Lastovo Last

We had a nice five day second stay in Rogoznica with walks around the island, around the bay to the marina to view the mega-yachts, past dragons eye lake up to the to the top of a hill overlooking the town and marina, across the isthmus to a beach, and to the produce and fish markets near the Konzum (safe shopping) supermarket. Uvala Saline offered all around protection and we even tried the anchorage at the head of the bay that would be good in a NE blow (55 ft, 43d31.81'N, 15d58.32'E).

We decided it was time to begin extracting ourselves from Croatia so on Monday we headed for the island of Vis some 30 miles south. Vis is a summer clearance port and we could clear out for Malta from there. Sailing there we pulled out our 180% 'Code Zero' headsail which had not seen the light of day for over a year. On arrival at Otok Vis we anchored at 1700 in Uvala Stonka, Viska Luka. We avoided Komiza on the west side because they reportedly charged for anchoring. However, at 1920 we were hit up for a 200 KN ($US 40) anchoring fee. Sticking with our anchoring fee boycott we promptly refused, hoisted anchor and moved around a point to a marginal anchorage out of sight from the port concession boat (100 - 130 ft, 43d04.20'N, 16d11.82'E) just clear of a no anchoring sign marking an underwater cable. This has been the second time we have been asked to pay to anchor the first being the Otok Murter. As on Murter we did not go ashore at Vis and left the next morning for Otok Lastovo. It may be a bit silly but we believe in supporting only the businesses in anchorages that do not charge. We might feel different about this matter if the $20 or $40 or more dollars a night (depending on the size of your vessel) were going toward the local government for public works, but the fees are collected by government licensed private concessions that offer no added value and are just capitalizing on the shape of the coastline.

The Lastovo Archipelago is a Nature Park, has a clearance port at Ubli and got us 30 miles further on towards Malta. As on Mljet, Dugi and in Skradin we had no issues with paying a reasonable per person fee for being in a Nature Park. Hopefully any money left after maintaining modest park infrastructure goes toward the general fund and benefits the country's population. As predicted, we had to pay a 20 KN ($US4) per person (per day) entrance fee to some friendly park rangers who welcomed us to Lastovo in their big inflatable. We anchored in Uvala Kremena, Velji Lago (80 ft, 42d45.43'N, 16d48.73'E) next to an old submarine pen. Lastovo as a military outpost is strategically important and was off limits to visitors for many years. Some of the military infrastructure is being re-used as witnessed by the two boats moored last night inside the submarine pen.