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The Rise of Cyclors: The high-wattage cyclists who power America's Cup teams

How many watts does it take to power a 75-foot carbon-hulled sailing yacht at speeds over 55 mph?

A new breed of endurance athletes is answering that question and leaving a historic impact on International sailing.

It would be velominati folly bordering on bicycling blasphemy to suggest that a sailor possessed the force, fortitude, and finesse to conquer Paris-Roubaix's iconic cobbled secteurs . In late October 2024, in the waters off the coast of Barcelona, a new breed of cycling strongmen will play a critical role in reclaiming a trophy older than the blue-gray granite cobble that the Spring Classic winner will hoist overhead.

The America's Cup is the oldest international competition still in existence, dating back to 1851. The Cup lay in wait at the home of the defender, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), until 1983, when Royal Perth Yacht Club's Australia II broke the longest winning streak of any sport, 24 defenses in 132 years.

The Cup is a match race between sailing yachts from two rival clubs: one from the "defender" who earned the honor in the previous edition and the other from a "challenger" seeking to claim one of the most coveted trophies in sports history. The last defense occurred in 2021. 

The America's Cup doesn't follow a fixed schedule; the champion retains the title until a challenger emerges, initiating a technological, strategic, and highly secretive arms race for sailing supremacy.

The epic feat of challenging man and machine to bring the Cup back to its hallowed home at the NYYC will require a well-choreographed ballet of sailboats, sailors, and cyclists. Yes, cyclists!

American Magic's AC75 Patriot, a testament to the fusion of technology and athletic performance, represents the pinnacle of sailing innovation. Dubbed the "Formula One" of sailing by the team, it even features a race car-inspired steering wheel and carbon hull.

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Traditionally, the hydraulic power needed to operate the mast, winches, and trim the sails necessary to propel the 75-foot hull at speeds exceeding 50 knots relied on crew members known as "grinders," who manually operated hand cranks. However, engineering ingenuity has replaced these hand cranks with a leg crank mechanism akin to a fixed-gear bike drivetrain, and the athletes who operate them are now called "cyclors."

"What we're finding is a 30 to 50 percent power increase using the lower body as opposed to the upper body," explains Ben Day.

Everything above the deck of an America's Cup boat must be human-powered. Emirates Team New Zealand's innovative interpretation of the rules harnessed the increased force production of their crew’s glutes, quads, and hamstrings to victory in 2017, introducing cyclors to the sailing world.

Day, a former Pro Cyclist and ProTour Team Coach, now leads the charge as American Magic's Head of Performance. His task? To identify and train the elite cyclor squad that will challenge Emirates Team New Zealand in 2024. His unconventional role began in 2022 when he recognized that recruiting athletes who fit the cyclor mold wasn't like filling a Tour de France team.

"We needed to find very strong, robust athletes," said Day, because "This is not a power-to-weight sport; this is just an absolute power sport."

The America's Cup rules require a minimum crew weight for the four cyclors and the four afterguard that pilot the vessel. With a limited pool of 90 to 105 kilogram (198 to 230 pounds) and 198 cm (6'6") cyclists to choose from, Day broadened his search to other endurance sports.

That's where he found the 93-kilogram and 192-cm champion swimmer from Boston, Colton Hall, and the 95-kilogram and 191-cm Olympian and K-1 kayak American record holder, Tim Hornsby. The remainder of the ten-man cyclor squad includes a diverse group of competitive rowers, sailors, track athletes, and professional cyclists, such as the most diminutive member of the cyclor team at 88 kilograms and 175 cm, World and National Champion Ashton Lambie.

"I still consider myself a professional cyclist! I’ve just traded the wooden boards of a velodrome for a carbon racing yacht," quips Lambie.

As Day explains, the recruitment drive testing protocol was no laughing matter.

"The testing was a 30-second effort, a four-minute effort, and a 20-minute effort within a one-hour protocol. We were starting to talk to people if they could produce over 1100 watts for 30 seconds, over 520 to 540 watts for four minutes, and over 440 watts for the 20-minute piece. So that's our marker of when we were opening up conversations with people to understand how they might fit into the team environment here and whether they had what it takes to contribute."

American Magic's AC75 demands significant power to perform maneuvers, such as tacking, jibbing, and turning corners. The cyclors can't top off the hydraulic system and stop pedaling to take a break during races, so athletic performance, strength, and endurance directly affect race outcomes.

Their swift trimming of the sails improves the boat's agility and responsiveness, and the harder and faster they pedal, the more rapidly power is available.

The yacht's hydraulic accumulator tank stores the pressure generated by pedaling, rather than the pedalling directly moving anything mechanically by itself. A hydraulic actuator converts this pressure into force. As the pressure in the tank is used, the cyclors must pedal harder to maintain it. The fuller the tank, the harder it is to add more pressure, and the harder the cyclors must pedal. 

The American Magic Team partnered with SRAM to assist in designing the flywheel-less drivetrain, which they coupled to the AC75's hydraulics and directly to the rigging for certain maneuvers. Without inertia or momentum, the cyclors describe pedaling against the pressure of the filling tank as "pushing and pulling a dead weight."

Envision grinding up The Muur on a single-speed tandem track bike tethered to a giant rubber band dragging the AC75's 7-ton hull. Then, respond to Mathieu van der Poel's 2021 race-winning attack.

The team reports that the two-and-a-half-year development and build process totaled over 108,000 design hours and 65,000 construction hours. For the next generation AC75 sailing vessel, the USA has opted for recumbent cyclors, which have the rider in a laid-back reclining position but also facing aft rather than forward. They positioned two cyclors on the port and starboard side of the hull, with the drivetrains linked in tandem.

Day describes the 20 to 30-minute races as "very much a stochastic, undulating over-under effort, like a criterium."

During the pre-start period, the cyclors will perform multiple high-intensity anaerobic efforts when the boats are jockeying for position. The front-loaded race demands include sub-threshold efforts during straight-line sailing interspersed with high-intensity bouts while maneuvering. A cyclor will routinely have a normalized power in the 350 to 450 Watt range for the 700 kilojoule effort.

Day was tight-lipped when asked to reveal specific details of his cyclor training regimen, only saying, "It depends." He did reveal that the athletes train upwards of 15 to 20 hours a week on the bike and in the gym.

He quickly pointed out the value of American Magic's partnership with Wahoo Fitness and the 20 Kickr bikes and 10 Kickr smart trainers they provided to the team.

"Wahoo is the best indoor trainer brand in the World. These are big, muscular guys, and during several hours of riding, they will do everything they can to destroy them, and they haven't won yet. We do the hardest testing of this equipment in the World. We're up to 20 hours a week of intense riding and multiple daily sessions on these things."

Day also relies on the power meter's precision to guide the cyclor training plan and ensure that the crew meets the parameters necessary to sustain maneuvers aboard the AC75.

"We needed reliability, accuracy, and high-performance products. These athletes produce very high numbers, so it was crucial to have strong support throughout their training and competition."

