At the end of September, we head westwards on the Dubrovačka River in T-shirts and shorts, leaving ACI Marina Dubrovnik in our wake. At the beginning of autumn, it is still as warm in southern Dalmatia as it is in summer on the Baltic Sea. The sky above us is steel blue and there is not a breath of wind in the river canyon. Our destination is the Bay of Kotor in the southern neighbouring country of Montenegro.
After two miles of river travel, we cross under the Franjo Tuđman Bridge and could actually head south. But wait! We still have to clear out of the EU. The border crossing point in Cavtat is closed because the harbour pier there is being renovated. So we turn sharp left and enter the Dubrovnik cruise harbour of Gruž.
We go alongside under a large Croatian flag at the border crossing. I ask a young policeman where I can clear out. He looks up from his mobile phone and points it in the direction of an adjacent building: "Harbour office first!"
Clearing out
Upstairs, a friendly man asks for ship's papers, crew lists and passports. He copies, stamps, copies again and scans what he has copied and stamped. I am given various copies to present to the police and customs. One floor below is the police checkpoint, consisting of the young uniformed man I first met. He puts his mobile phone in his pocket, goes into one of the many check-in cabins in the cruise terminal, opens the window and says that I should come to him now. He takes a cursory look at the passports, stamps them and takes a copy of the ship's papers made by the harbour master. He leaves the cabin and goes back to his mobile phone. As I'm about to go back on board, he calls after me: "Next to the customs!" and points in the right direction.
A window opens on the outer façade of the harbour building. The ship's papers, passports and crew list go inside. Various copies from the harbour office are taken out. They are stamped, signed and scanned again. Then we are finally allowed to cast off. The hour-long ride on the official horse seems a little absurd, because nobody was actually interested in how many people were on board and what goods were being transported across the EU's external border.
After clearing out, we are not allowed to dock, moor or anchor for the remaining 30 nautical miles in Croatian waters. We pass the old town of Dubrovnik, which is always an impressive sight from the sea, and head south-east between the mainland and the island of Lokrum. The maestral has woken up and is sending us a gentle breeze. Along the rocky southern coast of Croatia, there is only one small town that would be an interesting destination for charterers due to its two anchor bays: Molunat. But, as I said, those who have cleared out are no longer allowed to anchor, except in emergencies. The radar station above Molunat monitors boat traffic.
Passing the sea border to Montenegro
The Prevlaka peninsula is the southernmost part of Croatia. We round the old Austro-Hungarian fortress and turn to port into the Bay of Kotor, which is actually a succession of successive fjords, sometimes narrow, sometimes wide like inland lakes. While the mountain ranges around us are already casting long shadows, we leave the EU and pass the sea border with Montenegro. The country combines stark contrasts: The climate is subtropical, including palm trees on the shores. The mountains, on the other hand, towering more than 1000 metres high, are really more reminiscent of western Norway.
The Zelenika clearance centre is located in the foremost section of the Bay of Kotor, the Hercegnovski Zaliv. However, unlike in Croatia or Schengen countries in general, in Montenegro you do not have to call at the first clearance point. Instead, crews are free to decide where in the bay they want to clear in. In addition to the border harbour of Zelenika, this is also possible further inland in Porto Montenegro and in the marina of Portonovi, which is our choice.
The border control post is on the outer pier of the marina, two policemen help with the mooring. After my experience in Croatia, I ask for the harbour office, police and customs offices. But a young woman in uniform says: "Follow me. I'll take care of everything for you." She scans passports and crew lists. "The vignette for a yacht costs two euros per metre per week or six euros per metre per month," explains the head of the port authority, who also takes care of the police and customs jobs. "But we want to stay for a fortnight," I say.
She replies with a wink: "Well, then come back to me in a week, leave Montenegro for a minute and then clear in with me again. That way you'll save a third of the fees." I don't need to be told twice. In no time at all, I have cleared in and paid a reasonable 26.63 euros for our twelve-metre boat.
Montenegro's new marina resort
The new marina resort is a must-see. The harbour forms the centre of the newly built town. The car-free piazza, around which shops and restaurants are lined up, is built in a Mediterranean style. Marina director Nikola Banovic enthuses about Kotor Bay: "We have around a dozen attractive destinations for boaters in a very small area, surrounded by a breathtaking landscape with exciting history and culture."
