Cruising The Med - Sandy and Rob's Excellent Adventure: Motor from Luka Lovisce , Otok Scedro to Pomena, Otok Mljet, Hand Crafted Jewellery

Thursday July 18, I started my day at 7:30 with the arrival of some fabulous bread and treats delivered to the boat by our friend who had sold us the wine the night before.

I decided to wear a swimsuit as I needed to go to shore to untie our line from the tree that held us in place all evening. I did not need to...

As I was changing, Rob spotted a couple in their 50's on shore right near our tree. They kindly agreed to untie our line which was much appreciated. Then, they removed all their clothes. Nudists!

We started motoring south thinking we would likely stop at an anchorage somewhere at the south end of Korcula. We did more laundry, tidying, and projects to pass the time.

There is little to no wind and the water is flat so we motor all day. It is amazing how the wind can change 180 degrees here and how quickly the big seas calm into flat, reflective water.

It is a beautiful sunny day with temps around the mid 80's, blue skies and few clouds. I have omitted to mention weather in the past number of posts because we have become immune to weather as it is consistent almost every day here. We are very fortunate!

As we motored south, toward Korcula, we passed many holiday boats which we keep seeing in this part of Croatia. They are really power boats but all seem to sport a couple of decorative masts. They carry between 15-30 guests and have a real old school look to them. Passengers decorate the decks with their loungers and pool toys and provide great entertainment for us on an otherwise quiet travel day.

As we approached the south end of Korcula, we realized we had plenty of time to press on to the top end of Mjlet so we made the decision to continue on to Pomena, Mjlet for the evening.

Great decision! We arrived at the north end of Mjlet at around 4:30 pm having covered approximately 35 nautical miles.

Pomena is very pretty. We felt confident about our 'stern to' anchoring technique so we chose to do it again at an island called Pomestak which is a stone's throw distance from Pomena Harbour.

Rob goes to the bow and using the windless lowers the anchor and chain while I take his direction and maneuver The Lodge in reverse toward the shore.

Just as the anchor is set, I leap into the dinghy with Mackenzie and scoot to shore. Thank goodness for a good pair of water shoes as there are many sea urchins and the rocks can be slippery!

Kenzie holds the long line from the boat as I drive to shore and while she hangs onto rocks or nearby pine boughs, I go as quickly as possible with the line to our selected tree and toss the line around finishing with a bowline. Thank goodness for a good pair of water shoes as there are many sea urchins and the rocks can be slippery.

Then, we return to the boat and adjust the stern line we led ashore as well as the anchor to find a good position for the evening. It is very calm and the water is crystal clear. Wow!

Pomena has many restaurants, cafes and is clearly a popular choice with many cruisers like us. Rob and I could not resist taking the dinghy and taking a tour of the harbour after we were sure the anchor had set and the boat was secure.

We all relaxed on the boat for a couple of hours and Mackenzie and I headed to shore in Pomena to explore.

We found a lovely shop and Mackenzie got some pants and we both got a necklace made locally by a friend of the shop owner here on Mljet. She explained that her friend designs the jewelry because it is her passion and not because she needs money. This is true because the price was very reasonable for these hand made pieces!

Mackenzie was now desperate for food so the shop owner directed us to a local restaurant where we are currently enjoying dinner.

Mackenzie chose fried Calamari and I chose the grilled version.

As I write, we are finishing up with a cappuccino and some local ice cream.

Dinner was lovely and also a great chance to catch up on emails, face time, and the blog.

Thanks for reading!!

We will stay on Mljet and head to Polace Anchorage tomorrow!

Leaving Luka Lovisce - These Holiday boats had just arrived

Here are the 'Holiday Boats" we see so much of here in Croatia

We had to get this One as it was New and looked Quite Slick compared to the others...

Motoring South...

Passing by Old Korcula - We had Drinks under the Green Awnings Days Earlier on our Visit to the Old Town - Kenzie and I climbed that Bell Tower too!

As usual, the wind has died and we take time to do laundry while we travel to Mljet in the distance

The approach to the North end of Mljet

We departed the small island in the bottom right, Scedro and motored through the islands to the top centre where you see the black boat - That is The Lodge almost at Pomena at the North end of Mljet