The America's Cup challengers include INEOS Britannia from Great Britain, Alinghi Red Bull Racing from Switzerland, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team from Italy, Orient Express Racing Team from France, and NYYC American Magic from the United States. Cyclors will be powering the pedals beneath the deck of every vessel.

Excitement mounts for the upcoming Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona from August 22-25, where all six AC75s will compete for the first time. Afterward, attention turns to The Louis Vuitton Cup from August 29 to October 7, where American Magic aims to secure their spot in the America’s Cup match from October 12-27 against defenders New Zealand.

Where will the achievement rank for the highly decorated American Magic cyclor crew members?

Unlike anything else, says Hall. "When we win the Cup, this will be the most prestigious of my athletic achievements. It is the oldest trophy in international sport and is much more than just a trophy or personal accomplishment."

For the talented athletes of the American Magic cyclor crew, the daily training to excel in their field is an unstoppable force. The cyclor challenge is a crowning career achievement driven by a pursuit of excellence and new experiences. Being part of the first group of American cycling athletes to transition to the top of sailing is a historic achievement beyond comprehension.

"The America’s Cup is a unique opportunity to be on a team with so many people serving various roles, all in pursuit of bringing the Cup back to the US. The sense of unity and nationalism is also quite special," shares Hall

Though seemingly unrelated, the synergy between cycling and sailing has sparked an intriguing exchange of technology and scientific knowledge. Integrating cyclors into sailing reflects a forward-thinking strategy, allowing a technology-driven sport to seamlessly incorporate advancements from a different discipline.

Ashton Lambie agrees, saying, "The Cup is a huge achievement as far as any sporting career. I'm no stranger to working towards a big goal over several years, but the dynamic goal of "Winning the Cup" makes this one incredibly special."

The dedication, determination, and sense of pride that Day and his cyclor squad personify, often reserved for cycling champions, is evident and echoed by Hornsby, who summed it up by saying, "It's time to bring the Cup back!"

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A physical therapist with over 25 years of experience, Christopher Schwenker is on a journey to give back to the cycling community for rewarding experiences and fulfilling relationships through the pages of his virtual cycling blog, The Zommunique’, and his cycling-related non-profit, The DIRT Dad Fund .  

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America’s Cup boats: 8 facts about the AC75 and why they’re unique

• Toby Heppell
• August 20, 2024

The America's Cup boats to be used on the 2024 edition of the event are immensely complicated high tech bits of kit. They might be officially sailing craft but they behave in some remarkable ways

The AC75 is the class of boat that takes part in the America’s Cup and are arguably the most radical boats the compeition has ever seen.  This type of America’s Cup boat was first used in the 2021 America’s Cup so this is the second event in which these boats have been used.  

The America’s Cup is, fundamentally, a design competition, and successive America’s Cups have featured the most extreme yachts yet – for their time – ever since the first race in 1851.

However, the foiling boats we have seen in the last four editions of America’s Cup racing (the AC72 and AC50 catamarans, and now the AC75 monohulls) do represent a new direction for the highest level of sailing.

There are plenty who argue that this technology is so far beyond the bounds of what most people consider sailing as to be an entirely different sport. Equally, there are those who believe this is simply a continuation of the development that the America’s Cup has always pushed to the fore, from Bermudan rigs, to composite materials, winged keels, and everything in between.

Good arguments can be made either way and foiling in the world’s oldest sporting trophy will always be a subjective and controversial topic. But one thing is certain: the current America’s Cup boats, the AC75s, are unlike anything seen before and are showcasing to the world just what is possible under sail power alone.

Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

1 Unimaginable speed

Topping the 50-knot barrier used to be the preserve of extreme speed record craft and kiteboarders. A World Speed Sailing Record was set in 2009 of 51.36 knots by Alain Thebault in his early foiling trimaran, Hydroptere , and was bested in 2010 by kite boarder, Alexandre Caizergues who managed 54.10 knots.

Only one craft has ever topped 60-knots, the asymmetric Vestas Sail Rocket 2 , which was designed for straight line speed only and could no more get around an America’s Cup course than cross an ocean. Such records are set by sailing an average speed over the course of 500m, usually over a perfectly straight, flat course in optimum conditions.

America’s Cup class yachts, designed to sail windward/leeward courses around marks, are now hitting speeds that just over a decade ago were the preserve of specialist record attempts, while mid-race. American Magic has been recorded doing 53.31 knots on their first version of the AC75 class, Patriot.

Perhaps even more impressive, in the right conditions when racing we have seen some boats managing 40 knots of boatspeed upwind in around 17 knots of wind. That is simply unheard of in performance terms and almost unimaginable just three or so years ago.

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2 A storm onboard the AC75

Related to the speeds the boats are sailing through the water, particularly upwind, is the wind speeds the sailors will feel on deck.

When sailing, the forward motion affects the wind we experience onboard, known as apparent wind. The oft’ trotted out explanation of how apparent wind works is to imagine driving your car at 50mph. Roll down the window and stick your hand out of it and there will be 50mph of wind hitting your hand from the direction your car is travelling.

So when an AC75 is sailing upwind in 18 knots of breeze at a boatspeed of 40 knots, the crew on deck will be experiencing 40 knots of wind over the decks plus a percentage of the true wind speed – depending on their angle to the wind.

The AC75 crews might be sailing in only 18 knots of breeze – what would feel like a decent summer breeze on any other boat – but they experience winds of around 50 knots.

To put that into context, that is a storm force 10 on the Beaufort scale!

3 Righting moment changes

The single most radical development of the AC75 is to take a 75ft ‘keelboat’, but put no keel on it whatsoever.

When the then America’s Cup Defender and the Challenger of Record, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli respectively, announced that the 36th America’s Cup (to be held in 2021) would be sailed in 75ft monohulls, conventional wisdom had it that the boats would look something like a TP52 or a Maxi72 – both impressively high performance keelboats.

By doing away with the keel entirely, the design is now like nothing we have ever seen, particularly when it comes to how dynamic the power transition is between foiling and not foiling.

The boats are designed to foil on the leeward foil, with the windward one raised to help increase righting moment: to help balance the boat. This means that when the AC75 is not foiling they are extremely tippy – much more so than most other boats of the same size.

Essentially, when the wind catches the sails, the boat wants to fall over as there is too much sail area for the amount of weight underneath the boat – something a lead keel usually counters on a yacht or keelboat.

Once the boat is up and on the foils, however, that all changes, as everything to windward of the single foil in the water balances the sails. That means, the hull, the crew weight, the sail and rig weight, and the windward foil, all work to counter the sails.

What all this means is that the boats go from being extremely tippy, to hugely powerful in just the few seconds it takes to get up on the foil. “The [AC75s] are really very tippy pre-foiling and then they go through the transition where they will need to build significant power. Then immediately [once they lift off] you have more stability than, well, take your pick, but certainly more righting moment than something like a Volvo 70 with a big canting keel.

