Šibenik is the oldest native Croatian town on the Adriatic — and its St. James Cathedral is built entirely of stone, with no brick or wood in its structure. Sailors still use its dome as a landmark when they round the channel back into port.

The Kornati archipelago is a maze of dozens of islands, islets and reefs — and almost none of them has a road. You do not visit Kornati, you anchor in it, swim off the transom and watch the sun drop behind bare limestone. That is the whole itinerary.

Croatian sailors will tell you the real secret is the wind: the maestral arrives almost like clockwork after lunch, gives you four hours of perfect sailing, then dies at sunset. Plan your hops around it and you look like a genius.

A catamaran this size does not heel, does not roll and does not rush. Your morning coffee stays in the cup, your guests stay in a good mood, and the skipper gets to look like the calmest man in the Adriatic.

Šibenik’s St. Michael’s Fortress has watched over the channel for centuries — and the view from its walls is still the best way to understand why this bay was worth defending. See it from the water first, then climb it on foot before you fly home.