METHS

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Croatia. 15-22 September 2007

Amphibious Mini-METHS, sailing/cruising and walking based on Split and nearby islands, Croatia

Participants: Stewart Halliday, Stuart, Rhoda and Christopher Leslie, Mike and Bridie Macklin, Ian Mason, Dave McMullan (leader and skipper), Mike and Verena Petzold, Rupert Roschnik, Eric and Val Scott, Maureen Wilson. Two non-sailors, Steven and Pauline Ward, joined us for the evening at Bol, Brač Island and did the walk the next day. A second evening at Hvar did not work out because of awkward car ferry times.

Itinerary

Saturday 15. Met up at Kaštela Marina near Split. Got installed in boats during afternoon, food and drink shopping, dinner in nearby restaurant, night on board.

Sunday 16. Sailed to Bol Town on Brač Island. Calm all morning (motored!), fair wind on far side of Brač.

Monday 17. About half the party left early to climb Vidova Gora (778m/ 2552ft), the highest peak on any of the offshore islands. Four of us made the summit. The Wards may have as well, but we were already on the way down when we passed them. Left Bol at 11 to sail to Starigrad on Hvar Island. Interesting town to visit.

Tuesday 18. Sailed to Palmažina Marina opposite town of Hvar. In the afternoon, most of us took the ferry boat to this town and explored it; some stalwarts did walks in the hills behind.

Wednesday 19. Sailed to Milna on Brač Island.

Thursday 20. Sailed to Trogir, picnic lunch off Grohote, Šolta Island. Explored Trogir (old and very interesting town).

Friday 21. Sailed back to Kaštela Marina. Farewell dinner, night aboard.

Satuday 22. Handed back boats, left for Split town centre.

Verena (and Mike) Petzold write:

Almost at the very last minute, Mike decided, we could try and join the Croatia Mini-METHS. So, from JNB we flew to Zurich and then got a train to Ancona, Italy, on the Adriatic coast. There we met up with Rupert and set off together on the speed ferry to Split. Soon we located the 13 other METHS "sailors" and got shared out onto 2 boats - the 3 Leslies (Christopher came too), 2 Scotts, Maureen Wilson, Stewart Haliday and skipper, Dave McMullan, were on one boat, and 2 Macklins, Rupert, Ian Mason and 2 Petzolds plus a Croatian skipper on the other. Very cosy as cabins are really small, but interesting if you have never done this sort of thing before. Of course, Mike was forever comparing with sailing in the Lake Malawi Marathon (and it doesn't compare !!). Poor chap was out of action as the foot injury he sustained at the last Blantyre Hash was really playing up and kept him cabin-bound and not in the best of spirits. It is better now, just as well, as he was worrying how he was going to cope with the Spanish Mini-METHS.

Sailing was OK, but different from what I imagined. It was sort of hopping from marina to marina and our skipper was very fond of using the motor rather than the sails.

However, we visited some really beautiful places, BOL on Brač island, HVAR, TROGIR; several of us had some quite extensive walks into the hills, which afforded superb views of this very interesting coastline.

We all enjoyed this new experience, and there is even talk of repeating the event in Scotland (brrrr).

Long ferry and train trip back to France, where we finally arrived on 24 September. Oufff!

As already mentioned by many, all thanks are due to Dave (Pugwash) McMullan for:

- being the inspiration behind this new venture

- organising it all, single handed

- nobody got lost, nobody drowned !!