CROATIE : SOUS LA PEPITE, LE DANGER (ON PREND LA FUITE)

Many navigators had warned us against the Croatian welcome. We wanted to make our own opinion. What we had not planned is that a simple wetting would provoke one of the most tense moments of our entire trip. How nice it is to wake up in this setting. The Croats call them the Pacleni Islands, the infernal islands. A surprising name for a real paradise in the turquoise waters.

Despite their name, the infernal islands owe nothing to the devil. They would come from the bread resin once collected on these islands and used to waterproof the boats. Because hell does not hide in this landscape of postcards. It awaits us in the wetland a little later.

We are approaching Achevar and we see right now the citadel perched on the hill. Arriving at Achevar does not go unnoticed. Even before reaching the port, the ramparts and the fortress give the whole. Here, the city has long been thought to control the sea because for centuries it has been watching over this strategic scale of the Adriatic. We enter Achevar, a name that sounds very barbaric, very Viking I find.

It's good! We are good! Finally a day, really as I love them, of the carrier, the scissor sails, 49,000 I think to do today. Yeah, it's good, here it is, it's nice. The temperatures are going up, the water is still fresh, it's 15-16 degrees, I know it's not going to last. I watched the weather, well let's see, I watched the weather. And if she's right, we have to take advantage of this day.

You don't believe what you say William. In a few minutes, I will tell you why we had to flee in a disaster. But for now, we are fully enjoying a beautiful swim to Corkula.

This beautiful navigation takes us to the island of Korkula. We are at 49,000 sailors from Dubrovnik, our second destination after Split. By its surface, it is the sixth island of Croatia and we go directly to the city of the same name. Small debrief on Korkula.

Frankly, I preferred Corkoula to Spion. Ah yes, no problem. Corkoula is a little joy with the central square at the top and streets that go down to the ramparts on each side. It's in stars, roughly speaking. And I loved it. I liked Corkoula very much. We spent an evening there. It's small screen, it's cute. I'm not looking for it. Me too. Where did you go?

Look closely at the plan of the streets of Corcula. They are lined with a fish net to block the icy winds in winter but let the breeze pass in summer. Imagine, and the Italians will shout, that it is here in Corcula that Marco Polo would have been born for some historians. Before becoming one of the greatest explorers of history, the kid would have grown up in these streets.

We pass through a labyrinth of islands and dillos, it's pretty cool. We officially enter the park of Mlle. Speed ​​limited to 5 knots. I'm surprised to see a village. Small drift on Miette or Midgette or ... finally the natural park. We were complaining because there was not much sun. Now and with the return of the day, it was a very good thing.

We pedalled yesterday. We rode bikes, we pedalled, we got a bit stuck, especially me. We did more laps, crazy levels. For the athletes we are, we have a lot of legs. I think that tomorrow, the addition will be very very heavy. I confirm, I did not have the most comfortable seat. Well, I think we'll talk about it a little later. I made a little mistake on the map, a priori. We took a pedestrian path, which would explain the difficulty of the course. She's in a good mood, Pupus.

So I say nothing. Tanshi, you're a biker?

The park is quite nice to see. In fact, I find that for a natural reserve, there is very little difference with the moorings that we have been able to do previously. There are no more birds, there are no more fish, there are no more flowers. On the other hand, the mooring where we are is still exceptional. Yes, the site remains very pretty. It allowed us to spend a completely different day because instead of sailing,

We rode bikes. That's the comfort after the sport. I draw a little bit, look what's waiting for us. It smells so good. I say we have to stop filming. What do you think? Affordable. That too is good, after the sport.

At the restaurant, I would have liked to taste some local specialties but I think that grilled fish is what we find on the menu every time. So maybe the local dishes are fish, we are by the water, it would not be stupid either. Following the program, so obviously in the middle we have a weather that is not very favorable, it must be said that since we left, between the

Then the sky is getting more and more hazy and windy, we try to juggle at best. We continue to descend to Dubrovnik depending on the weather, that is to say that what they announce to us is wind in the PIF, it is from the south. What they call the Yugo. I had some borax that comes from the northwest until now while we were climbing and now that I'm going down I have the Yugo. Left under a threatening sky, it is yet under a beautiful sun that we find our next mollification for the night.

We are on a boggy marsh in front of a private island. The owner did not want money to pay for our accommodation. He preferred a bottle of wine.

We had just changed the buoy on the owner's advice because the weight of the other buoy was more important and he preferred for a catamaran. When the guard ships arrived, they made a check: passports, boat papers, taxes on Croatia to be able to sail there and the travel expenses. They left again after an hour.

We sink into the goulé, in the background there is a bridge so I think I have to find a mooring to go to the city of Stone which is known for its largest wall with the longest of Europe. A four-knot navigation just with the genoa, it's quiet, it's very comfortable, it's pretty and it's pretty!

The bottom of the air is still cold for a month of May. What do you think? I agree with you. We are talking about cold. We will pass this bridge in annex to join the city of Stone. Our next ladder leads us to Stone. It may not be the most famous city in Croatia but it deserves a big tour.

We will discover why this small village played a major strategic role on the Adriatic coast. It's big grain! It's big salt there! Indeed, when arriving in Stone, it is difficult to imagine that this small town has long protected one of the greatest riches of the region for centuries. I want to talk about salt.

the huge salt marshes among the oldest in Europe where salt is still harvested according to traditional methods, fed the trade of the Republic of Dubrovnik. This explains the presence of a fortress that supervised access to the peninsula of Peljezak and a monumental wall built to defend this heritage. The latter, nearly 5 km long, is often nicknamed the Great Wall of Europe.

