The 16th of June was our last day in Montenegro. Jozefina and I went with our taxi driver Marcos to collect Julia and Theodore from the airport in the late afternoon.  Julia had made arrangements for us to jump on a small boat at Virpazar for a guided tour of Lake Skadar.

It was a perfectly still evening and we had a wonderful time spotting pelicans and monasteries.  We said it looked like perfect hippo water and our guide responded with a story of two escapee hippos that used to live there!

The next morning we woke early and motored around to the customs quay on the other side of the marina. A quick visit to the harbour master, customs and police and we were checked out of Montenegro.  We sailed along the coast and as we crossed into Albania we lowered our Montenegro flag and once again hoisted our yellow quarantine flag.

After some alphabet yoga and a bit of school work the kids were let loose with a play make up set.

At 2pm on the 17th we arrived at Durres -our first port of call in Albania.  We were invited into the marina by the harbour master on the radio before we even announced our intentions.  We entered the industrial port and found our very basic marina squeezed in between huge cargo ships.  We dropped our anchor and reversed into our spot with helpful marineros taking our lines.

We were required to use the services of an agent to clear into the country. Mr Ilir had received our documents the day before and the check in process was completed in minutes.  We had the rest of the afternoon to explore the city of Durres,

We began with the Roman Amphitheatre that was only discovered in the 50's when a tree disappeared into a void in the ground! The Ottoman influence is quite visible in Albania, in the music, street signs, and architecture.  Zefi and Theodore were delighted to see caged exotic birds in many of the shops and cafes but their opinion changed when they got too close!

We left the next morning at 6am -before the ferry traffic picked up. The harbour master congratulated us on a smooth exit over the VHF as we slipped out of the port.  Our next destination was Orikum, the only fully operational marina in Albania.  The waves were forecast to reach one metre by mid afternoon by which time we hoped to be safely moored.

A couple of hours into our journey we spotted a green turtle on the surface. Delight was short lived as we realised the poor creature was making no progress at escaping.  It seemed unable to dive and just flopped around on the surface allowing us several passes to take photos.  We wanted to help but there was little we could do. Lifting the turtle would have been difficult, dangerous and cause even more stress.  We found the details for turtle rescue operation and sent them photos and our location. They acknowledged our messages and said they would pass on the info to the appropriate people.  Unable to do much more and with the weather window closing we reluctantly wished her luck and carried on our way. 

We reached Orikum surfing downwind on large waves. We clocked 10 knots a few times but made it into the marina without drama.  Albania if full of huge building projects and Orikum Marina looks like it will soon be transformed to the images below.  For now it is a bit more basic.

We checked in at the marina reception and rented a car for 24 hours.  We wanted to visit a vineyard that had been recommended on Navily and also the nature reserve threatened by the Trump families development plans.

We set off in our rental car well before our supper reservation so took the long tunnel to Palasa Beach where the waves were much smaller.

We then arrived for an early supper at Kantina & Ferma Dukat -a wonderful farm/vineyard/hotel where everything is produced on the estate.  We ate on the terrace surrounded by chicken, cats, dogs and even a tortoise.

The children were fascinated by the tortoise and Zefi even agreed we could get a tortoise instead of a cat we we get back to England.

Early the next day we set off for the Narta Lagoon with it's resident flamingos and pelicans.  This is the site of a controversial property deal involving the Trumps that has the whole country of Albania protesting as it is a protected nature reserve.

We carried on past the salt flats to a desolate beach with a few suspicious looking camper vans. There was a Breaking Bad vibe about the place but the kids had a great time collecting shells in the sand.

We passed this huge hill of salt on the way back home.

Around midday we returned our rental car and set off from the marina towards a tiny little bay that looked like it might provide shelter for the night.  When we arrived there was just one other boat so we anchored and took a line to shore.  Not long later ten tourist day boats arrived with music blasting. One politely asked if he could moor up beside us, misunderstanding I said of course and he proceeded to raft up with lines onto Dragonfly. within no time two more boats had tied to them.  Everyone was in good spirit so we didn't object and just enjoyed the 'flash mob' party.  Zefi and Dor were doing some disco dancing on the passarelle and high fiving the speed boat skippers. I launched the drone to capture the chaos however it looks quite calm from above.