“That change all happens in a very short space of time,” explained Burns Fallow of North Sails, who was one of the team who developed the soft wing concept back when the concept was revealed.

Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

4 ‘Cyclors’ return to power America’s Cup boats

Bak in 2017 Emirates Team New Zealand stormed to America’s Cup victory in an AC50 foiling catamaran which was, by some margin, quicker than any of the other teams.

The most glaring difference was their use of pedal grinders to produce power rather than traditional pedestal arm grinders. ETNZ’s sci-fi style term for their grinders was ‘cyclors’, cyclist sailors.

The idea had actually been tried before in the America’s Cup; Pelle Petterson used pedal grinders on the 12-metre Sverige in 1977. But ETNZ’s set-up now was very different: here it was part of a linked chain of innovations, the most obvious emblem of a radical approach.

One obvious benefit was the greater power output from using legs to pedal, but beyond this it left cyclists’ hands free and allowed the team to use a highly sophisticated system of fingertip control systems, and thus to use faster, less stable foils, and then to divide up crew roles so ETNZ could be sailed in a different way.

When the AC75 was first introduced in 2021, Cyclors were specifically banned by the class rule. However, with a reduction of crew numbers from 11 to 8 in the second AC75 class rule – in use for the 2024 America’s Cup – cyclors are now allowed once again and all teams look set to be using pedal power onboard.

5 America’s Cup boats may not be heading where they point

With the AC75 sailing on its foil, drag is dramatically reduced, vast amounts of power can be generated and so speeds rapidly increase. But the foils can serve another purpose too.

In order to be able to lift each foil out of the water, the foil arms must be able to be raised and lowered. Hence the foil wings, which sit at the bottom of the foil arms (and are usually a T or Y shape), do not always sit perpendicular to the water surface and the AC75s often sail with them canted over to something nearer 45º to the surface.

The further out the leeward foil arm is canted – essentially more raised – the closer the AC75 flies to surface and, crucially, the more righting moment is generated as the hull and rest of the boat gets further from the lifting surface of the foil.

There is another positive to this: as the lifting foil is angled, it produces lift to windward, which can force the boat more towards the wind than the angle it is sailing.

Due to this negative leeway (as it is known when a foil creates lift to windward) the boat can be pointing at a compass heading of say 180º but in fact will be sailing at eg 177º as the foil pushes the boat sideways and to weather, essentially sailing to windward somewhat diagonally.

6 The foils are heavy. Very heavy.

As the foils work to provide stability to the boat (when it is stationary both foils are dropped all the way down to stop it tipping over) and to provide massive amounts of righting moment, they are incredibly heavy.

A pair of foil wings and flaps (excluding the one-design foil arm which attaches them to the boat and lifts them up and down) weigh 1842kg. To put that into perspective, the entire boat itself with all equipment (but without the crew) weighs between 6200kg and 6160kg. So the foil wings at the base of the foil arms are nearly ⅓ of the total weight of the boat.

It is partly due to this that you will see some teams with bulbs on their foils. If you decide to go for a skinny foil wing (which would be low drag and so faster) then there will not be enough volume to cram sufficient material in to make the foil weigh enough. So some teams have decided to add a bulb in order to make it weigh enough but to also keep a less draggy, slimmer foil shape.

7 Sails can invert at the head

As with everything on the AC75, the mainsail was a relatively new concept when the boat was first announced. It consists of two mainsails which are attached to both corners of a D-shaped mast tube. This has the effect of creating a profile similar to a wing.

It is well established that solid wing sails are more efficient at generating power than a soft sail and for this reason solid wings were used in both the America’s Cup in 2013 and 2017. But there are drawbacks with a wing: they cannot be lowered if something goes wrong and require a significant amount of manpower and a crane to put it on or take it off a boat.

One reason a wing makes for such a powerful sail is that the shape can be manipulated from top to bottom fairly easily with the right controls. With the AC75 the designers wanted a sail that could have some of this manipulation, produce similar power but could also be dropped while out on the water. The twin skin, ‘soft wing’ is what they came up with for this class of America’s Cup boat.

In addition to the usual sail controls, within the rules, the teams are allowed to develop systems for controlling the top few metres of the mainsail and the bottom few metres.

What this means is that the teams are able to manipulate their mainsail in a number of different ways to develop power and control where that power is produced in the sail. But it also means that they have the ability to invert the head of the sail.

Doing this effectively means ‘tacking’ the top of the sail while the rest of the sail is in its usual shape. The advantage here is that instead of trying to tip the boat to leeward, the very top of the sail will be trying to push the boat upright and so creating even more righting moment. The disadvantage is that it would come at the cost of increased aerodynamic drag.

We know that a number of America’s Cup teams are able to do this, though whether it is effective is another question and it is very hard to spot this technique being used while the boats are racing at lightning speeds.

8 America’s Cup meets F1

A new America’s Cup boat is a vastly complex bit of kit. Each team has incredibly powerful Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software packages and simulators in order to try to understand the various gains and losses.

To make these simulators and computer projections as accurate as possible each team has been getting as much data as they can over their three year development cycle.

In the case of this America’s Cup it does seem the development process is genuinely getting closer to Formula 1 (albeit with smaller budgets than a modern F1 team has behind them).

INEOS Britannia have been work alongside the all powerful Mercedes F1 team (both of who are backed by INEOS) and have been open about how much this has helped their development process and after a relatively small amount of collaboration in 2021 the British team and Mercedes have created a much tighter relationship for the 2024 America’s Cup .

But the British team is not alone. When two-time America’s Cup winner, Alinghi announced they would be coming back to the event after some years on the sidelines, they also announced their own tie-in with current F1 World Champions, Red Bull Racing, to for Alinghi Red Bull Racing .

“It’s really similar to F1,” explains Mercedes Applied Science Principal Engineer Thomas Batch who has 11 F1 titles to his name and is was with INEOS in Auckland 2021. “Certainly in this campaign the technology is close to what we have in F1.

“In terms of raw sensors on the boat you are probably talking in the 100s but then we take that and we make that into mass channels and additional analysis with computational versions of those channels that we then analyse and get into in more detail. So you are looking at 1000s of plots that we can delve into [per race or training session].

“That level of data analysis and then feedback with the sailors is very similar to working with an [F1] driver.”

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What Sailboats Are Made In The USA?

‍ Key Takeaways

• Catalina and J/Boats are proud of their American standard of creating sailboats
• Sailboats made in the US follow a strict consistency to craftsmanship and performance
• Many US branded sailboats rival top competitors across the world
• There are various reasons why many sailors believe American made sailboats are best
• The US has a long history of sailing and you could say it is in their blood

‍ The United States has some of the best sailboats in the sailing world. But what sailboats are made in the USA?

Some of the most popular sailboat brands made in the US are Catalina Yachts, J/Boats, and Hinckley. Other top US made sailboat brand companies include Island Packet Yachts and Tartan Yachts. The US is known for its robust sailing manufacturing and rich maritime history.

