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Jumbuck - Baltic Rally Leg 5 - Tallinn a Estonia to St Petersburg Russia



Long tiring passage, over 200 miles and a need to concentrate the whole way.

We left around 1030 Monday along with some of the bigger yachts, knowing it was going to take us 36 odd hours, and not wanting two nights at sea.

When we left it was into fresh easterly weather. Again hot hot sun. Jumbuck revelled in the flat water conditions as we beat to windward making close to 7 knots, taking three and a bit long boards out from the Estonian coast and into the commercial shipping lanes that bisect the gulf between us and Finland.

Around 5pm the wind offshore began to moderate and back to the north, so we had a period surging east under Code 0. Sad to say it didn't last, and within the hour we had engine on fast tick over to help the sails to take advantage of the lighter breeze, as we shaped up a direct course for the Russian marine frontier near the Russian island of Gogland.

You're obliged to stick to the commercial lanes in Russian waters, and by 8pm we were calling up the coastguard advising them we were about to enter their waters. They requested boat name, number of bodies on board, last and next port, position, course and speed.

We were still in close company with half a dozen bigger boats and despite us running at 6.5 knots (aided by a little current) seemed to stick with them through the night. The shipping lane runs between several Russian islands and it almost seemed we got coastguard calls from each, asking who we were, where we were going etc. Some spoke passable English, some very very little.

We took turns taking time out for quick naps. The boat motion was smooth, the island scenery and military installations interesting, and several times patrol boats came close before peeling away. The commercial lanes all came together at a shipping roundabout about 70 miles off our destination, where we took the exit lane south east towards Kronstadt, an island connected by a long causeway to the mainland, and a narrow gateway into St Petersburg.

Here's where you formally clear in, and with space only to moor and then process 6 yachts at a time, we adjusted our speed to arrive just as a slot came free. We were met by Vladimir, out Russian tourist representative, and he guided us through first immigration (they searched the boat) and then customs.

By 9am we were away, motoring once more across the huge lagoon type water area in front of St Petersburg. It's a big city, 6 million people, and it seemed a goodly number of them were out on the water, either on jet skis, small motor boats and yachts, or in one of the many hydrofoils zooming along at 50 knots. The lagoon is shallow, and criscrossed with deeper canal channels down which everything travelled. Very busy, very noisy, very welcoming waves from the locals.

Finally, 17 miles on, we came to the Central River Yacht Club and it's marina. Obviously splendid in its day. That day was maybe 40 years back. But great to tie up, sink some very icy cold beers, and finally turn off the engine!

Made it. So from Russia with love - will update you on the city later.

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