The Maritime and Coastal Transport Sector of the Public Enterprise for Managing Maritime Property, which operates the ferry line in the Bay of Kotor, is facing significant problems as tenders for the regular maintenance of three ferries—”Grbalj,” “Teodo,” and “Perast”—have officially failed just before the peak summer tourist season.
These ferries need regular overhauls and dry-dock hull inspections every two years to renew their sailing certificates, which are soon expiring. Last year, the other five ferries in the state fleet underwent maintenance without issues.
Although two bids were received for each tender—from shipyards Adriatic 42 (Bijela, Montenegro), Punat (Krk Island, Croatia), and Lošinjska plovidba-Brodogradilište (Mali Lošinj, Croatia)—all were rejected by the Maritime Property administration. The rejection was based on formal errors, such as unclear documentation of equipment ownership or quantity and missing proof of certified specialists like welders, despite bidders providing lists of technical equipment and certified personnel accredited by major classification societies (DNV, HRB, RINA, Lloyd’s Register).
The total estimated cost for the repairs was around €800,000. Maintenance for “Grbalj” and “Perast” was supposed to be completed by early July when their certificates expire, making dry docking and hull inspection mandatory. “Teodo” has a certificate expiring after the summer peak, in September.
If “Grbalj” is not dry-docked and its certificate renewed by July, it will be forced out of service. Since “Perast” serves as a backup ferry, failure to maintain it also threatens ferry operations during the busiest summer period on the Kamenari-Lepetane route, risking major disruption.
In response, management has taken emergency measures by withdrawing “Grbalj” and “Perast” from service, with staff performing all possible maintenance without dry docking. However, this will not suffice if new tenders for urgent dry-docking are not completed soon, including overhauls of “Grbalj’s” main engines and propellers.
This situation puts the ferry service under strain at a critical time for tourism and maritime traffic in the Bay of Kotor.
