Whether you have sailing experience and do this yourself, or have someone sail for you, this is the best way to experience this part of the Dalmatian coast. You can find secluded bays or pull up in towns like Hvar that are bustling playgounds of the rich and famous and their huge gin palaces.
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If you're not above public transport then there's a regular local bus service from right outside the Dubrovnik Marina into the town - takes about 15-20 minutes and costs practically nothing.On the other hand, if you're sailing and even if you start out from further south than Trogir - say Korcula - it's going to take you the best part of a day to get to Dubrovnik, and the same to get back. So maybe your skipper was just trying to save you some time.
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But one of the best tips I had came from our Skipper Simon, blessed with five years' experience of sailing that coast.
We were pleased but not surprised that our tour operator Lazy winch yachting was featured in the Guardian earlier in the year and thoroughly recommend them: www.lazywinch.com
Anyway to the tip: He advised us against trying to visit Dubrovnik by sail as the marina is a long way out of town and Croatian taxis are expensive. They are also full by about 2pm in the high season! So we did our trip starting and finishing at the little port of Marina Grad just west of Trogir then after breakfast got an air-conditioned coach from the town down to Dubrovnik for a late lunch. The best bit: it cost about ten quid!