Before long the boats all disappeared and we had the bay to ourselves. That's when a strong katabatic wind began gusting at 20 knots.  We had a line to shore that was now taking the full load of Dragonfly from the stern.  This was not concerning until the wind veered to our port side.  It became apparent that our anchor was not secure as we hoped as we moved close to the rocks. I jumped into the water to check, dropping a fin to the bottom in the rush. As expected the anchor had skidded about 20m alonbg a seabed of very thin sand.  We no time to spare we set up a second line to shore on the other side of the bay.  This saved us as the wind began gusting hard across our side.  With each lull in the wind we winched ourselves a little bit further away from the rocks and back to the middle of the bay.  The strong gusts continues for 5 hours.  With our anchor just resting on the bottom we were very vulnerable if the wind changed direction.  I set an anchor alarm on my phone for the slightest movement to stern and went to bed around midnight.

As is often the case -after a hectic evening we were treated to a beautiful still morning.  We explored the caves nearby and flew the drone again to capture the serenity of our private bay.  Julia also retrieved my fin from the bottom.

That afternoon we pulled in to Sarande, our last port of call in Albania.  We asked permission of the harbour master to moor for the night on the customs quay to help with a swift getaway in the morning.  Our check out process would be handled by an agent so there was nothing required by us.  We left Dragonfly to see the town, exiting through customs and passport control.

Our agent recommended a restaurant, with no other insider info we obliged -an odd place where they serve beer in boob mugs!

Beside us in the harbour were these 50 year old hydrofoil ferries -still in service!

Sunday the 21st of June saw us arrive on Corfu. It felt wonderful to be sailing in Greece again after ten years away.  Our joy was short lived as we began the most arduous check in process of the trip so far.  Brexit has made a big difference for UK flagged boats in the EU and it seems Greek authorities really want you to feel it.  I wont go into the boring details here as it's complicated and ongoing.  All I'll say is our documents and VAT status are all in order and have been approved by the countries we have passed through however here it is just not possible to move freely. We have to check in at each port we visit and acquire a certified crew list for every person who steps on board.

The port police station above was just one of four spread out buildings I was required to visit for various forms and stamps.

With temporary access granted we anchored next to a hotel we know well and swam in the 29' water, happy to be back in familiar territory.

We left Kotor, Montenegro on the 11th of June as the cruise ships began to queue up outside the old town.  Our route out of Kotor Bay took us past an old fortification that has been turned into a luxury hotel, accessible only by water or air.
The sea was a bit rough as we reached open water so we headed for Lustica Bay Marina in the hope of a comfortable night. Others had the same plan and there was no room at the inn so we made do with a nearby anchorage by the fishing village of Bigova.

The map above shows our anchorage by Bigova in relation to the Bay of Kotor. Below is a very crude indication of our voyage so far.  It is created from each time I manually registered our location on noforeignland.com.

Julia and Jozefina wanted to sleep on deck that night but the gathering storm clouds suddenly turned into a torrential downpour forcing them to retreat back inside.

After a still night on anchor the morning brought favourable downwind conditions so we set off again. Budva was our next destination with another fortified old town and lots of interesting beaches.

We anchored beside Budva harbour and took the dinghy into the marina.  After a bit of a struggle finding somewhere to tie up we then created a scene as Theodore slipped between the dinghy and the harbour wall, falling into the water.

The old town is very small so by finding a spot for lunch and paying to visit the citadel with it's library and model ships, we had the town pretty much covered.  We'd promised the kids a sandy beach so we moved Dragonfly across the bay to a tiny well protected cove where we could spent the night.

Theodore is a very enthusiastic drone pilot.

After a good beach afternoon with lots of swimming, puzzling and a lovely sunset we settled down for the night in our private anchorage.

