Welcome to Montenegro

 

It was a fairly quick trip to Kotor Bay, Montenegro from Dubrovnik.  We had chosen to stay two nights at Porto Montenegro, a fairly high priced marina in Kotor Bay.  But the one advantage is that they assist with checking in to the country.  Montenegro is somewhat bureaucratic and they are not familiar with US licensing.  In Europe, officials want you to have an ICC (international certificate of competence) but that certificate is not recognized in the US.  Michael has his US Captains License which allows him to deliver boats for a fee or take people out on boats for a fee.  It is the legal operating license that you must have in the US for commercial activity.  Private yacht skippers do not have to be licensed but should have at least taken some sailing courses.  However, without a Captains license commercial activity is forbidden. 

Verige Strait

Well, of course, the lady checking us into the country had never seen a US captains license before so she was skeptical.  The fellow helping out from the marina patiently explained to her that his licensing was more than acceptable.  So then she asked Michael if he knew how to navigate!  He told her he managed to find his way across the Atlantic Ocean - from the US to Europe and beyond.  And as such he felt fairly confident that he could manage his way around Kotor Bay.  She apparently agree because she let us enter the country - yay!

 

Kotor Bay

 So the high priced marina had already paid off.  After check in we went to our slip and then went searching for a Montenegro SIM card.  Walking around it was clear that we had landed right smack dab in the middle of "Richville".  Luxury shops, multi million dollar yachts and many folks dressed to the nines.  Virtually all the yachts had paid "crew" as their owners never dirty their hands.  Clearly, not the best place for us.  Not only does Michael have only me for "crew" but he also has no maintenance department or boat washers.  Not to mention the absence of a Chef!  We must cook, clean, fix, navigate and sail the boat!  Exhausting😊!

Old Church

 So we decided one night would be enough at Porto Montenegro and we would go explore the bay the next day.  We wanted one more day in a marina to get some laundry done, fill the water tanks and wash the boat.  So we found a nice little place on the other side of the bay near Kotor town.  Much more reasonably priced and not so hoity-toity.  

Old Church up in the hills

 Our friend Tiago says its always a bit breezy in the bay so we are looking forward to just sailing around some and visiting the area.  Our plan is to spend about three weeks before heading on down the coast.  As we were coming down the coast to Kotor Bay some sailor hailed us on the VHF.  He asked where we were headed and we told him Tivat in Kotor Bay.  He said "we just left there and if I were you I would skip Tivat altogether".  Well, of course, that is not possible as you must check in at Tivat.  But he was correct in his assessment of Tivat, there are nicer places to be.  That being said Kotor Bay is beautiful and not a bad place to hang out for awhile.

Dubrovnik - revisited

 

Churches on the river

We decided to anchor up the river from the Dubrovnik Port near a marina for a bit so that we could revisit Dubrovnik. There is about a 1/2 knot current in the river which is perfect as it keeps some tension on our anchor.  Our plan is to check out of the country at Dubrovnik and we will need fuel before we leave.  So this anchorage was pretty perfect.  Close to the fuel dock at the marina and just down the river from the port.

Talaria at anchor in the river

What we were not aware of was the charter trade from this marina.  The weekends get super busy with charter boats returning and then leaving again with a new group.  We didn't dare leave Talaria as we had to keep a constant watch in order to keep the charter captains from running over our anchor buoy.  For some reason they just didn't seem to mind running over things in the water.  For those of us who own our boats the last thing we want is to run over a fishing buoy or anchor buoy and foul our prop with their line.  That makes for a very bad day!  Despite the weekend activity the rest of the week was fairly quiet.  The marina was kind enough to let us park our dinghy there so we could take the bus to Dubrovnik.  We wanted to visit the Red History Museum but did not have time on the first visit.  So... on a quiet weekday we took the bus and went to visit the museum.  As implied it is a museum about Communism and the former Yugoslavia, before the separation as the local folks say.  

The City Walls of Old Dubrovnik from the sea

Our plan was to depart for Montenegro on July 4th and that is what we did.  It was quick and easy checking out of Croatia and we were on our way to a new country.  Kotor Bay, Montenegro is not that far from Dubrovnik so we expected to be in by early afternoon.  Our plan was to spend at least one night in the pricey marina at Porto Montenegro as included in the price is assistance with check in.  That assistance ended up being very handy.  More news from Montenegro coming up...

