On the water

We arrived at a town called Marina, coincidentally also a marina, were we took possession of Rudis, a Leopard 46 sailing catamaran. The checkout did not take long, and Ron was off to take his sailing license exam. The rest of the crew busied themselves shopping at the village market while Ron was conveyed to the site of the exam. It takes 6 uniformed Croatian officials to conduct the exam. A rather fierce looking individual sat across the table from him with a nautical chart spread out before him. Also present were two wooden boat models used to set up various sailing scenarios and various navigation tools. A rapid fire cross examination then takes place, both word problems, chart reading, and problems using the model boats. A particularly distinquished looking official sat at one end of the table taking notes. The remaining four officials were in an alcove, observing the proceedings, perhaps to ensure compliance with the Geneva Conventions. A crisis arose when the passport sized photographs I had brought were not the right size for the Croatian license. Major discussion ensued and resloution was acheived only when a young women, affiliated with one of the charter companies, called our company who agreed to take photos and forward them to the port officials. Handshakes all around and Ron's temporary license was issued. The cruise was saved.

As a result of the excitement at the licensing exam we spent the night at the Marina marina. The boat is airconditioned and after a fine meal prepared by the crew, especially Ken, we turned in. We set sail the next morning for Vis, an island about 28 nautical miles from Marina marina. We sailed a bit but motored mostly as the winds were light. The crew performed excellantly. We arrived at the town of Komza at about 3:00 and performed a modified med mooring. This involves something called a slime line. For those interested in this process please contact one of the crew who will boor you with the process.

We are now sitting on the waterfront having a drink and planning the evening. The water is as blue and clean as the Caribbean, the scenery is gorgious, and a wonderful time is being had by all.

Pictures to follow.

The Crew