The Velebit Channel is a unique place, stretching south-easterly from Senj in the north to Rovanska in the south. The Velebit mountain range borders it along the coast, and the long, narrow Pag island borders it on the seaside..
Sailing close-hauled in the Velebit, but with wind coming from the sea, therefore, not Bora!
The Velebit Channel is famous because of the katabatic wind it generates, known as the bora. Given that an episode of Bora is expected tomorrow, we rush through the canal and prolong our ride of a few miles to avoid its effects!
As for the bora, refer to my post from 2021: Discovering the Bora along the Croatian coast... 13-15 February 2021. In short, it's a "bolt from the blue" for sailors: a wind that starts in a minute in a clear sky, going from nothing to more than 40 knots! The good news is that there are now effective models that can predict its occurrence with precision.
This is the Bora forecast for tomorrow. You wouldn't want to be there! We did indeed have a good ride through the canal.
Forecast on Windy for 9 June at noon
Below is our track. Initially, we had planned to anchor in a cove at the southern tip of Pag Island, but we decided to move further away from the coast as the Bora wind strength decreases the further away from the shore you go.
Our track through the Velebit Channel
We anchored in Veli Rat, on the North of Dugi otok island, very well protected from all winds. Thanks to the Ovni, as the entrance to the cove is only 2 meters deep. The following morning, we could hear the bora whistling in the upper rig.
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