May 2023

We have visitors in Montenegro.

Last few weeks at our winter berth at Porto Montenegro. We have visitors and work on the last boat chores before our maiden voyage.

May 2, 2023

Our neighbour keeps going in and out of his slip so we now have a good side view of out boat.

I will never get tired of these Montenegrin view. They are just supberb.

More Montenegro views.....

The boat jobs continue

We replaced our house battery with a new lithium battery

Maintenance on the dingy engine.

Enjoying our last few weeks at the marina.

Got the window replacement job finished.  Chris spent hours filing the little hatch as it was a mm too big. Just in time before our friends arrive tomorrow!

May 9, 2023

Michael, Moira & Katie arrive for a visit.

May 10, 2023

We took the boat out of the marina for the very first time for a sail around the bay of Kotor. And what a beautiful day sail it was. 

May 11, 2023 

We hopped in the car and drove to Budva, to show Michael and Moira the beautiful seaside Montenegrin town. Budva, Montenegro, is a stunning coastal town known for its medieval Old Town, beautiful beaches, and vibrant nightlife. Nestled along the Adriatic Sea, it features charming cobblestone streets, ancient stone walls, and breathtaking sea views. The town blends rich history with a lively atmosphere, offering everything from historic sites like the Citadel to modern beach bars and restaurants. With its mix of culture, scenic beauty, and Mediterranean charm, Budva is a must-visit destination on the Montenegrin coast. 

May 12, 2023

Today, we took a trip to Kotor and walked up to the top of the Fortress of San Giovanni.

Kotor, Montenegro, is a picturesque medieval town nestled along the Bay of Kotor, surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. Known for its well-preserved Old Town, winding cobblestone streets, and historic Venetian architecture, it feels like stepping back in time. The town is home to landmarks like  imposing city walls, which offer stunning panoramic views for those who hike to the top. With its blend of history, natural beauty, and a laid-back coastal vibe, Kotor is one of Montenegro’s most enchanting destinations. 

Michael, Moria and Katie were excited to get back to Porto Montenegro to go to the spa at the Regent.

We finally leave Montenegro to start cruising, 

Our maiden voyage to Croatia.

Koločep

Porto Montenegro to Dubrovnik 42.08nm

Dubrovnik to Kolocep 3.56nm

We are finally leaving Montenegro! 

The custom's dock at Porto Montenegro was easy. Took about 15 minutes. Everyone was nice. There were no issues unlike a lot of people who have trouble with the one Harbor Master, aka Madame Mussolini.

We had all sorts of conditions. The worst was just at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor where it meets the Adriatic Sea. Large confused waves. The boat handled very well.

One moment of panic: The soft shackle that attached the main sheet block to the boom shafed through and broke. Chris fixed it with one he had made and we continued on.

Finally decided to put the code zero up. It took about half an hour to rig it all and we raised it which was fine. It was slapping around a lot as well but when it was time to furl it in, it wouldn't.  Had to pull it in and out at least five times, while being bashed around in the washing machine waves.

As we got closer to Dubrovnik the wind shifted and it came more from behind so the last few hours were much better.

Checked in at Dubrovnik, really easy and quick. The Harbour Master was impressed that I had already completed Form 16A. They did not ask us for a cruising license, nor look in our boat nor ask us if we had any meat or dairy, like we heard from others experiences.  He asked Chris if we had anything to declare then before Chris  could answer, he said, "I guess not".  Except the dock was a little scary. It had big black things sticking out every 20 meters or so. We called in on the radio and two employees met us to take our lines. We were told they would charge us $20.00 Euros for doing that but all they said was, "Welcome to Croatia - enjoy your time"

By the time we completed the check in procedures, it was around 6:00pm.  We decided to push on to an anchorage instead of going into the marina in Dubrovnik, looks like the closest one is Kolocep.

Anchored in Kolocep by 1930.  Yay!

Anchored in 12 ft. of water. First try was weedy and anchor didn't set the second time the anchor held in hard sand but didn't really set. There was no wind so we decided to stay. There was nobody around. Only one other charter boat in the anchorage. We both slept really well. 

