Memories of Dubrovnik & Montenegro
Two Countries and One Very Useful Wooden Spoon.
From the real-life King’s Landing to medieval mountaintop sunrises and magical anchorages — just another week with Sundowners Yacht Club!
What do you get when you put four yachts, a flotilla of enthusiastic sailors, the sparkling Adriatic and temperatures of 35°C together for a week? A brilliant sailing adventure, a lot of laughter, some seriously good food and wine, and at least one story that will be told for years to come.
At the end of August, our four boats — Caruso, Röde Orm, Black Kiss and Game Point — set off from Dubrovnik on a 148-nautical-mile adventure into Montenegro and back. Before heading south, we sailed past Dubrovnik’s spectacular Old Town, whose ancient walls and dramatic coastline doubled as King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. Seeing this famous filming location from the water was a fantastic way to begin the trip — and a reminder that sometimes the best seat in the house is actually on a boat.
Our route took us along a spectacular coastline, through historic towns and into beautiful bays, with plenty of opportunities to swim, explore and enjoy the good life ashore.
First stop: Montenegro
Leaving Dubrovnik behind, we headed south to Montenegro, navigating the first of several international border crossings. Our route took us into the magnificent Bay of Kotor, with its dramatic mountains rising straight out of the water. We stopped at Perast, a tiny town that looks as though a piece of Venice has somehow drifted down the Adriatic and settled on the waterfront. Its historic buildings and beautiful setting made it an irresistible place to explore.
Then came Kotor itself. This extraordinary walled medieval city, dating back to the ninth century, is a maze of narrow streets, atmospheric squares and old stone buildings, all tucked beneath the mountains. But the real highlight for some of us was the early-morning climb up the ancient city walls to the pinnacle at sunrise. It was a steep climb and required a fairly determined start, but the views across the terracotta rooftops and sparkling bay were absolutely worth it. A very good excuse for an early alarm — and an even better excuse for a celebratory drink that evening.
We continued along the coast to Budva, with its lively waterfront and beautifully restored Old Town. By day, there were plenty of places to wander, swim and enjoy the sunshine; by night, the town offered a rather livelier atmosphere for anyone still looking to make the most of the evening.
A small problem with a very unusual solution
Of course, no sailing trip is complete without a little unexpected excitement. On Yacht Caruso, the sail managed to get itself thoroughly stuck, requiring some inventive problem-solving in the sweltering heat.
While the crew of Yacht Caruso dealt with the unfolding drama, at least one of the other boats may have spotted Brooke dangling high above the deck in the bosun’s chair and wondered what on earth was going on. At the time, they had no idea that a highly specialised mast-rescue operation was under way — armed with nothing more sophisticated than a kitchen utensil, a wooden spoon!The full story emerged afterwards, much to everyone’s amusement.
Remarkably, the wooden spoon did the trick, the sail was freed, and Brooke was safely back on deck. The incident has surely earned its place in Sundowners folklore — and Brooke deserves a medal for services to mast-based engineering.
It’s fair to say that a wooden spoon may not feature on the official sailing equipment checklist, but perhaps it should!
The magic of an overnight anchorage
One of the most memorable moments of the week came when we left the marinas behind and anchored in a beautiful bay for the night. With the boats gathered together in the sheltered water, the afternoon quickly turned into a floating social gathering.
We swam from boat to boat, cooled off in the clear Adriatic and enjoyed the sort of lazy afternoon that is almost impossible to recreate on dry land. As evening approached, we cooked aboard, shared the experience with our fellow crews and watched the sun sink into the most beautiful sunset.
There was nowhere else we needed to be, nothing else we needed to do and certainly no reason to rush. It was one of those special sailing moments when you look around at the boats, the water and the people you’re sharing it with and think: this is exactly what it’s all about.
Back to Croatia, with a stop in Cavtat
After checking out of Montenegro and completing the paperwork to re-enter Croatia, we sailed back towards Dubrovnik, stopping in Cavtat, which also happens to be the most picturesque border control office! What a treat it was to spend an afternoon in this pretty coastal town.
We swam at the lidos, relaxed in cafés, browsed the shops and picked up lavender products grown locally. It was the perfect combination of swimming, shopping and doing very little in particular — a fine art that Sundowners sailors seem to master remarkably quickly.
And then there was the food. Fresh fish, local wine and delicious meals in restaurants ashore became a welcome routine throughout the week. Each evening brought a new opportunity to discover the local cuisine, share stories from the day’s sailing and enjoy the company of the other crews. There was plenty to talk about, particularly if Caruso‘s wooden spoon rescue came up again.
Four boats, one brilliant week
Sailing as a flotilla of four boats made the whole experience even better. Each yacht had its own crew and character, but we were all part of the same adventure. There was the freedom of sailing our own route together, the fun of meeting up in beautiful anchorages, and the shared enjoyment of exploring new places.
The week had everything: spectacular scenery, historic towns, warm seas, beautiful sunsets, excellent food and wine, and just enough sailing drama to keep things interesting. We covered 148 nautical miles, crossed international borders, climbed medieval walls at sunrise and proved that, in the right hands, a wooden spoon can be an essential piece of sailing equipment.
Most importantly, we had a fantastic time together.
Emma M
