ANA’s flag has been flying over the Adriatic contin-ually for 25 years. From week to week, nearly all year long, regardless of the weather conditions,

the sails are raised above our home port in Jezera and ANA’s boats take course for conducting the education programs for sailing knowledge and skills. The begin-ner courses are held in the aquatorium of the island of Murter, while the skills and additional programs are held throughout the Adriatic, from Brijuni to Dubrovnik and the remote islands of Jabuka, Palagruža, and Svetac. We are recognized in Italian cities on the western coast of the Adriatic during our Transadriatic courses, as well as in La Vallatta, where we dock in the winter, during our Malta course.

Along with schooling, over the course of these years, we have nurtured standards that support the preserva-tion of the sea, and natural and historical heritage. Our students and friends will confirm that – ANA is a school for living with the sea. So I sought out Prof. Jurica Gašpar. The reason I met and later socialized with Prof. Gašpar is his fascination with the lighthouses of the Adriatic Sea. That passion is strong, complex, and comprehensive. From the destined heritage, since Jurica is the son of a lighthouse keeper, to the artistic – through literary es-says and photographs of lighthouses. Let’s not forget the

ANA Lighthouse Adventures with Jurica Gašpar

29

. IX. - 4

. X. 2

01

3.

JGURICA

AŠPAR

photography ®

JGURICA

AŠPAR

photography ®

social aspect to protect the memories and life stories of lighthouse keepers and their families from being forgot-ten, as well as the scientific – because it’s difficult not to admire, study, and learn about the organizational, engi-neering, and construction project of the Austro-Hungar-ian construction of the lighthouse infrastructure down the entire length of the eastern coast of the Adriatic. In that lifelong turmoil of searching, Prof. Jurica has dis-covered ANA as an inspired partner. This is how the ‘ANA Lighthouse Adventures with Prof. Jurica Gašpar’ project

came to life. Our goal is to sail, record and describe the magnificent world of our lighthouses with written, photo, and video material. ANA, which clearly has the nautical knowledge of the Adriatic, found a way to bring its mis-sion to life – to establish a culture that is based on the values of people and their historical heritage, as well as the value and the bounty of the natural elements of the wind and sea.

Gordan Smadilo

Enthusiasm and a new idea, was the first thought. Something different and optimism, was actually the second. When we brought the two together, and

then added experts in the field of sailing, with knowledge of lighthouses, photography, and cameras, we got the ideal combination for something new, never tried before in this way. Lighthouses, places of incredible beauty, ro-mantic places for many, architecturally superior to all the other buildings on the Adriatic coast, are ideal destina-tions, which must be seen from the open seas of the Adri-

atic. Their mystery should not be ignored, nor should the plentiful stories and legends, which you can hear on the way, but also the incredible diversity of the landscape, various colors, and of course, the experiences a person will experience if they decide to tour the lighthouses of the Croatian Adriatic for just a week.

This time, we decided to take a very interesting, but definitely demanding route. Since the safety of the crew is above all else when sailing, even plans, the expedition

depended on the weather conditions and all the other un-foreseen situations at sea. We would be extremely satis-fied if we had just completed all of the planned stops in our “Lighthouse Adventure”, but Poseidon wanted us to not only complete our task, but to complete it with 120 percent efficiency. We wanted to film a documentary on lighthouses of the Adriatic. While we sailed, students of ANA’s sailing school learned to sail and handle the vari-ous and unforeseen situations from experienced skipper Vlatko Ignatoski. It must be said that even though the trip was beautiful and interesting, it wasn’t a bit easy, and a bit of military discipline and human compromise was necessary for the expectations to be fulfilled. Still, it was worth it, and the rewards came in the form of a unique, experience unrepeatable for others.

