By George.Curtis2 - 11 Oct 2015
Please note this is legacy information and has not been updated since 1996.
Vladivostok – 43°06.00'N, 131°51.00'E
Nakhodka – 42°48.00'N, 132°57.00'E
1) INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY Noël Marshall - Sadko (Noël speaks fluent Russian)
2) DATE 1996
3) HARBOUR OR AREA COVERED Amur Bay, Vladivostok, Russia. 43° 06’ N, 131° 51E
4) SUITABILITY AND ATTRACTION FOR YACHTS Pleasantly situated historic city, capital of the Russian Far East, re-emerging in the post-Soviet economy after 70 years as a closed city. Possible staging post en route to Alaska, or a side trip from Japan. Adequate facilities. Inexpensive.
5) MARINAS, BERTHING OR ANCHORAGE Foreign yachts are only received at the Sailing Centre, styled Yacht Club, of the Far East State (merchant) Marine Academy (FESMA, of DVGMA in Russian). It is situated on the west side of the Shkot Peninsula in Amur Bay . Mooring stern to quay and bow to buoy or anchor. Try to notify the Club of ETA in advance. (Tel and Fax: (4232) 514-545)
6) ENTRY PORTS Entry formalities are carried out at the club after docking.
7) FORMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR YACHTS ENTERING/DEPARTING
a) from/to same country Authorisation of passage from Border Guards (pogrannichniki)
b) from/to abroad None special, if visas are in order.
c) visa requirements Visas required. Must be obtained in advance on production of invitation (see separate notes on Russia)
8) LOCATION/EXISTENCE OF
a) harbour master The ‘President’ (in effect the Manager) of the Club (In 1996 the very helpful Alexander Byelosludtsev) in office on the spot.
b) customs/immigration In town, will be summoned by club
c) health authorities
d) police local office in town.
9) CONTROL OF FOREIGN YACHTS Crew members must register with police within three days of arrival (as indicated on visa). the yacht will be kept under periodic surveillance by the Border Guards while in harbour. Free cruising is permitted within the Amur Gulf north of about 42° 53’ (Slavyansky Bay); other coastal passages require approval of detailed route plan by Border Guards; yacht very likely to be interrogated en route by guard posts on VHF. 1
0) ATTITUDE OF OFFICIALS TO VISITING YACHTSMEN Correct and sometimes friendly. But the bureaucratic procedures date from Soviet times and can be wearisome.
11) REPAIR/HAULING FACILITIES It is better not to need ship-work. But craft up to about 12 tons (estimate) can be lifted by crane on to hard standing, at very reasonable cost. Facilities largely DIY but the Club has a workshop and help is available for engine, hull and maybe sailmaking. No western yachting supplies are available locally. But the Russians are determined sailors and great improvisers. If items had to be sent, several of the international forwarding agencies are represented in Vladivostok. Electric feed (220v) available on quay if required for work on board.
12) SAILING DIRECTIONS OR CHARTS DMA charts 96039, 96041 and 96042. the second of these on the scale 1: 130,000 (or BA equivalent) is adequate on its own. Approach from the southeast between Mys (Cape) Basargina and Ostrov (Island) Skrypleva. Leave Russky Island to port and the port of Vladivostok to starboard. Turn north into the Amur Gulf round Tokarevsky point. The Club is two miles ahead just south of Mys Kupera.
13) PORT RADIO SERVICES Vladivostok Port Control use VHF 16 and 67. But the duty controller may not be aware of the procedure for handling foreign yachts, which are very rare, and it is probably best to proceed direct to the yacht club. If challenged, explain where you are going.
14) WEATHER FORECASTS From the Club which also has Weatherfax.
15) YACHT CLUB(S) (See No. 5) the Club is about 3 kms from the centre of the city. Frequent buses from the cliff road above the Club; or by taxi (mostly private cars moonlighting).
16) OTHER FACILITIES -
a) drinking water On the quay, but should be treated
b) fuel From nearby service station in cans: the club may help, otherwise by taxi.
c) gas (propane)/gaz/ The Club will find butane
d) chandlers None
e) bank Several banks will give cash advances against credit cards. The nearest is the Far Eastern Bank about ¾ mile away en route to town centre.
f) shops/market Situation (1996) anarchic and changing. But plenty of fresh (mostly seasonal) supplies and preserved, including imported, food in many small shops, street stalls and kiosks. Prices about as US or less. Fresh meat only found in former Collective farm market at Vtoraya Rechka.
g) restaurants/hotels Situation fluid. In 1996 half a dozen very adequate restaurants, some with local dishes/ambience.
h) post office/telephones Local calls free from Club. Intercity and international calls from central office by railway station. International phone credit cards not yet accepted. Pay-cash-and-wait-for-cabin system. Post Office at same place. Sells picture postcards.
i) best mailing address Not a recommended mail point
j) showers Showers, and a sauna, exist at the club but are rarely opened. Apart from toilets there are no club house facilities as we know them.
k) laundry Antiquated but efficient launderette-cum-laundry on way into town. Same day service; expensive.
l) transport/air services) From the ashes of Aeroflot and Intourist a jungle of new services is rising, some of them international ‘joint ventures’. It is possible to fly to almost anywhere at reasonable cost. But you will need a lot of local help to track down the best deal. Tickets for Trans-Siberian railway can be bought at the station, usually at short notice. Not a recommended point for a crew change.
m) hospital Numerous. But health care has not been one of the beneficiaries of the new economic order, and on the whole it is recommended to stay fit.
n) anything else Pleasant local, eg week-end, cruising to the south in the open part of the Amur Gulf; both sides.
