⛵ Nerezine (Cres) 🇭🇷 to Brindisi 🇮🇹

After two months of preparation, the trip to northern Europe finally started. There was some urgency to pass the Strait of Gibraltar before the Orcas arrive for their seasonal migration - they’ve been attacking sailboat rudders in that area over the last 4 years. Jan joined me on Friday, and we departed that evening.

This passage would take us from the Croatian islands across the Adriatic to Italy - the first leg toward the Atlantic.

Weather Conditions

• Wind: Northeast and east winds up to 30 knots
• Seas: Up to 1.5 meters
• Weather: Rainy with cold nights

Navigation

• Departure: Nerezine, Croatia
• Arrival: Brindisi, Italy
• Distance: 386 nautical miles (about 715 kilometers)
• Duration: 3 days, 16 hours

Technical Notes

• Engine not pulling properly when leaving the marina
• Becalmed with rain in Lojinski Kanal (a narrow channel between Croatian islands)
• Becalmed again after passing Vis
• Line wrapped around the propeller
• Generator needed for the final approach to Brindisi marina
• The autopilot stopped working after Vis, showing a “sensor error.” Adjusting the sensor seemed to fix it temporarily, though this would prove to be an ongoing issue.

Highlights

• Good sailing past Dugi Otok in strong winds with both genoa and staysail set. The boat reached top speed, punching through some waves and jumping over others.

Crew

• Jan joined in Nerezine but decided to continue by land from Brindisi. The conditions were more demanding than he’d expected.

Photos

Horizon before sunrise

Warming hands on camping stove

Arrival in Brindisi

Auto-generated track key: 20250228 | GPS track: 20250228.geojson