I have been told I get up too early. So I got up at six and headed for the showers. And now I definitely know I don’t want to come during high season.

I got to the shower and toilets and could not fit inside the door. There was a queue to the toilets and the showers. I felt like I was back in the army. The ACI Marina Palmižana is undoubtedly sheltered and situated in a very beautiful environment and with over 200 berths it has some capacity. Since a lot of boats are mainly crewed by men, you can easily calculate say an average of five per boat and 120 boats. That makes for a nice morning show when you only have five stalls and five showers.

With the queuing behind us, we had our breakfast and cast off just after nine. We were among the earlier to leave, the first ones having left over an hour before us.

We got out of the sheltered bay, and were met by a beautiful 12-15 kn SE wind which was perfect for our days plan. I decided that if the forecast would stay easterly, Vela Luke would not be pleasant and we aimed straight for Lastovo and the sheltered cove of Zaklopatica, because we were running low on groceries. The quick departure from Hvar and Konsum being closed led to this predicament. It’s only about 2,5 km from Zaklopatica to Lastovo town where there should be a store open when we get there.

The day started off great. We surfed the waves at around seven knots, leaving he rest behind us. By the time we had come just past Vela Luka the wind forecast was setting in. A very light breeze and the old swell was tossing us around. We were still making around three knots and only had about ten miles to go. With less than five left, I ordered the lowering of sails and started the engine. Perfect timing. Three minutes after we had moored and raised the spray hood and bimini top, it started raining. Nothing light, real rain. So much for a quick hike to shop.

The free mooring in this bay comes with the price of having to eat at the restaurant taking care of mooring. And when we arrived, we could see the competition of waving hands. We opted for Konoba Aragosta which looked “cheaper”.

The guy who showed us where to park turned out to be the multitalented barbecue chef and accordion player. He might actually have been the restaurant owner.

We all opted for the chicken and fries since it was the cheapest on the menu. But we also took a platter of fried calamari for each one, which doubled the bill. The food was simple but very tasty. You often find seafood fried in batter, but these were fresh and just right without any batter. The chicken fillets were done perfectly. Very succulent. The house wine washed it all down.

The Slovenians were having a great time, with some singing accompanying the beers. It wasn’t long before before the chef had his accordion out and we had some more singing and dancing. The Slovenian skipper couldn’t get away from his wife, and had to keep on dancing. He wanted a big harbour party, but we opted to pay the bill and cuddle our pillows.