Monday 2 October 2017 – Marina 4 (Quattro) – Italy

So it was today we left Croatia.  It was all very simple.  The office at the end of the pontoon opened at 8am.  We had had our cereal and decided to have coffee under way.  Richard went there as they opened and was back all finished within 15 minutes!  So we rushed off and slipped our mooring at 8:15.

The weather has been much the same as before.  Cool, not much wind and sunny.  Richard did put the Genoa up for an hour or two with the engine (which gained a third of a knot) but generally it was the usual motor all the way.  The only problem was that the sea was a bit lumpy.  It was coming at us from the side so we were corkscrewing.  So I took a pill.  I don’t need to worry about running out now.  We only have one more day of sailing!

We had to go 30 miles, so it was a bit of a slog.  At about noon, or a bit later I suddenly felt very tired and fell asleep in the cockpit.  This isn’t unusual on boring motoring trips, but what was unusual was that instead of just dozing I was out for the count.  All of a sudden Richard shouted at me that I had to prepare the boat for mooring!

We came into this harbour gently.  We were warned that there is a very narrow entrance and indeed there is.  I tried calling up the marina on both the VHF and phone numerous times and got absolutely no response.  The book said that there was a fuel pontoon at the end of the marina and near the visitor berths.  We know we need to fill up, so we headed for there.  We eventually found the pontoon and I managed to pick up their lines with my boat hook and secure us.  But there is no one here at all.  Richard got off the boat and went to the petrol station, which is the other side of the pontoon, and was told that it was permanently closed!  It didn’t look like that as there were hoses and nozzles on the pontoon.  Anyway it was lunchtime and we guessed that everyone was having lunch.  After all, we are now in Italy!  So we just stayed where we were and had our lunch.  We decided that we should just stay where we were.  Either no one would come in which case we could spend the night were we were, or we could be moved on.

As we guessed someone eventually came over.  He was from the petrol station and was opening it up and could fill our tank.    After that he telephoned someone at the marina who said they would give us a berth and would come to us in about 20 minutes.  The only problem was that we had to vacate the fuel pontoon, because another boat wanted to use it.  We were directed up the marina and told to look for the marina man later.

This marina is very crowded.  The pontoons are close together and mainly full.  They are stern to moorings in a “box” where you take lines from poles at the front.  I was worried about these as I have never been successful using them.  We saw some in the Netherlands and usually avoided them.  So as we set off up the marina we had no idea where we should go and how to moor.  We never saw anyone to help.  When we got to the end of the harbour Richard spotted a space that was alongside on a wall.  I was unconvinced that we should be allowed to moor there and whether there would be enough depth.  But Richard persevered and got us along side, taking up the keel because we are only in 1.6 metres, but there is a tide and it will get shallower.  A kindly person from a boat along the way helped take our lines.  We assumed that we would be moved if we were in the wrong place!

Eventually, after Richard went to the office, a man from the marina came.  He seemed happy with where we were and how we had moored up.  So we avoided doing the full box stuff.

Next problem was checking in to Italy from Croatia.  Because we were coming from a non Schengen country the Italians are now insisting that you sign in.  However, we knew there were no facilities at this Marina to do so and we would have to go some 2  and a half kilometers to sign in.  So Richard took the bicycle out and set off.  Nearly 2 hours later he finally returned.  He got lost finding the bus station which wasn’t exactly on the route he had been given!  But he did sign us in so we are now legal in Italy.

We are on the boat for the evening.  The place is plagued with mosquitoes.  Even Richard is getting bitten!

So now we are about to fulfill Richard’s fantasy of sailing his own boat in to Venice tomorrow.  What this space.