Limerence Update #70

August 24-26, 2005

Albania Visit

Pleasure yachts have been advised by most cruising guide books to avoid the Albanian coast because of the danger of pirates and illegal activities. Most yachts transiting to Greece from the north Adriatic divert many miles to the Italian coast instead of going directly south through Albanian waters. Albania, known as Shqiperia, lies between Montenegro to the north, and Greece to the south on the Adriatic Sea. For over forty years Albania was ruled by a strict Stalinist regime and had no contact with the outside world. It was an entirely Muslim country and relations with the west did not exist. After the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, Albania became a democracy, though it still remains a mystery.

 We began inquiring about Albania when we reached the eastern coast of Italy. Our plan was to cruise Croatia and Montenegro, then Greece. Perhaps advisories against Albania may be “out of date”? It seemed unnecessary to travel across the Adriatic to Italy just to double back to Greece. We checked the websites of the State Department of the USA and Great Britain, and found no warnings about the country of Albania. We wrote an email to the US Embassy in Tirana Albania, and received a response that indeed, it was safe to visit. We also received two emails from Genc Metohu of the Ministry of Tourism in Albania, warmly welcoming us to his country. We met with the Italian Guardia Costiera in Otranto Italy, who patrol the coastline between Italy and Albania, and asked about our safety in Albanian waters. We were assured it is now safe for transiting vessels. Finally, as we cruised in Croatia and Montenegro we always asked police officials, marina staff and yacht captains for their opinions on traveling along the Albanian coastline. We felt confident and departed Bar Montenegro for the fifty mile passage down to Durres Albania.

 Once in Albanian waters, there are no anchorages or inlets, and few harbors of refuge along this coast. There is no weather broadcast on the Navtex system in Albania. The Port of Durres is the main commercial port for the country serving the capital of Tirana. There are three other ports we did not investigate; Vlore, Saranda, and Shengjin. As we motor sailed down the coast from Montenegro, we saw absolutely no boat traffic. There were no fishing boats, small crafts along the shore, ships or ferries. The sea was desolate. Jimmy Cornell’s World Cruising Handbook recommends staying offshore at least three miles. We were seven miles offshore in 100 meters of water. We heard nothing on Channel 16. However, as we got close to the Durres outer light, depths reduced to ten to twelve meters. It is a large shallow bay with many dangers, so following the entrance buoys is essential.

Upon entering the harbor and not raising Port Control on Channel 16 or 10 as advised by the Adriatic Pilot Book, we were informed by a ship’s Captain that the frequency is Channel 15 (note: Your VHF radio has to be set to the international mode to operate on Channel 15).  He advised that we would not find any facilities for pleasure yachts. He offered that we may find a position in the north part of the harbor near a merchant ship called Santiago Star. We were certainly an oddity entering the huge commercial port in a sailboat, with hundreds of ships, cranes, construction equipment, and barges at work.

Merchant ship Santiago Star	Doug and agent Llambi Papa	Port of Durres

We proceeded to the north area and found an 80-foot disabled Greek power yacht moored between two merchant ships. After damaging their props on rocks in shallow water, the yacht sat forlornly in port awaiting a tugboat from Athens. Captain Elias and his crew waved us over and invited us to tie alongside. This was fortunate for us. We dubbed this crew "The Angels of Durres". There are no facilities in Durres for pleasure yachts. There is no designated area for small boats, and no water, power, or services of any kind.

Limerence in Port of Durres Albania	Captain Elias and crew - "Angels of Durres"

 The Greek yacht crew assisted by introducing us to their agent, Captain Llambi Papa, of  Vital Shipping Agency.   (phone:355-52  372 44, email vital@albmail.com ) He came onboard and handled our check-in with the Port Captain and Police.  The cost for check-in and out was $87 Euros.You can obtain diesel fuel and water from a truck by special arrangement from this agent, plus services to travel inland. His fee was $100 Euros which we thought was fair for all the assistance he provided over two days. We had security because we were rafted alongside the power yacht which was always staffed. However, if we docked alone, the agent would arrange security for our boat if we wanted to leave it. If you decide to come to Durres, we recommend you arrange your visit ahead of time with the agent. He assured us he would find docking space for a visiting yacht.

Durres Albania Mosque	Market  in Durres Albania

 Once off the port grounds, the city of Durres is a pleasant working class town. We found small shops, cafes full of people, monuments, a mosque, ATM’s, an internet, and other typical city scenes including a bride!! The money is called the LEK and the exchange rate is $120 to $1Euro. They accept Euros everywhere, including the internet.  There are nice beaches outside of the port. Many people greeted us in English, and we felt safe walking the streets. The people wear modern western style clothing. The city was very clean and we saw gardeners tending the fountain in the main square. European cell phones work in Albania, but not GPRS. We were warned to drink only bottled water. The produce market was impressive!

 Our agent arranged for us to hire a guide to take us to the historic mountain village of Kruja Albania. It was a 90-minute ride through miles of countryside dotted with homes and buildings. Many were in various stages of construction and unoccupied. Much of the drive was in a tangle of traffic with no apparent stop lights or system. It was a relief to reach the cool mountain village. There was a charming row of old shops along a cobblestone street leading up to a fort and museum in honor of the war hero, Skenderbeu. A knowledgeable antique hunter would certainly find treasures among the old oil lamps, sheep skin costumes, rugs, wooden boxes and brass ornaments. We enjoyed the views of the Adriatic Sea and Albanian countryside from the top of the fort.

Doug and Judy in Kruja Albania	Kruja Albania	Fort in Kruja Albania

 After that, we were driven an hour to the capital city of Tirana. Traffic around the city is a snarl of slow creeping vehicles, construction, pedestrians and dust. We had very nice lunch at a modern hotel catering to business people. Then we walked around the huge main square (a relic from the communist days), grand boulevard and statue of Skenderbeu!

Capital city - Tirana Albania	Kruja Albania	Skenderbeu Museum - Kruja

 Our conclusions are that Albania’s economy is still struggling to emerge from chaos. It is not a yachtsman destination as it offers no secure place for the traveling pleasure boat. It is interesting to tour the country, and we felt safe. There is a lot of construction which breeds optimism. We saw typical city police, but no armed military presence. We heard stories of petty crime involving cigarette smuggling and auto theft. It is a country with many problems to solve. However, it is a democracy and it citizens are free to travel.  

As we motor sailed out of Durres on Friday afternoon, we encountered at least ten ships coming and going into port. We also saw several small fishing boats through out the night. As we got closer to Corfu Greece we were inundated with cruise ships and ferries. Our passage from Durres to Gouvia Corfu was 20 hours.

We feel confident that the coastline is safe at this time for transiting yachts. This is based on our personal experience, and on the advice of the many officials we spoke to. After checking into Corfu Greece on the border of Albania and Greece, the Coast Guard told us the area is safe and there is no illegal activity affecting yachts along this coast. We know of instances of crime in every single one of the countries we have visited in Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. We feel the Albanian coastline is no more dangerous than any other to the cruising yacht. Our insurance had no exclusions for Albania, but if you plan to go, double-check your insurance coverage. In reflecting on our visit to Albania, we enjoyed meeting the people and experiencing a country emerging from isolationism.

Fair winds friends,

Doug and Judy

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