Trieste to Corfu

[Mr Cassandra]

I am buying a yacht in Monfalcone and will be sailing her to Corfu. First week in June we have a plan on taking 12 -14 days max for this trip .(if it matters its draft is 2.5m)
I know theres a few on this forum that have done similar .What do you think would be the best way to go and places not to miss on the way ,understanding, lack of time will play a part .Shall I miss out Montenegro and Albania?
cheers

 

[crisjones]

I am buying a yacht in Monfalcone and will be sailing her to Corfu. First week in June we have a plan on taking 12 -14 days max for this trip .(if it matters its draft is 2.5m)
I know theres a few on this forum that have done similar .What do you think would be the best way to go and places not to miss on the way ,understanding, lack of time will play a part .Shall I miss out Montenegro and Albania?
cheers

The Google Earth info I have sent will give you plenty of ideas for Croatia but with limited time try and get up the Krka river to Skradin and take a day to the Krka Waterfalls, really stunning and probably not too busy in June. Vis is also an interesting Island with lots to see. The walls at Ston are very impressive and almost as good as Dubrovnik but much cheaper and quieter and easier to get to!!
Montenegro is well worth a visit, the scenery is stunning, people are friendly and formalities are very easy. Duty free fuel at around €0.60 per litre should more than cover your check in fees for a week. The 5 star marina at Tivat is probably best to get fuel, they do not expect you to stay in the marina and they will handle the check-out formalities after fueling up.
Not been to Albania but some people love it and some hate it so do your own research on that.

 

[Caladh]

Yup - don't miss Ston or Kotor. Go to Sarande in Albania as well but you can do that trip if you want when you're established in Corfu as it's only 20 miles away. I don't think you'll be able to avoid Cavtat to check out of Croatia. It's got a bad reputation regarding smaller yachts and dosh, and following the local "rules" so I'd recommend not lingering.

 

[crisjones]

Yup - don't miss Ston or Kotor. Go to Sarande in Albania as well but you can do that trip if you want when you're established in Corfu as it's only 20 miles away. I don't think you'll be able to avoid Cavtat to check out of Croatia. It's got a bad reputation regarding smaller yachts and dosh, and following the local "rules" so I'd recommend not lingering.

Cavtat does indeed have a bad reputation for officialdom - mainly the police. We found the harbourmaster very friendly and helpful.
To avoid most of the hassle you can anchor overnight in the bay behind the town and then go around to the Customs Quay before 7 in the morning and tie up stern to, the mooring man does not usually appear before about 7:30 so you avoid him if you get there early. Harbourmaster and Police open at 8 so you can be waiting for them, you can be away by 8:15 if you get it right!!

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Hi Chris
I cannot open combined file ,able to open comments and Lon,Lat page, but no Map


cheers bob

 

[crisjones]

Bob,
The file is for use with Google Earth - you need Google Earth installed on your computer and then you use the File - Open menus within Google Earth.

No good trying to open the file any other way.

Try asking Google - "How do I open kml file in Google Earth" you should find plenty of advice.

 

[Hardmy]

