Why Sail Croatia In September?

[jhugos]

The last 3 weeks of September in Central and Southern Dalamatia is a short window of time that provides an ideal playground for sailing and island hopping.

I exclude the first week of September, just in case, as the weather can be unstable between the "Vela Gospa" religious festival (15[sup]th[/sup] Aug) and the beginning of September. It can get quite humid and the risk of short storms and rain is higher than almost any other time of year.

What makes this period ideal for sailing? Well the Italian Feragosto ends in late August, and the marina's become much easier to access later in the day compared to the majority of August.

This means that you can sail all day without worrying about planning your overnight berthing.

The average temperature is in the mid twenties, which is pleasant without being too hot, and the wind conditions are stable, with a comfortable prevailing NW breeze on most days.

So it all sounds a bit like late May or June, well the difference is that the sea is still very warm from the peak season, often in the mid twenties, and you can still get that summer holiday feel, compared to the fresher seas of late spring.

The night temperature is also much closer to the daytime temperature, which means sleeping on a yacht that isn't air-conditioned or heated is more comfortable.

The social side of things is also pretty vibrant at this time of year. While the hordes of tourists have left by now, the bars and restaurants are still buzzing with a relaxed post summer feel, and there is plenty of after hours fun to be had, as most nightclubs as still open during mid September (and some of these don't even open until mid July).

The summer feel starts to fade slowly towards the last week of September, and while it is still a good time to go, If the social side of sailing is important then I wouldn't recommend going after the 15[sup]th[/sup] Oct, when most of the islands bars and restaurants shut down into their winter hibernation, after the Vis regatta, the last big social event of the Summer.