The following morning we crossed over the bay again to anchor beside Sveti Stefan island.  We were disappointed to discover the island is private and open only to guests of the hotel that operates there in July and August.  Heavy cast iron gates opened occasionally as one or two people discreetly slipped through while we observed enviously.

We spent a pleasant few hours on the pebble beach watching Dragonfly roll around on anchor while I wondered how we were going to get back onboard safely and lift the outboard off the tender in the swell.  Luckily we managed just fine but it's best to mentally prepare for problems!

Two hours motor sailing downwind brought us to Bar Marina at about 4pm on the 13th of June.  The shore power point being well out of reach was not a great start but the friendly staff and a great hotel pool close by quickly made up for it.

The Princess Hotel has been a life saver for the last couple of days. The kids were desperate to swim in the filthy sea next to the marina but luckily, for a small fee we have an indoor and outdoor pool on our doorstep.  We even stayed for supper based on the inexplicable 5 out of 5 rating for the restaurant on Google.  A few meals later and I've realised online reviews here are not a reliable indicator of quality.

On the 14th Julia flew to Warsaw for a couple of nights to be at the funeral of our very dear friend.  She took Theodore with her so Jozefina and I had a day to ourselves before the week began and with it preparations to travel through Albania.  There was much to do including mechanical and electrical repairs, refuelling and restocking, admin and passage planning. Plus a lot of laundry and cleaning. However today was Sunday and apart from cleaning, little progress could be made.

After a brief but very pleasant night in the Mljet National Park we set our course for Dubrovnik where we would officially depart Croatia.  Our first stop was the fuel jetty where our delicate mooring turned a bit hectic, the reason for which differs depending on who you ask, so enough said about that..

Unfortunately on the way into Dubrovnik harbour Zefi and Theo spotted an inflatable assault course so that became a non-negotiable excursion.  We took an overpriced 5 minute Uber from the marina to a grotty beach beside a campsite where this thing was.  With very well managed expectations we actually had a fantastic half hour running, jumping, slipping and splatting until we were completely worn out.  With that out of the way the children relented and let us choose the place for supper.

On the morning of the 10th we awoke early to check out of Croatia.  We had been reading up on the process for a few days and the more we learned the more nervous we became.  It seemed inevitable we would be fined like everyone else for some unforeseen glitch in our paperwork.  After leaving the marina we radioed ahead and received permission to moor at the customs quay at 7am, I then set off with every document I had to find the harbour master, passport control and customs office.  To my surprise all went very smoothly. The customs officer was a little confused why an Irish citizen with a Polish family owned a UK registered yacht with EU VAT paid but he got over it and we were instructed to leave Croatia immediately.. so we did.

That wrapped up exactly a month sailing and exploring Croatian waters. We absolutely loved everything minute of it -the crystal clear water, the plentiful sheltered bays, the sailor friendly vibe etc..  We were forewarned of the outrageous costs so that didn't spoil our fun and the nightmare bureaucracy that we read so much about somehow passed us by!  It was a little bit emotional lowering our Croatia courtesy flag as we entered Montenegrin waters and raised our yellow quarantine flag.

We made landfall at Zelenika on the customs quay four hours after departing Croatia.  Once again I left Julia and the children on the boat and set off clutching my papers.  The check in process required a couple of different officials and offices but once again went smoothly and we were legally cruising Montenegrin waters half an hour later.

With the formalities out of the way we made the UNESCO listed fortified town of Kotor our first port of call.  After trying to contact the marina through various means we discovered just turning up was the most efficient method.  Within a couple of hours motoring through spectacular fjord like valleys we moored and stepped off Dragonfly directly in front of the main gate to the old town.

We explored almost every street of the old town. We saw many cats and even endured the unremarkable Cat Museum before locating a wonderful seafood restaurant and then retiring, exhausted, to our boat.

In the morning Julia hiked up the fortified wall to the very top -about 1500 steps. The photos look like drone pics!  There were three cruise ships docking which we took a a sign it was time to leave.

