Monday: Thunder risotto.

If you’re lucky, you’ve experienced the ocean with no wind and no swell. It’s rare. In the years I’ve spent on the ocean, I can think of only a handful of times I’ve seen it. It happened this morning, here off the coast of Croatia, in the Kornati Islands. We took full advantage. 

Freshly minted guide Finn swam to shore to release the stern lines, then helped raise the anchor, then jumped in with the rest of us to swim in the glassy, clear water. Jeff soon spied a southern stingray, about as rare in these parts as this totally calm water. There’s a lot to see underwater here. The geology is really dynamic and the rocks are just covered in colorful plant and ainvertebrate life. We followed the coast for about a mile, then signaled for captain Ante to come pick us up. A blissful swim.  

We’re experiencing a heat wave in Europe, and even out here on the water it got pretty hot today. We pulled into a quiet little harbor, the wind died yet again, and it got even hotter. We jumped in before and after lunch to cool off, and Heather took video of all four guests' strokes. Just as we leapt in for our second swim, dark purple clouds appeared from the east. Ante and Matea communicate often with other captains in the region, and they all warned them that a potentially dangerous storm was on the way. We shortened our swim, got back on the yacht, weighed anchor, and took off in search of a mooring ball.  

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Gusts of hot and cool air rushed past us.  A pillar of smoke rose from an island not far from us, a brush fire sparked from a lightning strike. We could see and smell the smoke. For a moment, things felt a little frayed. 

We grabbed the last mooring ball in a protected bay of a nearby island, the clouds parted, firefighting planes put the fire out, and I made some cocktails (Negronis and Adriatic Watermelon Coolers). Local cheeses and sausages for apps, then a post-apps-pre-dinner dip that ended up being a jump from the boat fest and general play time. Dinner was Skradin risotto for our main course followed by carrot cake with mascarpone frosting. Roll me to bed! 

Lots of people have been curious about the water temp here. This week it’s been a solid 73 degrees, with warmer water at the surface and slightly cooler 5-6 feet beneath. The heat wave we are experiencing should warm it up another degree or two this week. I haven’t worn a wetsuit yet, but a shorty is nice for those who linger in the water.  

Hopper

Here’s a little recap of our playful evening swim / dip!