Mali Losinj

Dropping anchor in Artatore, Mali Lošinj we had no idea what was about to hit us. What we expected to be just a couple of nights in a nice bay, turned into a 5-day weather event.

After setting our anchor on a big sandy patch in the bay, we enjoyed a paddle at the beach and a walk on the foreshore. But after checking the weather for the next day it seemed that there was quite some wind heading our way. We were confident in our anchoring, but let out a bit more chain to be sure. Over the next four days, the wind blew on and off at varying strengths, keeping us on or close to the boat with eyes glued to the forecast.

When sailing the north of Croatia we always knew it would be prudent to stick to the leeward side of the islands here. And it was the right call. The seaside mountain range that divides the interior of the country from the Adriatic coast can whip up wind at a moment’s notice. When the wind blows off the coast here it accelerates down the mountains and out to sea. Her name is the Bora.

The wind here is so notorious that it has been feared by sailors for centuries. As the saying goes, "When the Bora sails, you don't!" You know Mother Nature commands respect when the wind speeds here in winter have been measured at an eye-watering 160kn (matching that of a major hurricane event).

So, we sat tight and held fast. Even when we clocked 49kn, our anchor didn’t budge an inch and Long Summer sat comfortably. This is the highest wind we’ve ever had on anchor. As other yachts came into the bay we shooed them away from our turf with the fog horn. We knew that inexperienced navigators were likely to get into trouble in this weather, and were proven right when several boats dragged past us and out of the bay.

Fortunately in between blows we were able to go ashore for a bit of reprieve (whilst always keeping an eye on the boats in the bay). And the kids didn’t seem to mind the weather a bit. They thought it was hilarious to face the wind front on and eat their lunch under the table so it wouldn’t blow away!

Dicey weather is par for the course when you live on a boat, but we were glad to be in a good position when this came through. And it sure felt good to be able to finally take the dinghy down to the big town for a coffee after a few sleepless nights!