Today would be another windy day. Forecast predicted winds from the south of up to 15 knots. We would be sailing like yesterday.
Wind forecast from the weather app Windy
There was not much we could do on the way to Sibenik with the strong wind and the rolling of the Dragonfly. Luckily we were not the only one sailing - everybody loved watching how the other sailboats coped with the irregular wind gusts.
Our first stop was in Zlarin - the coral village (covered it in C - 2). What a disappointment. We all arrived with some expectations and wanted to visit the coral shops that were so highly praised on YouTube. Well, they had gone out of business. There was only one tiny shop left. Guess there was some truth to my speculation that coral do not grow in 200 m depth when the sea around the island is only 80 m deep. Did I just write that? Yes, I did.
There is a sign at the Harbour announcing a project to resurrect the coral business for 25 mio Kroner. Not sure the EU money will be well spent. There is lots of wishful thinking here.
Aerial photo of the Venetian St. Nicolas fortress - from the internet - we should have a drone!
From Zlarin we continued to the St. Nicolas fortress, a powerful renaissance artillery fort that protects the entrance to the Sibenik channel. It was built in 1525 with 32 guns to prevent the Ottoman Navy from taking Sibenik. It is one of the best preserved renaissance fortresses.
The Fort was restored this spring and is now open to the public….
…however, tickets are only on sale in Sibenik. You need to take the official boat shuttle from Sibenik to visit. The nice young man on the photo told us that he has to turn away every day at least 100 boats who would like to visit but that his bosses do not listen. Sounds like a Titoist approach to tourism. Wonder whether the EU finances this shenanigan. We decided not to visit the fort and continued to Sibenik.
Sibenik channel - once a river but flooded like the Kotor Bay at the end of the ice age
Sibenik is one of the youngest towns on the Dalmatian coast. It was established in 1066 AD by the Croatian Kings but later became part of the Hungarian Kingdom. By 1412 however, it came under permanent Venetian rule. It was not never the classical master - servant relationship though. Families from Sibenik became part of the nobility in Venice - we know that Ca Sagredo was owned by a Doge family from Sibenik. The town was Venice’s main port of customs and held Venice's salt monopoly - a rather lucrative business. The Ottomans tried to conquer it several time. Sibenik put much effort in building strong defences which the Turkish Army never managed to break. Today, the town is a centre for local tourism. Most ferries to the outlying islands leave from here and the town has a charming sea front.
Sibenik Town with the St Michael Fort to the left and the St John Fort under refurbishment
One of the beautiful Gothic Palaces in Sibenik
View from St Michael Fort to the West - the original Venetian harbour is just below
View from the same place to the old town enter with the Sibenik Cathedral. We will stay here for tonight - you can actually see the Dragonfly just to the right on the photo
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