We spent a few golden days sailing around Krk Island, soaking up sunshine on Kora’s front deck and tucking into some of the little finger coves the island is famous for. These sheltered bays are perfect for anchoring: 15-20 feet of sand beneath us, a strip of beach at the end, often with a little beach club tucked in for good measure.
Our first overnight stop was in Vela Luka. However, our idyllic swim stop quickly turned into something more curious. Just as the anchor dropped, Mum peered over the rail and flatly declared she would NOT be swimming. The culprit? Strange black “logs” carpeting the sandy floor below. A closer look revealed numerous sea cucumbers. Long and lumpy, hardly the most glamorous of sea life.
We did a little online research and discovered that sea cucumbers are common in the Adriatic. While generally harmless if left alone, they have one of the strangest defense systems in the ocean. When threatened, they can literally expel part of their own internal organs through the back end – sticky white threads called Cuvierian tubules. These are laced with a toxin, holothurin, which can irritate human skin, causing redness, pain, or swelling. Eye contact is even worse, with reports of temporary blindness. Watching hundreds of them inch slowly across the otherwise barren sand was more eerie than inviting. Needless to say, no one on board was tempted to take a dip!
Still, the bay offered us something unexpectedly familiar: sheep grazing on the rocky cliffs above. For Mum and Dad – who live on a sheep farm in Australia next door to my brother Geoff and his wife Jody – it was a comforting reminder of home. There was something quite special about sitting in the cockpit, watching the same animals that roam their paddocks back in Oz silhouetted against the Croatian sky.
From there, we made our way into Punat, a wide and lively bay. The scene was buzzing with activity – an aqua park full of inflatables (a popular site here in Croatia!), several beach clubs, a wakeboard cable park pulling riders in endless circles, boats shuttling in and out, even a neighboring vessel bearing an American flag.
We slipped into the rhythm easily, even managing some laundry (which, of course, meant dinner amongst the drying clotheslines). Back to seafood pasta for us – after indulging in plenty during our Italy days, we’d taken a bit of a break. But it was good to return to it again, a welcome taste of the sea’s bounty.
The next morning, while at anchor, we were joined by the friendly couple from the American boat nearby, Awildian, who dropped by in their dinghy. They’ve been in the Med for three years, after stints sailing in New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji, so it was fun trading stories and hearing about their adventures.
Next up was a dinghy ride to shore, followed by a leisurely 1.5 km walk into Punat town. With its tidy harbor, cheerful cafés, and shaded stone streets, it struck just the right balance of charm and bustle. We lingered over a lovely lunch overlooking the water, enjoying the view as much as the food. And as is often the custom in Croatia, the meal ended with a complimentary glass of rakija – the fiery local brandy, in this case distilled from plums (šljivovica) – a small gesture of both welcome and farewell, sealing the afternoon with a taste of tradition.
Afterward came the real adventure – setting Mum and Dad up with the Uber app. The grandkids would have been proud to see them giving it a go for the very first time! With a few careful taps, they summoned their ride back to the marina and pulled up to the dock positively chuffed with themselves. Not quite seasoned pros just yet, but definitely armed with a new travel trick for the rest of their European adventure.
Then it was back to boat business: dump the tanks, make some water (not at the same time!), as we set Kora’s bow toward Cres. Our short hop offshore took us about three miles out for the chores, with the thought that we’d circle back to Krk in a day or two to explore a little more.