In my experience, casual sailors or those wanting to explore more can find quality boats that are made in the US. Many of the boats made in the US have developed an outstanding reputation with some lasting over five decades.

Table of contents

‍ Top 10 Sailboats Made in the USA

A lot of boaters want to know exactly where their sailboat was created. Many favor a boat that was made from an American company that sets an industry standard versus cheaper comparable overseas. Not to say that all boats made elsewhere are bad but consistency is key in the US.

In a lot of situations buying an American made sailboat is best for those that live near the company. It makes it a thousand times easier to order parts or to get first hand knowledge of your boat when the company that built it is right around the corner.

The Catalina lineup offers plenty of options to choose from when it comes to casual sailing boats or yachts. The company is located in Largo, Florida and has sustained a good reputation for their durable and performance on the water.

Since 1969 they have become America’s largest sailboat builder. They also rival top competitors such as Nautor’s Swan for the sailboat market.

J/Boats are unique and set themselves apart from other types of sailboats like their J/22 and J/70 models. They have been established in Newport, Rhode Island since 1977.

They have everything you can think of for sailboats with the customer in mind. These luxury and sleek designs that they offer help to combat anything the water has in store.

Hinckley Yachts

Hinckley had their sailing origins date back to 1928 in Southwest Harbor, Maine but is now headquartered in Rhode Island. Many sailors are drawn to the craftsmanship and luxury attributes of these sailboats.

The Bermuda 40 for example are timeless classics that use high quality materials. Many of their designs have proven to be fan favorites.

Island Packet Yachts

Island Packet has been aiming towards making sailboats in Largo, FLorida that are treasured among various generations. Their IP 349 and IP 439 models are some of the best sailboats you can find on the market.

Sailors love these American made sailboats. These are typically due to their reliability and comfort you can achieve while exploring blue water areas.

Tartan Yachts

Tartan has been around since 1960 in Ohio and has developed beloved sailboats. Their most popular models are the 3400 and 4000 but they also have new classics in the making.

They even have a program where you can bring your old Tartan and talk with the team to see about restoring your old classic for a given price. This allows you to hang onto your treasured sailboat and potentially one day have it restored to its former glory.

Morris Yachts

Morris has roots in Maine around 1972. They are owned by Hinckley and they make some excellent modern models for sailboats.

The M36 and M42 are classics that many agree are excellent options for any level of sailor. They feature other models that are geared towards larger families or you are wanting more living space throughout the boat.

Viking Yacht Company

Viking is based in New Jersey and has some of the best yachts you can possibly imagine. Their 44C and 48C are some of their best moderate sized models but they get even crazier with their 92C offering.

If you want a true American experience on a yacht you cannot go wrong with anything Viking has in store. They have a wide range of models to suit your needs for luxury on the ocean.

Oyster Yachts

Oyster Yachts have been around for over 50 years and have dominated the Rhode Island area for yachts. One appealing feature that stands out compared to other sailboat brands is that you can customize a majority of your boat online before having to pick it up. Oyster has a boat for you that is able to handle blue water capabilities and luxury.

Broward Yachts

Broward is actually a superyacht builder that often gets lumped into the sailboat category since they are luxury boats that are blue water capable. This shipyard is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and has designed over 300 yachts to date since 1948.

In fact they earn the business of sailboat owners that are on the fence about other sailboat brands that are looking for a yacht. They are a one of kind yacht brand that deserves a shout out from the sailboat community.

Boston Whaler

Boston Whaler is not exactly a modern sailboat either but is a blue water cruiser that is perfect for any situation out on the water. These boat builders from Florida helped make the perfect boat for fishing or cruising in blue water territories. You can find various models such as the Vantage or Conquest to help fit your blue water needs.

Are Sailboats Made Better in the US?

Quality and performance are very important for a sailboat brand to remain in business. Many boat brands in the US have been around for several decades and you do not do that by accident. Boat builders have to create something special for a good price or depending on the market value.

Rich History

The US has a rich maritime history that bodes well with their craftsmanship and dedication to making the perfect sailboat. Many companies such as Catalina and Island Packet have established themselves as some of the best in the US that many boat owners would agree with.

What Makes a Brand Unique

Many sailboat brands offer various models to cater to a wider range of buyers. These could be a cruiser series or sport series for example. Some even consider it their house on the water as long as it is seaworthy.

The design team will also need to factor in living space and effortless performance to be considered a luxury sailboat. If a brand offers a lot of options to fit many needs then that boat brand is one step ahead of the competition.

Rivals Across the Globe

It is important to understand that there are other top quality sailboat brands in the world and that some American made brands rival those found in France and Sweden. Nautor’s Swan and Dufor are to name a few.

Your Sailing Desires and Budget

Claiming that one brand is better than another is simply based on market opinion and your current situation. Your budget and sailing goals will ultimately help shape what you believe is the best sailboat or whether or not the US has the best ones period.

Why is Sailing Popular in the US?

Sailing has been popular around various parts of the world for centuries. As technology and attention to detail has evolved over the years it has created the foundation for the love of sailing.

Florida is Home to Sailing

Many boat builders aim to make the best boats in places where sailing should thrive. Florida for example is the highest rate of boat owners in the US. You will likely see many brands of boats especially a French brand or two.

People Love the Water

There are roughly 12 million registered boats in the US for recreational purposes. There are many purposes for boats on the water such as racing or fishing. A sailboat will help you cover a lot of those activities on the water and Americans tend to spend a lot of time on the ocean.

Recreational use is a driving force for Americans that want to spend more time on the water. Sailboats are likely the reason for most of these numbers especially in parts of Maine or further up the east coast of the US.

Related Articles

Daniel Wade

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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American 18

The American 18 Daysailer is ideal for those who are seeking a spacious and comfortable daysailer which is also designed for speed and performance. Design features include a self bailing cockpit, molded in drink cooler storage areas, three storage compartments, kickup rudder and centerboard, adjustable jib tracks, Harken hardware, and stainless rigging. As with all American Sail products, the American 18 is constructed of hand-laid fiberglass with positive foam floatation for a durable and safe boat. The wide beam and flat bottom planing hull allow for exceptional performance in a light breeze or in a heavy wind. This boat is designed to sail flat with minimal heel. It is Offered as a package with boat, sails, and galvanized trailer. Optional features include roller furling jib, outboard engines or trolling motor, trailering cover, and mooring cover.  Definitely one of the best small sailboats you will find available on the market!

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Sailing America: 10 of the best spots to cruise in the US

• Steve Walburn
• May 6, 2022

Sailing America opens up wide and varied cruising grounds, taking in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as temperate and tropical locations to explore under sail. Steve Walburn shares his 10 best spots

Santa Catalina, one of California’s Channel Islands, offers cruisers wildlife, dive sites and Mt. Orizaba, its highest peak. Credit: Getty

From the Pacific and Atlantic oceans to the Gulf of Mexico, America boasts the world’s eighth-longest coastline.

