Usual boat cleaning and washing jobs and lovely Lazure marina so no hurray. Fuel filter change on engine, was the decks , clean the whole inside, get rid of surplus rubbish and even treated ourselves to a new Greek Cruising Guide. Tracks all set up and Pre-booked the fuel for 1100 the next day on departure and all was looking good.

Sunday started clear beautiful day. We wandered up to the fuel dock and were told they were running about 15mins late. I went into clear with harbour master- knowing they had made a mistake on the document they issued with names. One of helpers came out took me in in the golf cart and looked at the document but was more worried about the date as we had until 1430 to leave Montenegro or be fined. Anyway document stamped and departure document issued and we were ushered off Q dock to hang around until we could get on the fuel doc. Both of us jumped in to have a swim as we drifted around.

Finally got on the fuel dock at 1145 and started refuelling. Had turned all electronics off as requested and signed all the forms. Fuelling was slow as uplifted 1180litres and tanks are slow to balance.

On the tax paid section of the dock I saw a Cook Islands flag so went over to have a chat to the two guys on a big yacht. Asked where they were from? The owner was Russians, the yacht is berthed in Montenegro and it is flagged for the Cook Islands!!!!! I had to smile. He said he would love to get there one day….

Got the fuel all on and I went off to pay and do more paperwork. 11 sheets of same fuel form!!! Fuel guys were very friendly and helpful. Got through all forms done, back to harbour master and customs and police. Received all the stamps and finally off the dock at 1415.

Everyone keen to get rid of us as big queues for the fuel dock and they only book tax free fuel – the rest have to wait. As we powered up the instruments and pushed off the screens seemed a bit slow – didn’t think much of it … 5 min later still no #1 and no #3. Closer look showed no GPS on #2.

By this time cruising down the narrows towards the sea. Stay or go??? Being optimists we opened the navionics on the iPads checked the positions and decided to keep going and fix everything on the way!!! Trying to navigate out, set up iPads, fix screens- shambles. End result was we could not download the full raymarine manual while still in Montenegrin waters so decided easier to leave everything as it was till Greece. Finally managed to get most info on #2 but it would not pick up a GPS. Luckily navionics now includes AIS on iPads so with the maps and AIS on iPads and the radar on the #2 screen and GPS on basic instruments we continued through the night.

Both of us were thinking we will get to Greece and all will be well……

Next morning wind was up for a while and had a good sail but then it died so we decided to try the spinnaker out. All went up ok but way too small – not full hoist 2m short at top and at least 2 m at the bottom. Beautiful colours but not much use- genniker is bigger. What to do????

Get to Corfu port about 1700 decided to go to Comnercial port as close to customs. Big mistake. Although we had read that it could have wake from ferries and be rough we had no idea how bad the condition of the wharf was- very very rough broken concrete. Anyway decided I would jump off and Hew back away from wall as it would rip the fender sand covers to shreds. Thought an hour should do.

Went to the port office who looked at Tepai and payment sent me on to customs. Meanwhile they wanted Hew out of harbour as ferry coming so he headed off outside breakwater. 2.5 hours later customs saw me, then decided they couldn’t accept proof of payment as the document hadn’t updated!!!! Customs are there for ferries, cruise ships and super yachts as lastly private small vessels. They are annoyed at having to handle the Tepai and the transit logs. They said they had not been told by the port authorities that I was coming. Not happy. They told me to come back the next day!!!

I got back to the yacht after being away 3 hours. Hew had come back to wall after 90 mins and although helped by one of the port police the fenders were a mess. We departed for the old harbour. Tied up went in for dinner quickly and crashed. After very little sleep in 30 hours I was shattered.€50 for berth in old port.

Interesting boat next door.

Next morning I had been told to be there at 10. Got on bike and cycled away leaving Hew to try and contact Ray marine agent- who was not really interested!! Got to port authority again And asked if they could check Tepai payments before I went to customs but I was told that they only check documents and stamps – can’t see system.