Here’s what we experienced… Blitvenica; a lighthouse in the Šibenik aquatorium, south of Žirje, rocky, ideal for pictures and film during strong south winds, which often hit it in the winter. We experienced a 4 to 5 sea, and waves that splashed the island’s rocks several meters high. There was another islet, Mulo, near Rogoznica, that was also incredible with rain in the right moment, and a twister in the backdrop. Unrepeatable visions, as many others after them… The first lighthouse keeper we spoke to; Vladimir Čapalija from Murvica, near Vinišće on one, and the island of Drvenik on the other side, told us of his nearly 30 years of experience with lanterns and the times of war when the Yugoslav National Army bombard-

Ivan Bulić Ićo is probably the best known Croatian lighthouse keeper. He became famous

for the fish he makes of dry palm branches. Besides making fish sculptures, Ićo also makes

little fish for necklaces (Đuđe), which have become a kind of sign of diversification for the

people of Vis and for those who love the island. This 41-year-old decided to become a lighthouse

keeper as a young man, about 20 years ago. After his experience in the war, Ićo decided to look for

a new life at a lighthouse, and his first position was, as a 24-year old lantern keeper, Palagruža.

After the lighthouses on Jadrija and Blitvenica, Ićo kame to Stončica in 1998. Today, the address

on his ID is Stončica b.b.

With the picture of Stončica come a story; the bones of many seamen we left in the seabed beneath Stončica after the battle between the Italian and Aus-tro-Hungarian navies in 1866, just a few years after the lighthouse was constructed, which looks like a mil-itary base for a reason… It was the first battle at sea in history where armored ships battles. “Our side” beat the Italians, and the lighthouse built by Austro-Hun-gary remained at the same place as a memory of that time and day...

The night sky towards Palagruža

There are few places in Dalmatia where you can see the Milky Way, because the light pollution from the cities is pretty strong. Still, on the south end of Lastovo, it is somewhat possible, so the galaxy can be clearly seen perpendicularly up the middle of the photo. Still, the red light at the bottom is the light pollution from Italian cities… and the brightest dot down from the middle, and off to the right is Palagruža, which throws light to a distance of nearly 50 km, and blinks every 17.5 seconds. This is one of the moments when Palagruža is our beacon…

ed him with long-distance cannons, and he was unarmed, or hunger at the lighthouse, and numerous life stories.

On Pokonji Dol near Hvar, we awaited dawn with an amazing and incredibly rare exchange of colors, for which our early awakening was truly richly rewarded. We also visited the cutest island of this tour, Pločica near Korčula, where we managed to have a swim, and Ko-rčulanske Sestrice in front of Lumbarda. After that, we headed out to the open sea. Glavat, in the Lastovo archi-pelago, was abandoned by its lighthouse crew and then devastated not long after by ugly actions of the times and people. Luckily, rationality sank in, so the lighthouse is being renovated, and people will once again come to the islet with natural slab stairs, which look like a giant climbed them. Struga on distant Lastovo greeted us full of color for the sunset, and the night sky and the view of

Jurica Kvinta – lighthouse keeper on Struga, Lastovo. Third in a line of lighthouse keepers in the family. His father and grandfather held the same position.

cluded that it was an experience that should be repeated.

We are still writing our documentary and book about Adriatic lighthouses, and we are gathering experiences, so you, our dear friends, can also participate personally. Sailing to one of those 48 incredible buildings is an expe-rience which is unique, and others certainly won’t be able to boast it. ANA recognized the challenge, and I believe you will too!

Bring your experience, but also some courage and pa-tience. The reward is, trust me, immeasurable!

Jurica Gašpar

Panorama from the lantern - Struga.

View from the peak of the Struga lantern to Lastovo from 104 meters above sea level. Only minutes before sunset and the automatic lighting of the lantern. Beyond the horizon is Italy, and a little to the left of the current position of the sun is Palagruža, which casts it light 26 nautical miles, or to be more precise, a little more than 48 km, so its position is clearly seen at night every 17.5 seconds.

Palagruža, 30-miles away, with a light that shines on the horizon every 17.5 seconds, is simply fascinating. Finally we visited Stončica on Vis, where lighthouse keeper Ivan Ićo Bulić fascinated us with stories and the impressions of ordinary lighthouse keepers, who have experienced amazing things on those distant islets throughout the Adriatic.

I must admit, I just thought that experience meant more than luck, when at one moment, we were all sur-prised by a good dolphin, who followed us in sailing for a few minutes, and who were managed to film while he was playing and jumping in front of the boat. The crew con-

If we paraphrase the Latin saying Navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse, of which the first part is usually used, and the second, more important, is

ignored, then for recreational sailing, we can say “You must sail!” I especially like lighthouses, and for years I have been visiting them out of curiosity, and over the past few years as part of the course in the ANA sailing school.