The next day, we follow his first tip, steer through the Strait of Verige into Morinjski Bay and moor at a mooring buoy at the westernmost tip of the estuary of a small river. After a phone call, a small boat comes out of the estuary and invites us in. The skipper tells us to bring jackets. He manoeuvres us through a labyrinth of tiny arms of water. After ten minutes, we see them: the Ćatovića watermills. They lie in the shadow of high mountains. The many small mountain streams that meet here enhance the cooling effect. The tip about the jackets was a good one.
Mill owner Lazar Ćatovića reports that his ancestors began pressing olives 200 years ago using water power. At the turn of the last millennium, the business was closed down. Lazar had the idea of opening a restaurant on the mill site and offering regional fish dishes. For 20 years now, it has been one of the best addresses in Montenegro (catovica-mlini.com).
Gospa od Škrpjela
Gospa od Škrpjela, or Mary of the Rock, is one of two small islands off the coast of Perast. Together with the neighbouring monastery island, the pilgrimage church of Mary of the Rock is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the day, hundreds of tourists populate the tiny island, coming over from Perast on excursion boats. We wait until the excursion boats leave shortly before 6 pm. The island is suddenly deserted. We brazenly head for the stone pier and go alongside. A young man wearing a T-shirt labelled "Ranger" locks the church, greets us with a thumbs up, jumps into his Rib and drives off. For one night we are alone on Maria's Rock - marvellous!
At 9.30 in the morning, the peace and quiet is over again. A whole fleet of excursion boats sets course for the island. So off we go! Just half a nautical mile to the east lies the old seafaring town of Perast. Former captains' villas characterise the picture. Two or three yachts can moor alongside the eastern part of the town pier. The other part is used by excursion boats. Perast itself is also rather lively. Even our boat is restless: it dances in the swell caused by the excursion boats. We decide to continue to the far north-east of the Bay of Kotor, where the River Ljuta flows into a sub-bay of the same name.
The small marina there is part of the Stara Mlini restaurant, the old mill. Here, too, a picturesque gem of watercourses and mills has been converted into a catering establishment. In contrast to the Ćatovića water mills, where the atmosphere is friendly and informal, you can feel the spirit of commerce turning the mill wheels at the Stari Mlini (starimlini.com).
The eponymous town is the most famous place in the Bay of Kotor. Built in the third century BC, the fortress with its wealth of cultural and historical monuments has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1979. For a time, Kotor was called Cattaro and was the most important naval base of the Austro-Hungarian navy; it was here that the legendary sailors' uprising took place in February 1918.
Porto Montenegro or the "Monaco of the Balkans"
Kotor was also a military harbour in socialist Yugoslavia. With the independence of Montenegro in 2006, all military installations were abandoned. Where submarines and destroyers once lay, cruise ships and mega yachts are now moored. The inner part of the harbour has been converted into a marina. Today, Kotor is primarily a tourist resort. The arduous climb up to the old fortifications is rewarded with an impressive view.
It is a full eight nautical miles from here to the luxury marina of Porto Montenegro. Since construction began in 2008, Porto Montenegro has been nicknamed the "Monaco of the Balkans". The demand for berths, especially for larger yachts, has increased so much that the marina has increased its original capacity from 300 to 426 berths. This includes 20 berths for yachts over 100 metres in length. Everything here is designed to meet the highest demands. And Porto Montenegro continues to grow: soon there will be space for an unimaginable 300 superyachts (portomontenegro.com).
The harbour town of Luštica Bay
We round the Luštica peninsula with the aim of visiting the newly built harbour town of Luštica Bay on the outer coast. On the way there, the picturesque village of Rose comes up on the port side. The village consists of 20 old villas, all in the first row with unobstructed sea views. You are never allowed to moor alongside the quay walls of Rose. Passing ships create a swell that brutally presses the boats against the quay wall or even lifts them onto it. In front of the Forte Rose restaurant, however, there are five mooring buoys for larger yachts and a dozen buoys for smaller motorboats. The village, where time seems to have stood still, is well worth a visit.
