Drače

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Drače/wiki/Dra%C4%8De

Drače 42°55.768'N, 017°27.007'E42.929468;17.450109 destination

lat=42.929468 | lon=17.450109 | zoom=15 | y

The small harbour of Drace from WSW

The small harbour of Drace lies on the W side of the Neretvanski Kanal, the channel between the mainland and the Peljesac Peninsula on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, around 14 miles NW of the historic settlement of Mali Ston at the had of the channel. Drace is a popular holiday spot with a large campsite and the five mile-long bay in which is sits is dotted with numerous small islets.

While most of the harbour is shallow, a yacht can tie up alongside the outer arm of the breakwater, where there are depths of around 4.0 metres. Shelter is good in all conditions except strong SE winds, which send in a significant surge.

Charts

Weather

Diurnal winds along the coast are mostly moderate during the summer months, predominantly from NW and rarely exceeding force 4/5. At night, katabatic winds off the mountains are a feature of some of the harbours along the NE Adriatic coast. During early spring and (especially) autumn conditions can be more unsettled, occasionally accompanied by violent thunderstorms - luckily of short duration - with winds of 30-35 knots or more and vicious, steep seas. In the winter the sudden, violent N wind off the mountains, the bora, is much to be feared, especially along the Velebitski channel. It tends to blow less strongly S of Zadar.

Equally prevalent in winter - although not uncommon in summer - is the scirocco, a S/SE wind that blows up from North Africa, usually in advance of a depression moving E across the Mediterranean. Unlike the bora, the scirocco only occasionally exceeds gale force, but is still a phenomenon to be wary of, especially if on a lee coast.

For sources of weather forecasting, see Croatia.

Passages

See Croatia.

Islands

Several small islets in the bay.

Communication

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Navigation

Drace lies at the W end of a large bay which is dotted with numerous islets and rocky shoals, together with several shellfish beds and mussel rafts. Unless you have a large-scale chart, the safest approach is from NNE, giving all the islets a wide berth. The breakwater of Drace harbour and the light structure on the end of it is clearly visible on closer approach.

Berthing

The breakwater at Drace from S

The waterfront of Drace

Tie up alongside or stern/bows-to the inner side of the northern breakwater (the one with the light on it), where there are depths of around 4.0 metres. Shelter here is good in winds from most directions, though strong SE winds send in a swell. The holding is good in sand.

Anchorages

None.

Amenities

Provisioning

A small provisions shop at the campsite.

Eating out

Café/bar and a small restaurant.

Transportation

Buses to local destinations.

Tourism

There is little ashore in Drace but the surroundings are attractive.

Links

Links to relevant websites.

For other useful websites, see Croatia.

References

See Croatia.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

Verified by

Date of member's last visit to Drače and this page's details validated:

• Data compiled from web research (please update if possible) --Athene of Lymington

Contributors to this page
Names: Haiqu, Athene of Lymington