Part of the charm of sailing to a lighthouse is the time it takes to get there. When the familiar shape, which of-ten looks like a boat, first appears on the horizon. Sailing under the shadow of the lighthouse when we are facing our small size in comparison to its sturdiness and mean-ing in the nautical sense. Sailing with nostalgia when we are going on after yet another experience. The energy, time, and experience we invest when we visit each lighthouse, all remind us of the battle that He, the lighthouse that stays behind, always wins, as we retreat to a safe harbor and let the waves and lightning write stories on his stone.

And each time is different. This time we took a detour from the planned route be-cause of weather conditions, but that is why we saw Blitvenica fighting the strong south wind. Jurica and Igor took fantas-tic pictures of the battle between sea and stone. Mirna and Vedrana had a baptism by fire (waves) as we left the Hramina marina in Murter. We sailed to Blitvenica under strong south winds at more than 25 knots, af-ter which we circled it a few times, and sailed back to the peaceful Dune cove on the island of Žirje. The next day, with a light bora wind, we circled around Mulo and sailed to Murvica where our cameramen

had an interview with the lighthouse keeper Čapalija, only to sail around Malta and head on to Hvar. For some, it was their first step ever onto Hvar’s stone streets. It is a time of year when there is no summer buzz in front of the city, and it was pleasant to stay overnight on a buoy in front of Banj beach – the most expensive beach in Croatia.

The next day started during the night because we had to be at Pokonji Dol before sunrise. We used to chance to sail to Dubovica cove, record the barrows scattered over the nearby hill, and sail onto the Pločice lighthouse. The bora wind hit us in all its glory from the hills of Hvar, so the girls practiced trimming again, and work on the mainsail because of the bora wind. While we were fight-ing the wind, a little fleet of sailboats using just the jib,

and with wind at half-stern, passed us while drinking tea and waving a greeting. We disembarked on

Pločice. Some took a swim in the clearest wa-ter in the world that day, while Igor made

the first recording using a little hel-icopter to which he attached a

GoPro HRO2 camera. The re-cording is professional,

but he can’t get the boyish hap-

piness out of his eyes.

Maybe that’s the reason the

birds-eye view recording of the

lighthouse was successful.

We drew through the Korčula channel at

the end of the day to the lighthouse on Korčula’s Ses-trice. How many Sestrice are there in the Adriatic? A touch of civilization because that was the only time that we hooked up to electricity and refilled our water in the Lumbarda marina. The batteries for the cameras, video camera, helicopter, and mobile phones charged all night long.

At dawn, we headed towards Glavat. The recently ren-ovated lighthouse for rent expects to have its first guests and lighthouse keeper next season, since service was eliminated here a decade ago. In the meantime, the wind and rain have done their part, and this past summer, the roof and windows were replaced, and the entire interior was painted in detail.

Plovput is a state company that cares for the light-houses in the Croatian part of the Adriatic, and it truly does its job well. There is no docking on this island, so the boys brought the equipment over with an inflatable boat. For two hours, we admired it at anchor, and then we sailed off to the Struga lighthouse on Lastovo. Here, we were welcomed by friendly Nada and Jura Kvinta, who are the third generation of lighthouse keepers in the family. He had a lot to say about lighthouse life to the students of the course, who had the opportunity to visit the light tower and see the mechanism that (starts and) turns the light that gives direction and hope to the sailors at night.

A peaceful night beneath Struga was welcome for all

Vlado Čapalija – nearly 30 years of lighthouse keeper experience. He says the most difficult time

was during the war, when the Yugoslav National Army bombarded him mercilessly while he was

unarmed in a boat. Luckily, he managed to survive and continue doing the job he loves.

Fresnel lens. Just as the first lighthouses were being built in the Adriatic, at the beginning of the 19th century, French physicist Augustin Jean Fresnel was perfecting a complex optical system where barely visible light is collected in a glass wall, which is then manifested as a strong beam of light. Depending on the needs (position) of the lighthouse, the crystal lenses were larger or smaller, for further or shorter reach of the light… This one on Struge was installed in 1839, as the third lighthouse built in the Adriatic, and it still works today, but instead of petroleum and mechanically turning the mechanism, today, electrical power is used, but the principle is the same and will not change…

