Rough Weather Sailing in Croatia: 40 Knots, Wet Socks, and a Trimaran That Just Keeps Going
Last week was one of those days where you start to wonder why you ever trust the weather forecast. The app said a bit of breeze, nothing dramatic. By lunchtime I was looking at 40 knots on the instruments, somewhere between Mali Lošinj and an anchorage that looked much friendlier on the chart than it did in reality.
My morning started out normal. Did the usual prep, put in a double reef, set up the storm jib before leaving the bay. Honestly, I was a bit proud of myself for once. Cleared out the galley and made sure everything was stowed properly. Anyone who’s had stuff flying around in a blow knows you only need to learn that lesson once. I grabbed a couple of granola bars and filled up my water bottle, then set off.
The first few miles were nothing special. Sun was out, barely any chop, just enough wind to keep things interesting. I actually started thinking maybe I’d overdone it with the reefs. That’s always how it goes. Then I rounded the point and the wind just switched on. Suddenly the boat was bouncing, the wind started howling, and I was steering with one hand and holding my coffee with the other. Good timing as usual. The trimaran felt quick but it was like pushing a supermarket trolley over cobblestones.
At 30 knots the real work started. The autopilot quit early. Everything that wasn’t really tied down found its way to the floor. The waves got steeper, sometimes hitting right on the nose, sometimes from the side. No chance of a hot lunch – today was definitely a granola bar day. If you need two hands to eat it, forget it.
I’m pretty sure it felt longer than it really was. Probably just a couple hours of keeping focused, salty spray in my face and the usual “why do I do this to myself” thoughts now and then. Eventually, I got some shelter behind the next bit of land. Suddenly everything calmed down. Sea got flat, wind dropped, and I could finally stand up straight again. Checked the phone. No news is good news.
After anchoring, first thing was a quick check of the rig and the deck. All fine, except for one lost coffee mug. Socks were soaked, hands tasted like salt, face sticky from dried spray, but nothing broken. Put the kettle on, found the last handful of peanuts, feet up. All the stress from earlier faded out pretty fast once the anchor was down.
To be honest, forty knots in Croatia isn’t some wild adventure story. Sometimes that’s just what you get, especially in spring. You can prep all you want but when it’s blowing you just get on with it. Better to reef early, listen to your gut, and always keep some snacks close by.
If you were hoping for dolphins and sunsets, sorry to disappoint. This was just a normal sailing day, just with a lot more salt everywhere.
Cheers from the boat,
Phil