Month: May 2024 (Page 2 of 3)

We had just the right weather window of southerly winds before storms would hit, so we decided to sail straight from Montenegro to Venice, Italy (we would do Croatia coming south again). We waved goodbye to SV Priscilla (they were upping anchor so they could take our spot), headed over to Zelenika to clear out, and we were off.

We knew the first 24 hours would be motoring, letting the seas calm and the winds switch. It was uneventful and we were able to do a little bit of motor-sailing.

Eventually we went wing on wing with the jib poled out and the preventer on the main – then we took off like a shot as the winds filled in from behind. It was a rolly passage, but an amazing 17 hours of great sailing.

We opted to motor overnight as the winds died, to avoid some of the gale force southerlies that were expected from further south. Unfortunately we motored a little bit too far right into a dead zone. We left the main up and did a little bit of sailing, but it was mostly motoring into Venice.

We were surrounded by lots of fishing boats as we neared Venice, along with multiple stationary platforms. Luckily, the platforms were well lit and all the boats (unlike in the US) had AIS for identification (particularly useful as fishing boats tend to move in an erratic pattern, depending on the type of fishing they are doing).

Luckily it’s still early in the season for boating traffic, and there were very few boats coming into the harbor (boats zipping around the harbor is another story). It was tight maneuvering in the yacht club, but winds were light and we got ourselves sorted. Then it was off to clear into the country, always an amusing and patience-trying exercise.

The offices were well documented from previous cruisers, but the first immigration officer we spoke to insisted they didn’t handle passports, until he spoke to a colleague and then brought us into the passport control room (cue the eye roll). They got a bit more efficient from there and we were stamped into Italy and Schengen quickly enough. Then it was off to the Capatanerie to get our Constituto (boat papers). We had arrived at the end of the day, and the officer was leaving, but Trip nagged (nicely) the officer enough that he hung up his jacket and processed our paperwork right then and there. Then was excited to show us other islands in Italy that we should visit.
Welcome to Venice!

May 1. Our marina contract had ended and it was time to leave. We weren’t quite ready to leave Montenegro yet, so we headed over to the back side of Sveti Marco Island. Legend has it that soldiers once promised the gods that they would never wage war except to fight to defend themselves. To seal this pledge, they planted olive and cypress trees. Of course they soon forgot the pledge, and God struck down every one of them, leaving only the trees. More recently, Club Med had a base here in the 60’s & 70’s, and it was a summer playground for the young and beautiful. Now deserted, the island has changed hands multiple times with the idea of building luxury hotels and villas, but is home only to a goatherd and his flock.

We dropped the hook and settled back, eager to be at anchor again, but having to remember anew what the boat felt like when not tied to a dock. I inflated my paddle board and went out to explore, then later went for a swim while Trip played with a pre-birthday present.

Of course, life on the boat wouldn’t be complete without Trip playing Good Samaritan. Three young women floated by in a small boat, their engine having died after they made it out to the island. Trip gallantly dropped our dinghy into the water and towed them back to shore.

Tim from s/v Monty B later came over for a sundowner, and we reminisced about what a great winter season it had been. We also sat and admired the new cockpit light we had purchased from Amazon before leaving (thanks to Carol and Greg for the idea from their RV).

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon & our final BBQ at Porto Montenegro before we set off for the season. We were enjoying gin & tonics, BBQ chicken sandwiches, and the company of our fellow cruisers. Suddenly the air filled with smoke, and we were forced to get up as smoked from one of the grills filled the air.

Note to self, do not operate a grill on a plastic table. No one was hurt, they were able to extinguish the flames (though that table is toast), and we chalked it up to being in Montenegro. We will miss this place.

It’s hard saying goodbye to new friends. Peja and his family became truly dear to us in the time we spent in Montenegro. They taught us so much about their beautiful country and relationships in general. We hope to see them again one day (maybe in America?).

Other local friends were Ano & Karlo. Owners of Siesta, the bar where we have darts night. We met them even before we got into the marina. Ano is Karlo’s father and he is a great keyboardist and singer (he drove us to his regular gig last fall – a wonderful night!). Great people who made our stay in Montenegro very special.

Someone asked at lunch last week what food we would be taking with us when we left. My mind immediately flooded with ideas.

The list goes on, avjar (red pepper spread), prosjut (thick rustic prosciutto), flaky almond croissants (ok, maybe not local but super tasty nonetheless)…..

I didn’t think our final darts night would have many people in attendance, given how many had already bolted for the season, but we still had a good turnout! Lots of laughs, a bit of dancing, and winner takes all went to the ladies, after the gents put up a mad good game.

There were only two places I would be disappointed to leave Montenegro without visiting, Skadar Lake and Durmitor National Park. The park will still have to wait, but luckily the social club through the marina offered a last minute trip out to the lake, complete with a wine tasting. Most of our boat projects are done, so we were happy to jump on board.

We made a quick stop on the way out to take photographs of Sveti Stefan. This island was leased by the government to an exclusive resort ($5,000/night) which hosts all sorts of fabulous celebrities. Unfortunately they had to close during COVID, and then a dispute arose with local authorities over the rights to the beach. The resort has refused to re-open their doors and instead is suing the Montenegrin government. A total waste in my opinion, but still a photogenic spot.

Skadar Lake is the largest lake in southern Europe, and shares a border with Albania. The biggest source of flow to the lake is from the Morača River, which we had driven along earlier in March, along with karstic springs. Our boat cruise was only 90 minutes, which barely touched the surface of the boundaries of the lake. I had brought my binoculars, so we were able to do some birding as we puttered along. We also went past the island of Grmožur, a former prison now turned nesting site.

After the boat tour, we walked up the hill to the Besac Fortress for a local wine tasting.

The Besac Fortress was originally built by the Ottomans in 1478, and it later fell into the hands of local Montenegrins at the beginning of the 18th century. During World War II, Italians used it as a prison, after which it was later abandoned. A massive earthquake in 1979 decimated the fortress, but with funding from UNESCO, they were able to rebuild. The fortress now encompasses a restaurant, and we had a lovely afternoon sampling local wines and local dishes – my favorite being all the smoked fish!

They had a local guitarist playing, so Trip and I couldn’t resist…

I’ve been throwing away my daily sourdough discard, or making a single flatbread out of it. However, after a little bit of research, I found that adding just a bit of baking soda for a leavening agent produced crumpets! A new morning treat on the days I do eggs.

I can’t resist, the animals here are just fabulous. Very posh dogs, and lots and lots of cats.

Between cooking classes at the monastery, and showing off my ravioli tray before a fabulous dinner with AJ & Jen, pasta was on my mind. I know it’s easy to find dry stuff in the stores, but it really is easy to make on board. I just have to remember to mix a single egg with however much flour the situation calls for, knead it a bit and then let it rest before dinner that night. Perfect for two. This time I had a pile of broccoli, some leftover rotisserie chicken, lemon, and parm. Yum.