 

Badija Monastery

 The island of Badija is home to a Franciscan Monastery.  Directly In front of the island is a well known and popular anchorage that entices with perfect views of the monastery.   So we thought it might be a nice place to spend a day or two.  But its not just sailors looking for a nice anchorage that visit.  Tourists from the nearby main island of Korcula visit the island as well.  As such it ends up being a busy little spot with anchored boats and taxi boats buzzing all around.

Badija Monastery

The Monastery itself has a long and complicated history and was returned to the Franciscan Order of Monks fairly recently.  For a modest fee you can visit the Church, but only the Church.  The remainder of the Monastery is not open to the public.  While there are no longer monks that reside at the Monastery full time it is still used for "spiritual retreats" and other functions.

Cloister of the Monastery

The grounds of the Monastery however are open to the public, there is actually a gravel path that goes all the way around the island which makes for a nice walk.  On the grounds lie an orchard, gardens and even some very friendly deer.  These deer are so tame that they walk right up to you looking for a handout.  

Friendly deer

 There is also a little beach and a cafe on the island.  It seemed a bit incongruous to see women in tiny little bikinis lounging at a beach in front of a Monastery!  But no-one seemed to bat an eye at the disparate scenes (except us).  We avoided the beach but did go in to visit the Church.  

The Cloister

Construction of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy started in 1483.  The portal has a statue of the Madonna and Child and if you look closely you will notice that baby Jesus is missing his head.  Apparently, a member of the Communist Party shot off the head of the baby Jesus statue with a rifle.  Something to be proud of later in life 😞.  

Portal to the Church

Shooting the head off the baby Jesus statue was not the only heinous act.  Over the centuries the Monastery and Church have been set on fire, plundered and at various times both intentionally and unintentionally destroyed.  Yet it stands today and is back in the hands of the Franciscan Order.

Church of Our Lady of Mercy

 

Church of Our Lady of Mercy

 Next to the Old Church another Chapel was constructed.  The Chapel of the Holy Cross was built to house a magnificent wooden cross that was the object of many pilgrimages.  The Cross is no longer there as during the Communist period it was relocated to another island where it remains.  But the Chapel is still here and is magnificent even without the Cross.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

 

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is known now for its blue and white marble altar.  It is all beautiful - the Old Church, the Chapel and the Cloister.  We were very grateful to be able to visit and spend the night anchored by the Monastery.  But the next day we decided to move on.  Its a beautiful but crowded place.

Looking out into the Cloister

 

So we are headed back to an anchorage called Sipanska Luka on the island of Sipan.  Slowly making our way back to Dubrovnik.
 

Badija Monastery

Korcula Island - revisited

 So far we have had either no wind or way too much wind.  Leaving us either hunkered down or motoring - neither of which is appealing to us.  Ultimately we concluded that while beautiful, Croatia is crowded and not the best place for us to sail.  Its a great place for beginners and charters but possibly not the best place for our heavy cruising boat.  The thought of leaving Talaria in Murter for a month, while we did a road trip to escape the heat, sounded great initially.  But in the end we decided to just stick with our original plans: cruise Croatia, then Montenegro and finally a trip to Albania before heading back over to Italy where we will keep Talaria for the winter.

Revelin Tower (Southern entrance to Old Town) - 13th century

So we are making our way back to Dubrovnik.  From Lostovo we sailed back to the island of Korcula.  On our first trip to Korcula we did not see much as it was just a stopping point.  This trip we visited the old town of Korcula and the Badija Monastery.

St. Michaels Church (1408)

Korcula town at the east end of Korcula Island is yet another ancient walled city.  Within the city walls are the narrow, winding cobblestone roads, ancient churches and buildings all mixed in with modern restaurants and shops.  Korcula Old Town was built on a hill so all but one street have steps going either up or down from the main square and the main street. There aren't always a lot of steps but you are always going either up or down.

St. Marks Cathedral in Old Town Korcula

There are so many of these old preserved medieval towns in Croatia that virtually everywhere feels like a huge step back in time.  As though you are in a different world altogether.  Sadly, the multiple souvenir shops jolt you back to the present.  

Old Town Korcula

From Korcula we will head back over to Dubrovnik to see some things we missed there.  Our plan is to check out of the country in Dubrovnik as well so it will be our last Croatian stop before Montenegro.

Lastovsko Islands

Talaria at anchor

 Lastovsko is actually an archipelago of forty six different, remote islands.  The island chain is fairly far from the mainland and sparsely populated.  Folks visit for the beauty, tranquility and remoteness of the islands.  

Lostovo Island

We spent a nice three days on the main island of Lostovo and loved it.  Far from the multitudes of charter boats and mayhem we found it to be quiet and peaceful.  The first day we anchored near a little town which was nice for walking around but not quite what we were looking for.

