Letters from the Med- Paxos -Montenegro

by Andrea Treleaven on 8 Sep 2006 A day holed up in the beautiful port of Lakka at the northern end of Paxos, while a nasty front goes through.

Ian and Nick spend the day helping yachts tie stern too to the rocks, so by the end of the day we have quite a collection of appreciated wine. Next morning we find our navigation down and a passing joke; 'maybe the rat ate it.'

After a great spinnaker sail to Corfu and a photograph opportunity from the dinghy, by chance we moor alongside, Ray and Leanne Holland on their 44ft ‘Ozsea’ from Sydney.

Ray being a technical expert is only too pleased to find the fault in our navigation system. Reality hits when taking out the cable to the compass we find it had been chewed through. Now we have a real problem finding the little bastard and as the poison and glue, must be a Greek joke, hadn’t worked, we go in search of a rat trap.

Dominating our time and remembering we are surrounded by cables, it takes several days before we are sure the rat has gone. In that time we never saw him, but he tore at plastic bags, pierced holes in water bottles, tore apart sponges and ran around at night. I am quite amazed that in all that time Michelle and I slept on board.

At first we thought it quite small but in the end we feel really cheated in not knowing how big it was. We are hoping that when the trap went off he got such a fright he left the boat, but everyday we wait in anticipation of a smell.

Albania was under consideration and as luck would have it Ray and Leanne have just come from there. They found customs agents and paper work a lot of work in every port but had no trouble with the people. It appears as though they are slowly realising the value of tourism, but in the end every one spoken to, spoke very highly of Montenegro but said why visit Albania.

Corfu is great and Ray and Leanne introduce us to an Italian restaurant La Cucina. Good food in the Greek Islands is rare so this makes our stay. The best bakery and butcher in the same street and all not far from our berth at the NOAK Yacht Club marina. Also along side are a kiwi, Diana, and her German husband Sven. It’s quite amazing how we cross paths with others cruising and meet new people all the time, have a very social time, rat included and we move on.

Corfu to Montenegro is 160nmiles passing the high barren coast and mountains of Albania. We set out in beautiful weather but Mother Nature intervenes as head winds of 35 knots divert us to the Erikoussa Island 20 miles north of Corfu. It takes us 9nm off our course but what a wonderful sail. At 3am the next morning, the wind has died down so the men motor on up the coast taking
all day. If only we could sail. One day too much wind the next too little.

No problem with pirates sailing up the coast but Ian eyes every boat that comes near and in his mind he knows where the flares are kept. It is amazing how lifeless the land appears, and they will take a long time to recover from communism.

Very sad to leave the Greek Ionian Islands where we have met some of the nicest people, but we pick up our daughter in Dubrovnik on the 6th September, so we must keep going.

Bar is our point of entry into Montenegro, and arriving in the dark in a place you have never been is always challenging, especially as the main light house wasn’t operational. Very much the commercial port, Nick and Michelle board a ferry for Italy, already planning to return next year.

Montenegro is also a country just starting to welcome tourists but their authorities still haven’t worked it out. The ferry departs when it is full and this is sometimes 5 hours late. Customs take their time and a minimum 1 month cruising permit costs E90.

We are now on our own for a few days and head north for Boka Kotorska .This 'fjord' of the Adriatic is very rugged and is surrounded by tall mountains up to 1700m high. In winter they are capped with snow. It is as beautiful as every one has said and as we motor in it is like another world. We pass ancient forts, camouflaged submarine hide outs and military areas that
remind us there was a war here only a few years ago.

We have no wind; the sea is like glass as we enter the inner fjord that simply takes your breath away. The mountains straight out of the sea are like a painting, the shore lined with stone houses with orange roofs and churches everywhere. Two small islands occupied by a pale blue domed church and monastery sit as they have for centuries in this very serene area.

The island Otak Gospa is artificial and was created by the people of Perast dropping stones on a reef. The church was built in the 1600’s and has housed gifts from local sailors returning from world voyages.

Kotor town at the furthest point of the fjord is Venetian and surrounded by a wall that goes directly up the mountain from the town, 500 metres, loop’s and comes down again. Three days are spent here just in awe of our surroundings. At Risan we visit the remains of a Roman villa with its mosaic floors still intact, but we must be getting spoilt, as they are not a patch
on the ones we saw in Tunisia.

It is time to depart Montenegro and to revisit customs for clearance. Rather than tie up to the rough wharf with old tyres, I motor around while Ian goes ashore in the dinghy. He is soon back with the orders to come along side the wharf. 'It is the law' he is told. All we get for our efforts is black marks on the topsides as then they didn’t even bother to come and check us.

Montenegro is well worth a visit and a total contrast to the Ionians, but this is the joy of cruising the Mediterranean, there is always a surprise around the corner.

Cheers