Strong winds greeted us as we departed Cres for Mali Lošinj, so we started cautiously with the second reef already in the mainsail. (For the non sailors: “reefing” simply means making the sail area smaller when the wind gets stronger.) Before long, gusts were consistently hitting 35 knots, and we tucked in a third reef to keep things comfortable and under control.
Meanwhile, aboard Kora, domestic life continued as normal. Our first load of laundry for the season was hung carefully outside under very close supervision… mostly because there was a real possibility our clothes might achieve independent flight status. Amazingly, with the wind and sunshine, everything was dry in about 5-10 minutes.
Not everything on deck was quite so secure. One of the front cushions had not been fully fastened that morning after we got distracted with another task. It was caught just in time before launching itself into the Adriatic. In the process of rescuing it, Karen received an unexpected saltwater shower courtesy of an icy spray blasting up through the front trampoline. Chelsea spent much of last summer waiting for exactly this moment and would have been thrilled. However, while air temp has been around 72 °F (22 °C), the water is a chilly 62 °F (17 °C).
As we motored toward town, the views over the beautiful Čikat Forest Park and the winding seaside paths were stunning. Arriving in Mali Lošinj, we completed another successful Med mooring and settled in overlooking the colorful waterfront promenade. Being Sunday, things were a little quieter, but we still enjoyed chatting with fellow sailors – this time four friends from Switzerland who regularly take sailing trips together. One of the best parts of life aboard is swapping stories and gathering recommendations for future stops.
With Kora safely tied up, I made some guac and sat down for a quick snack while attempting to catch up on transit logs and other required paperwork… a task I’ve been slightly less committed to this season than I probably should be. Then it was off to explore town.
Europe, meanwhile, continues to excel at the art of lingering for hours at streetside cafés eating gelato, sipping drinks, and smoking cigarettes. We are enthusiastically participating in the first two!
The afternoon included another glorious onboard nap before dinner: salmon with roasted potatoes made in my mini Ninja air fryer, which absolutely passed its sea trial. We finished the evening watching a beautiful sunset – surprisingly my first of the season. Which honestly raises the question… where exactly have I been disappearing to at sunset every day until now?