 

Lighthouse on Lostovo

So the next day we went over to the other side of the island and anchored in this lovely little bay.  There were only a couple of other boats around with plenty of space between us. Ahh... finally - peace and quiet. Then just as we were getting all settled in and preparing some lunch we heard someone outside hollering for us.  We went out to find a kid (20 something) swimming by our boat.  He said are you from Portland, Oregon, which is what is says on our boat.  We proceeded to explain that while we are not from Oregon that is where the boat originated.  As it turns out he is from Santa Barbara!  

WWII Bunkers

He and a few others had signed up with an Italian guy named Luigi to help him sail his boat in the Adriatic and over to Greece.  Later that evening Michael went in the dinghy to pick up the Santa Barbara fellow and his Swiss friend for a little music jam session.  Both boys played guitar, as does MIchael, so it was a fun evening for everyone.

Sailing around the island

 

The next day Luigi and company left and we went for a hike up to the lighthouse.  Sitting alone on the hill, the lighthouse has been converted to a little house that is privately owned so we did not go up their driveway.  We just enjoyed the walk and views along the way.  Later that day while back on the boat we heard more people outside.  Turns out there were two Croatian children that swam out to our boat.  The little boy was about ten or eleven and his little sister was maybe seven.  Apparently, they often swim out to boats in the bay.  He likes to practice his English and she likes to jump off the boats into the water.  Not something that would likely happen in the US as we are so distrustful of everyone.  But no-one there seemed to mind that they had popped out for a visit.  Theirs is a different, more relaxed culture which for us is a pleasant change.

Murter

 From Split we went on up the coast to Skradin to visit Krka National Park.  Stunningly beautiful!  I posted about that earlier and out of sequence as I was having issues getting to my other photos.  Which is a whole different story.

On the way up the coast to Murter

It is amazing to me how different the landscape is the further north you go up the coast.  Suddenly, the "mountains" are just hills and further out they just look like desolate rocks. Barren rocks that don't look as though they would support much life.  But people are sailing out to them so there must be something there.  We are making our way to a town called Murter.  Back in 2019, after crossing the Atlantic we joined a club called the Ocean Cruising Club (all members have crossed oceans and are very seasoned sailors).  

Rogonoznica

As with all clubs there are leaders and one day I received an email from a fellow who is the "roving ambassador" for the Eastern Med.  All members can track us by our AIS (automated information system), the OCC actually posts a map on their website showing where in the world its members are.  Gareth and his wife Clare wanted to meet up if possible as he saw that we were near them in Croatia.  We had decided to meet in Murter.

Small Croatian islands - on the way to Murter

Gareth is no ordinary sailor we were to find out.  He has raced in the Fastnet multiple times and was preparing to do a delivery to Iceland.  Quite an accomplished sailor.  As it turned out Clare by way of some Facebook group found out that Marina Betina in Murter was offering a special if you chose to put your boat on the hard during the hottest months.  We all decided to go to the Marina and discuss possiblities with the folks there the day after first meeting up.  That diversion kept us in Murter longer than we had planned.

Croatian Coastline

Once again there was some weather coming - high winds from the North, but not the Bura.  Or so we thought.  Michael and I decided to go to Marina Betina for a day or two to ride it out but Gareth and Clare chose to anchor out as they had to continue North.

Well two days turned into five and every day the marina got a little more expensive.  Most people were staying put, waiting for the wind to ease.  Even the folks that had paid to charter boats were just sitting in the marina.  We were not clocking the wind speed but the North winds had turned into the full bura (NE winds).  The wind can get significantly stronger the higher up the coast you go so many folks stay at the lower end of the coast.  During this bura the winds outside of the bay were blowing at 50 knots.  

Another beautiful sunset - Rogonoznica

But we made new friends so it was all good - Gareth and Clare from the UK and Phillipe and Beatrice from France.  Phillipe and Beatrice on the French boat in the video were also waiting for a break in the winds.  We meet a lot of interesting people from all over the world which helps to expand our world view and also makes our world much smaller.  As soon as there was a slight break in the weather we high tailed it out of there and headed south.  We were thinking about the offer at the Marina, trying to decide which direction to go.  But for now we were planning to go to Lostovsko for a bit.  The entire Lostovsko island chain is a national park so you pay for a permit to visit.  Its also the furthest island out in the Adriatic so not many charter boats go out that far.  We were looking forward to a little remoteness.