members of the crew. In the morning, Igor had an ad-venture when he dove out of Medvidova pećina on Lasto-vo, and later the entire crew toured the military trenches from the time of the Yugoslav national army in Jurjev cove. We took a short tour of the island of Mrčar as an example of a lonely island in a lonely archipelago. Af-ter that, we headed on to Vis, more precisely, Stončica, where we were greeted by the legendary Ićo, the most publicized living lighthouse keeper. He has been filmed by domestic and foreign TV crews, and reports on him are often published in nautical and other magazines. His hobby is making fish sculptures from the driftwood he finds on the coast around Stončica. His fish can be found everywhere in the world, an often around the necks of beautiful women he found worthy of the attention to give them this original necklace. His story of life and work on a lighthouse were also recorded this time in a documen-tary film Igor and Jurica are working on. The next day, we started the long trip back to Murter. Eon was not in our favor, so we spent most of the time sailing “on wind

from Arabia”.

Initially, there were some other lighthouses that we didn’t record this time for objective reasons, and we vis-ited Blitvenica the first day instead of the last. It is just proof that we are small in comparison to the strength of the sea and wind, and that we always have to listen to their voice. Their decision is final. It is up to use to trust them. That is the only way we can get the true life story. It isn’t hard to learn to sail, and with a little goodwill and patience, the principles of how to tame the forces of nature are easy to gain. When we learn that knowledge, and when sailing becomes a means, a new world opens up where the only rule is: You must sail!

This time we sailed to lighthouses. Next time, we will visit islets, turquoise coves, coastal vineyards, pine for-ests… Always rationally and with love for the sea, coast and wind.

Navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse.

Vlatko Ignatoski

Igor Goić

Born in Zadar in the spring of 1985. As a boy, he showed interest in art through music and drawing, and he had his first contact with the camera at the age of 12, when he filmed his first children’s movie with his friends from the street. At 19, he took the camera and recording literature into his hands for real. By the age of 21, he completed several short amateur movies, and started doing CGI (computer generated imagery), which was good for recording and editing. At 21, he started working the “Digital Film” production company as a cameraman, editor, and steadicam operator. At this company, he gained 6 years of experience on National television in various documentaries, documentary movies, and promotional films, while also privately shooting music videos. In 2012, he opened his own studio –KREATHIA studio, where he completed his first FILM “MALI DIV”, which is also the first film ever shot in Zadar. This movie premiered domestically at Zadar’s “Forum Film Festival”, where it played twice due to great public interest. It sold out both times. After his first successful movie, he quit at Digital Film and started several works within his KREATHIA studio.

Jurica Gašpar,

Born in 1979 in Makarska. The son of a lighthouse keeper, he spent his entire life moving, traveling, and he spent his child-hood at lighthouses. He spent the most time at St. Andrija near Dubrovnik, and when his father was transferred to land in Šibe-nik, with a tear in his eye, but also happy that the often separat-ed family was once again together, he got used to life in the city.

He soon left for Zadar, where he studied, and finally in 2004 graduated at the University of Zadar, Faculty of History and Geog-raphy, with a final thesis titled: “Off-Coastal Lighthouses on the Eastern Coast of the Adriatic, from the 19th century to today”.

When researching lighthouses, he also decided to research lighthouse keepers, and life at the lantern.

He is a huge fan of photography, and he uses the lens to show all the charm of a lighthouse keeper’s life, so that he can also transfer that to others. The “Lighthouse Adventures” project, which will be the basis for a documentary and monograph “Leg-ends of Light”, is, in a way, dedicated to his father, who passed away in 2009 at the young age of 56, to his family, and to every-one who has shared a similar lighthouse keeper’s destiny.

www.facebook.com/juricagasparphotography

The instructor for this course is Vlatko Ignatoski, assistant instructor of the ANA school, with expert knowledge of the Adriatic coast, which can be seen on his project Obala naših unuka (The Seashore of Our Posterity)

www.obala.hr

All the photos shown in this pamphlet were taken during one course from Jezera to Lastovo and the surrounding area. The author is Jurica Gašpar, except for the photos he is in. Graphic design was made by Vlatko Ignatoski. The course students and lighthouse keeper are extras in the photo.

Gordan Smadilo, Director

Academia Navalis Adriatica

www.anasail.com

C 100 / M 68 / Y 7 / K 30 PANTONE 294 EC