Adriatic Sailing Day 2: Sailing South to Montenegro
• ACI MARINA, DUBROVNIK — HERCEG NOVI, MONTENEGRO •
The sounds of Skipper Nik getting us ready to cruise out of the marina bright and early woke me up… I was really tired from all the traveling, but I also didn’t want to miss us setting sail, so I pulled myself out of bed and headed above deck. A few others had gotten up as well and we enjoyed the start of our adventure as we left Dubrovnik behind us.
The water was pretty choppy and I started feeling a bit off. I decided it was time to experiment with the motion sick bracelets I had brought so I headed downstairs to grab them from my room. Not smart… being below deck put me over the edge and it was touch and go trying to make it back upstairs without losing last night’s dinner. I had a slight situation that required me to lean over the edge of the boat, but apparently I was so graceful about it that only Namita knew what happened. She wasn’t feeling well either, so we were looking out for each other. Luckily I felt fine after that, but I didn’t dare go below deck while we were moving over choppy waters… lesson learned!
We had to make a quick stop at the customs dock in Cavtat so Nik could check us out of Croatia and then we had to stop again when we arrived in Montenegro to be checked into their country. Apparently this is a maritime law anytime you cross country borders.
At about 2:30pm, we pulled into our first stop, Herceg Novi. Unfortunately the sky was really overcast, but we grabbed our raincoats and headed out to explore.
Herceg Novi is the economic and industrial capital of the Bay of Kotor. The busy waterfront marina sits below a walled Old Town full of charming cafes and quaint churches. Just after we climbed up to the heart of the fortified city, the skies opened up, allowing us to enjoy a cappuccino in one of the inviting squares under the protection of their large umbrellas.
After the quick afternoon shower, we climbed to the top of the 15th-century fortress for some nice views of the bay before we met Nik for a private tour of former SFR Yugoslavia president Josip Broz Tito’s Villa Galeb. The villa was built on the grounds of a famous and renowned institute for physical medicine, rehabilitation and rheumatology so Tito could utilize the multidisciplinary spa treatments during his visits. It was fascinating to learn more about the history of Yugoslavia and its dissolve, as well as, who Tito was as a person and as a dictator.
Back at the boat, the eight of us tried to share two bathrooms to get ready for dinner and surprisingly we were on time. With only two electrical outlets on the boat, both in the saloon/kitchen, there is no hair curling or straightening to worry about. I’m learning that living on a 52-foot sailboat with eight other people is basically equivalent to camping on the water.
Our entire group, including Nik, enjoyed a nice dinner under the stars at one of Nik’s Herceg Novi favorites, Tri Lipe. You’d think seafood would be very popular here because we are on the water, but Nik explained that many of the Montenegrins moved from the mountains to the coast and opened restaurants featuring what they know best… meat. Later we enjoyed a few after dinner drinks, some while sitting out on the back deck of the boat. There’s something so relaxing and peaceful about being on the water and calling this sailboat home for a week. Now if only I could have a bigger bed to spread out in. Night!