The Dubrovnik Welcome

Dubrovnik, Croatia.  

Our voyage south along Croatia's coast finally led us to Dubrovnik for a second visit to this amazing and very popular destination.  Before exploring this Medieval city, we'll take you back to our first visit, when we travelled from Corfu, Greece along the Albanian coast to arrive in Cavtat, Croatia for check-in.  So, let the story begin:

We had left Corfu after hiding for a few nights from strong winds and thunderstorms.  Luckily a southerly set in and riding on its back, we managed a steady pace and finally set up for a decent sail as the afternoon breeze strengthened.  Dolphins, slapping their tails, greeted us enthusiastically and wove around and under WJ3.  Their plot we discovered, was to unbalance our depth sounder, and our minds - worrying over unchartered rocks or shipping containers (or even submarines?) floating too freely in the middle of the Adriatic!  Not so, just cheeky dolphins.   

There's a bit of a storm brewing

By morning, we were riding roughshod on too fresh a breeze (25kts, G30) and corkscrewed our way toward Cavtat to check into Croatia.  We surfed into the small harbour to look for the designated Q dock only to find the dance of the super-yachts underway as they, their multitude of assorted watercraft, staff, and expensive harbour divers, bobbed around artfully trying to untangle anchor spaghetti.  We moved further off, but were informed that we must dock AT the Q Dock.  So we did – eventually, the minnow in a field of giants!  The smartly-dressed crew beside us smirked when they realised their huge fenders did not even touch our guardrails.  Oh, hardy ha!

Remember to turn left before we get to the big ships

“Leave now” was the final instruction of the Port Authorities; not before charging us for the pleasure of their attendant company.  Those dark clouds over Dubrovnik, only a few miles away, looked threatening yet press on we must.  Within sight of the walled city, the clouds closed in, drenching rain fell and visibly was impossible.  Lightning flashed and wind whistled around us as a wild storm rolled over the coast.  Finally, after a nervous few hours, we made the safety of the river only to be blown away by the famous bora winds (gusting to 30kts) rolling down steep mountain sides. 

Great, now just sneak under a bridge, then up that river

Back to the here & now, our return welcome as we journeyed south was not entirely dissimilar.  A heat induced bora blew down quite fiercely from even steeper mountains lining Kolocepski Kanal.  Given we had an extra pair of (crew) hands this time and the rain held off, we managed, with a little sailing, to reach our river anchorage near the ACI Marina safely and proceeded to dig in. Then it was time to make a second visit to this stunning, medieval walled city.

And a peaceful anchorage awaits us up-river....