Children of sailing enthusiasts will likely be forced to either enjoy or endure their parent’s passions so for happy and successful family cruising holidays it is in everyone’s best interests to make sure that each passenger’s experience on the ocean wave is an enjoyable and safe one.
When sailing with young children on board it is worth bearing in mind a few standard rules to ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone on board.
Safety A child should wear a life-jacket at all times whilst on deck or near the water and parents are wise to set a good example by doing likewise. Children should not be allowed to run on deck and should hold the guard rail at all times when moving forward out of the cockpit. It is also important that young passengers are able to swim.
Preparation Adults must be responsible for making sure their children are wearing the appropriate clothes for the conditions and should also take along essential extras such as suntan lotion, sunglasses and sunhats. Whatever the weather, warm and waterproof clothing and non-slipping deck shoes should be the first things packed in the suitcase before departure.
Children have short attention spans and the initial excitement and novelty of being on board a sailing vessel at sea can wear off quite quickly so it is worth keeping a store of games, books and toys to keep the young crew members amused. For the similar reasons it is also sensible to make regular stops on dry land.
Nevertheless children should be encouraged to get involved, whether by steering, charting a course, rowing the dinghy or even scrubbing the deck. This might spark in them a passion to pursue boating on their own in the future, or at the very least make future excursions more bearable!
Toddlers Toddlers can be the most difficult crew members and so it is sensible practise that if there is one adult in charge of helming the vessel another is in charge of any small children on board. This is especially important when carrying out careful manoeuvres such as sailing in and out of harbours. Some hire fleets offer child netting attached along the side rails as an optional extra.
If children are well looked after and encouraged to get involved, family sailing experiences can not only provide enjoyable holiday adventures but might also inspire a sailing passion in the young crew.
Complete text can be found on: http://www.sailingandboating.co.uk/
The Croatian coastline extends from Slovenia to Montenegro along the Northern Adriatic Sea and is one of the most evocative natural sailing destinations in Europe. Its shores are peppered with over a thousand islands which makes it a unique area in Europe for cruising its crystal blue waters and with a multitude of charter companies and marinas it is a perfect environment for a wonderful holiday or cruise afloat.
What makes Croatia such a breathtaking cruising ground is the sea conditions and the climate. In the Adriatic the difference between high and low tides is relatively small; in the south the difference is rarely above 40 centimetres, while in the north it reaches one metre (although it’s worth bearing in mind that in some of the narrow channels and bays, the high tide can grow considerably during a strong sirocco).
The climate is typically Mediterranean with hot dry summers where temperatures can range from a summer average of 34°C in the north to 38°C and above in the south. The winters range from cold in the north to mild and wet in the south.
The most frequent winds are the bora, sirocco and northwest. The bora is a dry, cold downward wind blowing mainly in the winter in long bursts up to fourteen days from the north-northeast to the east-northeast direction and in the summer it can last for a several hours or up to a day. The sirocco is a warm and moist wind that blows east-southeast to south-southwest; its consequences are high waves and rain. In the summer, it usually blows up to three days and in the winter it can blow as long as three weeks. The mistral is a daily onshore, thermic wind blowing from the northwest from spring to the autumn and is more present in the southern Adriatic. In contrast the burin is a nightly offshore wind, blowing from north to northeast in the northern Adriatic, and east to southeast in the southern Adriatic.
Some 50 or so marinas scatter the coast from Umag in Northern Istria stretching down to Cavtat, southeast of Dubrovnik. Many are located within the island chain and on the mainland and all are within a few hours’ sailing of each other. Such choice offers plenty of shelter and protection from the fluctuating wind patterns. Almost all of the marinas are open year round and have good repair and maintenance facilities providing all the usual nautical services. Some provide essential administration – customs, border police and Harbour Master’s office.
