Week 126 - Storms and submarines

Storms, exploring salt pans and submarine pens

This week has been full of big storms and lots of rain. Which of course is a problem as the leak is STILL not fixed. I’m genuinely at a loss as to where the water is coming from now, back to the drawing board.

With our storm prep completed, there was little to do but wait and see. When the winds came, they howled and blustered, but we stayed warm and dry. There was a moment of drama where a friend’s boat was rocking a little too much while they were away and so several of us went out to tie it down a little more, but overall it was remarkably drama free.

Regardless we were happy to be tucked up in the marina safe and sound. The worst of it was the noise, the wind really howls through the rigging of the boats nearby when it gets up over 40 knots and it made our sleep a little unsettled, but that was it.

Fortunately there were some gaps in the weather too where we could get out and walk Rosie and stretch our legs after a couple of days inside. We still headed over to curry night to meet even more new boaters arriving here and catch up with Alicia and Mads who have returned from their drive to Denmark and back over Christmas.

On Thursday we decided to head out for a drive and went to explore the peninsula south of the airport. We followed our nose along the edge of the airport and ended up at the old salt pans. They were more interesting than you might expect.

Now a nature reserve and habitat for fish spawning, the salt pans were used by the Ilyrians as early as the 6C BC. Up until as late at the mid 1800’s this area was one of the core salt producing regions in the Mediterranean before being abandoned due to the rise of cheaper salt producing regions in Northern Africa, which were more efficient due to warmer weather and cheaper costs. The road through the middle of the salt pans was built by the Austro-Hungarians connecting to the forts at the end of the Lustica peninsula.

After strolling around with Rosie and enjoying the cows and the sights, we hopped back into Rada. Karina has yet to drive as she doesn’t have a licence at the moment, so we decided that this quiet back road was a good place for her to practice, so she had her first turn at driving Rada. It was also the first manual car she’s driven in about 12 years! It all came back fine.

We toured a small island with a monastery and the remains of an old resort (I suspect related to the Club Med that was on the island nearby) then headed out to the end of Lustica Peninsula.

We made it all the way to the end where we walked through the submarine pens (that we previously visited by boat). With the rough weather we’ve been having it was fairly cold and damp, with waves crashing over the edge of the quay so we didn’t stay too long.

Then it was back via the coast to Matilda. The coastal route was a pleasant surprise — inside the Bay of Kotor at Tivat it’s often cold and damp with the sun falling behind the mountains surrounding the bay early. On the sea side however, the sun bathes the mountains and there are olive groves and lots more agriculture than on the inside of the bay. The old walls surrounding the groves made for a stunning drive.

The last couple of days have again been hiding from the winds and the rain whipping through the marina, socialising with friends (coffee, cakes, a lasagna dinner and a wine and cheese experience) then gearing up to head to Athens and then the boat show in Dusseldorf this week.

Until next time!

Tim & Karina