Throw in an abundance of freshwater sailing in the Great Lakes, along with myriad tropical destinations accessible from US waters, and the United States presents nearly endless cruising opportunities for visiting sailors.

Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes, offers plenty of sailing, including Chicago Harbor, guarded by the automated lighthouse on the northern breakwater. Credit: Getty

Whether you sail across the Atlantic or fly to the States and charter a boat, UK cruisers will find sailing adventure as varied as the country itself.

With both major coastlines stretching north and south, there is always year-round cruising at one latitude or another.

Starting in the Northeast during summer and working clockwise around the country, here are ten great destinations to set sail in the New World and beyond.

Penobscot Bay, Maine

Maine has a strong boat building heritage and you will see plenty of examples as you cruise the bay, including Casco. Credit: Getty

With its craggy coastline and rich maritime heritage, Maine may be the ultimate US cruising ground.

From Casco Bay in the south to the Bay of Fundy in the north, a labyrinth of wilderness islands, picturesque villages, and secluded anchorages await adventurous mariners.

Roughly in the middle of that ragged coast are the celebrated waters of Penobscot Bay.

There Maine’s tradition of wooden boat building thrives in places like Brooklin Boat Yard and Center Harbor.

Pink granite outcrops and evergreen forests line the scenic coast.

Gunkhole in a private cove for a day or two, then grab a mooring ball or a slip in any of dozens of Penobscot Bay harbors.

Excellent hiking and camping await on islands such as Warren Island State Park, where in summer the lush maritime woodlands are ripe with wild blueberry and raspberries.

Sailing America: Getting to Penobscot Bay, Maine

Peak Maine cruising season is July through August. During that time, the prevailing wind is a light southerly of about 5 knots.

The bay’s 20-mile breadth poses little difficulty entering either west or east Penobscot Bay.

However, a big tidal range, frequent fog , and a gauntlet of lobster pots make for challenging sailing.

Granite headlands call for vigilance against underwater ledges and obstructions.

Provisioning opportunities can be limited, so stock up in ports such as Rockland or Camden before venturing out.

Bareboat charters are available through Johanson Boatworks in Rockland ( www.jboatworks.com ) and Northpoint Yacht Charters in Rockport ( www.northpointyachtcharters.com ).

Buy Waterway Guide—Northern Edition 2022 at Amazon (US)

Buy A Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast by James Bildner at Amazon (US)

Buy A Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast by James Bildner at Foyles (UK)

Buy A Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast by James Bildner at Amazon (UK)

Buy Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast by Hank and Jan Taft at Amazon (UK)

Sailing America: Newport, Rhode Island

The harbour at Newport is usually crowded but there are plenty of places to anchor in the bay. Credit: Getty

Newport, Rhode Island, is arguably the capital of US sailing. Nautical influences on this classic New England town range from the world’s largest fleet of 12 Metres to the Golden Age of Sail.

Consistent winds in relatively protected Narragansett Bay make for pleasant sailing in a light chop. The local climate is warmed by proximity to the Gulf Stream, and the sailing season can run through October.

Downtown Newport offers world-class dining, haul-out and repair facilities, and a bustling city centre full of diverse American architecture.

The Herreshoff Marine Museum and America’s Cup Hall of Fame are in nearby Bristol, and the famed Newport International Boat Show is in September.

Just outside Narragansett Bay lie the famed cruising grounds of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Block Island, all within a day’s sail.

The entrance to Long Island Sound (and New York Harbor via the East River) is about 40 miles south.

Sailing America: Getting to Newport

Narragansett Bay is divided into three sections: West Passage, East Passage, and the Sakonnet River. Conanicut Island lies in the middle and offers shelter on either side during strong southerly or northeasterly blows.

There are various mooring fields in all three sections of the bay, with popular anchorages off the east shore of Aquidneck Island.

Upon entering the bay from Rhode Island Sound, Newport Harbor is just beyond a relatively narrow channel south of Castle Hill Lighthouse at the mouth of East Passage.

The water widens inside, with plenty of room to maneuver until you enter the harbor proper, which is usually crowded with moored vessels.

Sail in a 12 Metre regatta with www.12meteryachtcharters.com .

Bareboat in Narragansett Bay through www.bareboatsailing.com.

Buy A Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts by Lynda Morris Childress, Patrick Childress and Think Martin at Amazon (US)

Buy A Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts by Lynda Morris Childress, Patrick Childress and Think Martin at Amazon (UK)

Buy A Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts by Lynda Morris Childress, Patrick Childress and Think Martin at Foyles (UK)

Sailing America: Chesapeake Bay

Spring and fall are the best times to cruise Chesapeake Bay. Credit: Getty

Chesapeake Bay is the largest inlet on the Atlantic Coast.

Its massive watershed drains six states and the District of Columbia, but the saltwater ecosystem is confined primarily to Virginia and Maryland.

With more total shoreline than the entire US west coast, scores of major cities and small towns line the bay.

The upper reaches are highlighted by Annapolis, Maryland, famous for its sailing heritage and annual boat show.

Baltimore Harbor is a little farther north, and Washington DC is just to the west on the Potomac River.

In contrast to the west side of the bay, the Eastern Shore is mostly farmland, with endless creeks, bays, and narrows offering a gunkholer’s delight.

Popular small ports on the eastern side include St. Michaels on the Miles River and Oxford on the Tred Avon River.

The southern bay is home to busy Virginia ports such as Virginia Beach and Norfolk, the site of a huge US naval station.

Sailing America: Getting to Chesapeake Bay

Offshore sailors enter the bay at the 17-mile-long Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel connecting mainland Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore.

For inshore travellers, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway joins the bay with protected North Carolina waters farther south.

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal connects the upper Chesapeake Bay to Delaware Bay. Both stretches are important ICW corridors for snowbird cruisers migrating with the seasons.

Mid-summer brings stifling heat and humidity, but spring and fall offer pleasant sailing in temperate climates.

Bareboat rentals with Waypoints Annapolis ( www.waypoints.com ).

Buy Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholers Guide by William Shellenberger at Amazon (US)

Buy Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholers Guide by William Shellenberger at Amazon (UK)

Buy Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholers Guide by William Shellenberger at Waterstones (UK)

Buy Waterway Guide Chesapeake Bay 2022 at Amazon (US)

Buy Waterway Guide Chesapeake Bay 2022 at Amazon (UK)

Beaufort to Beaufort, The Carolinas

Beaufort, North Carolina is a good base for exploring the Outer Banks to the north

A cruise from Beaufort, North Carolina, to Beaufort, South Carolina, features the historic ports of both cities, as well as the antebellum city of Charleston, SC.

On the northern end lies Beaufort, NC (pronounced Bō-fert), with its quaint waterfront, maritime history museum, and quick access to the wild Outer Banks.

Beaufort’s immediate neighborhood includes the pristine Rachel Carson marine reserve, Shackleford Banks and its herd of wild horses, and Cape Lookout National Seashore, the southern terminus of one of the longest undeveloped coastlines on the Atlantic seaboard.

