Fishermen of Komiža didn't use any navigation instruments, not even the compass.
Their instruments were their eyes and ears. There were no watches or clocks,
but they could tell the time by following and looking at the stars. By observing the stars,
they could even tell when the pilchards were moving up, closer to the surface, in different places.
Their instruments were their eyes and ears. There were no watches or clocks,
but they could tell the time by following and looking at the stars. By observing the stars,
they could even tell when the pilchards were moving up, closer to the surface, in different places.
THE ART OF NAVIGATION
Over the past centuries, the island of Vis had been the most vulnerable Dalmatian island and the one most exposed to pirate attacks, especially Komiža, facing the open sea.
Fishermen had no one to rely on but his own knowledge and experience. Svićor, the captain, always trusted his ears more than his eyes. By listening, he could tell how well the sails caught the wind/or how well the wind pushed on the sails. He observed the wind, current of the swell and even the seagulls to determine whether or not they were close to the coast.
The old fishermen always looked at the clouds, how they moved and changed. It was vital to follow low and high tides. They were able to recognize the slightest wind change and experienced fishermen could distinguish up to 16 different winds.
WIND ROSE
Maestral (mistral) is a NW wind and the best for sailing to Palagruža. Jugo (Scirocco) is a SE wind, the best for sailing back to Komiža from Palagruža. Favourable winds for sailing back to Komiža are also Oštro (Ostro), S and Levont (Levante) eastern wind. Garbin is a WSW wind which raises high waves so all the boats in the harbour have to be well moored.
