Fortunal Wreck

The Fortunal lies just off the north coast of Vis, with the island's bulk immediately to the south. That land mass fully blocks the eastern-through-southern-through-western sectors, and crucially it shadows the south-easterly Jugo (Sirocco) - the Adriatic's biggest swell-maker - so the site is spared the region's dominant wave direction. The exposed window is the open channel to the north: the north-west sector faces straight up the Vis/Split channel toward Solta and the mainland and is the widest fetch, while N and NNW are fully open and the N-NE arc catches wind-sea driven by the gusty Bura blowing off the mainland. The narrow ENE opening toward Hvar admits some channel chop, but from east round through south to west the coast and island body leave the wreck sheltered. In practice it dives well in settled weather and Jugo conditions, but a NW blow, a Bura or northerly channel swell will build surface chop and can cancel dives.