After a night anchored close to Pučišća we set off further south on the 7th of June. We rounded the Eastern tip of Hvar as the waves began to pick up.  Our intended rest stop of Uvala Križica looked a bit rough so we entered the sheltered cove of Lovište.  We anchored in just 4m of beautiful turquoise water at around 2pm and decided that was enough waves for the day.

The bow thruster has been playing up a bit so I took the opportunity to investigate the problem.  Initially I emptied the bow locker of all it's fenders and fuel tanks before discovering the thruster is under the forward cabin bed! Having had issues with solenoids on our electric landrover I recognised the fault but held back from a quick fix with sand paper as the prospect of a welded closed thruster solenoid in a marina is scary. I added it to my to-fix list.  The following morning we set out into a calmer sea. p.s. the pic pic below is a close up of the offending solenoid contacter.

As we passed the strait between Korčula and the mainland my mind was drifting and remembered our friend Georgie had a villa in Croatia -I dug up an email for 6 years ago and found to my amazement we were sailing past her house at that very moment! Such a strange coincidence.  I believe it's in the middle of the photo.

As we passed Korčula we noticed a tiny island with a private pontoon. We discovered it was a restaurant called Moro Beach, we changed course to take a closer look.  There was no answer on the phone so we decided to anchor at the nearby island of Majsan for a swim and further investigation.

While swimming the restaurant called back and said they had plenty of space if we wanted lunch. So we picked up our anchor and moved onto one of their mooring buoys. 

Morrow Beach turned out to be a memorable stop with fantastic food, scenery and a beach full of beautiful stones that kept Jozefina and Theodore happy for hours.  Eventually we had to drag ourselves away to carry on our passage south. Our destination was the National Park of Mljet.

We arrived in the evening and anchored in deep water with a short line to the shore.

The next morning was perfectly still so I few the drone over our pristine anchorage before preparing to leave for Dubrovnik where we would check out of Croatia.

On the 4th of June, after a day of thunderstorms we had a beautiful calm evening.  We set out to explore our surroundings so we took the dinghy ashore and climbed the nearby hill.

By good fortune we had anchored beside The Wall of Ostrica - a well preserved medieval fortification.  There was a well maintained path, with signs along the way informing us of the history, diverse local flora and fauna as we climbed to a viewing point overlooking our anchorage.  The reasons for the wall's existence were quite confusing so instead of pretending to understand, I'll offer a link to someone who does.

The storm had passed but left some dramatic skies.  We stayed put that evening and planned to continue south the next morning.
In this pic below, Zefi looks so alike Julia at the same age! (according to her childhood photos I'd seen).

We chose the next place to drop our anchor based on the forecast but I think most people were there because it is famous and goes by the name 'Blue Lagoon'.  This is probably due to the stunning satellite photos that they use to sell excursions, in reality it's as beautiful as any number of bays we've seen but the sheer quantity of human traffic makes it an excellent people watching spot.  Theodore and I had a wonderful time watching some terrible anchoring while Julia and Zefi ventured out on a SUP excursion.

Eventually almost everyone goes home and the bay is quiet.

We awoke to a quiet bay but before long the excursion boats began to arrive. We set our course for split, checked the weather, lifted our anchor and within seconds another boat had claimed our spot.

With the help of the Navily app we found an ideal anchorage from which to explore Split. We also had an excellent recommendation from Anthony to check out the Meštrović Gallery, housing works of Ivan Meštrović, the Croatian sculptor, architect, writer and his grandfather-in-law.  I was very inspired by the blend of home, studio and gallery that he created! (Link to the Museum) ​

Jozefina's obsession with cats is not fading as I hoped it might..

We had a few hours to explore Split but only the energy to scratch the surface.  That day Julia had received some sad, though expected news of a very close loved one so we tried as best we could to keep cheerful in front of the children while our thoughts were quite the other.

The morning of the 6th of June comprised an unremarkable Uber ride to get our cooking gas tanks refilled.  While we waited we visited a nearby supermarket and nearly bought more than we could carry so had to do separate trips in the dinghy.