Finally... New Solar Panels

 Back at anchor in Spinut Bay - Split.  Finally, the day had arrived for installation of our new solar panels.  Mario had said that he could do the installation while we were at anchor, there would be no need to go to a boatyard.  We were over the moon about that.  So when the day finally arrived Michael went by dinghy over to the sailing club in Spinut Bay to pick up Mario and his sidekick.

Mario (white shirt) and his helper

The solar panels that we had were purchased by the previous owner in Mexico.  Four solar panels gave us a total of 415 watts.  We were able to replace the four with two for a total of 760 watts!!  And actually that is double because they are 24V panels and we have a 12V system.

Working on the brace for the solar panels

 

In addition, to solar for power we have a wind generator.  The wind generator and solar panels each have their own controllers.  Their respective controllers do what is implied and keep the solar panels or wind generator from overcharging the batteries.  They monitor the input and go to "float" or divert the power if the batteries are fully charged.  Because our old solar panels never were adequate for charging the batteries we had tried various things to get a better charge.  One of the things Michael did was turn up the amps on the wind generator controller.  Over the winter we had our friend (Tiago) in Brindisi disconnect our batteries.  When we returned and reconnected them we heard a pop and found that we had destroyed our wind controller.  Ugh!  

 

Old Church in Split

 So... without a controller for the wind generator we had to turn it off and rely completely on solar.  For the first time ever, with our new solar panels we saw our solar controller behaving the way it should.  Now the controller was going to float by around 0900!!  Amazing!!!  We no longer have to worry about how much power we are using at night because the batteries are finally, finally getting a full charge.  Such a relief.  

Split, Croatia

Now that we have that issue taken care of we will carry on with exploring Croatia.  From here our plan is to make our way up to Krka National Park.  Tiago and Mari loved it there and their enthusiasm spread.  We are super excited to make the trip down the river to visit the park.

 

Trogir, Croatia

 Croatia is no stranger to fierce winds, with the bura being the most feared.  Forecasts for high winds from the NE send sailors in search of a safe space to ride out the tempest.  Having just experienced our first we did not hesitate to seek out a marina the very next week when yet another bura was forecast.  Unbelievable.  It seems that the old adage about the Med is true: there is either too much or not enough wind!  Although, technically we are in the Adriatic, we have certainly seen these two extremes.  Seems we are either motoring along as there is no wind for sailing or seeking shelter because there is too much wind.

Narrow cobblestone streets of Trogir

We returned to the anchorage in Split only to find that Mario was covered up with work and needed a few days before he could schedule our solar installation.  With the bura coming (again!!) we decided to go somewhere we had not been before to wait it out.  Our plan was to go to Trogir for a couple of days and then once again head back to Split.  

Trogir

If possible, Trogir seems even more medieval than Dubrovnik or Hvar.  Its the very narrow roads of cobbled stone, the stone buildings with the arched doorways and the terra cotta tiled roofs that take you way, way back.  With just a little imagination you can picture what life in this city would have been like with folks weaving in and out of these narrow, winding little streets.  Old buildings now filled with restaurants and shops were called "home" in another time. 

Fortress in Trogir

As it turned out the forecasted bura did not kick up its heels like the week before.  The wind gusted into the 20s but nowhere near the 45 knot winds we saw the week before.  But we had already booked the slip for three days so we stayed ,completed some chores and just enjoyed Trogir. 

Trogir

 Trogir is yet another UNESCO world heritage site.  Their recognition is by virtue of their Venetian architecture, evident in the churches and palaces that dot the little island town. So far Trogir is one of our favorite places despite its touristy vibe. The beauty of the little town won us over but the daily outdoor market was icing on the cake.  We were able to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables and even found some very good smoked bacon there. It was actually so good that we later went back for more!

 

Trogir

If there was a downside to Trogir it was the numerous charter boats that descended on the area over the weekend.  Evenings were loud and boisterous.  Thank goodness we have air conditioning allowing us to shut the hatches and drown out the noise.  Without that capability our view may have been a bit different😌.

Trogir

 

We will be heading back to Split with fingers crossed that the weather stays calm enough for us to have the solar panels installed.  We are anxious to move away from Split as we have spent quite a bit of time there already.  Ready to see more of Croatia!

 

Split

Tiago's boat "TroubleMaker"

 

As it turns out the day that we intended to be in Split they were having a rowing regatta in Spinut Bay which is where we intended to anchor.  Mario (the solar guy) was coming to the boat the next day so we wanted to be there waiting.  But nope - no anchoring allowed due to the regatta.  Our friends Tiago, Mariana and kids suggested that we all anchor in a little spot not far from Split called Necujam.  It is a bit of a small bay but popular.  Especially, with the charter boats that have just picked up their boat from Split.  So... we had some company but it was still a nice little bay.  

