Swim Little Fishies, Swim

Continuing our jaunt through Croatia:

 

Keeping watch while the autopilot does a duty shift

 

 

Unjie – Island of Natural Wonders.  The wind that held to our nose on the way up, failed to show for our return journey.  So, much too much motoring was done on hot and humid mill-pond seas.  We tucked up in one of three long inlets on the south side of Unjie for a swim in clear waters with lots of friendly little fishies eager for a feast of bread crumbs.  (Don’t let on to local fishermen as these guys are few and far between.)  Otherwise, the sea bed was littered with spikey fat sea cucumbers and odd sea urchins, which delighted in wearing “fascinators” of shells and bits of stone.  Goats and sheep seemed happy to browse free range for tasty titbits along the rocky shore of this scrubby island. 

 

Another interesting feature of this island was the numbers of boaties lazing about “au naturel”.  Not always a pretty sight, especially so when those nearest us decided to hang washing (what washing?) or put up an awning!  (Shudder!  Much, much too much information!) 
 

Ugljan – Island of Big Clams.  We unexpectedly found this tiny anchorage, with room for only 4 or 5 boats, off “Ugly Jan”.  There were a few shacks on the edge of the bay and a small settlement to the north of the island but it appeared to be quite remote despite being so close to Zadar.

The water was refreshingly cooler though contained the standard sea cumbers and sea urchins, all served on a bed of sand and weed.  Further in though, away from menacing anchor chains, we found a stand of huge clams, (pinna nobilis) rather like mussels, upright in the water. 

Other than a few gunshots ringing out at dusk in the bush nearby, there was nothing remarkable about this anchorage.



Calm of the evening off Prtljug Cove, Ugljan

Zlarin – Coral Island.  Another tiny bay on this small and pleasant wooded island provided us with a safe-haven for a night.  We muscled in, feeling rather like the Queen Mary, between two small motorboats, both of which up-anchored at dusk leaving us to total peace and quiet.  Again, lovely clear water and a vantage point to watch the passing parade of visitors, including a vast cruise ship, gliding along Sibenski Kanal.  

 

Yes, today's going to be yet another motoring day

Zlarin has a long history and has been inhabited since Neolithic times.  The Romans had a settlement here and late in the medieval era it became a “church possession” for the Bishops of Sibenik.  Surprisingly, during the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918) the Island's tiny harbour was used to dock vast war ships.  In more recent times though, the island achieved some prominence for its more traditional skills - fishing and coral harvesting (a red coral I understand).

Our tiny wooded anchorage off Zlarin