South Carolina’s identically named town (pronounced Bū-ferd) is home to classic Lowcountry marshes graced with vibrant green spartina grasses and an afternoon light that is downright ethereal.

In between lies Charleston, a sprawling seaport of historic antebellum homes, world-class restaurants, and graceful southern charm.

Sailing America: Getting to Beaufort to Beaufort

It is roughly 350 miles between the Beauforts, which can also include stops at salty towns like Wilmington, NC, and Myrtle Beach, SC. Well-travelled sections of the ICW connect all three cities.

Extra caution is advised when entering or exiting any of the inlets that bisect the mid-Atlantic barrier islands, especially on strong southeasterly winds or at low tide.

Frying Pan Shoals off the cape at Bald Head Island extends well offshore and deserves a very wide berth.

Transient boat slips are available in all three harbours through Safe Harbor Marinas ( www.shmarinas.com ).

Buy Waterway Guide Atlantic ICW 2022 at Amazon (US)

Florida Keys

There are hundreds of islands to cruise in the Florida Keys including Wisteria Island in Key West. Credit: Getty

The Florida Keys are often perceived as simply a jumping-off point for passage to the Caribbean , but they offer excellent cruising in themselves.

Charter a boat in Miami, and you have more than 800 islands and islets stretching 150 miles from Key Biscayne to Key West.

Beyond that lie the Marquesas and Dry Tortugas island groups, both US territories and the centrepieces of a US national wildlife refuge and a national park.

The 70-mile passage from Key West to Dry Tortugas is a popular trip accessible to most intermediate-level cruisers.

The Keys are also home to the only barrier coral reef in North America, and the third largest in the world.

Ashore any of the Keys you will find a kitschy, flip-flop vibe unlike anywhere else in the States. And best of all, the Keys are indeed a great staging area for any itinerary that takes you deeper into the Caribbean.

Sailing America: Getting to the Florida Keys

Most marine areas from Key Biscayne to the Dry Tortugas are protected by the 3,800-square mile Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

There are mooring balls located up and down the reef. Contact the sanctuary for a free map of mooring ball locations ( www.floridakeys.noaa.gov ).

If anchoring , keep in mind that much of the Keys is marl bottom, which can make getting a good anchor set difficult.

When in doubt, use the clear waters to dive on your anchor. Bareboat charters are available through Miami Yacht Charters ( www.miamicharters.com ).

Buy Waterway Guide Florida Keys at Amazon (US)

Buy Waterway Guide Southern 2022 at Amazon (US)

Buy Waterway Guide Southern 2022 at Amazon (UK)

Continues below…

How to sail across the Atlantic and back

Confined to quarters during the pandemic, many sailors are itching to slip their lines and sail for the sun. Elaine…

Offshore sailing skills: All you need to know

Will Bruton finds out what coastal cruisers should consider before taking their small yacht on an offshore adventure

Exploring the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

Stephanie and I had left Cape Verde on the 6 January 2020, on a blustery and wet morning almost exactly…

Sailing Mexico: a fiesta afloat

Sailing Mexico was the start of Joshua Shankle and Rachel Moore's plan to circumnavigate the world. They find bustle and…

US Virgin Islands

St John is a popular sailing destination in the USVIs, but you can find a quiet anchorage, off Hawksnest Bay. Credit: Getty

The US Virgin Islands (USVI) offer classic cruising in cerulean water against a backdrop of green volcanic islands.

Distinct from the flatter and more arid Bahamas to the north, the USVI is a tropical paradise lying at the dividing line between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

In addition to the group’s three main islands, there are scores of smaller islets and cays scattered throughout the archipelago.

They are renowned for sandy white beaches and lush tropical forests. Maho Bay on St. John is one of the more popular destinations, known for the opportunity to snorkel with green and hawksbill sea turtles.

There are numerous national parks, monuments, and marine preserves throughout the islands. More than half of St. Thomas is a US national park.

Point your bow toward the USVI, and you will end up at the centre point of the entire Virgin Islands archipelago, with the British VI lying due east and the lesser-known Puerto Rican VI to the west.

Sailing America: Getting to the US Virgin Islands

There are several ways to sail to the Virgin Islands. A rhumb line from the US mainland at Miami is known as the Thorny Path due to the labyrinth of islands, reefs, shoals, currents, and upwind slogs complicating the route.

This nearshore passage is best handled in short hops over a long period of successive weather windows. That means taking several weeks instead of days.

The alternative is known as the I-65 Expressway, so named because it takes you east of Florida offshore to longitude 65°W.

From there you sail south across the trades in true offshore conditions. Or you can just fly into St. Thomas and charter with Waypoints USVI ( www.waypoints.com ).

The Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands 2022 by Simon Scott at Amazon (US)

The Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands 2022 by Simon Scott at Amazon (UK)

Channel Islands, California

All moorings at Avalon harbor on Catalina, one of the Channel Islands, are allocated on a first-come, first, serve basis. Visiting yachts should stand by the harbor entrance to be assigned a mooring. Credit: Getty

California’s Channel Islands consist of eight major islands divided into a northern group and a southern group.

Cruisers visiting southern California will find either destination a short sail off the mainland.

Characterised by arid, rugged terrain and abundant wildlife, this pristine area presents challenging sailing that rewards mariners with stunning scenery in remote anchorages.

A menagerie of whale, dolphin, sea lion, and seal species inhabit these waters, most of which are encompassed in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.

Onshore you will find scattered beaches, sea caves, and excellent hiking in places such as the Pelican Bay Trail on Santa Cruz Island. Flora and fauna range from cacti to buffalo.

Because much of the Channel Islands are protected or private, you may need a permit to go ashore.

When you are ready to regroup in port, check out the scenic town of Avalon on Catalina Island.

At a population of only 3,460, it is the most developed town in these otherwise pristine islands and a great place to re-provision, shop, or dine out for a night or two.

Sailing America: Getting to the Channel Islands

The closest of the Channel Islands is less than 15 miles from the mainland, but the entire archipelago is known for ocean swell, confused seas, and strong winds.

To the north, Point Conception is sometimes referred to as the “Cape Horn of the Pacific” due to frequent gales that threaten seas in the northern group.

And the downslope Santa Ana “Devil Winds” blowing offshore from the mainland are a force to be closely monitored

All the islands offer plenty of anchorages, but relatively few are fully protected.

Perfect your anchoring technique and ground tackle before setting sail to the Channel Islands.

Charter or bareboat from Santa Barbara Sailing Center ( www.sbsail.com ).

Buy the Cruising Guide to California’s Channel Islands by Brian Fagan at Amazon (US)

Buy the Cruising Guide to California’s Channel Islands by Brian Fagan at Amazon (UK)

Buy the The Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California: Golden Gate to Ensenada, Mexico, Including the Offshore Islands by Brian Fagan at Amazon (US)

Buy the The Cruising Guide to Central and Southern California: Golden Gate to Ensenada, Mexico, Including the Offshore Islands by Brian Fagan at Amazon (UK)

San Francisco Bay, California

It is best to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge on the slack before the flood. Credit: Getty

When you have had your fill of California’s wild coastal islands, head north for some urban cruising in beautiful San Francisco Bay.

