Rounding Scandinavia 2000 Part 3
Belomorsk to
Murmansk
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Tuesday 4 July,
Belomorsk to Solovetsky Ostrova (65N1.59, 35E31.98), 43NM Short walk to local village built on glacial rock with little soil cover. Cleared sea lock 0830 into freedom at last, and a beautiful morning! Spirit of Aoelus dropped pilot and Vladimir Gromov on the tip of the final pier and we came alongside small ship to say a fond goodbye to Vladimir, who blessed Babaji with sign of cross as we left.
Made our own way to the main Solovetsky island and arrived to see the other yachts (excepting Endring who sailed the whole way) on the commercial pier. We took a further lead onto small pier opposite the Kremlin. The "piermaster", took our lines making sure we had plenty of slack for the tide. After giving him a beer and chocolate bar he mellowed and asked to see our engine. He had difficulty in believing the HP rating plate since Russian engines are at least twice the size! He offered us electricity from massive open terminals outside his hut but then sacrificed his radio (Russians have radio on all day) to allow us to use his socket, took off its cover to admit the bigger Euro pins, and accommodated the cable under his door!
Walked to the Kremlin and found a church service in progress in the beautifully restored and elaborately decorated Blagoveschensky Nadvratny Church (1596-1601), with ornate gilt pillars, three rows of icons on the iconostasis, and abalcony. More and more monks came in to join the service as they finished their chores, the senior ones with black gowns over their flat-topped hats, and women who kept to the back. The iconostasis door opened to reveal a shrouded cross with coloured lights (like a Christmas tree thought I irreverently).
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| Kremlin | Babaji alongside quay in distance |
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| We went to service in this church | Ancient dock |
After supper John and I cycled 10.5km as the crow flies on a road that steadily deteriorated with rocks, pot-holes and mosquito-ridden flooded sections to the Svyato-Voznesensky (Holy Ascension) Church and Seclusion. Built on the Sekirnaya Hill the church has a lantern with nautical beacon between the cupola and cross. We were to see this over the trees from sea the next day. Built in 1862 it was fitted with this light visible for 50km and commands a fabulous view over the lake and forest to the north of this large island. We returned at 2345 with sun still shining on the Kremlin's golden domes.
Wednesday 5 July, Solovetsky to Anzersky island (65N11.00, 35E59.19), 26NM
Margo and I took bicycles to explore the huge dry dock, built in 1846 and now used for motorboat moorings, a group of traditional houses under construction, and the buildings of the Kremlin under restoration. They have set themselves a formidable task restoring a vast cathedral and associated halls built over several centuries and allowed to decay when the monks were displaced (largely murdered) and the site used as a gulag. Our BMR group had hired a guide whom they followed like sheep. Left quay at 1545 for Anzersky island. Leading marks took us into Troiska Bay an excellent sheltered anchorage at the mouth of a long and shallow fjord. No buildings in sight. We landed but could find no route through the inpenetrable forest.
Thursday 26 June, explored the interior of Anzersky.
The old Seagull outboard proved its value and took us 2NM through a winding fjord on the flood with two tidal rapids where we had to stop and lift the motor to be carried on "downhill". Finally we saw the monastry Troitsky Skit (Sanctuary) and tied up to a jetty below. The massive cathedral was a brick-vaulted octahedron without windows or floor, but remains of Soviet scaffolding for post-gulag restoration were evident. Now teams of restorers visit from time to time. Much of the monk’s cell block, used as a gulag, had been restored. At the window end of each narrow cell a raised platform served as bed. Between each pair of cells a built-in stove provided heating. Outside were the remains of a brick kiln, artificially diverted streams, bridges, etc.
Since we saw the ferry return last night we assumed the island would be uninhabited today. We found a good raised road through the forest, often with drainage channels both sides, and after 2 miles saw a church beyond, but first a memorial to the thousands who had "died" in the gulag here. To our utter amazement we heard singing and entered the lower intact wooden church to take part in a service. This was a very "high" service as it involved genuflecting to kiss the floor! The church was basic, with blue satin curtains substituting for an iconostasis. After 30 minutes we crept out to scale the 64m hill to Golgotha church, an almost derelict brick church dating from 1828 surrounded by ruinous monastic wooden buildings.
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Left Golgotha church, almost a ruin Right Golgotha "new" church |
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Mural in Golgotha church, virtually open to elements | |
Returning we found the service over and a lady visiting from Moscow interpreted for us. The monk plans to live here all winter, isolated by frozen sea, and was busy installing extra insulation to his house and cutting firewood. But what will he eat? Returned to the fjord to find the tide had dropped one metre and so we now had rapids on the ebb. Got the Avon stored just as the heavens opened. Left anchorage with some difficulty as change of wind direction had put us aground, and set off almost North (with kink to avoid navigation prohibited area, submarine practice as very deep?) for Varazuga at 1450.
