Tivat Town Quay Anchorage Guide

Anchoring Zones

Tivat Town Quay has 3 distinct anchoring zones, each with different depth, holding, and exposure characteristics. Choose the zone that matches your boat size and the expected overnight conditions.

Setting Your Anchor

The bottom at Tivat Town Quay is primarily mud and sand with reliable holding when properly set.

1. Approach slowly and check your depth sounder. At 4–10m, deploy minimum 7:1 scope (70m chain at 10m depth).
2. Drop into the wind and pay out chain steadily as the boat drifts back.
3. Set firmly in reverse — 30–60 seconds at moderate throttle. The chain should tighten without the boat moving backwards.
4. Set the anchor alarm immediately after setting — in the Bay of Kotor, Bora can arrive with as little as 30 minutes' warning. Use the scope calculator to confirm adequate chain length.

Recommended anchor types: Rocna, Mantus, Spade, Delta, CQR. See our guide to anchor types by bottom.

Overnight Anchoring & Anchor Alarm

Overnight stays at Tivat Town Quay are excellent — all-round protection means minimal boat movement.

Set your GPS anchor alarm to 75m radius before going below. 75m covers comfortable swing in 4–9m of mud with good scope. The SE Tivat Bay anchorage is one of the most sheltered positions in Montenegro — Bora is significantly moderated by the surrounding hills, and there is no meaningful fetch from any direction. In Bora, the anchorage is usable where the open Herceg Novi roadstead is not. Can be tightened to 55m in calm conditions or when nearby boats reduce available swing space.

Usable year-round as a services stop. Best cruising months are May–June and September–October when the anchorage is not crowded and conditions are settled. July–August is busy with charter turnarounds. The excellent shelter makes Tivat a viable winter base for experienced Adriatic crews, though Bora must be planned for even in the moderated inner-bay environment.

Navigation Hazards

• Porto Montenegro traffic: superyacht tenders and chase boats transit Tivat Bay at speed — keep clear and maintain anchor alarm; wash from large tenders can be significant
• Airport traffic: Tivat airport is adjacent; jet noise on landing and departure cycles is noticeable but does not affect safety
• Bora is reduced here compared to outer bay but not eliminated — in extreme Bora events, gusts can still reach 30–40 knots; anchor with full Bora scope just in case
• Busy anchorage in July–August: charter boat turnaround day is Saturday and there can be significant anchor traffic as boats come and go; keep alarm active all day
• Silting in some areas of the bay — confirm depths on echosounder on approach; charted depths may not reflect recent sedimentation near the river inflow on the SE shore

Rules & Regulations

• Montenegro cruising permit (vignette): Mandatory for all foreign yachts — purchase at first port of entry. From ~€89/month.
• Anchoring fee: Free to anchor in SE bay. Porto Montenegro marina: significant daily rate (call Ch 69 for current pricing).
• Maximum stay: 7 days
• Restrictions: Keep clear of Porto Montenegro fairway on NW shore. Town quay short stay only (confirm current availability with harbourmaster). No anchoring within marina approach channels.
• Risan Bay: Anchoring permanently prohibited in the entire Bay of Risan (underwater archaeological site).

For a full overview, see our overnight anchoring rules by region guide.

Facilities

• Fresh water: Available
• Fuel: Available
• Restaurant: Full town services: supermarket (5-minute walk from quay), pharmacy, ATM, chandlery. Fuel dock at Tivat marina. Restaurants and cafes along the waterfront promenade. Porto Montenegro has its own restaurants and bars (open to visitors).
• Provisions: Available
• Wi-Fi: Available

Skipper's Tips

1. Tivat is the best place in the bay to stock up before a week-long cruise around Montenegro — the supermarket is large and well-stocked, prices are lower than Croatia
2. For crew changes, the airport taxi transfer to the anchorage dinghy dock takes under 10 minutes — one of the most convenient crew change harbours in the eastern Adriatic
3. Porto Montenegro's swimming pool and beach club are accessible to visitors for a day fee — a useful luxury after a rough passage from Croatia
4. The SE anchorage is significantly calmer in Bora than Herceg Novi or Zelenika — if Bora is forecast, this is where to sit it out inside the bay (or Morinj for better shelter)
5. Fill water before departing Tivat — water is cheap and plentiful here; the inner bay anchorages (Perast, Kotor) have no water facilities