Neil Harper

A much calmer trip today Nader motor. Glassy seas. We were joining Ed by a racing pigeon 15 miles from Venice who hitched a ride. Salad and leftover pizza for lunch. We all had sleep sessions Ali h the way. On arrival in Venice we waited for an escort for about half an hour then got led into Verza Certosa Marina. Moored on a finger pontoon between piles and headed into town on the water taxi. Dinner at Bacarandino ai Corrazzieri restaurant. Amazing pasta!

Motored out and under sail at 12pm. Bumpy afternoon with big was over the deck. Uncomfortable ride until arrival in port at sunset. Lunch on the go, sandwiches. Ticketeeboo is a solid sail, very steady on gib. Moored stern-to in Pula Marina around 6pm and walked historic areas of Pula. Ate at a fantastic restaurant called Rendez Vous. Pizzas and fish. Very friendly and reasonable priced. A quiet nights sleep ready for a 6.30am start.

Sailed at around 6 knots. Under sail most of the trip. Sea state 3. Started in jib then switched to Genoa one out in open seas. Occasional showers along the way. Scattered islands to be cautious of. Tucked in nicely at North Zapuntal North on a mooring buoy in anticipation of strong winds tonight. Dinner on board and an early night for 7am start.

A steady sail with just 1.5 hours under sail. Passage planning requires a little skill through the many islands, small and uninhabited. Lunch under way. Good to have Percy and Merve on board now. Dinner at Konobo Keko Bar. Local small restaurant with typical Croatian food. Reasonably priced and friendly service. End of season for this quiet port. Only open for a week or 2 more.

Late start after a coffee and shop ashore. Few more familiarisation exercises to get to know the boat. Wash down decks and fill up water tank. Motored out the 3-4 miles out gentle sail. Short-lived, back on motor with a little help from the gib. Max 10 knots wind from south east. Anchored just west of Trogir for an overnight stay and crew swap tomorrow. Dinner in Trogir at Queen Teuta. Spent next day as a tourist in the historic town of Trogir. Stories spanned out in architecture and stone. Networks of narrow streets. A market with fresh local produce.

Started on engine for the first couple of hours then sailed at 20-30 degrees downwind on jib. Once in open water swapped to Genoa for a gentle push around Hvar then back on motor arriving in Stari Grad. Lazy lines to wall in the town. We are still familiarising ourselves with Ticketeeboo and what she’s capable of but she has a very solid feel and sails with grace a 4-6 knots. Yet to see her in put through her paces but she is full of promise as a performance cruiser.

4 knots wind. Motored with mainsail. New crew on board - Tony, Rino, Neil, Skipper - Pete. Familiarisation sail. New boat for Pete. Lots to learn. Walked to the old town in the evening and watched a wedding at the castle. Beautiful place with much of the buildings inside the castle walls. Networks of alleyways bring old and new architecture together. Dinner was mainly seafood with at