We are finally on our way to Tivat in Montenegro, where our "Azura" has spent the winter. We are excited to see how far the Navar shipyard has come with its preparations for the season. Because we are finally continuing our exploration of the Mediterranean. After the Croatian Adriatic last year, we want to reach the Aegean this time. But before we reach Greece, there are two other countries on our way: first Montenegro and then Albania - which still has a few question marks for us.
The shipyard is very close to Tivat Airport, which can be approached directly from Berlin. If the wind is blowing in the right direction, the landing approach takes place over the Bay of Kotor and you could almost jump onto the ship before the plane touches down. But today there is a light westerly wind, so we land from the mountain side. When we disembark, we are greeted by blazing sunshine and 34.5°C - on 6 June, mind you. The shipyard has done a great job, but there is still a little something missing here and there. As every year, the completion rate is 100 - X %, where X is a variable that has never been zero, even in Germany.
Small teething troubles in Tivat...
Our bimini, which was torn during last autumn's storm, has been replaced, the hull is still being polished, the superstructure and teak deck look great, life jackets, fire extinguishers and the automatic extinguishing system in the boat have been professionally serviced. After the ship has been lowered into the water using the travel lift, we go on board and want to start the engines. The engines both rev up properly, but don't start. The generators, on the other hand, don't make a sound at all. Now the search begins - first three of us, then eight. Are all the switch positions correct? All connections intact? Despite a diligent search, we find nothing.
Behind us, other ships are waiting in front of the Travellift, which we block in the box. When we still haven't found anything after an hour of intensive searching, the yard manager calls Caterpillar and orders a technician, who is actually on site in no time at all. His computerised diagnosis shows that a connection is missing somewhere. As a result, the machines cannot be started for safety reasons. Another search is made - and again nothing is found, until someone finally has the idea that saves the day.
You have had the fire extinguishing system serviced, haven't you? Has the connection to the overall system been restored? And we've already got the cause: a small plug connection has been forgotten by the external service company - that's it. The connection is made in a second - and everything is running like clockwork again. The faces relax and the trawler that has already arrived, which should have pulled us out of the box, can move off again.
... and a few administrative hurdles
After the technical requirements come the administrative hurdles. As in Croatia last year, Montenegro also charges a fee in the form of a "vignette" for navigating the waters. Navar must first confirm in writing that our "Azura" was in their care from October to June. We also have to register as tourists for a fee. As we also want to refuel, we need to make an appointment with a harbour petrol station. The price for taxed diesel is currently around €1.55 - the local currency in Montenegro, by the way. Untaxed diesel is also available and costs around €1.10. However, you have to leave the country immediately after refuelling, which requires careful logistical consideration. You also need a boat stamp for tax-free diesel, which you have to pay for. So there's plenty of walking, talking, stamping and paying. Then we can finally cast off and leave the shipyard atmosphere with beeping vehicles and noisy engines. Even though we felt we were in very good hands at Navar, we are now looking forward to the new.
Kotor and the Lovćen National Park
We set course for Kotor, which gave its name to the beautiful bay that is constantly visited by cruisers. The town, with its important cultural and historical buildings and its location, was included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List in 1979. It is the seat of the Catholic diocese of Kotor and the centre of the Serbian Orthodox Christians of Montenegro. The city and the deep bay framed by mountain ranges up to 1894 metres high (Orjen and Lovćen) are the most famous and most visited tourist region in the country. When you read who has built, ruled, reigned, raged, destroyed and rebuilt everything in Kotor since 300 BC, you immediately understand what a great asset the peace is that we Germans have been able to enjoy for seventy-five years - and hopefully will continue to do so.
After a morning thunderstorm, the sky clears and we take a hire car to drive into the mountains outside our cabin door.
First, we climb the 25 hairpin bends from Kotor with numerous breathtaking views down to the bay. We are told that this panoramic road, also known as the "Ladder of Cattaro", was built around two hundred years ago under Austro-Hungarian rule. This road, carved into the rocks by hand, represents a tremendous human endeavour and was the only access to the interior of the country at the time. Today, cars, motorbikes and even buses drive up there, although you shouldn't be afraid of close encounters ... somehow there is always a way.
After the ascent by car, the Lovćen National Park lies before us and beckons with the spectacular mausoleum of Peter the Second built on the mountain peak of Jezerski Vrh. This breathtakingly situated memorial is reached via 461 steps, some of which lead through a tunnel carved into the mountain, from where you can reach the panoramic viewpoint in one final step. This fantastic view of the mountains is often blocked by clouds. But we are lucky: today the few clouds are lower and allow us to enjoy the stunning view undisturbed.
The island of Sveti Stefan
Via the former capital of Montenegro, Cetinje, we return to the coast, where the picturesque island of Sveti Stefan invites you to linger. A short causeway connects the small island, which covers an area of just 1.46 hectares, to the mainland. Sveti Stefan is best known for the picturesque fishing village of the same name with houses dating back to the 15th century. There are several old churches on the island, including that of St Stefan (Sveti Stefan), which gave the island its name. In the 1950s and 1960s, the entire small village was converted into a hotel island with around 250 beds. The alleyways, roofs and house facades have retained their original character.
