Dalmatia Charter fleet winter service

Immediately after the last week of charter season, a boat gets its sails, bimini and spray-hood washed and removed and taken to a local company for eventual repairs, additional cleaning, preservation and storage until next season.



In the coming weeks, every single boat will be drawn out of the sea for works on the boat's hull, more specifically – the underwater line. Last year’s antifouling layer will be sanded and coated with a new one. This procedure is repeated every year in order to protect the underwater line from algae and sea shells. With the new smooth layer, sailing on our boats will be even more enjoyable for you. In addition of changes of antifouling, the engine propeller and bow thruster will be cleaned up and repaired, if necessary.



After processing the underwater part, next in line are boat sides. Cleaning, eventual repairs and re-painting are in order. In addition, not only for aesthetic reasons, starboard and port polishing are to increase sunlight reflection and thus suppress additional interior heating. Windows are checked and if moisture or sea intrusion was noticed, they are removed, cleaned and re-set.



Interior of each boat will be almost completely separated to thoroughly clean every corner of the boat. Boat’s engine is subjected to a general service, as well as all outboard motors. Our staff will examine boat plastics, wood, kitchen inventory, beddings, electrical installations, pluming, cooling systems, navigation equipment, ropes, and dinghies in detail, do the reparation if needed or replace worn inventory with new ones. Each piece is carefully checked and in safe hands.

Tips for cooking

The most significant difference between your kitchen at home and the one on board is in size. Therefore, before cooking you should organize your workspace well. Also it is very important to take into consideration the rocking of the ship too. In this article we bring you tips on what to look out for and how to organize the space before cooking.

Kitchen equipment

The kitchen on the boat is equipped with basic necessities, so the microwave and various other electrical supplies are a luxury. Given the size of the kitchen and its layout, the core of successful cooking is good organization. Think what you will use, starting with the utensils because the onboard kitchen is of limited size, as is the sink. In addition to basic kitchen utensils, in the kitchen you will find a bottle and can opener, scissors and various kinds of knives, so these items do not have to carry with you on your sailing holiday.

Tips for an onboard kitchen



Admittedly, the sink is significantly smaller than the one at home, so sizable pots might often serve as separate sinks. Kitchens in all our boats are equipped with swinging gas stoves, which allows cooking even if is wavy on anchor. But that doesn't mean that you can leave the sauce to simmer on the stove under no control. Put away any dangerous utensils if you are not using them, because even when docked, a boat moves, and any sharp objects can fall or hurtle across the boat hurting someone. Remember to always lock cutlery cabinets after using the required cutlery, boat rocking can suddenly open an unlocked cabinet and cutlery will be scattered around the kitchen. Use non-slip mats or damp tea-towels to stop plates or cutting boards from sliding. Even though all gas installations are controlled and repaired before every sailing season, we recommend keeping the gas turned off on the bottle when you are not using the stove.

Island Mljet - Sailing destination, part 3

In the first two articles of Island Mljet we introduced places and bays to visit on the North side of Mljet Island. This time we’ll focus on Southern Mljet - sandy bay Saplunara, Odysseus' cave and Pomena bay.




Saplunara
Photo source www.saplunara.com

Starting from Dubrovnik towards Trogir, you should definitely stop at Saplunara's bay for a lunch break. Saplunara is a small settlement located at the east point of Island Mljet. It was established by people of Korita village (located further up the hills). Saplunara village has about 20 houses and about 30 permanent inhabitants.
Saplunara is well known for Velika and Mala Saplunara and Blace, sandy beaches surrounded by thick pine forest.




 
Blaca bay
Photo source Tourist board Mljet

Children will adore Blaca bay. This natural phenomenon, locally called Limuni, is a rounded sandy bay, only 1 meter deep, with warm water, giving you an impression of swimming in a pool. Since Blaca bay is very shallow you can only enter with a dinghy or by foot from Saplunara, which is 20 min of walking distance. 
In Saplunara bay you'll find few buoys in front of local restaurants. The bay is opened to the southwest so we would recommend you anchor in case of SW wind. 

Odysseus' cave
Photo source Tourist Board Mljet   
Sailing further up north to the central part of the island's southern coast so you can stop and visit Odysseus' cave, a geomorphic phenomenon known by legend of Odysseus. In this cave Odysseus was captured by Calypso and imprisoned for seven years. Explore Odysseus' cave swimming and diving in its depth. 

Pomena
Photo source Tourist Board Mljet    
                                         
On west end of Island Mljet lays a small village and harbor Pomena. Pomena was initially founded by residents of Govedari village, as that was the nearest sheltered bay and their only access to the sea.
In front of hotel ‘Odisej’ you will find a 150 m long waterfront with water and electricity hook-ups. Since Mljet has no water supply from land, water consumption on the berth is limited.
If you still haven't visited National Park Mljet or you want to enjoy it again, Pomena is a great starting point. It is located only 15 min of walking distance from National Park's entrance.
Rich fishing grounds combined with sandy beaches and stunning flora and fauna made this place a sailing destination worth visiting. Pomena is also very popular because of the rich active content you can enjoy. Besides swimming in crystal clear sea, you can also rent surfboards, canoes, bikes and cars or participate in sailing and diving courses.
Enjoy Mljet by exploring its beauties and enrich your cruising experience.

Island Mljet - Sailing destination, part 2

Sailing along north side of Mljet, towards Dubrovnik, you'll come across the widest bay at the northern part of Mljet - Sobra.
 

Sobra
Photo by Tourist board Mljet

Sobra first was used as a fishing harbor of Babino Polje, the central settlement on Mljet, situated 6 kilometers from Sobra, in Mljet's inland. Today, Sobra is the maritime center of the whole island and a tourist destination. Sobra harbor has amenities such as electricity, sanitary facilities, water, Wi-Fi, grocery stores, and a fuel station. At Sobra you can rent a scooter or a car and visit Babino Polje village. Among the sights of Babino Polje are a large number of churches and chapels: Sotnica – judicial, administrative and commercial building built by the Benedictines in order to store the profits of their property, and the Rector’s Palace built in the Renaissance style. Today, Babino Polje is the municipal center of Mljet, with an elementary school, police station, health center, post office, St. Vlah’s church and a culture house "Zabriježje".

 Church in Babino Polje
Photo by Tourist board Mljet

 One of the oldest settlements on Island Mljet is Prožura. Prožura is situated on the north part of the island.


  Prožura
Photo by Tourist board Mljet

This old settlement isn't visible from the seaside; it is settled in valley, hidden behind the northern edge of the hill. Prožura's architecture dates from the 15th century and most of the settlement is well preserved. To defend themselves from pirates, locals build a defense tower, which is well preserved although it dates from the 17th century.

 
Prožura
Photo by Tourist board Mljet

To reach Prožura you should anchor in Prožura's bay.
 
Prožura's bay
Photo by Tourist board Mljet

Two quays are provided for sailors with mooring lines and anchorages in the bay. Local restaurants provide also buoy fields. Bay is well protected from south and south-west wind, but not that much from ‘bura’ or ‘tramontana’ winds.
In case of strong northern wind, we recommend Okuklje bay, just2 NM away from Prožura.

 
Okuklje
Photo by Tourist board Mljet

Okuklje is a frequent sailing spot in Mljet because it is the most protected bay on the northern side of the island. Okuklje is a small village where locals practice fishing, tourism, farming, olive growing, viticulture... In Okuklje bay you can enjoy local Mljet's food specialties, taste good Mljet wine, swim in crystal clear sea and spend a safe night enjoying a starry sky.