Venice and Umag (Croatia) - 25 and 26 May 2018

Well we finally made it out of Venice, but it has been a close run thing.  On Friday the mechanic came to sort out the water pump. He did not install a new one. All he did was change the switch. So now the pump does not short out, but it judders as the water goes through almost as if there were an air bubble in the system.  He insists this is alright and is caused by furring up of the pipes restricting the flow. We don’t believe him.  I think it is just because the pump is too strong for the water system.  I guess we will have to get someone else to give an opinion.

It was boiling hot on Friday.  We spent the latter part of the morning cleaning the outside of the boat.  It has a lot of stains I couldn’t get off completely. However with the hot weather we didn’t fancy spending too long on it.  We made dinner reservations for our favourite restaurant on the Lido. Then we decided to go shopping in another supermarket to see if we could get the things we couldn’t get in the Coop.  So would you believe it, we went to the Lido, where we have to go again tonight.  We couldn’t find the supermarket because the shop front was for a clothes shop and you had to walk to the back for the food! Because of this we wound up to be very late getting back to the marina and there was no way we would get to the restaurant.  We also had to stop and pay for all the repairs before we wanted to leave tomorrow morning. All seemed OK, but would you believe it they have charged for cleaning the boat inside and out.  Well, not to my standard.

There is a huge crowd here at the marina.  We find our rather late that they are having a big party for participants in the Architecture Biennale.  We are apparently invited, but we are going out to dinner instead.  We make it to the restaurant only half an hour late and have a great meal, if too big a one!  We collapse in bed when we get home despite a disco going to all hours.

As promised the rigger gets to us just after 7am.  It takes somewhat longer for him to do the job, but it all seems to work and we rush to get away so that we can make it to Croatia in daylight.  The port of Umag is 50 miles away.  So we start to take off ropes and then Richard goes to turn on the engine and would you believe it, nothing happens. We moved the boat on Tuesday evening and it started just fine.  We can’t believe this is happening.  The rigger calls the marina for us and asks for a mechanic to come urgently, but we know what that means around here.  After half an hour or so Richard starts to fiddle with the wires behind the key box and low and behold the engine starts. Clearly there is a loose wire back there.  Richard wants to go despite this.  We turn off the engine once and it starts again, so we go with fingers crossed.  We are leaving one hour later than we hoped but we should still made it in before dark, with any luck.

And for a change luck we have.  The weather is fine, the sea is flat and we have no tide against us going out of the Lagoon. We even saw a small pod of dolphins on the way.  Regretably they did not come and play with the boat and remained in the middle distance, but they always lift ones spirits.   It was a long passage on max revs of the engine, but she went like a dream and we got here in Umag at about 6:30pm.  We did have the main up for the last part of the journey.  We tried to take it down going down wind.  It didn’t all come down, but Richard is happy with it and thinks it will work perfectly if we do it upwind as you are supposed to.

We have come to Umag because the arrangements for checking into the country are at the marina and it is very easy and convenient.  We have to tie up alongside to the customs pontoon, but I manage that by lassoing a bollard and then jumping off to tie the stern on.  Not bad for first day out on the water!  We get the formalities done and are then allowed into the marina.  We are told that there are mechanics here tomorrow who can look at the engine starting problem.  When we finally turned the engine off, the fuel cut out buzzer didn’t sound so we think it won’t start easily again.  We must now sort that out.

We are hot and tired so have a shower and then back to the boat for dinner.  These marinas in Croatia are expensive, but they do have excellent WIFI which actually reaches the boat.  If Richard can sort out the blog address some of you might even be able to read this! 

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