Life Aboard the Aurum

By Glen Bruels
This is part of a series called Cruising the Dalmatian Islands
Show More Posts

For the past week, we have been cruising the Adriatic Sea aboard a 95 foot gulet (sailing yacht) named Aurum along with five other couples.  The boat is owned by a Croatian family (the Gacina’s), where the son (Jere) serves as the captain and his mother is the chief chef and overall quality assurance person.  There were also three other crew (Stipe, Josip, and Ivan) who do all the other jobs.  We picked up the boat in Split while it was anchored in the harbor.  As we were traveling by Zodiac to the boat, we were happy that the crew took care of the baggage.  Immediately, the captain and crew made everyone feel welcome (a little alcohol helps!) and we settled into our staterooms, which were very comfortable.  During the week, we traveled around the islands, either tying up at a pier or anchoring out.  When anchoring out, we often had long Zodiac rides back and forth to the boat.  Given the seas, we often got a lot of water over the bow.  I think I had a wet butt pretty much all week.  The highlight though, was running out of gas in the Zodiac at night.  The captain was horribly embarrassed and called a friend to tow us back to the boat.

The daily routine onboard was pretty standard — eat, lounge, drink, and sleep.   We ended up doing half-board (meaning two meals per day).  On some islands, we took advantage of the excellent restaurants and went ashore.  Having said that, we lived aboard an excellent restaurant.  All the meals were wonderful and made from scratch, using local ingredients.  One night, Deb even caught a squid that made its way into a black ink risotto with squid (a few of the squids brothers gave their lives for this dish as well).  Even the morning croissants were made from scratch every morning.  Yum!  When not pulling in to an island, people lazed about the deck and lounges, reading and playing cards.  We also pulled into some lovely coves for swimming.

The week allowed us to catch up with old friends and make some dear new friends.  If you are ever looking to cruise the Adriatic, I would highly recommend the Aurum!  A special thanks to Dave Humenansky who did all the planning for this portion of the journey.

This is a map of the route we took during the week as well as pictures of the crew.
This is a map of the route we took during the week as well as pictures of the crew.
Waiting for our first Zodiac ride to the boat -- six people at a time.
Waiting for our first Zodiac ride to the boat — six people at a time.
While the men were still coming to the boat, the ladies shared some champagne with the captain, Jere.
While the men were still coming to the boat, the ladies shared some champagne with the captain, Jere.
Our dining area -- the place to eat, play cards, and chat.
Our dining area — the place to eat, play cards, and chat.
Welcome hors d'oeuvres!
Welcome hors d’oeuvres!
One of the staterooms. Small, but comfortable.
One of the staterooms. Small, but comfortable.
A typical meal.
A typical meal.
Black ink risotto, courtesy of Deb's squid fishing skills.
Black ink risotto, courtesy of Deb’s squid fishing skills.
While the crew worked...
While the crew worked…
... the rest of us could be slugs!
… the rest of us could be slugs!
Lots of places to lay about.
Lots of places to lay about.
Just another day plying the Adriatic.
Just another day plying the Adriatic.
If we anchored out, we would tie the stern to the shore and drop an anchor forward.
If we anchored out, we would tie the stern to the shore and drop an anchor forward.
The Aurum at anchor.
The Aurum at anchor.
Anchoring gave us a great opportunity to swim!
Anchoring gave us a great opportunity to swim!
When we tied up to a pier, we usually "Med Moored" -- stern to the pier and walking down/up a gangplank (made more difficult with a little alcohol!).
When we tied up to a pier, we usually “Med Moored” — stern to the pier and walking down/up a gangplank (made more difficult with a little alcohol!).
This entry was posted in Croatia, Cruising, Travel
Glen Bruels

I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.

Related Posts