| It was a time of iron people on wooden boats. It was a time when sailors went to unknown seas. In 1741, Russian explorers discovered Alaska and the Northwest Territories. A huge storm wrecked one of the two packet-boats and 31 sailors lost their lives, including the commodore Vitus Bering. Many adventurers have constructed replicas of the Columbus's Caravellas and retraced his route to America. But we are the first to follow heroic Bering's course 250 years later, and now have gone much further. In 1991 in Russia with the help of friends we constructed a replica of the famous vessel from an old drawing. The "Saint Paul" is 50 feet long and 12 feet wide and only draws 5 feet. She was built completely from pine and has one-inch planks. Thin copper sheets cover the entire bottom to protect her against worms and barnacles. She is steered only by a long and heavy tiller and has a diesel engine. With a tail wind using the square sail, she can reach 4-5 knots. On June 27, 1991 we left our home port Vladivostok – the largest Pacific port in Russia. After sailing through the Japanese and Okhotsk seas, we departed the USSR from the Kamchatka peninsula, crossed the North Pacific, visited the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. After crossing through the Panama Canal we went to Columbia, Cuba, sailed along the Gulf and East Coast of the USA, through the Erie and Welland canals arrived in Canada. Behind us are 14 countries and over 40,000 miles or 70.000 km – more, than the length of the equator. We have weathered 5 hurricanes, 140-knot winds and 60 feet or 20 meters waves (twice as high high, as our masts). Pirates boarded our boat in El Salvador, we were robbed in the Republic |
of Panama, and were arrested three times in Latin countries – everywhere
greedy officials wanted from us as a bribe. But all about our adventures
you would read in our book, "WAVES OVER THE MASTS", for which
we are looking for translator and publisher. We have many funny stories in another
book entitled “A Salty AmeriCat” about our cat Koozya, which we have already
published. On a cold, rainy night stepped on our boat in Seattle a tiny,
wet, skinny and hungry kitten. He came to Russian territory to ask for food
and political asylum. Koozya has traveled with us for more than 30,000 miles and
he has girlfriends in 10 countries. Plus approximately 200 kittens without
tail, which we need now to support, send the alimonies. Our cat is the first around the world with the
real human passport: famous King of the Conch Republic Mel Fisher donated
to Koozya the citizenship of his country.
As ambassadors of Russia we are sailing around the world with a mission of peace,
friendship, culture and education. Our boat is a small wooden bridge between
many people. She is a live museum of our common heritage. We are honorary citizens
of New Orleans, Mobile, Kingston (NY), Conch Republic, from many mayors we
received flags and keys to the different cities. We have been filmed for Russian and USA
documentary films, for Mexican and Canadian TV serials. We are probably the first global expedition that has kept afloat for so long and gone so far without any sponsors. But everywhere we meet friendly and good people. They give us free mooring, show their towns etc. We also support our sailing by own art. We create our own pictures, icons and portraits, wooden dolls and eggs, which we offer to people. Also we have a professional quality video with original music about our travel, which has been successfully shown a few times on Russian TV. In each port we are showing our art and slides of our travel to schools, institutes, churches, yacht clubs, museums and libraries... We are ready for slide and art shows anywhere and anytime! You are welcome to visit Russian territory without a visa! You can easily find us through our web-site: www.saltysail.com All Pobor: Mike - captain and writer, Irene - cook and artist, Koozya - fame-mouse knotmaker and mouse-patrol
|