Back onboard, with no wind to sail, Julia conducted a musical French lesson as we neared our next destination.  We were heading for the little town of Pučišća on the island of Brač but pulled in for a swim stop at a little cove along the way.

At about 5:30pm we arrived at Pučišća and chose to anchor close to the town rather than moor at the town quay - A decision I slightly regretted as the quay was almost empty and we would've enjoyed seeing Dragonfly in such a picturesque setting. The town is rumoured to be one of the prettiest is Europe -perhaps it is but there is tough competition.

The children spent a happy hour 'helping' a local catch fish to feed the town cats.

The morning of the 7th of June was calm and windless as we motored out of the bay and headed on south.

The next morning Julia led a yoga session as we made our approach to the Krka national park and the impressive fortifications guarding the estuary.

We had a pulse raising moment as a police boat, siren blaring raced towards us. Thankfully it sped on past, leaving us and others flailing around in it's huge wake.

We were making our approach to Šibenik Bridge when there was scream from below deck.  Zefi had managed to close a door with Theodore's thumb in the hinge.  The poor boy was in agony and the thumb looked well crushed.  Having had a similar incidence with Zefi that required surgery last year we were taking no changes so swung the boat around and headed to the town of ​Šibenik that we had just passed.

We tied up on the town quay and Julia took Theodore in a taxi to find a doctor.  She was turned away from a walk in clinic then failed to find anyone willing to help at the hospital. I was busy calling around private clinics and also failed to find help.  Deciding that his wound wasn't life threatening and seeing that he wasn't really that bothered by it we decided to give up and press on.

Our track as we approach the bridge again -hoping nothing goes wrong this time.

Passing under the bridge was exciting. I think our mast is 17m high, the bridge is 27m, yet it still looks like you are going to make contact as you approach!

We motored up the river, across a lake, up more river, under another bridge and reached the pretty little town of Skradin. This is as far as you can go before taking the Krka park ferry another 30 minutes under a low bridge and up to the falls.  We were ushered into a berth at the ACI marina -the most expensive so far at 175 Euro for the night!

Theodore with the mornings' drama well behind him!

We woke early on Tuesday the 2nd of June to catch the first ferry up the river to the national park.  The ferry was almost empty and we had the park to ourselves.

The waterfalls -Slapovi Krke did not disappoint! 
With its travertine waterfalls the Krka River is a natural phenomenon.
Travertine is a common feature of the surface waters of the Dinaric karst; only the most extraordinary travertine creates significant layers, which build the waterfalls seen on the Krka River.

Close to the falls is The Jaruga Hydroelectric Power Plant.  It was built  in 1895 and started operating just two days after Tesla’s hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls

The park's clear water was brimming with life -the longer you look the more you see. The frogs vary in colour but give their presence away with their loud croaking.  The green pond turtle was a rarer spot by Julia and the children found the snake swimming in the marina.

After a memorable morning exploring the waterfalls we hopped on the ferry back down to the marina. By 2pm we had slipped our mooring and were making our way back down the river.  Thunderstorms were forecast for the following day so we needed to find a safe anchorage to weather potential gusts of 47 knots.

We found a shallow bay protected from most angles and set the anchor with plenty of chain for the night.  The next morning, safe and snug inside Dragonfly we hunkered down with a film, food and some admin to ride out the storm.  The wind peaked at 32 knots which is exciting but nothing to worry about. The rain was also dramatic but soon pasted, leaving a calm evening.

The 30th of May was our last day with Magda, Michaeł, Basia and Tadzio onboard.  They were flying from Zadar airport at 6am the following day so we booked a berth in Zadar Marina.  Having read reviews I was prepared for the ridiculously tight manoeuvring required safely tie up inside the marina.

The Zadar rowing ferry, locally known as the Barkajoli, is a traditional 800-year-old boatman service connecting Zadar's mainland to the Old Town peninsula.  Our crossing was wavy and quite crowded.

