It's been over two months since I arrived in Montenegro, and I'm very due for an update.
To catch you up from the last instalment: Britt and I left Stani in Olbia and flew to Istanbul to wait while the boat got delivered to Montenegro. After a week or so there, I flew on to Montenegro and landed, unexpectedly, in the capital, Podgorica, not the coastal airport the flight was supposed to go to. After a good amount of confusion at the arrivals area, I got on a bus and spent two hours winding toward the coast, finally arriving in Tivat. I spent a night in a very air conditioned hotel, found a restaurant serving some tasty Georgian food, and waited for Stani to arrive at the Porto Montenegro marina.
It's been fun staying put for a while and actually getting to know a place. I've looped the Bay of Kotor several times now, sailed down the coast toward Albania, and found a few special anchorages along the way.
Montenegro is a mountainous country, hence the name. Locally it's Crna Gora, which also translates to "black mountain." Sailing around the bay, I'm constantly struck by the sheer peaks towering overhead. It genuinely feels like sailing through the alps. The weather has mostly been hot, with the odd thunderstorm rolling through, and there have been some forest fires too. As I write this, there's smoke in the air.
Since arriving I've had a steady stream of visitors: Meg and Andrew, the Gerhardt/Petersens, the Richeys, Adam and Leah, and Natasha. Every visit has been wonderful and its own kind of unique.
Here are some of the places we visited.
Tivat
When Stani arrived in Montenegro, it came to Tivat to clear customs, and I've been back several times since. Montenegrin bureaucracy is alive and well: every time new guests come aboard, I have to update my vignette and register them with the tourist organization, and Tivat is where that gets done. The town is home to Porto Montenegro, a large luxury marina full of mega yachts, fancy boutiques, and restaurants. Stani is, by a wide margin, the smallest boat there whenever I stay.
Morinj Zaliv
This corner of the Bay of Kotor has what might be one of the more notable restaurants in Montenegro, tucked up a river, plus good holding in clay and mud and a nearby beach club that stays quiet at night. The river water creates a cold layer at the surface, which is always a surprise when you jump in.
I've taken every guest up the river by dinghy, tied up in front of the restaurant, and enjoyed a good meal with the scenery.
Herceg Novi
I first came here to meet Andrew and Meg, who'd flown into Dubrovnik, just across the border in Croatia. The town has a fortress at its centre that reaches all the way down to the water, almost like a sandcastle built onto existing rock. The waterfront is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, and a water polo pool. Climb the many stairs up from the water and you find a different side of town, including one of my favourite European features: the stairway restaurant, tables and chairs set up right on the steps.
Kotor
Kotor is busy with tourists, and for good reason. The town only has room for one cruise ship at the dock, which doesn't stop three others from anchoring nearby and ferrying their passengers in anyway. The narrow, maze-like stone streets are beautiful, packed with shops and restaurants, and just an eight minute cab ride from the cable car that climbs a kilometre up to a ridge overlooking the entire bay.
There are also some great hikes from town, including one that leads to a tiny restaurant at a family's home halfway up the mountain.
Underwater Wine Cellar
I only made it here once, but it's stuck with me. It's a floating restaurant with a menu of just five items, and instead of a wine cellar in the usual sense, they store their bottles in crates underwater. They were fully booked when we showed up, but they let us tie off to a mooring buoy beside the restaurant and served us right there on the boat.
Cave of Healing
My favourite anchorage so far is the Cave of Healing, just outside the Bay of Kotor near Budva, a large and busy coastal town. The cove that holds the cave feels remote even though it isn't. Anchor in the right spot and the two beach clubs nearby disappear from view, and you can't even hear the music they pound out during the day. It's quiet at night, and the cave itself is great for snorkeling.
My mental health has recovered a lot since the hustle of transiting the Schengen area. Feeling confident navigating around Montenegro has helped, as has a two week trip back to Victoria to see Britt and catch up with friends. The days I've had alone here have been relaxing: quick swims, boat jobs, research, movies in the evening. The days with guests have been full of great conversations, longer swims, and sailing out to my favourite spots.
It's almost time to re-enter the Schengen Zone and start the journey toward the Canary Islands. I'll be staying at the Porto Montenegro marina in a few days, where I'll receive a new downwind sail for the Atlantic crossing, fill up the tanks with duty-free diesel, check out of the country, and head down to Albania for a few days.