Post by chuckr on Nov 8, 2016 8:32:29 GMT
Most don't know - but this past summer we sailed all the way around the Black Sea. North coast of Turkey to Georgia to Russia to Odessa to Romania and Bulgaria and back to Istanbul -
Incredible trip and we will add a bit here and there on the trip. We saw and/or heard of only 3 other boats up there. One was doing the north coast of Turkey and back and the others were doing the run up to Romania and maybe Odessa and back.
It is not an easy trip and you really have to watch the weather and run like heck when you get weather and be patient and wait out the numerous fronts that come through.
Weather is everything up there. We missed a number of days in Russia as we had only 29 days on our visa and had to wait in Poti Georgia for a couple of days for a front to come through and we had to leave 3 days early as we could not stop in Crimea and a really nasty front was forecast so we left Anapa early to reach Odessa and the day after we got in the front came through with 50k winds
We got to Varna Bulgaria and found that the Black Sea Tall Ship regatta was coming in so we stayed and that would mean we would not get out of the Black Sea until Oct. When it is recommended that you are out of the Black Sea by mid Sept or just a bit later and they mean it. We got 2-3 days good weather followed by 5-6 days of bad weather - we did not make Istanbul until Oct 13.
But wow what a trip and the people are some of the best in the world.
more later
chuck