Havar (10/9)

As I’m aiming a shower of cold water (that pulsed from a hand held shower head extending from the sink in the bathroom annexed to my stateroom) at specific body parts tolerant of such abuse, the gullet slips away from its mooring, turns to face the Adriatic Sea, and Split retreats past my port hole.

The day is cloudy but bright. There’s no hint of rain. Being a gullet, this vessel has two masts and corresponding sails, but they’re largely ceremonial. We motor along at nine knots, which means that in two and one half hours we’ll be near the island of Hvar, known for its fragment and medicinal lavender fields, and the sunniest spot on Croatia: 2,724 hours per year, on average.