I had checked with my bank and the payment had gone but the Tepai form had locked me out!!! Got to customs by 1030 and told to wait outside until 1200. Went to check and one girl finally went and asked inside. Managed to get through the door and sit down to wait. Then was told they had no time till after 1500 . When I said I had already spent 5 hours over two days waiting for them and could the guarantee the time at 1500 they looked at the schedule of ferries and started to say no. I was getting really fed up and then one of them agreed to do the paperwork. One hour later and much grumbling and stamping I had the documents. They had handwritten out all the information for the transit log that I had already entered in the electronic system for the Tepai. They also got another guy to come and look up my payment who then used his phone to take a photo off the screen to prove they had checked!! They could not believe the guys the night before had not done the paperwork.

Then back to port authority so they can check the same papers and enter it in their register!!!! €335 later I was on my way with a caution to come back to get stamped out of Corfu!!!!! Grrrrrr at this stage I was thinking I hate Greece and why did we come here. Or perhaps I should just say Corfu.

Hew had better luck. Had not been able to convince the Raymarine guy to come even though all gear under a full warranty but he had managed to download the full manual and achieved a factory reset on three screens after much button pushing and powering on and off.

Left the old port for a nice bay to the south for a lovely swim and glass or many of Prosecco while Hew tried to convince me to get my sense of humour back. Had a swim in the middle of the night and the water temperature was beautiful 28deg- like silk.

Next morning we decided to go back get signed out, pick up a SIM card for Greece, and some boat bits at chandlery. Hew was dead against checking out but since I had been specifically warned I felt I should.

I walked into the door of the port office and saw 6 different sets of yachties and thought – oh dear – here goes…. I stuck my head into the office I had been in the night before and the lady who did not speak english recognised me and said to wait while she found the right person. I was out in under 15 mins. Another lady told me she was trying to sell a boat and it was taking her days to get the paper work. Previous day a guy has told me he had taken the whole day walking around trying to get all the stamps. The process is a bureaucratic nightmare, colossal waste of time and money . Apparently EU flagged boats can do it in one of the marinas but non-EU can’t. The whole time I was in the port office in the morning the only words spoken by staff were- wait!, forms!, – no please, thank you …….. what ever. What has happened to “visitors are welcome”. The whole process and reasons needs to be looked at.

Left that afternoon for another bay down the coast. Settled in with Hew fixing 3rd toilet for the trip and me trying to get the Greek SIM card to work. Hew won and I failed. In process I made the problem worse – then we remembered that last year we needed at PC laptop to fix it with an internet cable. Not a Mac!!!!

Decided to sleep on it. Woke in the morning to a foggy world and flat calm.

Decided it is easier to have a small yacht with no electronics/ internet / AIS/ radios – then you do not waste time with the electronics and once out of port you disappear!! Oh for the simple life.

Off now to Kefalonia – love the hydrofoils to Sarande- very smoky.

Straight forward trip down the coast and stopped for the night st the southern end of Corfu

Next stop Bay at the northern end o Kefalonia. Very pleasant but by the morning the wind was getting up so we thought we would make straight for Argostoli.

Home of “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” and a great reason to re read the book. Makes so much more sense when you are in Greece and all the anecdotes about the locals. I made Hew re read it and he was in tears over the funny bits. Of course it is a very sad testimony on the idiocy of mankind and wars as well.

Saw a great pod of dolphins – 7- mother and baby and juveniles all playing in the bow wave. Great to see

Argostoli was blowing 20g25 got into dock but too beam on for our bows and holding no good so set sail for North end of arm for a couple of days cleaning, clearing up and tidying up. Found a very sheltered spot under the cliffs and both blue muscles and oysters in the shallows. We passed both Oyster and mussel farms mid way to the bay. Initially tied to the cliff but again too much beam wind pressure from guts so end just anchoring out and settled down for two days of windy weather. Checked out the local cuisine….

The next two weeks were to be on dry land. https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2019/08/dry-land-for-two-weeks/

First check in was with grumpy rude policeman. Next stop harbour master who was a girl chatting to her friends and said to wait outside. Then closed up and said she had finished her shift. Next person on was 15 mins late and first thing said was that she needed time to get sorted. Next thing was why didn’t you use yacht assist they are free. I said no one told me and your colleague said to wait here. I was feeling really grumpy by now, totally different to friendly and efficient Croatia. Finally got the docs and stamps from her then back to the policeman to stamp it then had to go and get photocopy as his machine wasn’t good enough!! Lastly customs guys and gave them a copy

Hew discovered we could get fuel tax free on departure so booked a slot at the end of the week – before he was back they were trying to move us off the dock and no one was even waiting!!

