Team members: Dr Peter Schoedl, Dr Nathalie Marik
Expedition start: 9 July 2009 from Medveja, southwest of Rijeka
Arrival at Dubrovnik: 3 August 2009
Coastal ferry back to Rijeka: 6 August 2009
Arrival in Rijeka by ferry/paddling back to Medveja: 7 August 2009

Essential information:
We started our trip in Medveja, approx. 20 kilometres southwest of Rijeka. The small village is easy to find, since it is located along the coast road. The big advantage of this starting point is its protected beach for launching and a campsite just across the street, with a supermarket right next to it. We parked our car for the duration of the trip behind the reception building for a small fee.

Distance:
Total paddling distance: 313 nm (563 km) – 20 legs.

Camping and accommodation:
Wild camping is officially not allowed! As ocean paddlers we can reach hidden spots and pitch our tent in solitude. Obey the common wilderness camping ethic – leave no trace!  Ask for permission if there are any houses nearby. We camped 13 times in solitude on pituresque beaches and on rocky platforms along the more rugged coastlines without any problems.

Accomodation in fishing villages and coastal towns along our route (with all facilities):
Mali Losinj (Island Losinj): campsite Kredo (small cabin), Sali (Dugi Otok): private appartment, Primosten (Mainland): 1970s style hotel, Hvar (Island Hvar): private room, Korcula (Island Korcula): hotel, Dubrovnik: hotel.

All our accomodation was close to the shoreline or directly on the coast (exception: our appartment in Sali).

Important: Carry enough water, especially if you decide to venture into more remote areas.

Getting back:
The Jadrolinja ferry company offers transportation along the whole coastline of Croatia. So one-way trips of shorter duration are easy to arrange. See http://www.jadrolinija.hr for schedules and information about the coastal ferry system.

Weather forecast:

1. Weather report for the Adriatic Sea
Shore-based radio stations emit daily weather reports and weather forecasts for the upcoming 12 and 24 hour periods, both in Croatian and in English:

Rijekaradio – VHF ch. 04, 20, 24, 81 at 5:35, 14:35, 19:35 UTC
Splitradio – VHF ch. 07, 21,23, 81 at 5:45, 12:45, 19:45 UTC
Dubrovnikradio – VHF ch. 07,04 at 6:25, 13:20, 21:20 UTC
* UTC – universal time coordinating (= GMT, Greenwich Mean Time)

2.  Constant weather forecasts on VHF – transmitters
Weather forecasts for the Croatian coastal region are provided in Croatian, English, Italian and German every ten minutes, and are updated at 7:00, 13:00 and 19:00 (local time). The summary presents an overview of the weather, a short forecast for the next 24 hours and information on air pressure.

VHF ch. 73 for northern Adriatic/ western coast of Istria
VHF ch. 69 for northern Adriatic/ eastern part
VHF ch. 67 for central Adriatic / eastern part
VHF ch. 73 for southern Adriatic / eastern part

Tidal information:
The differences between high and low tide in the Adriatic are not very dramatic, if not to say negligible.
See: http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk

Wind is by far the most influencing force to deal with.  See http://www.windfinder.com for Information about the prevailing winds, forecasts,…

Maps/charts:
”Oestliche Adriaküste 1:100 000”, published by Freytag & Berndt: a spiral-binding book with detailed topographic maps showing contour lines, depths of the sea, information about every single marina, camp sites, information about VHF-channels, …  It is written in German, but the maps contain very useful information for pre-trip planning and navigation on the way. (ISBN-13: 978-3707905380)

3 Charts published by the Hydrographic Institute of the Republic of Croatia, Split (Hvratski Hidrografski Institut)
cover the coastline from Rijeka to Dubrovnik: Rijeka – O.Murter 1:200 000 (nr. 152), Sibenik – Lastovo 1:200 000 (nr. 153) , Peljesac – Rt Ostra 1:200 000 (nr. 154)