Šipanski Luka

Kolocep Island to Sipanski Luka 11.41nm

In the morning we woke up and there was tons of ferries coming and going and dropping people off for day trips.

We went into shore with the dinghy and walked all over the island. When we returned we decided to leave as the anchor wasn't properly set.

We anchored in Šipanski Luka in 12 ft of water in a sandy bottom and the anchor held well. There were only three other boats, all charter boats in the anchorage. 

Sipanski Luka

In the vicinity of Dubrovnik there are few lovely islands. Since the Roman period they are called ‘Elafiti’ (deer’s islands). The biggest among them (16km2) is called  Sipan. There are two main villages on the Island of Sipan : Sipanska Luka and Sudjuradj.

For its beauty, peace and picturesque countryside it was recognized by Dubrovnik’s nobility very early in time of Dubrovnik’s Republic. They built 44 mansions and 32 churches on the island.  The prettiest among them are the palace of the family Skocibuha in Sudjuradj, and dukes summer palace in Sipanska Luka. In the old times, about 2000 people lived on the island. Today there are only 150 residents, mostly in Sipanska Luka.

We spent a few hours walking around the island and saw many of the islands churches.

There are numerous architectural monuments from the Middle Ages: the remains of Church of St. Peter on Velji Point from 11th century, Church of Sveti Ivan with its frescos from 11th and 15th century in Silova Sela, and the pre-Romantic Church of Sveti Mihovil from the 11th century, a Romantic-Gothic house, a Gothic tower, and the Renaissance Church of the Holy Spirit from 1569, all built as part of the Benedictine monastery in Pakljena. 

Polače

Sipanska Luka to Polace, Mljet Island -Calypso Restaurant- 23.2nm

Was planning to anchor but it was pretty deep, tried once but dragged, then decided to try to med moor to a restaurant. We chose Calypso. There was no one else there on the dock but there was three people on the dock to help with the lines and slime lines. It was a real disaster!!  But I guess there is a first time for everything.

For dinner we ordered a tradional Croatian meal called Roasted lamb under the bell. One of the most popular meals in Croatia's Dalmatia region is peka, a blend of vegetables and meat drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, and then baked to perfection under a bell-like dome, or ispod čripnje.  They cooked it on a wood fire so we had to order it in the afternoon.  It was really delicious. 

Mljet

Rented Ebike to bike around the lakes at Mljet National Park

We are still trying to figure out which e-bikes to buy and how to get them to us but decided to rent e-bikes here as the island of Mljet is totally set up for biking! 

Cycling here is easy as all lanes are traffic-free and dedicated just to cyclists and pedestrians.  Lovely and quiet cycle lanes, lead along the edged of the lakes. The orientation is easy, there are plenty of direction signs so it is almost impossible to get lost.

The full circle around the Large Lake is about 9 kilometers.

We stopped right across the Sveta Marija islet and waved the flag to alert the skipper from the islet to come and pick us up to visit the islet and its cafe/restaurant where we took a short break with an espresso. 

What a great day! 

We met our neighbours who are Canadians from Halifax. They sailed their boat from Halifax to the Med and are on their way to Malta and back across the Atlantic to the Maritimes.  

Korčula

Polace, Miljet National Park to Uvala Luka, Korcula - 16.6nm

Beautiful area to be on a boat.

Only one other charter boat here, but they left as soon as we anchored. We had to anchor twice. Chris went to swim the anchor but as soon as he jumped him all this garbage started to float by including sewage.  Gross! 

The anchorage is good. We are tucked in the corner right by the resort and the campground.

Found an amazing grocery store called Kozum up on the highway, can find many things here that we never saw in Montenegro.

Walked to and around Korcula Old Town.

Korčula has a small but mighty old town, a little Dubrovnik, stacked up in layers like a wedding cake. It’s small and easy to cover on foot (albeit filled with tons of stairs), and it’s edged with a beautiful pathway along the water, lined with nice restaurants and cafes.