Croatia’s historic culture provides an abundance of museums, galleries, churches, palaces, and monasteries within walking distance of the marinas with many excellent restaurants serving local produce. Although Croatia’s heritage is not as famous as some of its European neighbours there are a surprising number of cultural heritage sites under UNESCO protection despite the country’s relatively small area. One of the reasons for this wealth is Croatia’s exceptional position as the stomach of Europe, which created vital communication routes for great civilizations each of which left an indelible mark over the centuries. You can experience a diversity of monuments from ancient Greece and Rome, early medieval, Mediterranean Renaissance, Central European Baroque and the New Age Secession heritage. If Neanderthal man is your passion then visit the town of Krapina for Europe’s earliest example and inland to Vucedol Neolithic culture near Vukovar. Pre-Roman Illyrian hill-forts and many such examples of ancient civilisations nestle within the beautiful Croatian Countryside and with its wide cultural variety of events to suit every taste from music, film, folklore, carnival, dancing and gastronomic events, you should never be bored.
From old timber-built houses and small churches in the lowlands of Pannonia to the typical long, Slavonian houses with their large courtyards in the Danube basin; the picturesque vineyard huts dotted across the hills of Northern Croatia, and the shingle covered houses in snow-bound mountains provide an architectural tapestry; the lazy charm of the tiny, stone-built towns and villages perched atop the hilltops of continental Istria, south along the shores of the mainland to Dalmatia and over to the islands, all provide a continuous picturesque backdrop whilst cruising the coastline.
Croatia is truly a land of islands of breathtaking beauty with more than a thousand to explore and each and every one has its own exceptional history. Ninety-five per cent are uninhabited giving a wonderful opportunity to experience true peace, tranquillity and escapism. If you desire a more sociable approach and wish to practice your Croatian (a notoriously colourful but tricky language) then there are dozens of islands that will welcome you with warmth and hospitality from a friendly and kind local populace.
Most of the inhabited islands offer well run marinas of varying degrees of size and services with a wide selection of privately run restaurants nearby, many specialising in delicious local cuisine and serving local wines made from the diverse choice of grapes grown all over Croatia. Dropping anchor in one of the thousands of natural harbours and bays offer some of the clearest waters to swim and snorkel found anywhere in the world. Inland you will discover many historic sites to fulfil your historical and cultural desired and needs.
Many of the marinas have been awarded the Blue Flag and the Croatians are proactive in preserving their sea and coastline, valuing it as an integral part of their culture and heritage, and recognising it as magnet for yachtsmen and tourists. The Blue Flag project in Croatia was started in 1997 since when 121 beaches and marinas have been awarded this prestigious proof of cleanness and water quality.
The service to yachtsmen, in terms of communication and weather reporting, is good with frequent forecasts from the State Hydrometeorological Institute broadcast on VHF frequencies of coastal radio stations and harbour master’s Nautical Radio Service and Communications Service. Warnings can be heard on their VHF operating channels, in four languages.
First Adriatic Boat Show took place in Šibenik from 15 to 19 October 2008
The Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Božidar Kalmeta opened the first international nautical fair in the central Adriatic city of Šibenik. The Adriatic Boat Show took place in the Mandalina marina, with 150 exhibitors presenting their vessels.
Minister Kalmeta used the opportunity to talk about the beauty of the Croatian coastline which is still not over-developed and the country’s unique archipelago composed of 1244 islands and islets surrounded by clear water. Due to all that, he said, the Croatian side of the Adriatic Sea is being visited by approximately 600 thousand nautical tourists per year allowing Croatia to realize a yearly income of EUR 834 million, i.e. 10% of the country’s total income from tourism.
He also pointed out that another very important factor was the building of the motorway connecting north and south Croatia, which made the coast more accessible to numerous foreign yachtsmen, who now can reach their boats in a matter of hours.
Kalmeta introduced the soon to be adopted Development Strategy of Nautical Tourism in Croatia, which once more shows that the government of Croatia is insisting on an idea of sustainable development when it comes to nautical tourism taking above all in consideration the need to preserve the environment.
The Strategy indicates the planned building of 15 000 new berths in at least 15 top locations in order to achieve an income of HRK 15 billion by the year 2018.
Today Croatia is counting a total of 35 thousand berths of which 21 020 berths are divided amongst 70 ports of nautical tourism, the minister explained. Kalmeta also mentioned the fact that of all types of tourists, nautical tourists are known as the best consumers, spending approximately EUR 100 per day/person.
The State Secretary for Sea, Branko Bačić added that the highest growth rate was registered in the area of charter services, where further liberalization is to be expected once Croatia enters the EU.