23 September 2025 - Bar, Montenegro

 A barking dog woke us before both dawn and the alarm went off, but this was a good thing. We had been told that we had to have permission to leave the harbour and that this would not be granted between about 7:00 and 8:30, because various ferries were expected. So we were glad to be able to clear out before this, leaving at 06:10.  This was just as well because, in stark contrast to yesterday, when we saw almost no boats, today there were a number of ships at anchor and the first ferry was arriving at 06:30 just after we had cleared the narrow channel into the port. If we had missed the chance to leave, it would have been a long and unwelcome wait. In addition to the ships, there were a good number of fishing boats, behaving as erratically from our point of view, as they usually do.



Eventually we cleared all of the traffic around Durres and then had the sea to ourselves for the long motor across to Bar in Montenegro. As we approached we started to see other sailing yachts and we concluded that we must be much more back on the beaten track.

They may not be visible, but the hillside has a long line of wind turbines

The check in process was not too arduous, just passport control, customs and then a visit to the harbour master to buy a cruising permit, before returning to the passport control to prove that we had in, and we were in!  They seemed surprised when they asked if it was our first time in Montenegro and we said “no, we have been before”.

We moved from the customs dock to the marina and were soon enjoying the benefits of “free” electricity and water, and a nice alongside berth.


The new town of Bar sits on the coast surrounded by high hills, it is one of the most dramatic backdrops of any marina that we have visited. 

Another long day, but it’s good to be back to a place where there are more facilities for yachts.

Distance today -         67 miles

Distance this year - 1432 miles 

Steve (and Tricia) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

29 & 30 September 2025 - Bar and Bari

Image
The alarm was switched off this morning, we were trying to get as much rest as possible before leaving. When we did stir, the preparations began in earnest, with some shopping and a rather disappointing trip to the marina office.  We were hoping that they would let us stay on our berth until the evening, when we planed to leave, but they were adamant that the rules said that if we stayed after 2:00, we had to pay for another night.  Of course we did not want to do this, and had hoped that there would be some flexibility or the ability to turn a blind eye, as the marina was not full. Alas no. So we went to the Harbour Master to check the boat out of Montenegro, then out for lunch, before pulling off the dock at about 1:45. Initially we went and anchored in the bay, but there was no protection from the swell and it was uncomfortable and not conducive to sleeping. After trying to rest, we concluded that we might as well get on with it, and sail through the whole of the hours of d...
Read more

22 October 2025 - Vieste - (updated)

Image
Another day of motoring, taking us to Vieste on the tip of the "spur" of Italy. First, however we had to negotiate the fishing boats.  This corner must be a prime spot for fishing as up to 15 fishing boats were visible in site. They move in unpredictable fashion, starting and stopping, presumably to deploy and recover their nets.  We kept our distance as there is nothing good that comes from getting entangled in their nets. We noticed that one of the fishing boats was called Kevin.  It's a perfectly normal name, but it seemed rather odd for an Italian fishing boat. Another sign of the abundance of fish in this area was our first sighting of dolphins since we arrived in the Med in August.  This was a pod of at least 10, and we were treated to seeing 2 spectacular leaps completely clear of the water. The scenery of this region is very beautiful and there are towns hidden in the folds of the land. The town of Perschici, from the sea.  Too shallow for us to stop the...
Read more

25 & 26 September 2025 - Bar and Podgarica

Image
After some days of being constantly on the move, we feel the need for a break, and the chance to restock the food supplies. We also need to prepare for our crossing to Italy, and be ready to leave when the boatyard are ready to receive us.  In case you need directions, this sign post points to various locations around the world, and gives their distance. Bar is offering good access to shops and markets, and we spent Thursday morning walking to a large farmers market, with a wonderful choice of locally produced fruit and vegetables. On Friday we decided to visit the capital of Montenegro, Porgarica. This entailed a one hour train ride in each direction, through the mountains and on a long bridge which spans Lake Shkodra. A fter  World War II , Podgorica was first designated as the capital of Montenegro in 1946. At that time, it was renamed Titograd in honour of  Josip Broz Tito , the leader of  Yugoslavia . It served as the capital of the  Socialist Republic of M...
Read more