End of May 2025 we went truly short-handed for the first time. No friends, no family crew, no extra pair of hands – just the two of us on board: Sarah and Roger. The boat: a Bali Catsmart called “La Vie En Bleu,” which Croatian radio cheerfully turned into “La Wi En Blu.”
The Catsmart is small compared to the big charter cats, and yes – like most Balis, she sails like a brick. But for two people, the space is more than enough. Honestly, it was perfect for us: manageable, not intimidating, you don’t feel like you’re driving an apartment block around the Adriatic.
The boat itself, though, was not exactly pristine. There was water in the port bilge, and the electric bilge pump was dead. The technician shrugged and said: “You have a manual pump.”
Not exactly the handover speech you want to hear before casting off.
We went anyway. With a slight knot in the stomach, but with a plan: keep an eye on the bilge, check it constantly, and if anything felt wrong, turn back. In the end everything was fine. And that’s why this trip matters so much to us: we now know we work as a team, just the two of us.
Facts from the trip
24.05.–31.05.2025
186 nautical miles total
39 nautical miles under sail
The rest under engine
Crew: Sarah & Roger
Boat: Bali Catsmart “La Vie En Bleu”
Route: Marina Baotić (Trogir) – mooring ball near Konoba Arsenol – Korčula (ACI Marina) – Pomena (Mljet) – Skrivena Luka – north again in forecast rough weather – Palmižana (Pakleni Islands) – back to Marina Baotić
Trogir Marina Baotić – and a mooring ball we will not discuss
We started in Marina Baotić near Trogir. Handover, system check, first bilge check (still water, still no working pump, still “you have a manual pump”).
Then we headed out and picked up a mooring ball in the bay near Konoba Arsenol.
Let’s say the mooring pickup was… character-building. We’re not going into detail. The important part is: in the end we were attached, nobody yelled, nobody fell in, and the boat stayed where it was supposed to stay. That counts.
Korčula – tight, busy, but totally doable
Next day we headed down to Korčula, into the ACI Marina. You absolutely have to reserve there because it’s basically always full. We had a reservation. The boat ahead of us didn’t. The other boat got turned away. We got called on the radio and waved in. Yes, we were grinning.
And Korčula is tight. Properly tight. Crosswind, very little room, people on neighbouring boats watching you like it’s evening entertainment. But: the marineros there are calm, professional, and they don’t scream at you as long as you look like you’ve got at least half an idea.
Our trick in tight marinas: stay calm, take your time, no panic.
Or, as a Croatian skipper once told us:
“If you hit it, hit it slow.”
That’s been our motto ever since.
Also helpful: headset intercoms. The famous “marriage savers.” Even if you’re not married, they’re worth it. No yelling across the cockpit, no “WHAT?”, no guessing distances. You talk quietly and the other person actually hears you.
Pomena on Mljet – tie up, eat well, be happy
Next stop: Pomena on the island of Mljet. You can go straight onto the restaurant quay at Konoba Ribar. They help you tie up, you get shore power and water, and in the evening you eat there. Very simple, very honest, very good.
Our docking there was honestly beautiful. Slow in, no drama, lines over, done. Marin, who runs the place, was genuinely friendly. No attitude, no pressure, no “tourist tax energy.” Pomena itself was still sleepy at the end of May – pine trees down to the waterline, clear water, quiet, almost no show-off charter traffic.
Would we recommend it? Yes. Part of us doesn’t want to talk about it too loudly, but let’s be real – word gets out anyway.
Skrivena Luka – nice, but not quite “ours”
After that we continued to Skrivena Luka (also known as Porto Rosso) on Lastovo. You tie up to a floating dock, easy handling, fair price. There’s a restaurant right there that lots of crews use.
For us it just didn’t fully click. Nothing wrong with it, just not our place. That happens. Not every harbour has to be true love.
Heavy weather in the forecast – and then not that bad
The next day the forecast called for proper weather. So we set the boat up: foulies ready, loose gear stowed, mentally in “this could get bumpy” mode.
Out there in reality: up to 22 knots on the nose and some chop. Yes, a bit punchy. But honestly? Half as bad as expected.
The big takeaway: if you prepare for the worst, the normal case feels totally fine.
Palmižana – postcard water and sundowners
Next leg heading north: Palmižana. ACI Marina Palmižana sits on Sveti Klement in the Pakleni Islands off Hvar. It’s popular and it’s busy, but it’s also gorgeous.
The marina itself is nice, but the magic is the short walk across the island. On the other side there’s an anchorage with pale blue, glass-clear water, sand under the keel, and a handful of bars and beach restaurants basically right on the shore. Dinghy rides, barefoot walking, swimming on repeat. It feels like high summer, even though it’s still May.
Last day back to Trogir
Finally we headed back to Marina Baotić. Refuelling in Trogir is usually pure stress – everyone returning at once, everyone “accidentally” cutting in line. This time it was calm. No shouting, no drama, no “we were here first.”
Then comes that moment: lines on shore, engines off, checkout done.
You’re always a little wrecked at that point. The good kind of wrecked.
What this trip showed us
This wasn’t our longest trip and not the most exotic one. But for us it was a milestone.
We now know we can handle a boat of this size with just two people.
We can pick up a mooring (more or less), back into tiny marinas, talk on the radio without panicking, get lines on calmly, make decisions about weather, and judge technical issues without spiralling.
Most importantly: we’ve learned that the two of us stay calm together on the water. And that’s basically the most important requirement for going long-term.
Lessons learned
- Sailing short-handed works for us. As long as both people stay calm and communicate clearly, you don’t necessarily need a third set of hands.
- Korčula ACI Marina: always reserve. It’s tight, but the marineros are fair and they won’t yell at you if you don’t come in like a speedboat on caffeine.
- “If you hit it, hit it slow.” Always true.
- Headset intercoms (“marriage savers”) are absolutely worth it. Even without a marriage.
- Refuelling in Trogir can actually be peaceful. You just have to catch the right window.
- We can do this as a team. And that’s the whole point.