Back to Biograd
It’s time to get back to Biograd for the last time. The boat must leave the marina the 28th of February. This time I took full advantage of my KLM status. I brought even more items. We brought all the stuff to the boat that we have purchased since November. This was to fix, replace, and finish the boat tool kit.
One suitcase, one duffel bag, one carton crate and one backpack need to fit in an Opel Corsa. I am really willing to take off. However, the guy before me seems to have gotten into some problem.
I finally get the car, and it is a brand new one, so it’s a good start, after all.
After driving 130 Km, I finally arrive in Biograd. I park the car and bump into Marco, Pitter’s crew chief. He is testing terrestrial windsurf. He tells me that all the work has been done (well, it hadn’t) and invites me to try the board. I do a couple of moves. Then I decide to pass. I think that it would not be the best of the starts to break some bones on the first day.
What a relief to see the boat afloat and apparently in good order. The sails have been stored, the safety equipment inspected, the platform is back and the anemometer has been reconnected.
There is water in the bilge, why? We don’t know yet. There is a bunch of wires coming down from the ceiling because the electrician has not finished the job. The Webasto sensor is still disconnected. The radio speakers are still mixed up and there is a ton of humidity inside. I set down priorities. I begin to work, starting from the Webasto. It’s an easy fix to dry up the boat.
I decide that I have to change the kitchen faucet because it is corroded and looks awful. I find the perfect one at Bauhaus in Zadar, only to realise that I bought the wrong type. So I win another trip to Zadar under the rain. It rains cats and dogs all the time, so much of the outside work has to be postponed.
Changing a faucet at home is already something that you not want to do. On a boat, it is even worse. There is no space, and everything hurts. Yet, the result is rewarding. Now, the kitchen looks completely different.
Looking for some fun, I buy a packet of Dreamies. I make a lot of new friends. They are really cute, and they keep me company. It’s like pressing the hyperspace button. There is not a single cat around. You fish the Dreamies from your pocket. You shake the bag, and all of a sudden, you are surrounded by purring felines.
All is closed in Biograd and surroundings. Konoba Barba is sadly barricaded. The nice bar at the corner looks like it has never been open. The only choices are the pizzeria Bestek and the restaurant Peperoncino. The finding is that the pizza is really good. The pivo is outstanding, like always in Croatia.
Monday, at 0800 I am at the harbourmaster office. The lady puts up a face because I was actually there at 0758. Then she changes mood and gets to work. She examines the zeebrief. His majesty Willelm Alexander, the King of the Netherlands, awards us the right to fly the dutch flag through this document. She does this with a mixture of horror and suspicion. She asks me many things that are written on the document. After paying something north of 100 Euro, we gain the right to sail in Croatia for the whole of 2025.
I get some respite from the rain. With effort, I bring the dinghy aft. I manage to remove the large stickers from the charter company. Now there are two left on the bow, but they are out of my reach for the moment. The next job is to cut out the old emergency stair, now a tangle of red line and plastic. I replace it with a new one.
Because it is now raining once again, I go back inside and I start the installation of the AIS transponder. The task is not difficult, but there are issues. The first issue is finding the right place. I need to be very creative because that compartment is already fully stuffed with motherboards, switches, and other devices. The second issue is finding the NMEA2000 backbone.
I have to chase Pitter’s electrician, which is not an easy task, as they are equipping 15 new boats. Finally, I track him and he points me to a NMEA2000 backbone. It is located right behind the Fusion radio and the Webasto controls. It seems to work, and after a while I see Jane & Darcy on the Marine Traffic screen. But it doesn’t: the plotter does not see the device and AIS traffic does not show on the map. After much more work and swearing, I find a second hidden NMEA2000 backbone hidden behind a bunch of cables. I reconnect the transponder and… Eureka! Now it works swimmingly.
Now it is possible to find Jane & Darcy on Marine Traffic
Because the gas stove needs to be replaced, I can’t cook food. The freezer does not get cold enough to buy food that can be cooked in the microwave. I’m stuck on borek for three days. I decide to try a filet at Guste that has just reopened.
Part of the work is to inspect and clean everything. The goal is to make sure that everything is clean. Debris must not move around the boat and damage things. I spend half an hour in the lazarette. This rewards me with two plastic toys and the cover of the swimming platform winch. I also find beer caps, weird stuff, and plenty of dirt.
A tough week, but now the boat is almost ready to go!
S/YJane & Darcy 
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