THE KORNATI ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Envoy is now anchored off Corfu.
On the way to the Kornati Islands we planned to overnight at a great looking sheltered bay called Potkucina. We’d only been anchored there for ten minutes when a dinghy came alongside and we were told there was a Kn 300 (approx NZ$67) fee to anchor there. We just can’t agree with paying to anchor (except at National Parks), so moved on.
The next three nights were spent cruising the Kornati Islands National Park. To enter this park you have to buy a ticket costing Kn 500 (about NZ$111) for three nights, and we thought this was reasonable. At first we found the islands very barren and wondered what made them constitute a National Park (the Cruising Guide describes them as a “moonscape”), but as we moved north there was increasing vegetation ashore and the anchorages were better, making the experience overall worthwhile.

Barren landscape of Kornati National Park

One morning Frank and I did a lengthy hike from our anchorage of Statival up a steep and stony hillside to get a spectacular view over the islands from the summit. A huge wall in the shape of a cross had been built in memory of twelve firemen tragically killed here during a brushfire in 2007.

View over islands of Kornati National Park showing the stone crosses

Laurie on summit during hike

Well-equipped tour leader Frank on summit

Another view from the top

At this point we were the most distant from our home base at Lefkas Marina – 390 miles “as the crow flies”, or 876 miles as we’d cruised.
Frank and Laurie enjoy a coffee at taverna on Kornati Is

Frank and Marie during a fish dinner ashore

Leaving the Kornatis we found a great anchorage among islands north of Murter Island and made a three mile trip in the RHIB to the town of Murter. While buying fruit in the market here we got the great news of the birth of our granddaughter Lily, and that night celebrated in style with one of Frank’s famous pasta dishes and plenty of bubbly. Next day we went back into Murter, and over breakfast in a taverna watched the All Blacks beat the Wallabies.
Murter's waterfront

It was a very hot day but we walked to the nearby old town of Betina where it was interesting to see their unique lateen-rigged yachts moored at the quay. Here we had a coffee served by another couldn’t-care-less waiter, but the location was great.

Lateen-rigged yachts in Betina harbour

Next stop was Kosirina, a large bay on the west side of Murter Island, where there’s an extensive camping ground. Frank being an experienced camper having just bought a caravan went ashore to see how the locals do it. One major difference was using mainly charcoal BBQs for cooking whereas in New Zealand we mostly use lpg.
Next day we anchored off the rustic mainland village of Tribunj, a picturesque village on a very small island, once fortified against attacks from pirates. As we had drinks at a shore-side taverna we watched a yacht moored stern-to the quay prepare to move away. There was a fifteen knot wind on the yacht’s beam, and the crew let their lines go too soon causing the yacht to drifte sideways onto the yacht moored next to it. Instead of correcting the situation the yacht’s skipper gunned his engine and his keel fouled and broke the adjacent yachts bow line - fortunately there were plenty of people on hand to assist.

Laurie and Marie pose with donkey statue inTribunj

Tribunj seafront and Croatian flag

Laurie and Frank in Tribunj

This bridge links the island of Tribunj to the mainland

TECHNICAL – nothing to report
ENVOY LOG as at 18 August 125 days spend aboard and 1,000 miles cruised for 195 engine hours.