Passage Report: No. 90
Sahula
Aland to Helsinki
Thor rumbles, cumulus nimbus soars darkly above. Sahula is bathed in late evening sunshine. Crew enjoy sundowners. Ashore, a cacophony of bird sounds symphonize the forest. Forest flowers pollen the air and sea in thick, cream, swirls. Swirling noisely overhead, sea birds dive into fish schools. Ducklings, struggle to mothers, swans, geese - exuberant twos, respond to spring in full swing.
Sand beaches ensure Hanko (20,000 pop, fee 27 euro) is a leisure town - ornate, wood, pastel and white, town houses and seashore villas (now hotels) evidence a wealthy past.
Fog rolls in, Sahula leaves early, passages in sunshine, listening to mournful horns astern.
Skipper charts a course through the "inshore" route - through the narrowest, shallowest (minimum 2-3m), most beautiful channels.
Sahula swings at anchor in beautiful Flakholmen (natural island) cove. Crew swims, walks ashore, sunbakes,reads, sketches, paints.
Island summer houses, some traditional cottages, others, modern, glass, timber, with wharves, dot the islands in expectation of a 2-4 week summer holiday.
"... it is a problem ... Finnish tourism...holidays, four weeks sometimes two weeks long...all profit in a short time... reduces quality...government needs to stagger summer holidays..."
Skipper "T Cuts" the Sahulian (hull) "5 year" red into a Helsinki - St Petersburg Rally fleet gleam.
"You sailed from Australia?" - (silence) "...amazing..." -Finlanders are highly aware of Australia -"...so far...you sail alone..."
"...I will tell my friends, I was alongside an Australian yacht..."
It is summer; sunny, warm (relatively!). Holiday season has the Finlander fleet in full departure mode.
The long winter, short sailing season does not deter the huge yachting fleet. Finns are a water people in summer, an ice, snow, forest people in winter.
Winter storage yards/ sheds, are empty, masts are raised, rig screwed in. Finn yachts every autumn lift hulls and masts for winter storage. Harbours are ice bound in December.
Good timing - Sahula enjoys beautiful, forest lined, coves - now crowded. It pays to "suffer," enroute, to enjoy the good.
Early start, early arrival - Sahula berths at the NJK (Nylandska Jaktklubben - 35 euros). Friendly staff welcome Sahula. An Australian flag is hoisted. A short ferry ride (free) to the city centre. It seems ideal but it isn't the Helsinki Sailing Club (HSK) marina (15 euro discounted from 25 euro) where the Rally fleet will gather. Skipper (embarrassed) changes marinas. Sahula is the first of the Rally fleet to arrive. The city is a bus ride away.
Finns love their sauna. Each guest harbour has one. Males (females), all shapes and sizes, shed all inhibitions - sauna, group beer.
Country houses, have a sauna in lieu of shower/bath -
"...twice a week..."
Skipper attends a "street hockey" ("ice" hockey on concrete) game in a Helsinki square.
Above, a huge video "poster," screens two young, attractive, underwear clad, women, embracing in a passionate kiss.
Sunny day, crowds throng the central city harbour market.
Skipper/crew "cruises" the art galleries. While private collections existed for some time, Finland's art exhibition is relatively "new" - 1846 (Finish Art Society, Drawing School. The National Gallery - "Ateneum" - was opened in 1888.
Early Finn artists exhibited in Paris but their works were criticised for their muted "northern light" colours compared to the early French expressionist art. The reaction was to be more classicist. An art deco period followed in art and architecture..
Amos Anderson Art Museum, past home, private collection, of a wealthy benefactor, typifies the art deco style.
Contemporary art in private galleries heralded a vibrant Finn art scene. Kiasma - modern art gallery - provides for the future present - installations, videos...
"... the market is small, paintings are expensive..."
The St Petersburg Rally Fleet gathers. Evening BBQ brings cruising tales and new friendships.
Sahula departs to cruise the inland (north) channels east to Kotka.
Early start, midday anchorage (3m) at Aparnis Cove (Soderby Island). Beautiful natural cove - a swim, walk, read...
Late evening sunsets, paint orange, red, gold above dark, silhouetted, island forests.
Kotka, a small town, marina (22 euros), superb botanical gardens.
"Tinja's" crew (Timo, Leena) humble Skipper. In a self designed (centreboard 1-3m), 45 foot yacht, for a decade, they coursed the worlds oceans (and rivers - Danube "downhill") including, Asia, Australia (Tasmania - "...furtherest from Finland...,") Japan, Alaska, NZ to Chile, across the Southern Ocean round the Horn, Patagonia to Iceland.
"...we learnt that the best cruising was in Finland..."
Haapasaari Island is the Finland border guard post before Russia. A morning gale (30 knots) makes for fast, rough, sailing. Russian border post is at Kronstadt, an island, 12 hours distant; 2 hours from St Petersburg harbour.
Haapasaari harbour, boat width entrance tests in a gale. Chart depths indicate less than 2 m's. Sahula (1.7 m) is soon tied to the guest wharf (harbour depth exceeds 2 m, guest wharf: 1.9m).
The scenic, rocky island is dotted with small, red, summer houses. A well stocked shop provides summer provisions.
Sahula opts to delay departure for an overnight passage in light wind, to St Petersburg.
Sahula will be the first yacht (only Australian yacht) to arrive of the Cruising Association (England) St Petersburg Rally fleet.
Early start, early arrival, no sleep. Sahula "tramps" across the Russian border to the St Petersburg fairway channel. Crew contacts the Russian Coastguard.
The channel, busy with shipping, including five passenger liners.
Through the Kronstadt Flood wall and gates (previously, in a winter west gale, the city flooded) to tie up at the customs/ immigration wharf (passing ship wakes ensure a rough stay).
An immigration officer (no english) processed the passports.
The Customs Declaration asks "...goods forbidden or limited..."
"... any illegal drugs...like morphine..."
Skipper marks "no;" signs the Customs Declaration.
Four, burly, Drugs Control officers board Sahula. A large, black, labrador dog is lifted board. Terrified, it ran rampart around the boat.
"...you have drugs...a medical kit..."
Skipper provides a doctor's (previous crew) medical bags.
"...these are illegal drugs in Russia (codeine, Tramadol capsules)...they are narcotics..."
Skipper proclaiming innocence (ignorance of their being aboard; their illegality; provided with no information) becomes an "illegal drugs importer."
"...if this was China... you would be shot..."
"...it is with senior officers..."
"...they will be sent to the testing laboratory..."
"...sign here..." - in crylic script, interpreted by an officer - "...I approve of actions to extent I understood them..."
An officer "guard" remains aboard.
Vladimir, Sahula's Rally agent, intervenes on a grateful Skippers behalf. The Consulate is considered "...go slowly...let it unfold..." Skipper agrees.
Three hours of processing, (Skipper's affidavit proclaiming, unintentional, innocent, uninformed, ignorance), a concerned crew ("...would I search the Kremlin basement..."), Sahula is "free" to continue to St Petersburg - not free to leave Russia.
NZ Doctor: "Tramadol is not narcotic, codeine is a weak opheid... ridiculous to say they are illegal drugs..."
No other "foreign" yacht, met the demented dog or was searched - 25,000 ocean liner passengers (5000 per ship in port) retained their headache tablets.
Next Report: St Petersburg, Russia
Best,
David
15/6/2013
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