If you head along the coast of the peninsula to Luštica Bay, you should keep close to the steep shore. There are caves there, the entrance to which lies at 18°35.6'' east longitude in a wide bay. You can anchor in twelve metres of water and enter several interconnected caves with the dinghy.
On the Luštica peninsula on the Montenegrin outer coast, a complete town is currently being built from the drawing board. The marina is the centrepiece. Although everything is new, the town's intricate architecture has the charm of a centuries-old Mediterranean village. Each house has a different architectural design and colour scheme. Cypresses, palm trees and oleanders grow in between. Pubs, bars and boutiques invite you to linger. Luštica Bay is a good example of how to build a harbour town (lusticabay.com).
Next stop: Herceg Novi town harbour
We complete our circle around the Bay of Kotor with a stop in the town harbour of Herceg Novi. There are moorings for guest boats on the outer pier. It is worth hiking up to the old fortress and enjoying the view over the bay. Konoba Feral in the harbour serves great food for little money. At the eastern end of the town, a former military hospital from the 18th century has recently been transformed into a luxury hostel with a wellness centre and marina for the most discerning guests (lazure.me).
If you walk uphill from the marina, you will first reach the Savina monastery. The same route, but steeper uphill, takes you to the Savina Castle winery. With a view over the vineyards and monastery, you can taste the best vintages of Merlot, Cabernet or Chardonnay (castelsavina.me).
After clearing out in Portonovi, we point the bow northwards again. When we reach Cavtat, we feel like swimming. But are we allowed to jump into EU waters if we haven't yet cleared in? No matter, we let ourselves drift near the island of Supetar, the anchor stays up and we jump into the water. Minutes later, a police boat is next to us, does a lap and heads back. Later, we moor at the Dubrovnik border crossing. The policeman leafs through our passports and asks: "How was the swim before Cavtat?" Fortunately, the check is brief this time.
We spend the last night on board on Lopud. We moor the boat to a buoy in the bay. Soon afterwards, we sit on the beach and watch the sun set behind the Elaphite archipelago - what a way to end the trip!
Crossing the border to Montenegro
Anyone leaving the Schengen area from the EU country Croatia with a yacht must clear out. According to current legislation, which also applies in other Schengen states, the nearest border harbour must be approached directly when leaving or entering the country. For a trip from Dubrovnik to Montenegro, this will be Cavtat from the beginning of May - provided that the construction work in the harbour is completed by then. Caution: After clearing out, yachts may continue to sail in Croatian territorial waters, but may not moor, anchor or go to a buoy anywhere. Anyone who violates this rule will be fined several hundred euros. Emergencies are exempt.
Journey
Croatia Airlines and Lufthansa fly to Dubrovnik from all major German airports from around 450 euros. Travelling by car from southern Germany or Austria can be a cheaper alternative. Thanks to the new Pelješac Bridge, it is now possible to bypass transit through Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Harbours and anchorages
In the Bay of Kotor there are plenty of moorings in a very small area - from the quiet anchorage bay to the luxury marina.
Nautical information for Montenegro
The area does not present any particular nautical challenges in stable weather conditions. However, you should be prepared for the possibility of bora (north-east), jugo (south-east) or thunderstorms (from westerly directions). It is essential to check the weather before travelling to Montenegro, as you are not allowed to moor or anchor anywhere after clearing. The following websites provide forecasts for the region: meteo.hr, windfinder.com and windguru.cz.
Driving licence
German skippers need the Sportbootführerschein See or higher licences. Austrians require a certificate of competence for the independent management of yachts in cruising area 2 - coastal navigation or higher licences. One member of the crew must also have a radio licence (VHF radio certificate/SRC/LRC or Croatian radio certificate).
Literature and maps
- DK Sport Boat Chart Set 8: "Adriatic 2: Zirje-Split-Dubrovnik-Bar", 64.90 euros.
- Bodo Müller/Jürgen Strassburger: "Küstenhandbuch Kroatien und Montenegro", Edition Maritim, 29.90 euros.
- Müller/Scheiter/Strassburger: "Schlemmertörns in Kroatien", Edition Maritim, 34.90 euros. www.delius-klasing.de
