From Montenegro to Brindisi, with love
After a great last day in Montenegro spent at Kotor we headed towards Portonovi to complete the checking out process and set the heading for Brindisi, Italy. It would be around a 20 hour crossing depending on the winds and as we started around 10-11 in the morning we would be travelling in the dark at some point.
The passage was fairly uneventful, we motor sailed with both the main and head sail up for some time. The wind was on the beam and a respectable 10 knots as sunset came around so before dark we decided to lower the main.
We were visited by a small pod of dolphins as the sun went down and it never gets old watching dolphins. At times they turn on their sides and seem to be looking up at you as they swim along without any apparent effort at all. The wind continued on the beam and as the night wore on it was gusting up to 20 knots so we had reefed the head sail and were still travelling along really well. The waves had started to build so it was slightly uncomfortable and cold sitting outside on watch while the other one put their head down. It's a weird feeling sailing on in the dark, keeping your eyes on the screen an horizon on the lookout for lights.
We got into Brindisi around 8am after a sensational sunrise. There is quite an impressive entrance to the harbour with old fort ruins and then a narrow entrance to the town harbour and town dock that we tied up to. We were impressed, despite the rain however, when Tony returned from checking in he was not happy. We had been refused entry into Italy!! Tony went on to explain that the first official he spoke to went straight to our insurance papers and to the section showing the regions we are covered to sail in. The official (lets call him FF for now) said to Tony "it doesn't show The Italian Sea" you have to show the Italian Sea otherwise you are refused entry. So being a Sunday and with no way to contact our Insurance people in Australia, Tony returned to the boat.
Now, I know I'm no geography scholar but I know enough to be able to read a map and know there is no such thing as The Italian Sea. After contacting our Insurance the next morning Tony again set off to the see FF and show him the information from the insurance company showing that we are effectively covered from Gibraltar in the west to the Sea of Marmara, Turkey in the east. FF wasn't convinced but did concede to let us in "this time". The job of FF is not to decide if our Insurance complies with his opinions but to check we have insurance, that the boat is registered and that Tony has the qualifications to skipper a boat. So after nearly two hours Tony returned to the boat to say we had been checked into Italy and essentially into the Schengen zone. (so the official's name FF is, first name starts with F and the second word is Face!) Quite appropriate for his behaviour really.
We got off the boat and had a walk around Brindisi and it was quite pretty. The town wall where we were tied up was the main promenade for tourists and locals alike and on the Sunday it was heaving. Later on Monday afternoon the tug boats starting spouting all this water from the rear and then a very large cruise ship was coming into the inner harbour. It was quite unnerving as it was headed directly towards us before it started to turn. But the tugs kept the water spouts going and then started sounding their horns, with the cruise ship returning with their horn. It all went on for quite some time and was pretty fun to watch. Apparently it was the first cruise ship for the season to dock in Brindisi, which explained all the hype.
It wasn't long until the cruise passengers started walking along the promenade and then we hear the first question, is that an Australian flag? There were two couples walking past who were also from Australia so we had a great chat with them. A short time later, another call out from another Australian couple who, if you can believe it were from Warnbro! If that's not proof that the world is definitely a small place then I don't know what is.
We left Brindisi on Tuesday morning to continue the journey down the Italian coast towards Otranto. Goodbye Brindisi and see you never again, FF!