Forbes’ Forays

Mike Forbes is a retired Royal Naval commander who lives in London with his wife. His first visit to Croatia was in the year 2000.

After Vis, my next favourite Dalmatian island is Brac. Sailing from Split, Brac is almost always the first island of call. Within two hours of leaving the mainland, one can be in the picturesque inlet of Bobovisca, one of whose attractions for a yachtsman is, bizarrely, the glutinous mud on the seabed; the anchor digs into this mud and holds the boat secure against any winds that hurtle down the valley. The guide books don't tell you about that - instead you read myths about where the famous Brac stone possibly got to. I understand that a certain house in Washington DC was built with stone from Aquia Creek in Virginia, somewhat more accessible than Brac for its builders in 1792!

Bobovisca

I am also going to ignore a certain beach near Bol, also beloved of the guide books. Instead, may I sing the praises of less touristy destinations of Uvala Luka (or chez Pipo), Pucisca, Rasotica and Lucice? In common with so many places in Dalmatia, if we want to join in the discos, restaurants and clubs, there are many to cater to us, but nearby - and out of earshot - there is peace, quiet and tranquillity. Pucisca does not look inviting from seaward, with the enormous working quarry dominating the entrance, but once inside the harbour the only reminders of its main industry are the Stonemason's Academy, the beautifully crafted stone street furniture - and statues - and the stalls selling Brac stoneware. As it turned out, the rolling pin weighing in at 2.4 kg did not give Easyjet the anticipated weight problems flying home but both my wife and my daughter loved the necklaces made with tiny stone cubes.

Pucisca street

The problem about Rasotnica, at the eastern end of Brac, is that too many people know about it. This tiny creek has room for just one boat, or two if they are very friendly. Some years ago, when we were having difficulty pronouncing the Croatian names, Rasotnica was known to us as Camera Bay, recalling the occasion when one of our guests, boarding the inflatable dinghy from shore, fell in with two expensive cameras hanging round his neck. He survived, the cameras did not.

The north-eastern end of Brac is susceptible to the bora, as the wind funnels down through the gap in the mainland hills overlooking Vrulje. Once, we were secured to one of Pipo's mooring buoys in Vela Luka, enjoying a calm and peaceful morning before leaving for Split. As soon as we left the shelter of the harbour, we experienced the full force of the bora gusting up to 45 knots. I couldn't help thinking of previous generations of sailors who did not have a reliable and powerful engine to claw them away from lee shores as we were able to.

Vela Luka

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