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge is a milestone for any mariner.

Host of the 2013 America’s Cup, the bay is a colourful mix of cityscape and nature, from local green spaces to surrounding recreation areas, parks, and mountains.

Hip and progressive, America’s iconic west coast city reflects cultural influences ranging from the Beat Generation to nearby Silicon Valley.

At the nautical epicentre are Aquatic Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, including its flagship Balclutha , a 301-foot square-rigger built in 1886.

Take a couple of days or a couple of weeks to cruise past the exhilarating port cities lining the bay, and you’ll find plenty of sightseeing—and wind—to keep any sailor entertained.

Sailing America: Getting to San Francisco Bay

Most cruisers chart a counterclockwise route through the bay, always mindful of the powerful winds running through the narrows under Golden Gate Bridge, a long fetch known as The Slot.

Notorious for fog and chill ocean winds, even in the peak of summer bay sailing is a bracing experience.

Major shipping lanes, stacked seas, and strong currents add to the challenge (and accomplishment) of sailing in San Francisco Bay.

Some of the more popular anchorages include Clipper Cove, Richardson Bay off of Sausalito, Ayala Cove at Angel Island State Park, and Aquatic Park Cove on the northern edge of the city.

Bareboat or skippered charters are available through Spinnaker Sailing ( www.spinnaker-sailing.com ).

Buy Cruising Guide to San Francisco Bay by Bob and Carolyn Mehaffy at Amazon (US)

Buy Cruising Guide to San Francisco Bay by Bob and Carolyn Mehaffy at Amazon (UK)

San Juan Islands, Washington

Lummi in the San Juan Islands offers a sheltered anchorage, with a view of Mount Baker, an active volcano. Credit: Getty

What Maine sailing is to America’s northeast coast, the San Juan Islands are to its Pacific Northwest.

This archipelago of temperate rainforests scattered between Washington State and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, offers some of the best cruising in North America.

Situated above the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the Salish Sea, the islands also mark a starting point for passages farther north along the magnificent BC coast and up the Inside Passage to Southeast Alaska.

The San Juans are former British territory charted in 1792 by Royal Navy officer George Vancouver, after whom many of the region’s most prominent landmarks are named.

Today, the islands are a serene outpost of sparse human inhabitation coexisting with towering fir and hemlock trees, black-tailed deer, sea otters, shorebirds, migrating waterfowl, and America’s highest concentration of its national symbol, the bald eagle.

Pods of resident orcas roam the myriad passes and inlets in pursuit of salmon and seals.

Cruisers needing to stretch their legs ashore will find pebble beaches and excellent hiking on nearly every island.

Sailing America: Getting to the San Juan Islands

You can spend a week and see plenty of the San Juans or spend years and still not see it all.

These compact islands are a labyrinth of passages, coves, and bays that make for world-class anchorages.

There are 11 Washington state marine parks in the San Juans, all of which offer moorings, campsites, and other essential facilities.

Underwater rocks and strong tidal flows abound, so large-detail charts and tide tables are a must. Shore-tying skills are also critical in anchorages that are too confined to permit standard anchoring.

Charters are available from San Juan Sailing ( www.sanjuansailing.com )

Buy Waggoner Cruising Guide 2021 Volume 2 at Amazon (US) Buy Waggoner Cruising Guide 2021 Volume 2 at Amazon (UK) Buy Waggoner 2022 Cruising Guide

Hawaiian Islands

Yachts can only stay 72 hours in a single anchorage before moving on in Hanalei Harbor on Kauai, and the rest of the Hawaiian Islands. Credit: Getty

Although Hawaii is more than 2,000 miles from the American mainland, no US cruising guide would be complete without a nod to this storied Pacific destination.

Surrounded by steady trade winds, Hawaii offers year-round sailing in azure waters against a backdrop of lush volcanic islands.

Cruising sailors share the waters with humpback whales, spinner dolphins, monk seals, manta rays, green turtles, and a kaleidoscope of reef fishes.

Onshore, these isolated islands present a spectrum of micro-climates determined by altitude, wind, topography, and weather patterns.

The result is a rich diversity of ecosystems ranging from tropical forests to desertscape and alpine slopes.

The state is also among America’s most culturally diverse because of its central location between North America and East Asia. Its state flag still incorporates the Union Jack.

Sailing America: Getting to the Hawaiian Islands

The trade winds in Hawaii average about 15 knots from the east. However, wind accelerating through the passes between islands can make things very spicy.

The leeward or western side of the archipelago offers calmer seas most of the time.

Sailors depart for the Hawaiian Islands from all corners of the Pacific, including Mexico , Australia, New Zealand, and Alaska.

And, of course, you can always sail across from the US mainland. But that is a whole other story!

Bareboat options are limited in Hawaii due to the challenging conditions.

For a skippered charter, check out Yacht Charters Hawaii ( www.charter-hawaii.com ) or Honolulu Sailing Company ( www.honsail.com )

Buy Cruising Guide to the Hawaiian Islands by By Carolyn and Bob Mehaffy at Amazon (US)

Buy Cruising Guide to the Hawaiian Islands by By Carolyn and Bob Mehaffy at Amazon (UK)

Buy Charlie’s Charts: Hawaiian Islands by Charles and Margo Wood at Amazon (US)

Buy Charlie’s Charts: Hawaiian Islands by Charles and Margo Wood at Amazon (UK)

Sailing America: Hidden Attractions

Museum hopping.

Herreshoff Marine Museum’s Hall of Fame is a must visit. Credit: Getty

Herreshoff Marine Museum and America’s Cup Hall of Fame

Brothers Nathanael and Francis Herreshoff are America’s most celebrated naval architects.

They built everything from canoes to torpedo boats but are best remembered as the authors of hundreds of sailing designs, five of which won America’s Cup titles.

Located in Bristol, RI, the museum is easily visited during a cruise of Narragansett Bay.

www.herreshoff.org

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Immerse yourself in Chesapeake Bay’s nautical history by sailing to St. Michaels, Maryland.

The local maritime museum consists of 35 buildings and 85 vessels, including the last working log-bottom bugeye, Edna Lockwood, a Chesapeake Bay oyster dredger declared a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

www.cbmm.org

North Carolina Maritime Museums

This network of state history museums is dedicated to the story of North Carolina’s rich nautical history.

One of the best in the system is in Beaufort, NC, where you will find colorful exhibits of maritime history ranging from pirate ships to wooden skiffs.

www.ncmaritimemuseums.com

San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park

Encompassing 50 acres, this US National Park Service facility is one of the west coast’s most important nautical history centres.