17) FIRST HAND RECOMMENDATIONS OR WARNINGS Vladivostok has a fairly poor reputation for Mafia activity and crime. But with sensible precautions (eg: do not look too prosperous or wander unnecessarily, or alone, at night), tourists are probably no more likely to be mugged than in many more celebrated cities. Lock your boat when leaving it. There is a 24 hour guard with a searchlight on the club compound.
1) INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY Nick & Jan Wooler - Yawarra
2) DATE 1996
3) HARBOUR OR AREA COVERED Nadhodka, Eastern Russia. Quarantine anchorage 42° 48.1’N. 132° 57.2’E
4) SUITABILITY AND ATTRACTION FOR YACHTS Small, calm Yacht Harbour, Friendly Yacht Club. Fascinating look at ‘outback’ Russia.
5) MARINAS, BERTHING OR ANCHORAGE Antares Yacht Club at 42° 50.8’N, 132° 46.4’E. Less than 13 metres length and 2 metres draft only, otherwise anchor outside.
6) ENTRY PORTS Nadhodka
7) FORMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR YACHTS ENTERING/DEPARTING
a) from/to same country Necessary to clear Customs/Immigration and notify Coastguard between Russian ports (Russian Yacht club members will arrange for you)
b) from/to abroad Call Port authority on VHF 16 - they will arrange officials to come to you. They also brought English speaking yachtsman with them to act as our agent. On departure a- Y.C. member will organise officials to come to do clearance. We were told that we needed an (expensive) de-ratting certificate in order to visit Russia. Nobody the least bit interested in looking at it.
c) visa requirements Completed application form 5000 yen (if obtained in Japan) each, plus 3 passport photos, photocopy front page of passport, say intended date of arrival, letter of invitation from Y.C. in Russia. You need to list every port you wish to visit for your visa.
8) LOCATION/EXISTENCE OF
a) harbour master )
b) customs/immigration ) All officials came to us on both entry and
c) health authorities ) departure - no charge even though after office hours.
9) CONTROL OF FOREIGN YACHTS Not heavy handed
10) ATTITUDE OF OFFICIALS TO VISITING YACHTSMEN Friendly - clearance took only 30 minutes
11) REPAIR/HAULING FACILITIES Nil
12) SAILING DIRECTIONS OR CHARTS Pilot book unhelpful. BA 3041
13) PORT RADIO SERVICES Port authorities and Coast guard monitor VHF Ch 16. 15) YACHT CLUB(S) Antares Yacht Club. Club unmarked from seaward but local yachtsmen acted as our pilot between Quarantine anchorage and Y.C. Antares Yacht Club (only), 26, Arsenieva St., Ap.5, Nadhodka, Primorsky District, Russia 692900. Yacht Club is about 16 kms over dreadful roads to city. Bus stop about 20-30 mins walk from Y.C. Local people very helpful re providing lifts in private cars. We were warned to be careful of theft so we took care to lock the boat whenever we were not aboard and had no problems.
16) OTHER FACILITIES -
a) drinking water By jerry jug 100 metres away
b) fuel Very limited available - if necessary could transport jerry jugs by car from 15 kms away
c) gas (propane)/gaz/ We did organise a fill but with difficulty. Russian connections are ‘male’ but a Russian yachtsman had an adapter enabling us to siphon.
d) chandlers Nil
e) bank 16 kms away - no automatic machines - cash & travellers cheques easy to change
f) shops/market fresh produce readily available in the markets, non perishables available but limited variety.
g) restaurants/hotels Available - no first hand knowledge
h) post office/telephones 16 kms away
i) best mailing address We didn’t risk having mail sent as were told it was unreliable
j) showers Available at Y.C. but very primitive
k) laundry None
l) transport/air services) Train or bus to Vladivostok (50 kms) airport is there
m) hospital Available but? quality of services
n) anything else Russians are good at ‘jury rigging’ repairs - so if desperate could probably get help. 17) FIRST HAND
RECOMMENDATIONS OR WARNINGS The Russian Far East - for most purposes this is likely to mean Nakhodka and Vladivostok. From Vladivostok Noel Marshall in Sadko also arranged a visit to Sakhalin Island, the first non-Japanese to do so, but it is rather a specialised taste. A few foreign yachts have succeeded in getting into places further north including Kamchatka and Provideniya (the latter set up from Alaska). Ardevora of Roseland, skippered by Jeremy Lang, went to Petropavlovsk on the way from Japan to Alaska Port to port passages must follow an itinerary agreed by the Border Guards (Pogrannichniki).There is no free range coastal cruising as we know it, except in the northern part of the Amur Gulf.
To visit Russia, foreigners need visas obtained in advance of arriving. (There are Russian consulates in Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo and in 1996 visas were issued in about a week - Cost 5000 yen. When applying for a visa, apart from tourists paying for their accommodation, intending visitors need to show an invitation from a sponsor in their own field of interest. In the case of yachtsmen the invitation should come from a yacht club or sailing organisation and the visa will be classified as ‘sport’, a well established category. The following organisations in the Far East will issue invitations. Antares Yacht Club Viktor Bukhalski, ‘Captain’ (= manager) Boksitogorskaya 2-A 51 Tel (423 66) 2 66 81 (Home) (423 66 5 84 35 (office) NADHODKA 30 Fax 504 91 52161 Antares Bamp 692900 Russia Marine Sport Yacht Club ‘FESMA’ Alexander Byelosludsev, President 50A Verkhneportovaya St Tel/Fax (4232) 514-545 Telex SU 213115 VLADIVOSTOK 690059 Russia
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