Croatia Articles

This post is about ASA’s 2012 Croatia sailing flotilla. You can also read about the Top 5 Things to See on the Dalmatian Coast here, and a story of Croatia’s special cuisine here. The Adriatic Sea was, for me, one of those places that always sounded incredibly far-off and wonderful, not quite real, a magnificent realm that I would probably

This blog is about ASA’s 2012 Croatia Flotilla. Dubrovnik to Split, September 2012. “Every fish should swim three times,” goes a Croatian saying. “First in the sea, then in olive oil, and finally in wine.” The residents of the Dalmatian Coast live by this creed, and their cuisine, a divine fusion of Italian and Greek styles, demonstrates why. Of all

This is a story about ASA’s 2012 Croatia Flotilla. For more info on upcoming ASA sailing flotillas, click here. Sailors (and tourists of all kinds) have beaten a well-worn path through the Mediterranean, particularly in places like Greece, Italy, and Spain. These are the world’s most ancient sailing grounds, and they richly deserve their reputations for beauty and splendor. But

This is a special guest blog by Captain Jean de Keyser, who led ASA’s 2011 Croatia flotillas and operates Gulfcoast Sailing School, an ASA affiliate in Punta Gorda, FL. You can read Part One here. PART TWO As the first ASA flotilla came to an end on September 3, the participants for the next week’s event had already started checking

This is a special guest blog by Captain Jean de Keyser, who led ASA’s 2011 Croatia flotillas and operates Gulfcoast Sailing School, an ASA affiliate in Punta Gorda, FL. PART ONE On August 26 crew members from all over the U.S.A. gathered in the Trogir Palace Hotel located just outside of the stunningly beautiful medieval city of Trogir, Croatia. A

Continuing “Croatian Tapestry” The builders of Korcula were excellent urban planners. Inside the walled city the narrow alleyways feel mazelike, but in fact they are laid out in parallel lines with only a couple cross streets running the entire length. The ancient builders positioned the streets this way to take advantage of the seasonal winds: Warm Sirocco breezes are the

Continuing “Croatian Tapestry” We woke up early in Hvar to proper gusts straining us back on our mooring ball and a half-chafed through bow line. I’d been up the whole night checking and half-expecting this, but the grim reality of having to cast off at 6am in the dark was an abrupt awakening nevertheless. We scooted across the choppy channel

Continuing “Croatian Tapestry” The sail between Komiza and Hvar was a stretch in and out of lulls and wind alleys, which made for an active day at the helm. And rounding the corner as Hvar Town harbor came into view, I thought “it appears it will be an active night as well.” Hvar from seaward looked every bit the chic

Continuing “Croatian Tapestry” The destination for our second day was the tiny island of Vis. After a lunchtime stop at Tito’s private submarine base (which we dinghy’d into with homemade sangria in hand!), we sailed around the point into the beautiful cove of Luka Vis. And this was the view out the stern where we moored: We had a couple