WHERE ARE WE ANNE?: KNOW YOUR BORA

OF ANCHORS AND ANCHORAGES

Fumija Bay, Rab to Kosljun, Pag Friday 9/8/13

Chief weather report downloader and analyst Linda, pronounced strong NW winds in the afternoon with a NE Bora to follow early next morning. With no experience of the holding power of Pave's anchor in the famous wind called the Bora, prudence was in order so we decided to head down the coast straight away to a sheltered anchorage at Kosljun on the island of Pag.

We motor sailed south past desolate, windswept, rocky terrain with a patchy beard of greenery surviving at the water's edge that has managed to dodge the scouring effects of the various winds. Anchoring in 4.8M of water, it was easy enough to swim over and inspect the purchase or otherwise of the anchor. Bill reversed back on the anchor chain while I watched it grab a little more into the sandy bottom. It seemed to grab as good as it was going to. Now we just had to wait.

Kosljun is a small, isolated, quiet little place on a bay. The predominant architecture is harsh boxes with small windows on harsh stony ground with a couple of starter castles. I guess they have to be pretty robust as the weather covers an extreme range here. Bill and I went ashore for a look and realised most of the number plates were Czech. It seemed to be a little Czech holiday enclave clinging to the water with the odd Italian family motorhome convoy. Families sunbathed and swam, taking it easy in the heat by the water while a few men played the car stereo up loud sitting in the full sun outside the single tiny grocery store. Getting a suntan/sunburn is a high priority for Europeans who don't see the sun all the year. The place actually had a certain kind of charm as a fairly hard to get to destination by the water at the end of a dusty road.

We went to bed in calm conditions with no more than a gentle cooling breeze. Things changed a little when the predicted Bora hit around five am. Linda was first up and reported gusts at 25knots with the highest reading being 36 knots when someone was watching the instruments. We are sitting comfortably, albeit dancing on the anchor but it's holding nicely and we won't be going anywhere today now that we have heard the radio forecast of 35-40 knots with 60 knots in the Northern Adriatic. Such are the conditions around here with our introductory lesson on the 'Bora'. The temp now is far more manageable at 28oC as shipboard life settles into 'library period' and 'next destination research' after a late breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and coffee.

We'll have to wait and see just how long we hole up here or make out for a new location.