My Adriatic Adventure: One Week On The Adriatic Sea

During the last week of June, I spent a week in a 12-meter sailboat, sailing parts of the Adriatic Sea.

Specifically around the islands of Šolta, Brač, and Hvar.

This was the longest time I ever spent on a boat.

During that time, I only touched land when we refueled halfway through our trip.

Journaling. Yup, even on a boat.

In the past, there have been ferry rides, canoeing adventures, and short day trips on smaller boats.

But never a 7-night adventure at sea on a 12-meter boat.

Sitting with the moments that made up my week, I wondered, can I write this? And if I can, what am I writing about?

Is it a piece about the Adriatic Sea? About boats? About Croatia’s islands? About knots? Is it about three people spending 24 hours a day on a 12-meter boat?

And then I remembered that I could write about whatever I wanted. This is my adventure.

So, for now, it goes like this…

Me in the deep blue Adriatic Sea

I spent one week on a boat in the Adriatic Sea. And this is what it looked like:

I learned that the Croatian word for knot (nautical mile) is čvor.

On this trip, the sailboat went up to 8.2 knots (čvorovi).

I learned I get motion sickness when sailing in a 12-meter boat at high speeds.

Fortunately, with time, I was able to overcome it.

Maybe I will remember to bring Gravol next time, just in case.

I learned that there is a difference between currents and waves and that they can travel in different directions.

Yes, many of you reading this know this, and I am sure I learned this at some point (probably in a science class), but now I actually understand.

I learned that the sails on our sailboat were a genoa and a mainsail.

And when I heard the word genoa, all I could think about was genoa salami.

While at sea, we experienced the maestral (mistral - the good wind), the jugo (south wind), and the bonaca (calm and peaceful sea).

I have witnessed all of these in action while on land, but experiencing them on a boat is another matter. All of them serve as a reminder that Mother Nature is powerful.

I watched as experienced individuals tied and handled rope, making it look effortless.

However, I knew that these techniques took time to master.

I watched as the skipper of our boat navigated 2-meter waves with calm and ease.

I, on the other hand, was full of knots (because motion sickness).

I stared or rather, I gawked, as we sailed by a 103-meter yacht owned by New Zealand’s richest man, Graeme Hart. Ulysses is massive!

And…

I also gawked when our sailboat was anchored between two yachts for one afternoon: Lady Gita and Love Story.

In the words of my dear friend Robyn, ‘I almost choked’ when I saw the price for a one-week rental of one of the 49-meter yachts (140,000 euros).

The 103-meter yacht owned by New Zealand’s richest man, Graeme Hart. Ulysses is massive!

One evening, I saw a strawberry moon.

What a beautiful site to behold.

Another evening, I watched a neighboring boat crew member sit at the boat's bow.

The moment left me in awe, and I grabbed my phone, hoping to capture the perfect shot.

Anchored off the island of Hvar

On days while we sailed around Hvar, I looked out onto the horizon and stared towards Italy. I saw nothing but sea and sky.  

I felt peace. And a slight eeriness.

Can both feelings be felt at the same time? I don’t see why not.

Looking out from Hvar in the direction of Italy. Erie and beautiful.

Most mornings, I woke up between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m.

I have no idea why my internal clock thought that was an ideal time, but I am glad it did because it gave me the time to take in the morning stillness, the morning peace (mir).

And most evenings, I was ready for bed by 10 pm, sometimes earlier (see early morning wake-ups).

Sunrise along the Adriatic Sea. Photo taken at 5:36am from Sveti Klement (thanks iPhone)

One day, when the words flow with greater ease or my vocabulary extends beyond descriptive words such as ‘amazing’ and ‘beautiful’ (even Grammarly recommends I change ‘amazing’ to ‘unique’), I will return to this moment and do my best to add more texture and substance to the memories stored in my mind and on my phone.

For now, these words will serve as a recap of some of the moments that made up my Adriatic Adventure along the Adriatic Sea.

And that’s enough to make me smile.

Sailing around the Island of Hvar