S/YJane & Darcy

The day after the Bura burst we decided to leave Korčula for the island of Mljet. We considered two options. One was Luka Polace, at the NW side of the island. The other was Uvala Okuklje at the NE end. We thought that the weather was favorable, but still unstable, and decided to get nearer to our final destination, Dubrovnik.

Mljet is less frequented by the charter boats during the season because it is far from most charter bases. The NW end is a national park and a marine protected area. There are two deep bays, Pomena and Polace where you can find good shelter. Remember to buy the park ticket online before entering the reserve. The N coast also offers good anchorages at Luka Sobra, Prozurska Luka and Okuklje.

The stop in Okuklje was refreshing for the crew after a few days of not so easy sea conditions. We had time to relax in a quaint bay, exercise, have good food. We found an easy berth for the night at a private dock.

Download here the waypoints for this trip – Warning, never use waypoints for navigation without previously validating them on your plotter.

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Passage Notes

Leaving ACI Marina in Korčula bound E means to find right away several obstacles, currents and variable wind conditions. If you leave the marina on a NE course, you will find a shoal to STBD approximately 5 cables away. It has a charted depth of 4m. After approximately 1 M, change course to 90˚. This maneuver will let us pass to STBD first the Plic Lucnjak IDM. Next comes the islet of Lucnjak. Finally, the islets of Vela and Mala Stupa will be passed. After approximately 2.5 miles on this course, you leave the last islets of Vela (LH W TR FL(4) W 15S) and Mala Sestrica to STB. Then, set the course to 125˚ for a long leg of 25 M. This will aim at the Okuklje approach. The channel is four to five miles wide, and rather protected in most conditions. The bay of Okuklje isn’t very visible. There is a SPM on cape Stoba that can be used as a reference. The entrance of the bay is deep. However, it soon gets quite shallow. It is recommendable to prepare a pilotage plan before enteringAnchoring in Luka Okuklje