OK serious cruisers. Best stop overs Corfu to Dubrovnik?

[Bertramdriver]

First. Thanks to all of those forumites who contributed to their top 10 places in the Ionian. It has been invaluable in the planning of our trip through the Ionian and North.
Now we're looking at the leg from Corfu Town to Dubrovnik. From the charts it looks like a barren wasteland but my charts are not the most up to date. Has anyone trodden this path and with up to date knowledge or advice? Everything appreciated as we're trying to break our trips down into 50/60 NM per day with a comfortable overnight stop. Our days of slogging on overnight passages are long past.

 

[RupertW]

First. Thanks to all of those forumites who contributed to their top 10 places in the Ionian. It has been invaluable in the planning of our trip through the Ionian and North.
Now we're looking at the leg from Corfu Town to Dubrovnik. From the charts it looks like a barren wasteland but my charts are not the most up to date. Has anyone trodden this path and with up to date knowledge or advice? Everything appreciated as we're trying to break our trips down into 50/60 NM per day with a comfortable overnight stop. Our days of slogging on overnight passages are long past.

We are going the other way at Easter and have been looking at routes. Unfortunately a stop at Cavtat seems mandatory for customs. So the obvious beauty spot is Kotor and Montenegro which we will alas have to miss due to time.

South of there we have a quandary - plough past all of Albania without stopping or cross to Italy and then step across to Corfu at the right point. We probably will do the Italian route, but depends on the wind. We will visit Albania at some point from Corfu but want to make the trip as simple as possible this time.

 

[tri39]

Corfu, Erikoussa, Otranto, Brindisi, Monopoli, Vieste, Lastovo, Dubrovnik in a yacht.
But in a mobo you could go from Corfu straight to Brindisi. And from Monopoli/Bari straight to Dubrovnik.
In 2012 we sailed direct from Cavtat to Brindisi and continued on to Otranto in less than 36hrs.
However nowadays you must seriously consider heading straight up the Albanian/Montenegran coast!
Especially in a motorboat, there are places to stop!

 

[TQA]

Whatever you do make sure you find time to stop at Kotor. A magical place.

It is a little way in to the port but well worthwhile.

 

[affinite]

Whatever you do make sure you find time to stop at Kotor. A magical place.

It is a little way in to the port but well worthwhile.

Agree re Kotor - fabulous (and would add Budva but wont that mean buying a cruising permit for Montenegro?
If OP is planning on spending a week in Monty then fine but otherwise an expensive over-night stop.
If calling into Cavtat, we preferred the Eastern bay but it is of course wind dependent.

 

[Bertramdriver]

SWMBO HAS DECIDED. NO to Albania, Montenegro and Croatia.
The brief has changed to UP the east coast of Italy. Reason, lots of smart resorts, great clothes shops, good food etc etc
So any good stopovers on the way up from Otranto to Venice.? If I behave I may be able to do Croatia next year.

 

[Seren]

Inner port Brindisi (not marina) very pleasant and really enjoyed Vieste when windbound. I understand the national park islands just to the north are worth a stop but after that it seems long legs are necessary.

 

[tudorsailor]

SWMBO HAS DECIDED. NO to Albania, Montenegro and Croatia.
The brief has changed to UP the east coast of Italy. Reason, lots of smart resorts, great clothes shops, good food etc etc
So any good stopovers on the way up from Otranto to Venice.? If I behave I may be able to do Croatia next year.

Wrong decision! The east coast of Italy above Brindisi does not have great places to stop. Much better to go up the Croatian coast and then hop across to Venice. We did this last year. Have a look at our blog www.zebahdy.blogspot.com

Do not miss out Montenegro. If you can allow your fuel to run down, you can save lots of money by refuelling in the duty free fuel dock at Porto Montenegro. Has to be booked a couple of days ahead and you do need a special stamp that the marina can make for €20 euros. There is also duty free fuel in Trieste, but much harder to organise as the harbour master in town does paperwork while the fuel dock is at the marina. The arbourmaster shuts midday on Friday for the week-end, so if you arrive on Friday afternoon, you cannot get duty free until Monday.

I updated the CruiserWiki with all this type of info as we went along.

TudorSailor

 

[RupertW]

Wrong decision! The east coast of Italy above Brindisi does not have great places to stop. Much better to go up the Croatian coast and then hop across to Venice. We did this last year. Have a look at our blog www.zebahdy.blogspot.com

Do not miss out Montenegro. If you can allow your fuel to run down, you can save lots of money by refuelling in the duty free fuel dock at Porto Montenegro. Has to be booked a couple of days ahead and you do need a special stamp that the marina can make for €20 euros. There is also duty free fuel in Trieste, but much harder to organise as the harbour master in town does paperwork while the fuel dock is at the marina. The arbourmaster shuts midday on Friday for the week-end, so if you arrive on Friday afternoon, you cannot get duty free until Monday.

I updated the CruiserWiki with all this type of info as we went along.

TudorSailor

+1

Everything he said. We crossed over from Croatia to do the East coast up to Venice this year and back down the Croatian coast. Going to Venice was a great decision but the East coast of Italu from Pescara upwards was shallow water, dull coastline and endless oil platforms for 2 days non stop. There may be lots of safe stops and some pretty towns but it doesn't compare to Croatia at all.

 

[Birvidik_Bob]

Hi.

If you want some (probably useless) background on the trip up via Albania and Montenegro, try:

www.sailblogs.com/member/birvidik

The entry 'Pride & Predjudices' dated 25/6/2013 and following cover our trip last summer.

Cheers

Bob

 

[Caladh]

Hi.

If you want some (probably useless) background on the trip up via Albania and Montenegro, try:

www.sailblogs.com/member/birvidik

The entry 'Pride & Predjudices' dated 25/6/2013 and following cover our trip last summer.

Cheers

Bob

+1 for Bob's input. We would also recommend the trip up the east coast. See also our blog here http://www.victoriashadow.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=783#p783 scroll to the bottom of the first page and review the last two entries. Very much enjoyed Bob's take on it all although I don't think we met you last year.

 

[Hardmy]

E-Adriatic

SWMBO HAS DECIDED. NO to Albania, Montenegro and Croatia.
The brief has changed to UP the east coast of Italy. Reason, lots of smart resorts, great clothes shops, good food etc etc
So any good stopovers on the way up from Otranto to Venice.? If I behave I may be able to do Croatia next year.

This is a shame Bertramdriver. The Italian coast has IMHO less to offer than the Dalmatian side. Sure Italian food is second to none, we appreciate Italian warmth and Bella Italia has also culturally a lot to offer. But otherwise the infinite amount of islands to explore on the E-coast is the real Med-experience we are looking for. FYI - I posted some pics of our 2014 trip in Croatia/Montenegro on the Mobo forum, your government may reconsider its position? http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...Croatia-Montenegro-S-Italy-summer-cruise-2014

Another point to consider for your Bertram is fuel price. €0.70 ct / l in Porto Montenegro. Probably the double in Italia.

BTW, my boat is now wintering on the dry in a yard for fishing vessels in Monopoli (because it's so easy to reach in the winter with Ryanair to Bari). The place is cute, and I can recommend it. Using the visitor's mole is free, but there is no electricity there.

 

[RichardS]

I think you'll find that Bertramdriver is going to do the E. Adriatic this year (2015) possibly, as he says.

Richard

 

[kdk]

Dont rule out Albania.
We stayed in Seranda - Agim Zholi will look after details.