Adriatic Sailing Day 7: Our Last 24 Aboard The Baltra
• CAVTAT — ŠIPAN — DUBROVNIK •
Waking up this morning moored in the bay, there was nowhere to wonder off, grab some coffee and explore. A few of the girls opted for a morning swim and the rest of us just hung out above deck until Nik was up and ready to get our final day of sailing underway.
Although Nik probably wanted to go right back to sleep because when he went to raise anchor the automated pulley system didn’t work and he had to haul it up and out of the water by hand. It clearly was a challenge that required a lot of muscle… I’m trying to figure out if there’s any possible way this could also be my fault. But the anchor is one thing on this boat I haven’t touched, so I think I’m in the clear.
Once we were good to go, Nik navigated us the 12 nautical miles north to the Dubrovnik Old Town Walls. He was able to bring us into the harbor for some great views of the walled city from the water. We continued north along the coast stopping for another cave swim. There was no way I was getting my hair wet, mainly because I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to blow dry it again (and if that makes me a diva, then I guess I’m a diva), so I pulled my hair up in a bun and took a raft with me. Then I figured I might as well take my phone and the selfie stick to capture this experience at the risk of everything ending up in the Adriatic… I mean, pics or it didn’t happen, right?
Back on the boat, we dried off and changed as Nik brought us into dock at Sudurad, the main port on Šipan island. Šipan is the largest of the Elaphiti islands, an archipelago northwest of Dubrovnik. Of the fourteen included islands, only the three largest are permanently inhabited, Šipan being one of them. Known for holding the world record for the most olive trees, this island is also famous for it’s wine and laid-back atmosphere. Nik wanted us to have an exceptional seafood lunch where the fish was freshly caught from the surrounding waters just hours before and he said this was just the place to enjoy that.
We sat on the patio at Konoba Stara Mlinica overlooking the quaint harbor and surrounding village. A tray of fish was presented and we were able to select which fresh catches we wanted prepared for the table. We ordered carafes of the local wine and settled back with a glass savoring the peaceful ambience. At one point, the hair dryer was mentioned in conversation and someone asked if anyone had told Nik that the one he had bought for us didn’t work. Nik had a glass of wine in hand, so we figured this was as good a time as any and Jillian took the liberty of filling him in. At first he didn’t believe us that the hairdryer didn’t have a plug, then he laughed and asked why we had waited three whole days to tell him. Jillian’s response was perfect, “well we were waiting for the right moment, like when you were drinking with us… but then we just kept getting drunk first.” LOL… glad that cat’s out of the bag. But as soon as the fish appeared on our table, the conversation ceased and it was a feeding frenzy. I’m not sure I’ve ever had fish so tasty.
After lunch Nik took us for one last swim in the Adriatic before we had to head back to the marina. He anchored in Lopud Bay off the coast of Lopud island, also part of the Elaphiti archipelago, and we all got in to enjoy our last swim together. I’m going to miss jumping into the water from the back of my floating hotel, but am reminded that where I call home is on a bay and boating is a big part of life. Sometimes these experiences on the other side of the world make you appreciate where you come from with a new perspective.
As the sun sank lower in the sky, it was time to sail the Baltra back to ACI marina. I soaked up every last second on the bow of the boat and was feeling a little depressed when we cruised into the marina. We had a team meeting once we were docked and Nik told us we need to be packed up and off the boat tomorrow morning by 9am. He joked that everyone should start packing ASAP and that I should have started 45 minutes ago… I guess that’s fair considering #ImADiva. He also gave us a few choices for how we can spend our evening, one of them requiring us to be ready in 45 minutes (probably not happening) so we can catch the sunset at the top of Mt. Srd overlooking Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian coastline. We negotiated an extra ten minutes and decided to give it our best shot as everyone started rushing to get ready. I settled for another sink faucet shower and you’d all be proud… I was ready before most of the group!
Surprisingly we were right on time as we all piled into the van Nik had arranged for us. We snaked up the narrow roads leading to the top of the mountain peak while we watched the sun sink lower and lower in the sky. I was pretty sure we weren’t going to make it in time, but we were all ready to run and the van wasn’t even fully stopped when we opened the door and jumped out “Normandy Style”. At the fort’s entrance, Nik quickly asked if we could pay the admission fee on the way out so we wouldn’t miss the sunset and as soon as we heard, “yes,” we ran in, flew up the steps and out to the lookout. We just made it!!!
The views from up here are spectacular, especially at sunset, and it was fun to see the islands we had visited today as we watched the lights come on in the walled city below. Nik had brought a bottle of the homemade grappa from our dinner Sunday night in Montenegro and he delivered a very sweet toast thanking us for being such an amazing group, saying he really enjoyed spending the week getting to know all of us. Živjeli… cheers in Croatian!
After finishing our grappa and paying our entrance fee, we headed down to Old Town to grab a drink and a bite to eat. It was awesome coming into the walled city through the Pile Gate. The walls are so massive and the setting is so atmospheric it almost feels fake… Am I at Disney World?!?
We sat down to a late dinner, our last together as a group. While I’m definitely looking forward to an actual hotel room with a shower faucet I can stand under and a big bed I can spread out in, I’m really going to miss the Baltra, Nik and the girls. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this trip but regardless, it far exceeded my expectations. In fact, this experience might have changed my opinion on group travel. It’s a really fun way to meet new people from all over the world and it’s definitely nice sharing these experiences with new friends versus traveling completely solo.
Back at the boat, Nik went straight to bed, but the rest of us were up late packing and writing notes of gratitude to give to him along with his tip. Most of us barely got any sleep, but we were all up bright and early to finish packing and officially disembark the Baltra. My gigantic suitcase and I said goodbye to the boat and we all sat down at the marina’s cafe for one last coffee together. We tried to express to Nik how grateful we were to have him as our captain for the week and how appreciative we are for everything he did to make our trip unforgettable. I’ve never had a skipper before, but I’m pretty sure it would be hard to find a better one out there. We said our goodbyes and Nik’s last request in anticipation of Saturday’s Quarterfinal game against Russia was to not change anything from Sunday night when Croatia beat Denmark… he wants same clothing, same hairstyle, even the same underwear. That’s our Captain and you can bet we’re going to follow directions… GO CROATIA!!!