Bonthorn: Living My Version of Life: Sailing is where we thrive

Home for the next week.

The weather is looking sunny with 23 degree sea temperatures. The wind forecast is calling for 12-25 knots, perfect for exploring the dozens of islands on the Dalmatian coast. And bow thrusters - this beauty comes with freakin bow thrusters!

The best part is each of us are genuinely excited to be back onboard, albeit for different reasons.

Matt has been studying all the wind models for the last week and wants to sail anywhere, as long as we SAIL there.

Tai is keen to sail fast and put out all the sails no matter what the wind is up to.

Aila wants to swim, steer and drive the dinghy.

I want to slow down, explore and take it all in and swim swim swim.

A few differences we've already noted cruising in Europe. It's Mediterranean mooring and length is measured in metres not feet. And I think the Red Right Return rule is reversed here?!

The real question is though, can we remember how to tie a bowline....

Pouring over the charts already. The possibilities are endless..

Tai's grown just a bit since the last

so even though the kids would love to share a V-berth he won't fit.

So there is also this difference between owning and chartering!

October 27th

Today started with the horrific realization I forgot to order coffee grinds in our online shop which was delivered to the boat yesterday.

Even though most shops are closed on Sundays we managed to get a couple of instant coffee sachets from a smoke shop.

Happy to say the day only got better from there.

Tai's favourite part of the day was "sailing, all of it!" He is really keen to be part of the crew, and I'm pretty sure he's surpassed me in general sailing knowledge. He certainly has more strength than me to pull the lines and he is obsessed with making the tell-tales perfect

I'm more of a "meh, it's good enough" kind of gal.

Aila's favourite part of the day was leaving the marina where she sat right up at the bow watching the world go by until we got the sails out. She said she also loved sitting there when we were coming into Šibenik, eating sour candy and seeing how many people would wave back to her on passing boats. Some things never change.

Matt was in sailing heaven, figuring out the lines, the navigation, the wind direction and getting it all to align.

I was loving the warm sun, the sparkling water and that peaceful hum, the point where the engine is turned off, the sails fill with wind and there is nothing but the water slapping on the hull.

The wind was so good we just tacked and gybed for the hell of it. Around 4pm we headed towards Šibenik, just north of where we started this morning.

The kids set the anchor and it held on the first try

However we do have the anchor

alarm on just in case we do drag... It has been known to happen

Dinner was pesto pasta, omelettes, sardines and really smooth Croatian red

A few card games and then in bed by 8!

The wind is still blowing from the southeast tomorrow so the plan is to visit Kornati National park.

Only one member of our family is this neat and folds everything.

Waving to passing boats.

The kids got the dinghy down by themselves, pumped it up and took it for a little spin before dinner.

Anchor

down. Thank goodness for an electric windlass.

Back to boat chores and no complaints, yet.

Supporting the Croatian

team.

Playing San Juan.

October 28th

Woke up to the calmest anchorage this morning. No choice but to jump in!

After a few hours of reading and playing around in the dinghy, we weighed anchor and had a rather sporty (close-hauled) sail to Kornati National park. This boat heels nicely, which was appreciated by the younger members of the family.

We picked up a mooring buoy just before sunset. The islands here are like a moonscape terrain with no inhabitants, although we did spot some sheep. Another swim before dinner, followed by listening to our family Spotify playlist. Tai managed to bluetooth my phone to the boat's sound system so if you were close enough you'd have heard quite the eclectic soundtrack.

Tomorrow we'll go ashore for a hike and then likely sail to a town where we can restock our dwindling snack supply. Need more chocolate!

Dobro jutro. Good morning.

Not bad morning view.

Not an illusion. It was bloody difficult to just stand up!

Going past Šibenik city.

Amused themselves for a couple of hours with the dinghy.

October 29th

Today we were up early to hike Konoba Opat, one of Kornati National Park's 89 protected islands.

To get there we had to dinghy about one mile. However with a measly 2.3 horsepower outboard, and four big humans, it took ages!

The climb was steep over jagged limestone rocks and loose stones. It was only 9am but the sun was fierce.

The view at the summit was exhilarating and you could see all the nearby islands scattered across the bay. Incredible how perspective can change your understanding of the landscape.

Back onboard we had lunch in the cockpit, swam and then sailed off our mooring buoy in the gentle breeze.

A few hours later we pulled into Vodice municipal marina and did our first Mediterranean mooring. The guy who grabbed our lines was super helpful and guided us into place.

We strolled around the cute town, stocked up at the grocery store and found a cozy restaurant for dinner.

It was dark when we returned to the boat and as we were walking along the pier admiring all the other sailboats, we almost passed our own boat. Aila said "Oh, I was looking for Anjulia Sue, oops!" She was referring to our old boat. My

skipped a beat because I too was looking for her.

Vodice church

Gentle surf today with all the sails out.

I have literally been relegated to deckhand. Tai has taken all the lead in the sailing part of the journey.
I couldn't be happier.

Sudoku and reading to pass the time.

Lunch in the cockpit

Completely squished like sardines in the dinghy as we trundle along the bay.

Ka Nani is her name. A Beneteau 34.1

Various states of napping. Partly due to the sun-wind effect. Partly due to the anti-nausea meds.

So many options and so cheap!

Seafood dinner and complimentary ice cream bowls.

Moored right in the middle of Vodice town.

October 31st

Bareboat chartering is definitely the best of the cruising lifestyle. You get the boat in great working condition, everything is clean and everything works!

I remember chartering before we were liveaboards and it was definitely not this enjoyable. Maybe it's because the kids are older and proper competent crew now, maybe it's the gorgeous scenery and weather we've had this week, maybe it's just being comfortable with most aspects of sailing now so we can actually relax and enjoy the ride. Whatever it is, we are all really sad this charter is ending soon.

The cruising lifestyle is incredibly rewarding. It brings what I love most about the natural world into a small few square metres on a floating vessel.

You don't know what you'll see, who you'll meet, what challenges you'll overcome together... But what is certain is that you will have the energy and non-interrupted time to have conversations and play extended games with your family, food will taste better because you have been active and outside all day, sunsets and sunrises will be miraculous because it will be from the bow of your boat which you've just sailed using only the power of the wind. So many of life's problems fall away and you are forced to slow down and live in the present.

Of course it only takes a moment to remember the headaches and nightmare scenarios that come with the cruising lifestyle. Dragging anchor, malfunctioning engine, sea sickness, electronics on the fritz, no shower for a month, storms and gales, the big bug bites and on and on. They are good stories to tell now but it was a wicked ride.

Still, I would do it all over again. And maybe again one day in this lifetime...

Today our mission was to visit the Blue Cave on Biševo island. We mistakenly went to this cave first and tbh we were disappointed. It wasn't the Oh My Goodness This Is Incredible place that everyone says it is. As we headed to a nearby anchorage for the night did we realize that it wasn't the one we were supposed to go to! Sun setting but determined to see this Blue Cave, off we went....

No place to anchor so had to leave the kids onboard by themselves while we took the dinghy to investigate. They loved being in charge!

Found the Blue Cave. It really was worth it and SO BLUE!

Kids on watch as we go to the cave.

This was their track

November 1st

Our last day was spent exploring Split. What a beautiful, well-preserved city.

The kids then found a nearby climbing gym and walked there on their own under strict instructions to stay together and be sensible.

We finished the night with a classic peka lamb dish. It is famous for its tender, rich flavours where the meat is roasted over open flames using a clay or iron baking pan. We did our very best but still couldn't finish it.

Walking home to our hotel, we stopped into Froggyland, a collection of 507 stuffed frogs that are made into various scenes. Super weird but in a very cool way.