Winds in Croatia

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BlueSkyNick

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Our holiday charter in June is eagerly anticipated so I have been studying the pilot book on a regular basis.

The friends we are going with are worried about the Bora and Scirroco, but I am trying to put their minds to rest. Scirroco don't seem to be an issue, but the bora is a little confusing.

The book says that they blow during the winter ie up until April. Then in another paragraph says they can blow in the summer too.

Anybody actually experienced the bora in June ?

I am hoping that we will have sufficient warning through the local forecasts, so we can get to a suitable location before it blows - is this just wishful thinking?

Are we worrying, unnecessarily?

Anything else we need to know about the weather?

<hr width=100% size=1>I'm average size, Its just that everybody else is short.
 
I experienced the Bora 3 times in 10 days in September. Twice it got up to 45 knots within a couple of minutes. In all cases it happened between 5 and 7pm.

My understanding is that they can happen anytime of the year, they just happen more frequently in winter.

The good thing about the bora is that it always comes from the same direction, so just make sure that you don't pick an anchorage that is directly open to a bora. Also because it is a very local wind there is not much fetch to build up the waves. The further offshore you are the bigger the waves, but conversely the further offshore you are the weaker the wind.

Hope this helps.

RB

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I was there in early July. We had one day of a blow, up to 40 knots, one day of good sailing and the rest of the week was plagued with light airs. I didn't mind too much as Croatia is gorgeous.

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agree with what RB said, bora is certainly possible during every month of the year, although not very likely during the summer months.
I experienced it in may june july aug and sept, although they were a couple of occurrences per month; whereas *every* time I went there in february and march I have been hit.

Most sensible precaution, always anchor in a N to NE sheltered place, and try to avoid places where the trees are bent...

If SE scirocco comes then you will have plenty of time to leave the anchorage and find another shelter as it builds little by little.

Local forecast give a warning but they are at several hour interval and bora can come out much more quickly; I also often found an excessive safety zeal on the forecaster side, bora is forecast much more often than it actually blows



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How frequent are the weather forecasts (VHF)? I'm in Southern Adriatic in early April, going down to Corfu.
Any good boltholes around this area.

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Alan,

in Southern adriatic you should be able to listen to the Italian forecast on ch.68, it is continuous, Italian then English, a bit of a pain as it contains forecasts for the whole mediterranean and if you skip your zone then you have to wait for it to finish and be repeated..

otherwise,

http://prognoza.hr/prognoze_en.html

if you have access to internet.

Split issues on VHF ch. 07, 21, 23, 81 at 0545, 1245 (or 1445) and 1945 UTC

Dubrovnik on vhf 04, 07, 24 at 0535, 1435, 1935 UTC (alternate time 0620, 1320, 2120)

you'll have to check channels as not all those mentioned are active at the same time, time is often +-10minutes



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Yup, bora comes in from the NE and can build up very rapidly, but it's rare in the summer, although a friend was tied down for two days in the Kornati 2 years ago. The bora seems to be becoming less frequent, scirocco more, but as another poster stated, you can see it coming. Another wind (squall) you don't have much warning for is the 'neverin' which generally comes from the NW or thereabouts. Lasts only an hour or so but blows a hooly and can bring lots of rain. One to watch out for on unsettled days as it's very fast-moving.
However, chances are in the summer that you'll get the maestrale and perhaps not enough of that.
Frequent weather forecasts on VHF in Croatian, Italian, English and (I think) German from the Croatian authorities. Plus all marinas have a map pinned on a board.
Boltholes in S. Adriatic: bora is not so much of a problem in the south. It mainly affects the Gulf of Trieste, the Quarnero, Velebit Kanal and coast and islands as far as Split. It has less puff further south. IMHO

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Metabarca on 17/03/2004 10:41 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
Re: Croatia to Corfu

"How about Albania, any tips?"

How about this for a tip: Don't!
Seriously, tho', it's feasible from what I hear but you need to go in with your eyes open and never leave your boat unattended. And preferable don't go where there are no Italian carabinieri who at least bring a semblance of law and order to the country. The trick, of course, will be to find that infinitesimal slot of time between it being suicidal to go in and it being swamped by charter Bavs and Czech and German caravans (wheeled variety) as tourism takes off.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>
 
Re: Croatia to Corfu

I was in Valona in December on my way back from Athens. It is not so bad as people thinks. Custom officers were very polite and give us one soldier who take care of boat all the night. They start to built turismus and dont want anything to make black spot. Entering fees are extremelly high . Port are dusty and you have nothing to see . One interesting thing: In the morning we would like to give small present to soldier but he refuse to take anything. They have plans to built one big marina there. It would be very interesting for all of us as passage from Corfu to Bar or Dubrovnik is long.


<hr width=100% size=1>skipp
 
Re: Croatia to Corfu

Branko: "Entering fees are extremelly high". How high, exactly?

<hr width=100% size=1>Adriatic links here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>
 
Finally made it from Dubrovnik to Corfu last week. Not without incident off Albania (electrical fire, bilge pump strainer continuously blocking up with bilges still filling + engine seizure due to crap rebuild in Split).
However, Croatian weather still main problem, since it is still very changeable over ther & not like previous years pattern. Locals claim that weather settles after 3 Bora's. We experienced the 2nd last week. So potentially there is another one due & we are now into June. Local Charter companies, most very professional, were reporting concerns regarding even their bigger boats in the short big choppy seas near the coast (3 metres).

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I agree: summer has still not arrived. Here in Trieste, we had a strong bora about 2 weeks ago and a weaker one this weekend which then faded away leaving fluky winds from other quarters. More bad weather on the way (down your way too) today and tomorrow (1-2 June). Perhaps the third and last bora? Doubt it: there's a depression on the other side of the Alps instead of an anticyclone. Ho hum

<hr width=100% size=1>Adriatic links here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>
 
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