Long hot summer - part 4

Next morning, on Thursday the 5th, the SE wind was already there and small waves were rolling into the bay Vinišče. So after a coffee and a short swim we sailed off to Rogoznica again. We figured it would be the best place to wait out all the storms, heavy rains and strong winds from almost all sides, that were forecast for that night. 

Outside the bay the waves were already bigger, but we could at least sail. In early afternoon we anchored in Rogoznica in the middle of N part of the bay. There is some fetch for S wind and so we got some waves, but I didn't want to go into the narrow and shallow E side of the bay, that was protected from the waves from S, but in my oppinion didn't have enoug space for the night, when the storms would turn the wind from S to W to N and then finally to NE. In strong wind and bad weather I really like to have plenty of water on all sides of the boat. There were several other boats in the bay, but there was plenty of space and we were quite a distance apart. The storm started at 11.30 in the evening with very strong wind from North. It pushed the boat, that was till then hanging to the North in South wind, violently over the anchor to the opposite side. And the movement of the boat made us feel being pushed against the side of the boat like in a fast accelerating car. I only experienced this twice till then and each time it shocked and scared me, you just hold your breath and hope for the best. Luckily our anchor held and we still had plenty of space around the boat. There were lights on all the boats in the bay, two of them were dragging, so the crew had to let more anchor chain out, and one of the boats, that anchored in East narrow part of the bay, sailed to the middle and had to re-anchor in heavy rain, that started right after the first gusts of wind. There were also many lightnings along with heavy rain and howling wind and it looked quite wild, so I stayed up and kept the anchor watch until 1am, when things started to calm down a bit and all the boats in the bay were safely anchored.

Next morning the sun was out and you would hardly guess what was happening in the night, just the water was a bit colder and murkier. After some time there were plenty of reports on Internet of how strong the wind was, how in some areas around us they had the record rainfall and how many boats got torn from their moorings or were even pushed onto rocks and sunk. Considering we only had to endure some waves during the day before and got frighten a bit in the night, but had no damage and didn't even need to re-anchor the boat in the pouring rain, I think I can say we got away just fine. And Rogoznica has again proven to be a great shelter for weather like this.

In late morning we sailed off towards N and made a first stop in bay behind Mala Oštrica for a swim and snorkelling. Although the water was very murky I still managed to find several interesting things.

I haven't seen the Mediterranean fanworm or Spalancanijevega cevkarja (Sabella spallanzani) often this year.

A pretty duo of empty Date shell or Morski datelj (Lithophaga lithophaga) and Zvonimir's blenny or Jelenoroga babica (Parablennius zvonimiri).

Beside alive Pig-tooth coral or Kamnito nakovalce (Balanophyllia europea) on the right, here is also a dead one or rather just the skeleton on the left. I haven't seen anything like it yet.

Here is another duo - in foreground there is a Five-spotted wrasse or Kosirica (Symphodus roissali) and behind it a Painted comber or Pirka or Pisanica (Serranus scriba).

And this Grey wrasse or Gnezdivka (Symphodus cinereus) pressed itself into the ground and hoped that I didn't see her.

Here is another Slender goby or Peščeni glavač (Gobius geniporus) with kaleidoscope eyes.

This empty shell is inhabited by a solitary crab, the Striped hermit crab or Obročkasti samotarec (Pagurus anachoretus).

The red spots belong to Boring sponge or Spužva vrtalka (Cliona spp.).

I don't know what the white thing is, I assume it could be a sponge.

I was happy to have found another Common cuttlefish or Navadna sipa (Sepia officinalis).

And here is another Sharpsnout seabream or Pic (Diplodus puntazzo).

Later in afternoon we moved more to the inside of the bay, to a small cove just to the SW of the main bay. There was just one more boat there and it looked really calm and peaceful.

In teh evening we saw many of small fish there, I'm not sure what kind they were.

Bay was really pretty.

Later on we got a beautiful sunset, this cloud was on the opposite side of the bay...

...and sky above our boat changed from golden...

...to pink.

We read that there are Mouflons on Oštrica peninsula behind the "Chinese wall" and for two days Captain kept on saying: where are they? And on next morning I noticed something moving on the shore and saw two brown hoofed animals strolling along the shore. They were quite a distance away, but they looked much more like Deer than Mouflons. Luckily I had my phone at hand and I managed to call the Captain, so he could see them too, before they disappeared into the woods.

In late morning, when the light got better, I went snorkelling. It wasn't as spectacular as I expected it to be, but I still found plenty of interesting things.

This is the biggest and most beautiful European thorny oyster or Morsko kopito (Spondylus gaederopus) that I've ever seen. And it was alive!

There were quite big Mullets or Ciplji (Liza spp.) circling around the bay.

The Noah's ark shell or Noetova barčica (Arca noae) was unfortunatly empty, but still pretty.

I read that there is less and less ot Cushion corals or Jadranskih kamenih koral (Cladocora caespitosa), so I'm happy when I found one, especially so healthy and pretty one.

As I learnt couple of years ago, these are the eggs of a some Bristle worm or mrest Mnogoščetinca (Polychaeta).

And this is a mystery - it looks like a glue, but I can't think of who would want to glue one rock to another. If I have to tip, I would say it is maybe some eggs from some creature again?

There were several Warty crabs or Kosmejev (Eriphia verrucosa) in the bay...

...but I've never seen this threatening or defence pose.

This pretty orange thing is a Bryozoan or Mahovnjak (Bryozoa) growing around an algae.

In the afternoon we headed back through the fjord of river Krka...

...and anchored in Prokljan lake for the night. Next day, on Sunday September 8th, after some small boat projects and a swim, we sailed back to the marina. Bad weather was again forecast for the night and we observed dozens and dozens of boats sailing into marina and seeking refuge. The marina staff had their hands full and they told us some boats that sailed out in the morning came back in the afternoon. No doubt that the news of the damage that last bad wether on Thursday caused, made people more scared and cautious. 

Night wasn't too bad, there was quite some rain, and some wind, and of course no waves. Next morning we got some more rain, but in the early afternoon the clouds started to break. I said my goodbyes and drove home and Captain stayed for some more adventures.