Motored over to an island with a long shallow reef on one side. Anchored and relaxed. Went into the town later to have a look- almost nowhere to tie up a dingy.

Porto Montenegro is like a brand new shopping mall for the super rich. Very few people around. Nicely laid out two streets deep but no personality.

We had a lovely dinner at the Japanese restaurant great change after pizza and pasta for three months.

Very good marine museum about submarines and some naval history, then a walk around for the sub. We had a very interesting discussion with the guide and a visitor over local politics.

Departed Tivat  for Herceg Novi, and found a great little town at NW end of Kotor harbour. Three forts, which sustained a lot of damage in most recent earthquake. Great bookshop and very village feel after Porto Montenegro. Had dinner at a bar above the beach.

Next day off down the coast to the blue grotto and other caves. Great grotto as can swim in it, open at both ends and boaties are all considerate. Also many other  caves to look at.

Motored south to Budva ( called”small Dubrovnik” due to the marble streets and fort) and after looking at anchorages close to town moved out to the island and took the RIB into town for a look around. Lovely clear water. Very small and cute town with lots of little shops and marble streets. Most of the shops are selling cheap tourist trinkets or copies of bags etc. wall along the walls is worth walking over but  the was museum a disappointment, more like a wedding venue.

Left the next day for Kotor Harbour again and Risen. Went  grotto hunting on the way including a large cave/overhang that fitted the yacht.

On the way into the harbour we passed a very large cruise ship.Filled the harbour.

We anchored at the end of the harbour outside Risen. Very quiet and calm. The Risen waterfront is very rundown especially with two derelict hotels and all the palm trees in the process of dying from an asian beetle infestation.  The mosaic museum which covers a Roman villa is very good.

Next day we visited  visit the island called the “Lady of the stones”. Built by the Persat villagers after brothers found an icon of the Virgin Mary on a rocky reef. Every year they celebrate by carrying more rocks over from the coast. Now a lovely church and very interesting museum all about sailing history in the area. Paintings of shipwrecks and ship battles, collections of arms and swords. Huge collection of silver plates depicting thanks for voyagers and lives saved. 

Next stop was Kotor after a cruise up the northern shorewhich has  some very pretty bays and foreshore with many renovated old villas but also many empty and run down. Stayed at Kotor and looked around the town in the evening. Shops mostly Turkish and many selling copies of named brands eg handbags from Chanel, YSL etc. Next morning we walked up to the fort which is a great walk 1.2 k for 260m height, 1360 steps!! I am glad we started early. Normally supposed to pay €2 but no one there as we went up and coming back they were trying to charge €8 and getting some resistance from visitors.We shoppedin the fruit and vegetable  markets – more pricey than the supermarkets or than expected but lovely fresh figs and fruit and berries.

Departed Kotor for Lazure Marina. The speed limit is 10kts main harbour and 6 kts in narrow channel. Going down the first channel I was doing more than 6 and speed up to get around the crossing ferries and then didn’t slow down as I was being passed by three boats doing about 20kts . Of course we have AIS and they don’t so I got called by Kotor VTS and asked to wait for the harbour master boat he asked where we were going then continued on his way and said he would see us later.!!! No sign of him.

Lazure is a lovely marina brand new with a boutique hotel and beach next door. We parked – whole pier to ourselves and then later went in for dinner. Izi’s last night with us so we ate at the hotel. Best Strawberry Mojito I have ever had. Lovely entrees and free condiments for the bread which were beautiful.A great farewell dinner.

Izi was in a brand new taxi at 0715 in the morning for Dubrovnik airport as she had to allow 2.5 hours in case of border issues. Dubrovnik is considered Montenegro’s second airport. Tivat airport is very expensive. Flight Tivat- Rome €600 one way and Dubrovnik to Rome-same plane- €85 and taxi to Dubrovnik €40.

The trip actually took about 45 min. so she had a relax at Dubrovnik airport before flying to Rome for a 9 hours there then departure for NZ. Back home to look after her ankle and back to work and reality!!!!!

Hew catching up.