There are many sluices that regulate the amount of water. In fact, there is a whole irrigation system of the basins. You guessed it, we are going to start our sports session. I don't have the right shoes. I enjoy life. After the night bike session,

and the wall here in Stone we are stone! Croatia is the country that sculpts the thighs and chokes the buttocks! or just the palpitant I hesitate! in the meantime

It's still very very very pretty. We are complaining but it's worth it. Here is our superb view of the Salines. Stone has one of the longest fortified walls in Europe, often presented as the second longest in the world, after, of course, the Great Wall of China. Traditional beer, especially after the forts. Yes it's important. So it's a black beer, it's a specialty, a local priority.

What are we going to eat for lunch? Local specialties are the seafood, especially the oysters and the moules. So here are the moules à la Dalmat and the oysters presented in three different ways: breaded, boiled and raw. Chocolate with a priori pasta. Macaroni, no? Maybe.

and this one, strawberry dessert with I think what we would have called bunes or "frappes" or wonders according to the region we go on the way to Tranquil Pepper, do not forget that we still have a cake of pasta to digest a macaroni cake is not easy

we're going but slowly. here is our speed is 2 knots. the mooring was at a distance of 8000 is that it? 6000. well we have the rest of the afternoon to reach it.

As life can be beautiful, Jacques Djean is not an island like the others. We first find the ruins of a monastery from the 15th century, then a holiday center, today abandoned, where nature has regained its rights. And finally, monuments that testify to the battles of the Second World War and the Croatian War of Independence. All here, however, breathe the calm and quiet. And yet, this apparent calm will not last. We are on an abandoned island.

It's full of ghosts and mysteries. We actually came to jump because we wouldn't say today to have the weather. From tonight, the wind will strengthen quite strongly. We will climb to 35, maybe 40 knots. And that for three days with a little additional surprise, thunderstorms. From where we are, we like it. It is not too deep. We will swing, I think, 40 or 50.

We even have a plan B since there is a pontoon if we want to sail. Normally, whatever the direction of the wind, we should be well protected. There is only one small entrance door, if it is in full north wind. We were very hot, we slipped. We went to the dock, it's the place we had already envisaged. It was our solution in return and fortunately there were already navigators who were at sea to help us with the handrail.

We're at Petit Quai. We had a nice rafting. It goes very very fast actually. As soon as the anchor comes off, it takes a crazy speed. I called Sabine, we quietly started the engines. All maneuvers followed and started easily. We are ready because it was chained without stress, without accro, pain. On the other hand, it was blowing so much that the paddles were not in position and were jumping on the deck.

The sea was raised so I took quite a lot of shade. The wind makes drawings on the sea because there are not many waves in fact, there is no clap. There is no wave, it's the wind that raises the sea quite simply. But it makes ... So there we are more in the shelter of the people.

Of course, we doubled the crew's work on the tri-board side. We also put some bits on all possible tacking. Yes, the ramming is tough, unless the quay leaves. Then the wind fell again, I think we just took a salve. We must be in the 27 knots at the moment. It should last another 4 hours, the episode at its strongest. But there was a pretty violent episode.

The other problem that is emerging is the energy on board. Because it's covered, it's raining. We didn't do any engine. We just did a little bit of an electric group this morning to heat the water for the shower. We have room, but I think I'll have to turn the group or the engine at some point to make some more energy because we're a little short. Well, we have well-animated weekends.

- Days like that... - Episode 2! - Episode 2 of our day... - Moved! - Moved, yeah. - Do you like adventure? Do you want adrenaline? Get on a T-Pick! - They had announced that the wind was going to turn north, but I didn't think it was going to turn so violently and so strong. That was not announced, that's for sure. And so the boat started moving. - We now have the swell coming from the front.

It's the famous northward direction where the Anse is the least sheltered. Tap tap against the shell. And we're swinging funny.

We started to hear the waves crashing against the hull. As I was going down, checking that the hammers were still in place, I noticed that the water was already rising, that the waves were starting to hit the dinghy. As I was going back up on the boat, I was seeing that the battery was running out. So I threw my booster, started my instruments. I started to drop the hammers off the boat. When I finished dropping my hammers, the hammers jumped off the dock. I told Sabine to walk backwards.

I was always on the quay, so I jumped in front of the boat, I managed to get up and we got out of there. We didn't damage anything, but we didn't go far from the correctional. I think the maneuver to undo the hammers, to put the engines in gear, to turn the rear gear. I've never been that fast before. I think in less than two minutes. It was all done.

We had dropped everything and yet we had put a stopper. I had doubled at the front, at the back, I had put on the side. We escaped. We all got back to the disaster in the outer square.

We escaped like thieves! We have 30 knots of wind, we have hollow, we are in a leak. We found a priori at 4000m from here another shelter. Now the 4000m, we will not go to do in 5 minutes. Emergency situations twice in the same day at 3 hours interval, it's a bit much.

What was surprising about these two episodes was the speed with which the weather changed and especially the power that was increased compared to what had been announced. I couldn't escape to the west because I knew there were 2m of hollow on the other side of the island. I had only one choice, it was the east. One day,

To sail 4,000, I think we made a lot of maneuvers. I think we would have stayed, the waves would have thrown the boat on the quay. Yes. On the motor, with a little bit of wind, towards Dubrovnik. On the motor, because I would have to be able to launch Dubrovnik, pass between the islands and then be able to slow down as I want and as I want. So we're coming there. And then, we'll have to make big decisions.

We are walking through Dubrovnik, the last step of our visit of Croatia by sea. Its ramparts, almost 2 km long, encircle the entire old city since the Middle Ages. Built to resist siege, they protected the city for centuries without ever being taken by assault. We meet again very quickly for a new episode of our tour in the world on our catamaran. See you soon!