March 29, 2010
Montenegro is on the eastern shores of the Adriatic, between Croatia to the northwest and Albania to the southeast. Its inland neighbours are Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo, so it found itself very much in the middle of the Balkan war of the 1990s.
I first visited Montenegro in 2002, a scant seven years after the end of the war. At this time, Montenegro together with Serbia formed the last vestige of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The following year, Yugoslavia was dissolved and the two countries formed an alliance which was simply called Serbia and Montenegro. This alliance was, at best, a little uneasy. Landlocked Serbia coveted the sea access and sheltered ports of Montenegro, and in turn, the small state of Montenegro did not like being bossed about by the larger Serbia. The alliance lasted just three years, and after a referendum, Montenegro declared independence in 2006.
When we visited in 2002, the detritus of war was all too obvious. There were literally dozens of abandoned submarines pulled up on beaches or berthed at the naval dockyard at Tivat, and fields of rusting army trucks and jeeps. Thankfully most of these have now gone and the old Yugoslav navy dockyard is becoming a marina, Porto Montenegro.
As you sail into the bay of Kotor, you will still see some remaining signs of the war; there are a couple of very large submarine pens that have been dug into the side of the mountain. In true James Bond fashion, the entrances used to be concealed by gigantic folding doors which were planted with grass and foliage. The pens still survive, but are being put to a slightly more peaceful use; they are the regular site of so-called rave parties in the summer.
The usual ports to clear into the country are Bar, Zelenika or Kotor. If coming from the south, then Bar may be the most convenient, as it is located on the Adriatic coast. It is a commercial port, but there is a small marina on the north side of the harbour, with the customs dock close by. The marina has a useful website www.marinabar.org There are several local charts that you can download. I am not suggesting that you use them for navigation, but they could be handy for planning. Email for Marina Bar is info@marinabar.org, phone +382 30 317 786 and fax +382 30 317 786.
The town of Bar is a relatively modern town, the original having been flattened in WWII. There are regular ferry services to Anconna in Italy, so this could be a good place for crew to leave or join.
Heading further north, just inside the entrance to Kotor Bay, near to Herceg Novi is the small port of Zelenika. This could be a good place for smaller yachts to clear in, although the customs dock is a bit rough with very large black fenders. The dock is not long enough for larger boats, so they would be better to clear elsewhere. There are no marina facilities and it is unlikely that anybody onshore will come to help you with your lines. The phone number for the harbour master is +381 (0)88 678 276 I suggest you do not try and dock there in onshore winds.
The only real benefit to clearing in Zelenika is that it is close to Herceg Novi, which is worth a visit. You can anchor off the town, but beware the many large ferries that are always coming and going. The town is renowned for the many mimosa trees that seem to grow everywhere around the town.
Probably the easiest place to clear is at Kotor, towards the head of the bay. The town has recently become very yacht orientated and they are well used to clearing yachts there. You may be able to find a berth on the main quay, beneath the city walls, or if that is full, sometimes you can berth just inside the river entrance. Phone number for the harbour master is +381 (0)82 304 312.
If you want to use an agent to find you a berth and help with the paperwork, then I can recommend DrYachting, run by Captain Radule Dragovic - Raki. Phone +382 32 304 200, email info@dryachting.com and website www.dryachting.com.
One big advantage of using an agent is that you can buy duty-free fuel when you get ready to leave. It appears to be impossible, or at least very difficult, without the use of an agent. As well as being able to organize berths, clearance and fuel, DrYachting has a small chandlery and can help with repairs or getting spares. In fact, there is not much that they cannot organize for you.
When you clear into the country you will be charged a fee. The amount depends on the size of boat and the length of stay. For a week this varies from 40 euros for a 12 meter yacht up to 420 euros for a vessel over 24 meters. For a yearly permit the prices go from 400 to 1,500 euros. Once you have paid the fee, you are free to go anywhere in Montenegrin waters, for the duration of your permit, and there is no restriction on chartering.
Apart from the usual registration and insurance documents, you will probably be asked to show a license for at least the captain, and some proof of ownership or permission to use the boat. I suggest carrying a power of attorney for the skipper, if the yacht is company owned. The more seals and stamps the certificate can boast, the fewer the problems that may arise.
Because of the problems with picking up charter guests in Croatia, many boats start their charters in Montenegro and then continue into Croatia with the guests already on board. Tivat airport is just three miles from Kotor. There are many charter flights as well as a few scheduled flights. The main airport for the capital, Podgorica is about 40 miles from Kotor. That has many more scheduled flights all year round.
As far as I am concerned, Kotor is the jewel in the proverbial crown of the country. It is a very well-preserved medieval town, huddled in the corner of the bay, surrounded by impressively high mountains. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kotor is certainly not short of history. The town was first mentioned in 168 B.C. and shortly after that, it was settled by the ancient Romans. Many of the present buildings date back to the 12th to 14th century.
The first fortress was built overlooking the town in A.D. 535. The current walls, which stretch for over two and a half miles, date back to 1420, when they were built by the Venetians. In the early 19th century, Kotor and the fortifications were held by the French, as part of their so-called Illyrian Provinces. The fortress was successfully attacked and captured in 1814, by a British captain by the name of William Hoste. He described his attack as one of an “unmilitary manner”. He had his crew drag the cannons from the ship, up the slopes of the surrounding mountains. From their vantage points above the fort, the people in the fortress were completely exposed to the cannon-fire. The French troops surrendered after a few days of the onslaught.
It is quite a stiff climb up to the fortress, but well worth the effort for the views of the town and down the fjord. As you huff and puff up the hill, give a thought to the crew of Captain Hoste’s ship. At least you do not have to drag up a cannon weighing several tons.
Off the town of Perast, about five miles to the northwest of Kotor, are two extraordinary islands. The slightly larger island holds the abbey of St. George, which was first established by the Benedictines in the ninth century A.D. In 1571, a pirate called Karadoz burned the abbey and indeed, much of the town of Perast. By 1603, the citizens began to rebuild their town and the abbey, and much of the present building dates to this time.
A hundred meters or so to the northeast of St. Georges Island is the smaller island, bearing the church of Our Lady of the Rock. This island is actually artificial; it was slowly built over a small shoal area in the 15th century. Initially, old ships were filled with rocks and then scuttled over the shoal. Once these foundations had been laid, then more rocks were added to eventually build the island upon which the church was built. On the 22nd of July each year, there is a ceremony to commemorate the building of the island. People come in decorated boats and drop stones in the water around the island. This is not only of ceremonial importance, but the layers of stones being continually added over the years ensure that the island will never be eroded away.
The large town of Tivat was one of the main dockyards for the Yugoslav navy. On our first visit, the dockyard was already pretty much abandoned, with literally dozens of old submarines rusting away at the docks. Now it is being rebuilt as Porto Montenegro. On completion it will have a marina of some 650 berths, capable of taking yachts up to 150 meters. There will also be hotels, houses, a sports complex, shops and a golf course. The first stage is due to be opened summer 2010. The Website is www.portomontenegro.com, email is berths@portomontenegro.com and phone +382 (0) 32 67 23 53.
The cruising area of Montenegro is a fraction of that offered by Croatia, but in my mind, it is well worth a visit. To walk up the old walls of the fortress above Kotor, to look at the view down the fjord is breath-taking in both senses.
Unlike Croatia, the authorities seem keen to make life easy for visiting yachts, and many charter yachts are now choosing to start their charters in Montenegro before going on to visit Croatia. This not only facilitates the paper-work, and gives you a chance to get duty-free fuel, but it also gives your guests a chance to visit a very special place.
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