This is a nice project

You could try to do something along those lines:
- Clear into Croatia in Mali Losinj. Efficient and polite, and for 0 costs. Losinj is a nice town. You can get fuel there cheaper than in Italy.
- Continue with stops in Veli Losinj, Ilovik canal (stay on buoys), Silba E harbour or Sv. Nikola bay on Olib.
- Then you could do a 2-3 day trip up the river Zrmanja which is one of the most amazing things we did in Croatia,
- or continue south either via Zadar and the Biograd passage or following Dugi Otok
- In the last case, buy your tickets for the national parks (Telascica / Kornati) in Sali (its nice place also). The parks are expensive, but you're only once there, and in my opinion it is worth it,
- then you can go on the N quay of Kaprije (still free?) or Zlarin
- I would to the visit of Primosten and its cathedral and continue to Zaton for the night. Mussels farms on the way where you can directly buy!
- Afterwards, Drvenik Veli with its blue water (but crowded), Milna and Stari Grad. Hvar town is beautiful but so crowded, but you can visit overland from Stari Grad.
- Then you have to choose if you want to to Korcula or Lastovo. Both are very nice. I think Lastovo is a bit less crowded and there are a couple of former decayed warship bunkers where you can use the quay in front to go alongside.
- Follow the N-coast of Mljet. Sleep on Jakljan or Sipanska Luka.
- If you have time, go to Zaton for its mussels and little "chinese walls"
- Dubrovnik is crazy overcrowded. You can try to find a space on the town quay or in the yacht club. The marina is too far away from the town. I'd try to clear out of Croatia in Dubrovnik and immediately leave the 12NM zone (they strongly monitor it). The border police in Cavtat as well as the "dockmaster" are indeed a problem. I wrote my experience (4 years ago) here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...taly-summer-cruise-2014&p=5025635#post5025635
- I would not miss Montenegro. Even if it is at some cost, book yourself into Porto Montenegro Marina in advance. They will walk through the whole administrative procedure of clear-in / clear-out. It was a breeze compared to Croatia! You must see Kotor town, the chapels in front of Perast and so on. The scenery is so stunning, it's like navigating on a mountain lake. You shouldn't miss it. By the way, you can bunker fuel tax free.
- Then you have the choice to either follow the albanian coast or switch to Apulia Italy.
- Albania's only proper marina lies in Orikum, otherwise you have to use big harbours for freighters. I have been told, that you get the same administrative treatment than a cargo ship.
- Therefore I used the Italian option and enjoyed it very much discovering beautiful Apulia. The coast as such is boring, but the towns (also inland) are interesting and beautiful. And the food! Try to stop in Bari, Polignano, Monopoli, Brindisi.
- You could make a stop in Saranda, Albania. We liked the experience. Incredibly friendly people, very cheap food. There is also the UNESCO amphitheater of Butrint which you shouldn't miss.

Tell us your experience after you finished the trip!

 

[grumpygit]

I am buying a yacht in Monfalcone and will be sailing her to Corfu. First week in June we have a plan on taking 12 -14 days max for this trip .(if it matters its draft is 2.5m)
I know theres a few on this forum that have done similar .What do you think would be the best way to go and places not to miss on the way ,understanding, lack of time will play a part .Shall I miss out Montenegro and Albania?
cheers

I think things have change a tad now as it's a quite few years since we did this one but we did do Croatia and made a long visit of it that justified the cost. Then we did Cravat to Bari and then on to Corfu and missed out Montenegro and Albania. Cravat very officialdom, Bari waste of time and it was quite a hard sail. I suppose it's down to transit costs but I think the Montenegro and Albania transits are considered safe these days.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

As i am coming from Monfalcone ,will i have to check into Umag first port of call?

 

[Hardmy]

Yes, or keep outside the 12NM zone as shown on the charts. As soon as you cross the purple line, you must sail towards the closest port of entry without stopping anywhere. The croats have the best marine surveillance system in the Med and they can easily track boats who didn't adhere to this rule.

 

[crisjones]

As i am coming from Monfalcone ,will i have to check into Umag first port of call?

Yes.

Unless you stay outside Croatian waters and then turn towards any other nearest port!!
Not worth trying to miss Umag even if you don't have AIS transmitting - they track everything on radar as well so they will almost certainly get you if you fail to check into the first available port.

 

[BrianH]

As i am coming from Monfalcone ,will i have to check into Umag first port of call?

It would be wise to do so as your rhumb line will run parallel to the Istrian coastline in Croatian waters and you would be close enough to be bounced by the water police for not clearing in at the first port of entry. They are not too sympathetic to the unclos innocent passage argument. Besides, it gives you clear grounds to take refuge at any point of your passage should bad weather or a technical problem arise.

I always enter at Umag when departing Italy a little further south than you and like to overnight anchor in Veruda's Soline bay just south of Pula before the Kvarna Gulf leg to Mali Losinj. But I sail single-handed and make easy legs, which is not bad for starting out, which is what you will be doing with a totally new boat for you.

The last time I sailed to Corfu I crossed from Lastovo (Ubli) to Vieste, (the 'spur' of Italy), then to Brindisi then Corfu. That gives a wide choice of wonderful Croatian places to visit.

 

[Metabarca]

As above. Yes, do check in at Umag; it's just not worth the risk going further south and you pass in front of it anyway when you turn the corner at Savudrija. Rovinj is the prettiest town on the Istrian coast (albeit touristy). There are mooring buoys W of the marina. Veruda offers a safe and free overnight spot before tacking the Quarter (don0t if bora forecast!).
Further south, I would give Bari a miss and visit Trani instead, which has a splendid medieval cathedral on the waterfront. When in Corfu, catch the hydrofoil to Albania and visit Butrint.
But we can talk about all this when I get back to Italy, and pore over a chart!

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Thank you all .This forum is a fantastic source of information.