Sibenik

SIBENIK (43° 44'N; 15° 54'E), town (pop. 41,012 in 1991) and commercial port. The port is entered through Kanal Sv Ante (length 1.4 M, width at the entrance 220 m, width at narrowest part 140 m, depth 1130 m, speed limit 6 knots). The river Krka flows into the NW part of the port.

The port of Sibenik is a permanent border crossing for international traffic.

Approach to the channel. The channel is well marked by coast lights (lateral system): the green tower next to Sv Nikola fortress (green light) on the right side of the W entrance to the channel; the stone tower next to the house with the signal station (red light) on Jadrija point and the green tower (green light) on Rocni rock. The E entrance is marked by the red tower (red light) on Sv Kriz point and the green tower (green light) on Paklena shoal.

Navigation through the channel. The bora is violent. There is a constant current running towards the open sea of about 0.5 knots during the summer; in the winter, after heavy rains, it may attain a rate of 3 knots and even increase with the bora blowing. Vessels up to 50 GRT, except those with a barge in tow, and boats can navigate through the channel without special permission. Such vessels and boats must keep to starboard and out of the way of vessels over 50 GRT. They are required to give way to larger vessels leaving or entering the channel. Senisna point is fringed by a shoal and should be given a berth of at least 10 m. Anchorage is prohibited in the channel and off the outer entrance to it in the area enclosed by the parallels passing through the light structures on Sv Nikola fortress (E) and Rozenik shoal (W), and by the meridian passing through Sv Nikola lighthouse (E) and the meridian touching the E extremity of Lupac islet (W).

Mooring: Berths on the waterfront will be indicated by the harbour master's office. In the harbour yachts can anchor wherever convenient, with the exception of the narrow area about 100m NNW of the harbour light on the pier Gat Krka (Krka mole). Poor holding ground; those vessels that decide to anchor should do so SW of the Sv Jakov cathedral (depth 2530 m), not far from the waterfront and secure to the bollards ashore. Anchoring and mooring is prohibited in the area around Burnji turan point and around Panikovac, Dumboka and Sveti Petar coves. Gat Krka and the quay SW of of it (300 m) are reserved for coastal lines (depth 3.4 m); there are hydrants. The concrete wall stretching for 50m from the Obala palih omladinaca quay is used for mooring boats. Dolac cove (quay, depth 23 m) is exposed to winds and a swell. Detailed regulations for places where yachts are forbidden may be obtained in the harbour office.

Facilities: Port of entry, harbour master's office, customs, post office, hospital, medical service, chemist's and railway station; Slobodna plovidba shipping company; repairs and maintenance of vessels at the Sibenik repair shipyard (Ungrad cove in the SE part of the harbour); Val Sailing Club; Krka Rowing Club; Kornat Underwater Sports Club. Jadrija beach (with bungalows).

Water from the hydrant on the waterfront, fuel at the petrol station on Obala hrvatske mornarice quay; if larger quantities of fuel are needed, arrangements can be made to have it delivered by tank trucks. A duty-free shop on Obala oslobodjenja quay. Navigation charts and other relevant publications available in the office of PLOVPUT Plovno podrucje Sibenik (Obala oslobodjenja 8).

Brodoservis carries out repairs (hull and engines, yachts up to 350 GRT); repairs and maintenance of vessels of all sizes at the Sibenik repair shipyard.

Local passenger lines: Sibenik - Zlarin - Obonjan - Kaprije - Zirje; Sibenik - Zlarin - Obonjan - Prvic - Luka - Sepurine - Vodice.

Sibenik hosts the International Children's Festival (June, July) and many concerts and theatre performances. Excursions to Prukljansko jezero, Skradin, Skradinski buk waterfall, a trip up the Krka River to Roski slap waterfall.

Sights: Sv Jakov cathedral (St Jacob, Gothic and Renaissance, 1431-1505, designed by Juraj Dalmatinac, who also made part of the carvings; after his death the project was carried on by Nicholas of Florence; altar, baptistry, portal with lions lavlja vrata, and frieze with 71 portrait heads around the apse); Sv Frane church (St Francis, 14 C, coffered ceiling from 17 C), with a Gothic/Renaissance Franciscan monastery (collection of manuscripts and other valuable items); Nova crkva (New Church, Gothic/Renaissance style); Sv Ivan church (St John, reconstructions in 1485, 1544 and 1643, external flight of stairs, belltower with Turkish clock); Sv Barbara church (1447-51, collection of sacral items, part of the Town Museum); the orthodox church of Uspenje Bogorodice (Assumption of the Holy Virgin, built around 1390, later reconstructed in the Baroque style, until the early 19 C part of a Benedictine convent); the Loggia (1534-42, severely damaged during World War II, renovated); Knezeva palaca (Rector's Palace, 14 C, later additions, renovated; it houses the Town Museum and its collections of old masters, archeological finds, ethnographic material, archives, modern art); numerous old patrician houses, styles ranging from Romanesque to Baroque (Rossini, Misic, Fontana, Foscolo, Orsini-Juraj Dalmatinac, Divnic, Dragojevic, Lavcic); the great cistern (velika catrnja) dating from 1446. The forts: Sv Ana (fortified in 16 and 17 C), Sv Ivan (St John, 164549), Subicevac (17 C), Sv Nikola (154047), situated at the entrance to Kanal Sv Ante.