. Inmediately after waking up I heard a strong wind in the rig. It was beautiful sunny weather, but with strong winds. Force 7 with gusts of 8. Bora is a very local phenomenon, it is cold air, that rises behind the Alps to all of a sudden fall over the ridge. Of course I had read about this phenomenon, but I now realize it really happens during lovely sunny days. So I immediately changed my plans. Plan B. There is a bus connection to Piran. So I put on my "tourist" shoes en left towards Piran, Izola and Portoroz.

Piran

Upon arrival in Piran, I was very happy that I had not sailed to Piran. All the yachts and boats in the small harbour were rocking about. As you can see in the picture of Piran the waves on the right are mucht higher than the relatively quite area near the harbour (leftside of the picture). The next picture shows the force of the waves upon hitting the shore. This detail picture was taken just to right of the church. Giant waves!!!

Currently I'm still bearthed in Koper. As soon as I have received a very important letter from home, I will leave directly toward Croatia. I'm a bit sceptical to state when this wil be. In the mean while I am enjoying the sun, eating breakfast on deck, and just sleeping in.



This is why I'm cruising the Med

 

Panic in the restrooms

Since my arrival in Koper, construction workers have been renovating the restroom and shower facilities. They had started with the women's facilities. No problem what so ever, just stick a couple of pieces of paper on the doors and male restooms are now suitable for women. The Marina Staff was not very happy with this situation, but it was temporary, and what can you do? This morning the situation changed...... A little after 8 in the morning, a very reasonable time when you are on sabbatical leave, I walked to the restroom facilities to take a long shower. The constuction workers had taken a head start on breaking down the male facilities, even though the women's facilities were not finished jet!!!
With my hair in the very trendy "out of bed look" I walked over the the Marina Staff to ask were I could take a shower. Then there was panic. The Marina Staff put in every effort to solve the situation as quickly as possible. The construction workers were supposed to wait with the male showers untill the women's showers were finished. They only needed to finish a few small things, mount the doors, heat the water and.... Everything would be ready in 5 minutes the Marina Staff insured me, but the construction workers had to do the job. Looking at the constuction workers and their bodylanguage, I was pretty sure it would take quite some time longer. So I decided to walk back to the Madame Curie, to wait al little and enjoy breakfast in the mean time. The Marina staff was very busy, but the construction workers just continued with their job. Behind the very quickly installed door, and my towel on a piece of clean carpet, specifically put there for my clothes a had a wonderfull shower. During my shower the door to the shower area was kept closed, and all constuction work in the area were stopped. When I walked back to my boat the construction started again in the shower area.

Arrival in Koper

After a very stressful period the last couple of weeks I have finally arrived in Koper. Lovely weather, sunny, blue skies, en no wind. Madame Curie had no problems what so ever during transportation. This afternoon I have finished a few chores, and did a brave attempt to reorganise my boat. Because my hectic departure I had just thrown all my stuff on board. Hopefully the mast will be stepped tomorrow, and after that a few essentiel finishing touches and then.......finally a couple of nights of decent sleeping hours. And then my sabbatical can really start.


Stootwilletje vergeten



Goodbye

Because all my colleagues have had to listen to my boat stories for a year and a half, I decided to give them the oppertunity to look at  Madame Curie. With al the flags hoisted and the excellent weather it turned out to be a very festive afternoon.