STON (VELIKI STON)

STON or VELIKI STON (41° 49.5'N; 17° 42'E), village (pop. 581 in 1991) and small harbour in the NW part of Ston Channel (Stonski kanal).

Approach: Landmarks: the ruined medieval defence walls above the town; a round red tower with a column exhibiting a red light is situated on the quay at Ston.

Due to a submerged stone block at the beginning of the fairway, about 80 m NNW of the light on the molehead at Broce, yachts should keep closer to this light. The fairway leading to Ston is marked on the right side by two towers (green light) mounted on concrete bases in the sea. The left side of the fair-way is marked by 4 towers (red light) on concrete bases in the sea and by a red tower (red light) in the small harbour of Broce. From the light on the molehead (Broce), yachts should proceed between the first pair of the lights on concrete bases, then closer to the red tower on a concrete base in the sea (about 1030 m on a bearing of 299° from the light on the molehead at Broce); then S of the line connecting the red light with the red light of the second pair of lights On account of the shallow sea (up to 1.5 m) yachts should keep close to the middle of the channel and then pass between the second pair of lights After passing it, they should shape course for the molehead at Ston, on which there is a red tower (red light). An incoming yacht must wait in front of Broce for any vessel navigating through the fairway. A yacht wishing to leave Ston must wait for any vessel coming through the fairway to reach Ston harbour.

Mooring: The harbour is protected from all winds and waves. Tides may cause a strong current which can make manoeuvering difficult. Yachts lie sidelong the mole or at the quay. The four-point moor may also be used. An anchorage ground is situated in the outer part of the inlet, SE of Broce (depths 1050 m). Good holding ground.

Facilities: Harbour master's branch office, post office and medical service. Provisions in local shops; water from the main; fuel at the petrol station in the village. Liganj Fishing Club.

Sights: City walls (890 m in length) in the form of a pentagon encompass the old town, the streets of which intersect at right angles. From the town walls the 5 km long Veliki Zid wall extends (1333-1508), which runs up to the Pozvizd summit (224 m), whence it links with the defence walls of Mali Ston. Remnants of the castle (Veliki Kastel), the Rector's seat in the time of the Dubrovnik Republic; the Sorkocevic-8rdjevic residence (Gothic); the former bishop's residence (1573, with Gothic windows); a Franciscan monastery and Sv Nikola church (St Nicholas, 1347, old liturgical objects), town well (1571), Sv Vlaho church (St Blaise, 1878, with items from an older church). On Gorica hill above Ston Sv Mihajlo chapel (St Michael, 9/11 C, mural paintings from that period). Solila (salt pans), were in use even before the Dubrovnik Republic gained possession of Peljesac Peninsula (1333). They occupy an area of over 429860 m2 and have an annual output of 2800 tons of salt.

STONSKI KANAL, deep and narrow channel leading from the Kolocep channel (Kolocepski kanal) to Ston. Its sides up to the village of Broce are steep and covered by dense brush or wooded (sparse pine-woods). The depth in the outer (wider) part of the channel range from 10 to 57 m. The inner part is narrow and shallow. The fairway leading from the harbour of Broce to the harbour of Ston is 25 to 60 m wide with depth ranging from 2 to 3 m. Its left side is marked by five red lights and the right one with two green lights (see Ston).

Approach: The village of Kobas on the S shore of the inlet with a quay and the big masonry column of the transformer station in a pine-forest are conspicuous. A round white tower with a column and balcony, on a pedestal, exhibiting a white light stands on a concrete base at the right entrance point (Pologrin); a round red tower with a column exhibiting a red light is situated at the molehead of Broce.

The bora and the sirocco are strongly felt but do not interfere with navigation. The direction and the rate at which the current sets in depend on the tides. Sudden S winds may cause the sea level to drop suddenly only to immediately rise again (sometimes up to 1.25 m). This phenomenon sometimes occurs in calm weather. The strong currents and waves pose a danger for navigation in the channel.