29 Jul - 02 Aug 2003 Dubrovnik

Adriatic Sea
Republic of
Croatia
Dubrovnik
Gruz Harbour
SY "Kamu II" with her stern to the jetty and with one bow anchor.
KN 90.- (€ 12.-) per night.

Click below for a bird's-eye view of our harbour berth:
N 42° 39.45' E 018° 05.20'

Click here for a summary of this year's travels:
2003 Map

Logging the uneventfully sailed distance of 180 nm in 60 hours (an average daily run of about 72 nm) between the heel of the Italian boot and Dubrovnik/Croatia.

Clearing the rude post-Socialist Croatian immigration and customs and paying KN 1250.- (€ 165.-) for a Croatian cruising permit - thus getting once again rammed into us how government soaks the people: the permit was valid for one full calendar year from the 1st of January untill the 31st of December, smaller (and cheaper) units (e.g. for one single month or only for the crusing summer from May to October) were simply not available.

Exploring Dubrovnik, aka "the Pearl of the Adriatic" (which is what Lord Byron called it), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with her massive city walls rising from a sparkling sea and her fairytale-like old port, thus visiting (i) the Onofrio Fountain, built in 1438 CE, (ii) the Franciscan Monastery, with one of the oldest functioning pharmacies in Europe, in operation since 1316 CE, (iii) the locals' favourite meeting place, the Orlando Column, with the nearby Sponza Place, (iv) the baroque church of St. Blaise (featuring a silver statue of the Dubrovnik patron saint on the altar, holding a model of the city) and (v) the Rector's Palace, built in 1441 CE, which is now a city museum packed with valuable and historic exhibits.

Watching the street action on the Placa aka Stradun, a wide marble street which runs from Pile Gate to Ploce Gate and is lined with shops, cafes, churches and palaces and realising the strong Venetian influence on the history and culture of Dubrovnik.

DM Konni: Scubadiving and exploring the 52 m deep, challenging wreck of MV “Taranto” which sank in 1943 CE after she had struck a mine and broke into two halves, the stern sank into the sand, while the bow is raised at an angle of 45 degrees and leans against the underwater cliff.