Talaria at anchor

 It was great to catch up over dinner with Tiago and Mari to hear all about their adventures.  Just very nice, friendly people that we became fast friends with quickly.  Next morning we headed over to Split for our first meeting with Mario regarding the solar panels.  Our current solar panels are very old and outdated by today's standards. Thankfully the efficiency of solar has improved considerably over the years.  So we are excited to explore the solar possibilities for Talaria.

Split Graffiti (Diocletan)

The meeting with Mario went well and when we received his proposal we were surprised by how much capacity we could get at a reasonable cost compared to what we have.  We met with Mario on a Monday and agreed to proceed as soon as possible.  Mario said he could install them that week sometime.  We had another reason to be in Split - the new iPad that I had purchased over the winter was no longer charging.  I tried different chargers, different outlets etc... Nothing helped.  I was told in Italy that we should take it in to an iPad repair center as soon as we knew we would be somewhere for at least a 10 days.  Since we were going to be in Split to install the solar and they had a store that also repaired iPads I planned to take it in there.  We already knew that it was going to have to be replaced so I wanted to get it to them quickly due to the turnaround time to receive a new one.  We use the iPad as a back up for navigation.  Heaven forbid, if we ever lost our chartplotter we would at least still have the ability to navigate.  You hope it never happens but should your sailboat be hit by lightning or become dismasted you would most certainly lose your electronics.  Therefore, its better to be prepared.  We actually like to build in redundancy wherever we can.

Split Graffiti

 On Tuesday I was able to make the arrangements with the iPad repair center to take the iPad in the next day.  However over the night it got pretty windy and by morning it was gusting to 28 knots.  The holding was good so we weren't worried about the anchorage.  But I had to get to the iPad center and with the wind blowing at nearly 30 knots we were not comfortable leaving the boat at anchor unattended.  So we decided to go to a nearby Marina to wait out the blow, catch up on laundry and take the iPad in for replacement.

Building in Old Town Split

Tiago and Mari had taken TroubleMaker to a nearby boatyard for some work.  They decided to come to the marina as well as soon as the work was completed.  By the time they arrived it was blowing 40 knots!  Thats a lot of wind.  Fortunately, the marineros at Marina Kastela are very competent and can get you in safely even when the wind is howling.  

Old Town Split

 Later that night the wind was gusting 45 to 50 knots.  In Croatia, one of their particular winds is called the Bura.  It blows from the NE and can be quite strong - near hurricane force.  Wise sailors seek shelter at a marina or protected anchorage in advance and hunker down.  That is what we were experiencing - the Bura - and it was indeed fierce.  

Split

 Unfortunately, the Bura blew hard for a couple of days which then messed us up on our timeline for having the solar panels installed.  By Friday, the Bura was gone and we returned to the anchorage hoping to reschedule a date for the solar panel installation.  As sailors our lives are totally at the mercy of the weather.  You can try to plan but flexibility is a must!
 

A stop by Stari Grad on the way to Split

 

Stari Grad

 Hvar is not only the name of a town but also the entire island that Hvar town is on.  But there are other towns on the island as well.  Stari Grad is round the corner and on the other side of the island and it lies in an area that is a UNESCO world heritage site.  

Stari Grad

 The areas claim to fame is the Stari Grad Plain.  It is a unique UNESCO site because it is not a town or a ruin but an agricultural site.  What is notable and amazing really is that the fields were set up by Greeks in the 4th century BC and the plain is today almost entirely as it was then.  The Greeks laid out plots with rock boundaries.  Those stone boundaries have been maintained for over 2400 years!  The water collection system has also been maintained all this long, long time.  It is recognized for being a prime example of the ancient Greek agriculture system.  Today, as so long ago, they grow olives and grapes primarily.

Stari Grad - Town Quay

 Apparently due to the richness of the soil and the vastness of the plain folks from many different eras have all wanted to settle here.  Therefore the  plain contains layer upon layer of various cultures throughout the years.  There are no fewer than 120 archaeological sites in the plain.  That is an amazing amount of history in just one relatively small place.  Sadly, we did not make it out into the plain itself to see the plots as we were only in Stari Grad for one day.  We have a date that we need to be in Split so we are steadily making our way there.  Nonetheless the town of Stari Grad was a great little stopover and is wonderful in its own right.  But now we are moving on to Split for new solar panels and to catch up with some friends for a visit.