Korčula is the rumored birthplace of Marco Polo — and the people of Korčula lean into this legend, while noting that technically there are no historic records, so we don’t even know if he came from Korčula, Venice, or somewhere else entirely.  There is a house that is purported to have been Marco Polo's, which is now a museum

Korcula Town Walls  – Due to its strategic location in this part of the Adriatic, Korcula Old Town was surrounded by high walls and towers from its early beginnings. Large sequences of defensive walls structures still dominate the Old town and can be seen on several places around it, particularly impressive when approached from the sea from the north and eastern side of the town.They represent a fine examples of medieval European war architecture making the Town into one of Croatia‘s finest surviving fortified medieval towns.

Korcula was one of our favourite places. 

Korčula

Walk from Korcula anchorage to Lombarda.

Started out the day by trying my hand at making crepes. They turned out really well. Yum 

Decided to check out the next town over called Lombarda but it was a very long walk there and back, almost 20km.

As we were walking past the next bay over, we happened upon our friends on sv Cooinda and we just happened  to see Seamus motoring back to his boat in his dingy so we waved him over, he picked us up and we went to his boat for coffee and a chat. 

Lumbarda is a micro wine region. Grk is a white wine produced in Lumbarda. The word ‘grk’ translates to bitter, but the wine is better described as dry, acidic, and aromatic. Grk is the main wine variety produced in Lumbarda, however, the vineyards also produce some red and rose wines.

The sandy, dry soil in the Lumbarda region paired with high sunshine concentration makes for the ideal climate to produce Grk. The growing conditions result in high sugar and exceptional acidity levels that give Grk its unique finish. 

What makes Grk wine so intriguing, is it is one of only a few grapevine varieties in the world that only has female flowers. This means to pollinate, and ultimately grow fruit for wine production, it requires other vine species with male flowers to be planted in close proximity to enable pollination. The variety that is most commonly chosen for this process is the Plavac Mali, a red grape variety also indigenous to Croatia.

The vineyards in Lumbarda are small, which means the yield each year is also much less than other regions in Croatia. They only make this wine here in this little part of the island. 

We arrived at Popic Winery about half an hour before it opened.  We must have looked so hot, thirsty and exhausted when we asked if we just come in and sit down and wait, they immediatley agreed and brought us some water.  So nice!! 

The views were spectacular and we enjoyed the wine.  

Now all rested up, ready for the long walk back to the boat! 

Lovište


Uvala Luka, Korcula to Loviste 8.9 nm

Leaving the bay, we have a fantastic view of the Old City.  There is no wind so motored all the way there. So much garbage in the water!

LOVISTE is a village on the southern coast of the Luka bay, in the far north-western part of the Peljesac Peninsula right at the very beginning of Peljesac Channel. The village has about 300 inhabitants, most of them working in the shipping industry and tourism. The place is well known for the production of figs, almonds and carob.

We anchored in the bay of Loviste called Uvala Luka  (of which there are confusingly numerous examples in Croatia).

We went out for dinner at this cute little restauranat right on the water called Bistro Porat.  Very quaint.  

Lovište

We stayed in Loviste today.  Did some route and trip planning.  There is only 2 other boats here, its very quiet. 

Took the dingy to the dock of a restaurant that doesn't look open anymore and we walked into town.  

We ended up eating at the same bistro, Bistro Porat again for dinner. 

Vela Luka

Edit

Loviste, Croatia to Uvala Gradina, Vela Luka  20.7nm

No wind, put up code zero, took it down 5 minutes later and motored the rest of the way to Uvala Gradina

Uvala Gradina is full of mooring buoys but we anchored. There were 2 other catamarans there svJoy and svOkano who we know from Porto Montenegro and are travelling together.   We moved closer to shore. There is a bit of a swell coming in and it is windy!

Took the dingy into town. Walked around for a bit. Glad we didn't bring the boat here, it is very small and small mooring buoys are everywhere, I don't think we would have fit. 

Dingyied back to the anchorage and found a restaurant on the waterfront, Konoba Siloko so we dingyied over and had an aperol spritz then walked around the waterfront, along the spit and up the hill to the Little Church, we could hear singing and it looked like someone was getting married so we didn't intrude but what a lovely, magical spot.   The small chapel was built in the 6th century and rebuilt in the 15th century. 

"Home is where the anchor drops".