The island was leased by the company Amanresorts from the state of Montenegro for 30 years in 2007 and then renovated. A gradual reopening as Aman Sveti Stefan began in summer 2010. Today, Sveti Stefan is 100 per cent owned by the Amanresorts company. For this reason, only hotel guests are now permitted to stay on the island. Other visitors are also allowed to enter the island, but must pay an entrance fee.
Another method for a flying visit to Sveti Stefan is to simply reserve a table in a restaurant. In any case, it is worth admiring this enchanting holiday idyll up close.
The next day in Kotor literally falls through at first. After a deafening morning thunderstorm, it starts to pour torrentially and doesn't stop again until around 3 pm. We use the break to drive to nearby Budva and visit the old town centre. However, anyone who has experienced Kotor before will be rather disappointed. Numerous hotels have been built around the old town, which take away some of the charm of the historic centre. In addition, the town looks a bit touristy and doesn't exude the same appeal for us.
To Porto Montenegro
The weather is marvellous again as we sail back through the Bay of Kotor, past the cute Perast with its offshore islets of "Sveti Dorde" and "Gospa od Škrpjela" (Mary of the Rock). This is an artificial island created by a bulwark of rocks and old sunken ships loaded with stones. The two islands, as well as the entire Bay of Kotor, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Our destination is Porto Montenegro, where we meet up with Chris and Doreen from England, who have moored their boat there.
You can still fill up with tax-free diesel for €1.15, but as you have to leave the country immediately afterwards, we don't do this for the time being - a big mistake, as we soon find out. Instead, I get annoyed with the marina, which tries to make me believe that the shore connection isn't working because our boat has a problem. It takes me a whole day, several visits from the in-house electricians and finally calling in an external electrician to prove to the marina that their charging point is not working properly. In the end, we even learn that the spare parts have already been ordered but not yet delivered. So they knew all along and still tried to pull the wool over our eyes - very bad style.
Further south: the Marina Bar
The next day we set sail for Marina Bar at the southern end of Montenegro. The manoeuvre - normally routine - has to be carefully considered here. Sudden sideways gusts of up to 7 Bft push our boat around like a toy. So we have to wait for a break and then get out of the box quickly to avoid colliding with the neighbouring boat. An experienced professional sailor and former sailor helps us with the lines and so we get into open water unscathed. The gusts accompany us the whole day and even reach wind force eight on the open sea - a first real endurance test for our brand new bimini, which fell victim to a storm last autumn.
Communication with the marina bar by radio is difficult due to the strong wind noise. I somehow understand "Pier 7", but I'm not sure.
The wind is still blowing 5 to 6 in the harbour entrance, which would make mooring with mooring lines a feat. Fortunately, a berth has been prepared for us to moor alongside. It's a load off my mind and we're soon moored well at the jetty. We are still doing the usual work after mooring when an excited sailor from New Zealand shouts at us, asking if we have moved her boat. Her ship had been damaged in the process.
We are a little irritated by the tone and also wonder how you are supposed to move a foreign ship when mooring. Apparently, to make room for us, the harbour crew moved the "Intrepid Kiwi" without asking and, due to the wind conditions, rubbed the gelcoat down to the hull over a length of one metre. At first, everything is apparently denied, but the "Intrepid Kiwis" do not let up and insist on watching the video recordings. And everything is documented there in detail, so the harbour gives in and not only pays for the repairs, but also grants a discount on the mooring fees. Now peace reigns on all sides!
Preparation for Albania
We hire a car again as we want to see some of the country and also have to pick up a parcel from the shipyard in Tivat. However, due to a serious accident that causes a traffic jam that lasts for hours, we spend more time on the road without experiencing anything new. In the meantime, two sailing boats with German crews have moored in the harbour behind us. Of course we make contact and the skipper, who is from Albania, is particularly helpful. He dispels our last doubts about what awaits us there and provides us with the contact details of the agents who handle the clearance formalities in the Albanian harbours. This is an invaluable service in an area where little English is spoken and bureaucracy has a strong hold.
When we want to fill up with tax-free petrol before we leave, we get an unpleasant surprise. Montenegro has abolished tax-free refuelling with effect from 11 June 2022.
We don't want to believe this at first and enquire at Porto Montenegro whether this is true - unfortunately, yes. So we have to fill up for €1.58 per litre and pay several thousand euros more than three days ago. The petrol attendant turns out to be an interesting man who has been at sea for 15 years and has seen a lot of the world. He is interested in us, our ship and our travels, which makes the three-hour refuelling stop a little more entertaining.
Final formalities
Now we just have to deal with the bureaucratic marathon of leaving the country. As we're staying an extra day in Montenegro because of the wind, the vignette has to be extended - so off we go to the Harbour Master. In Office 1 I am sent to Office 2. There is an official in Office 2 who tells me in a mixture of international languages that the right person is not there at the moment - please wait outside. People come, people go - it drags on. Finally, Office 2 is ready for use. I am also advised to cancel the cancellation for tomorrow right now. No sooner said than done - that saves a trip to the authorities when clearing out.
The next morning we drive to the commercial port of Bar to clear out, where we have to present ourselves to the police and customs. After a short wait, all the formalities are completed and we leave Montenegro freshly stamped and with the blessing of the authorities. The weather is at its best, the stormy winds have died down for the time being and so nothing stands in the way of the six-hour journey to Durres (Albania). The Montenegrin coast soon disappears from our view and we look ahead - what will Albania bring us?
To be continued!
