It’s difficult to imagine a better way to explore the world than from a sailboat. We frequently ask ourselves why there aren’t more people interested in doing it, and why we don’t see more boats in these amazing places. A partial answer to that came yesterday as we headed south from the incredible beach city of Bol to the even more incredible ancient walled city of Korcula. It was during this passage that we had a serious toilet malfunction of the clogged variety. I could describe the problem in more detail – how the calcium buildup in the pipe occurs, what the procedure is to clear the clog, etc., but because it’s possible to leave it to the imagination, that’s what I’ll do. Leaving it to the imagination, however, is not a luxury we enjoyed yesterday (it never is), and we think that’s a big reason why there aren’t more people out here cruising around on sailboats. Dealing with these unpleasant problems when they arise is a big part of being a competent sailor. Piers and I partially dodge this bullet currently because we have Tunger with us who loves fixing any imaginable problem, but we’re learning and getting our hands dirty too (usually under Tunger’s guidance). The nickname we’ve given to Tunger over the past couple months is “The Legend” – he deserves that nickname, and adjusting to life without him will be a challenge when he leaves.
The wind whipped up again yesterday afternoon as Uncle Bob sailed Tamarisk down the long Korcula channel at over 8 knots. This was great because it brought out hundreds of windsurfers and kite surfers into the channel who gave us a real show when they came flying by at over 25 knots in all directions – we have a new appreciation for anybody who can reach speeds like this using only the power of the wind.
Korcula is another ancient walled city that is fantastic to explore on foot – getting lost inside these maze-like places is a big part of the fun here. We quickly found ourselves at a tiny cocktail bar that sits on top of the “wall”. As the sun went down on the old town below, we sipped pina coladas inside the canon turrets that once defended the city from invaders. (Where else in the world could you say a sentence like that?) We continue to be amazed by how well the historical artifacts here blend in with the chic and trendy modern culture – it’s a combination that’s unique to Croatia as far as we know and we can’t get enough of it.