Around the harbour
The rain did ease a little and we walked around the harbour on the promenade. The majority of the restaurants and bars were shuttered up. One did look promising but would not open until much later in the day.
We went into two bars to escape the rain. But once inside we realised that smoking was allowed and both were full of cigarette smoke. We just walked out and left the occupants to breathe in the fumes. Almost at the end of the promenade we went into an abandoned restaurant to shelter again before deciding that we had had enough of Hvar.
Leaving Hvar
By now my feet were wet through after walking through the streams of water and all the puddles. We walked back to where the tenders were going back and forth to Oceana.
The restaurants clearly thought they need extra protection from water.
Hvar’s statue
While we queued in the shelter of a pop-up tent I saw one of the statues that we’d seen in the port publicity for Hvar.
During our time ashore the ship had moved further away from the harbour and our tender ride back to the ship was much longer.
Back on Oceana
Once back on board we changed and went for a welcome lunch of cod and chips followed by a rhubarb and custard desert.
We watched more movies in our cabin as the rain poured down outside.
Later the ship moved back closer to the harbour to speed up the tender service. Then we could see the runners coming along the promenade towards the small square.
The weather had cleared and our views of Hvar had improved.
Leaving Hvar
Evening on Oceana
Our wait for dinner was once again over 40 minutes I started with caprese salad, then chicken tikka masala and finally a bread and butter pudding.
Our tickets for the launch ride in Venice were waiting for us as we went back for an early night ready for a long busy day in Venice.
From the Cruise Log
Sunday 7 April – Hvar, Croatia
Temperature 15°C
Wind South-Easterly Force 3
Weather Overcast, Heavy ShowersOvernight, Oceana made good Northerly courses as she negotiated her way through the Adriatic Sea towards Hvar. Captain Camby arrived on the bridge at 06:30 to conduct a briefing for the team. Third Officer Grant McClusky was assigned the role as navigator for the arrival manoeuvre.
Our ‘forward mooring stations’ team prepared both anchors but engaged our starboard anchor into gear ready to drop on the Captain’s command. With the harbour much quieter than previous calls it was agreed that the ship would be positioned closer to the harbour and hold position to allow guests a shorter run in the tender boats. At 11:00 the vessel was backed out of the small harbour area into the anchorage and dropped starboard anchor to 3 shackles on deck.
At 15:29 SBB was rung and the anchor picked up. The vessel was swung round to point in the direction of departure and then backed into the harbour area again to decrease the distance between the ship and shore.
At 17:01 the last tender left the harbour heading back to ship with the remaining guests and crew on board. The boat was recovered, shell doors closed and final checks completed. Third Officer Grant then pushed ahead on the engines and proceeded to sea towards the next call in Venice.