
Sailing from Croatia to Montenegro
Despite the charm that Croatian waters give us, after many cruises and seasons do you dream of a variety? And here the question arises: Why not Montenegro?
Montenegro is full of natural landscapes and is not contaminated by mass tourism. It is a paradise for those who dream of peace and quiet. Unfortunately, the charter offer in Montenegro is not large, so another question arises: Can't you sail there from Croatia? Yes, you can! However, you should be aware of some nuances, as shown below.
Where to look for a yacht?
A number of conditions must be met to allow the yacht to leave Croatian territory, from documentation, through equipment, to yacht insurance. It is best to look for such yachts in the south, in the vicinity of Dubrovnik and it will also be necessary to ask the operator about this possibility, the best is to do it at the stage of initial booking. In addition, sometimes it is necessary to notify this intention one or two months in advance. If you inform the operator about it only at the time of embarkation you may find out that you did it too late and the possibility of sailing to Montenegro is simply gone.
Border crossing
In Europe, we are used to crossing borders without major problems. Sometimes we do not even notice this fact. Unfortunately, things are a little different in Montenegro. First you have to approach the border crossing point in the port of Cavtat (seasonal crossing) or Gruz (trade port) and report to the customs officer and the port captain's office. After entering to Montenegro you should check in at the first port (e.g. Zelenika, Kotor, Budva or Marina Porto Montenegro). You need to complete an entry form there and buy a vignette that you must place in a visible place on the yacht. This is approx. 100 EUR depending on the size of the yacht and the planned time of your stay in Montenegro. You should also have the necessary documents with you (yacht documents, sailing licenses, crew list and crew documents). When planning a cruise from Croatia to Montenegro, take into account the time needed for border formalities, sometimes everything can be done very quickly, but sometimes you can lose a few hours for it.
What else is worth knowing?
Two more conditions will have to be met. The yacht shall have an outboard engine and at least two persons with full sailing licences. Also remember that you are in a different country than the one from which you rented your yacht. In the event of a breakdown or incident, it will be more difficult for the operator to resolve the problem and may take longer. It is possible that it may be necessary to use an external service, which is usually more expensive and the costs may be on the charterer's side. Also try to get back to Croatia early enough.
At the time of writing this article, the rules are as above, but may change over time. When you decide on such an expedition, the Croatian operator will certainly give you current instructions during the takeover of the yacht. If you do not fear the formalities associated with crossing the border such a trip is for you.