We survived the ferry crossing and set out to find the 'Monument to the Sun' and the Sea Organ.  The first of which is solar powered and doesn't actually do anything until after dark. The sea organ however was putting on quite a performance as the water was rough and the waves confused.  The sea water motion draws air through large resonating chambers creating haunting but beautiful sounds.

Then there was a formation fly-by to celebrate our safe arrival (and Statehood day which marks the creation in 1990 of the first modern multi-party Croatian Parliament).

We returned to Dragonfly that evening and said goodbye to our friends as they had a 4am taxi the next morning (that didn't show up!) and would let themselves out without waking us.  Zefi and Theodore were sad to rise and find Basia and Tadzio gone the next morning -they loved having more children on the boat -as did we.

The marina helped to arrange for a diver (named Marino) to come the next morning and attach a new anode. The boat next door was in luck as they had just dropped some sunglasses overboard which he retrieved from seven metres down.

Crossing on the ferry the next day we chatted to the French owner of Spiip, a Swan 88 whose mast towered over the other boats in the marina.  We came across a small market as we made our way to the Museum of Ancient Glass -a fascinating museum with real glass blowing and sculpting demonstrations every day of the week ..except today. 

One of the curiosities of this town is the Sphynx of Zadar. Julia discovered it on a morning jog but sadly the children and myself will have to visit again to see it.
​
The Sphinx of Zadar is a mysterious, 20th-century concrete sculpture located in Zadar, Croatia, recognized as the largest sphinx in Europe. Measuring approximately 5 meters long and 3 meters high, it sits within the seaside grounds of Villa Attilia in the Brodarica neighborhood.

On the 27th of May we awoke to a mirror like anchorage after a calm night on a mooring buoy.  We had a short journey of less than 2 hours to Molum Marina, close to Zadar. Here we would collect Julia's cousin Magda, her husband Michaeł and their two children Basai and Tadzio.

The islands answer to dustbin lorries.

We spotted dolphins close to Zadar but they didn't stop to play.  We chose Molum Marina  as it was close to the airport and had good reviews being a brand new marina.  On Google maps it was not even constructed yet.  The marina is so new that it does not yet have a fuel dock or laundry facilities -the two things we really needed!

We had 24 hours at the marina before our friends arrived so arranged for a laundrette in the nearby town to collect our laundry.  The little town surrounding the marina has very little going on -a campsite, artificial beach and a few mediocre restaurants. As soon as they arrived we left.

This little bay was our destination for the first evening. It was Michaeł's birthday so we opened some bubbles, then ventured ashore to a tavern with a reservation for eight people..

While we waited for our food the children pulled an urchin from the sea to examine. They also found spider crab shells and other treasures.

On day two of Magda and Michaeł's visit we set sail north with a few destinations in mind but allowed the wind to decide for us.  We hoped to reach Sakarun Beach but it was a stretch too far and instead we found ourselves on the northern tip of Ugljan Island.

After a bit of motoring we were able to beat our way into the wind, tacking along the western edge of Ugljan Island towards our anchorage for the night.  Plaža Junžna Luka turned out to be an ideal stop over.  The water was crystal clear and the beach was strewn with rocks breaking through the surface.  The children spent a few happy hours catching tiny fish and creating an aquarium in a water bottle.

The evening was spent fishing, chatting and wine tasting for Julia's mum's upcoming party.

Another perfectly still morning..

Theodore enjoying Julia's pancakes.

On the 30th of May we carried on around the tip of the island and anchored in a tiny bay for lunch opposite Zadar, thus completing a near circumnavigation of Ugljan.  The chart suggested we were anchoring in less than a metre of water -which would've been a problem. In reality it was 8m and sandy with room to swing.

While swimming around Dragonfly I noticed her anode was missing.  We paid a diver to clean the hull and replace the anode back in Ragusa two months ago so I was surprised to see the screws in place and the anode removed!  This could lead to very expensive damage if gone unnoticed.

I have spares onboard but will need a diver again to clean the prop and fit it.

From our lunchtime swim stop it was 30 mins across the channel to Zadar.