Friday 27 June, Anzersky to Varazuga (on the Kola peninsula at 66N16.22, 36E56,15), 72NM, 16h 20m, 11h with engine
Day began with glorious midnight sun that took ages to set, and rose again at 0230. Crossed the 66th parallel at 0400 with nothing in sight. Entered the broad river Varazuga after a worrying mile over a shallow bar but ran aground on sand inside and turned round to anchor in 4m well sheltered in entrance north of a tripod beacon on the shore where there is a grounded wreck. Took Avon about 1NM to village and found it very shallow on the south side. No diesel available but found a well-stocked shop. The air was so clean that the river view was incredibly clear giving no feel for distance. Women were washing carpets on the beach in presumably fresh, but red water. The town is built on sand with board-walks, two houses of traditional design under construction.
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| Washing carpets in Varazuga river, fresh but red water | Varazuga village looking up-river with phenomenally clear air |
Friday/Saturday, Varazuga to Chapoma (anchored at 66N5.89, 38E53.03), 54NM
Left at 1845 with a little sailing on light SW wind which died before blowing up to 15knots from east. Sailed close to Kola peninsula shore observing "harbour" entrances en route. Chavan'ga had brilliant searchlights as leading lights but Tetrino and Strel'na were unlit. Approached Chapoma along recommended track but depth fell to 2m a quarter mile off and we anchored in 4 metres at 0715, the CQR bringing us to a reassuringly sharp stop astern. Left Babaji out at sea and again the old Seagull behaved faultlessly. Took 70L of empty cannisters labelled diesel fuel in cyrillic. We were welcomed first by the village idiot who offered me money! Being a Saturday it seemed everyone had slept in. We soon found someone who directed us to a manager's office where a smartly-suited man emerged and fetched two assistants. These took us to the power station (with diesel- powered generators but not running) with an overhead tank and hose to fill our cans. They would not accept a kopek. I brought the Avon round to the beach below the power station, one man accompanying me to help launch and give continuous but incomprehensible directions. Since we had to motor though many fishing stakes I was glad to have him on board. Finally returned to anchorage. We now had enough diesel to motor to Murmansk if necessary.
Saturday 8 July, Chapoma to Ostrov Sosnovets (anchored at 66N29.26, 40E40.34), 51NM
Weighed anchor 1200, 2 hours after HW, so fair tide at first along North coast of Kola peninsula, inspecting the various small boat "harbours" from a mile offshore. A curious speedboat circled us at 1700, possibly from Pulon'ga river. Anchored in 8.5m between Ostrov Sosvonets and the mainland at 2230 with intention of spending the night, but after turning in the anchor chain made so much noise that I thought we would sleep better off-watch under way, so weighed anchor at midnight.
Sunday 9 July to Monday 10 July, O.Sosvonets to Ladena (69N10.92, 35E 7.58 near Teriberka), 256NM
[Crossed Arctic Circle 69N33 at 0100, soon seeing snow pockets in gulleys; tundra.] Crossed 67N at 0800, log reporting "bleak, nasty cross swell). We were not to see our first midnight sun for three nights due to cloud cover, but it never got dark. Entered White Sea fog at 1900, visibility falling to about 50m, and very glad to have radar although we only "saw" one ship in 40 hours. The Rally fleet had gone direct to Murmansk and reported us as overdue (which we were not, they were merely in a hurry), which gave the Coast Guard an exercise in locating us. We heard them calling "Yacht Babaji" at 1510 but our response was not heard. They finally made contact at 1700 and shortly after giving our position for the third time they excitedly said they could see us! Told them we would anchor at Teriberka (where a captain at Kizhi had said diesel was available).
We followed Admiralty Pilot NP72 instructions for entering Teriberka with intention of anchoring and going ashore when to our amazement a cove to starboard turned out to be a "busy" (Busy is relative term) fishing port with two large fishing boats against a jetty. Tied up alongside and were made very welcome by a captain before a posse of very smart soldiers armed with kalashnikovs arrived in great confusion. They were unable to communicate with their HQ by radio (surprise, surprise) so told us we must stay on board and not talk to Russians! However I braved the steep gangplank (it was LW) to the jetty to shake hands with their senior officer who was too worse for wear to descend with his men. He had 3 stars of his epaulette so feigning great awe I asked if he was a general. This caused great amusement to his men who called out "General Motors"! With hindsight we could have shown them our cyrllic visas as they maybe thought we had entered without clearance.
Despite the embargo and having an unfortunate armed guard on duty on the gangway all night we "bought" 45L of diesel, ensuring plenty to reach Murmansk. The captain showed me his large scale chart (watched over by the guard!) which showed this port as Ladena and much larger than Teriberka but not shown on the maps or our BA chart!
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Tuesday 11 July, Ladena to Murmansk (68N59.0, 33E2.8), 55NM
We had a grand send-off at 1130 but I think the troops were glad to see the last of us! Good shelter between Ostrov Mal Oleniy and mainland but then a very rough passage in open sea making only 2.5kts under power to Ostrov Oleniy which again gave good shelter. Tried to pick up one of several ancient naval buoys off a derelict camp but the wind was too strong to approach these huge rusty objects safely . Fortunately on emerging from this sound the fetch was reduced and we had good passage into the Murmansk river.
At 0000 off Severomorsk we got the first GSM signal and 'phoned home. Severomorsk is a vast naval base with huge apartment-block town. A large aircraft carrier was on a "buoy" here.
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| 1941 - 1945 War Memorial | Nuclear ice breaker in floating dock |
©Raymond Glaister 2000 September 2000 Pics 11/01