Among other attractions, it includes a museum, a fleet of six historic vessels, and a research centre housing thousands of photographs, articles, books, artwork, and naval drawings.

www.nps.gov/safr/index.htm

Bonus Cruising Grounds

Sanibel Island is a good place to stop for cruisers sailing up and down the Intracoastal Waterway, with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico. Credit: Getty

The Great Lakes

Straddling the US and Canadian border, the world’s largest group of inland lakes presents myriad freshwater cruising opportunities.

There is even access from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The grandaddy of them all, Lake Superior, offers stellar freshwater sailing around Isle Royale National Park, The Apostle Islands, and St. Ignace Island (in Canadian waters).

Gulf of Mexico

Oil and gas development and a relatively homogenous coastline tend to steer cruisers away from the Gulf of Mexico.

Yet America’s best white-sand beaches are found along the Gulf Coast. If you are cruising the tip of Florida, consider tucking around to its southwest side.

There you will find shallow-water cruising along the edge of Everglades National Park, 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and the sugar-white beaches of Sanibel Island, Captiva, and Pine Island Sound.

Sailing America: What you need to know

Credit: Getty

All temporary visitors to the US are required to have a passport, but not necessarily a visa.

Visit the US State Department website ( Travel.State.Gov ) and search ‘Visa Waiver Program’ for a list of participating countries.

Whether you clear in at the helm of your own vessel or plan to charter for a few days or weeks, here are some additional tips to keep in mind.

Clearing In

Cruising sailors must clear in at an official port of entry. A list of ports is available on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website ( www.cbp.gov/contact/ports ).

Arriving sailors should have the standard portfolio of passport and visa (if required), boat registration, insurance documentation, crew lists, free pratique, and port clearance from their previous destination.

Keep these and other documents well organised and backed up by photocopies or stored in the cloud. Have your boat stamp at the ready and maintain the vessel in inspection condition.

While cruising, monitor VHF 16 as a listening channel. Visit the US Coast Guard Navigation Center web page for additional VHF radio channel information.

There you will find a wealth of cruising resources, including links to the frequently updated Local Notice to Mariners available by region.

Another great resource is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) United States Coast Pilot Series.

This free downloadable booklet gives a written summary of all navigation standards, hazards, and highlights throughout the country.

Find the guides online here .

Bareboat Chartering

Bareboat charter requirements vary according to location and company policy.

In general, the US standard is certification from either the American Sailing Association (ASA) or US Sailing.

The ASA bareboat certification is course 104, which can be obtained only after completing the organisation’s basic keelboat and coastal cruising courses.

Be ready to produce a sailing resume with at least 80 hours of experience.

Consult your charter company to find out whether other credentials, such as the International Certification of Competence, are acceptable.

The bottom line is to conduct your research specific to the location you plan to visit.

Regardless of experience or coursework, the decision on whether to rent a boat to you will ultimately be up to the individual charter operator.

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The Cyclors of American Magic

• By Spencer Powlison
• April 25, 2023

American Magic’s AC75 Patriot glides through the water near Pensacola, Florida, and as it picks up speed with the day’s favorable winds, the imposing dark hull rises from the water and begins to plane on its hydrofoils. Crouched near the bow, pedaling furiously, John Croom is lashed by spray. His earpiece crackles with chatter from the rest of the crew. He has watched videos of America’s Cup boats. He’s logged hundreds of hours of training on land. But this is his first time—his first time on any sailboat.

“Still to this day, that’s one of the most euphoric moments I’ve ever had in my career,” Croom says. “Getting the opportunity to sail, and then just feeling that actual takeoff and being on the foils was something super special. That was the day I fell in love with it.”

While some of sailing’s traditionalists bristle at the inclusion of cyclors in lieu of grinders on America’s Cup boats, there’s no turning back now. The technology will be found on every boat in the 2024 America’s Cup.

This novel power-delivery method has opened the door for newcomers like Croom to hop aboard, like throwing a ­drivers-ed student into a Formula 1. It has also led to a revolution in the way America’s Cup teams recruit talent, hone their physiological training, and use cycling know-how to power the AC75’s hydraulic controls.

“We’re finding that cyclors bring much more power to the table,” says Ben Day, American Magic’s performance lead. “Cycling uses much bigger muscle groups; therefore, they can produce more power than arm grinders. And with the new AC75 regulations of reducing crew numbers (eight sailors total), we need to find that power in other ways. So, most teams are looking at cyclors at this stage. Glutes, quads and hamstrings can produce more explosive power and more power for a longer sustained period.”

Day is another example of someone outside the sailing establishment who quickly entered American Magic’s inner circle. Day had a 12-year career as a professional cyclist, racing primarily in North America. Once he retired from racing, the Australian started Day by Day Coaching out of his adopted hometown of Boulder, Colorado.

Not surprisingly, Day and American Magic looked to the cycling world to find athletes to fill their “power teams.” The team had preliminary conversations with Kiel Reijnen, a professional rider who spent six years in cycling’s WorldTour, racing the sport’s premier events, such as the Tour of Spain, Tour of Flanders, and multiple UCI World Championships.

“We focused on leg-­dominant power sports, with similar activities that would fit the needs for racing on the boat,” says Day of the recruitment process. “We have taken time to examine a whole list of athletes that might fit the bill, and then have reached out to consider interest.”

It wasn’t as simple as assembling a bench of top cyclists. The rule book states the combined weight of the eight-person crew must be between 680 and 700 kilograms. Split evenly, that means each person should be between 85 and 87.5 kilograms. Reijnen weighs 65 kilograms. It’s rare to find a pro cyclist that weighs more than 80 kilograms because power-to-weight ratio in cycling rules all. Cyclists can control both variables in the power-to-weight equation. Training can boost power output, measured in watts. They can also lose weight to improve their power-to-weight ratio. Naturally, any given rider has limits for both variables. The best professionals are extremely efficient in their power production and astonishingly lean. It would be a tall order for someone like Reijnen to gain 20 kilograms without compromising their power output.

Croom is uniquely suited to the challenge, having found cycling late in life after playing football in his younger years and at times weighing close to 136 kilograms. Though he slimmed down to about 90, he’d never be suited for road cycling. Track cycling, on the other hand, was a good fit. Since track events are held on a flat, 250-meter track, weight can be sacrificed at the expense of raw power.

Ashton Lambie is another hopeful on American Magic’s power team who never quite fit cycling’s mold. This mustachioed Nebraskan holds the record for the fastest ride across the state of Kansas. He’s also the only human to ever ride the 4 km track pursuit event in under four minutes.

The riders you might see on television at the Tour de France are not going to be aboard an AC75 in Barcelona. Similarly, the athletes who have been recruited to pedal the cyclors aren’t ready to ride on day one, despite their extensive backgrounds in cycling. Intense training is underway to prepare them for the demands of an America’s Cup race.

“There are periods where we spend time focusing more on endurance or strength development,” Day says. “At other times, we’re working more around the high-intensity phases.”

While American Magic has been mum about the specifics of the training and the AC75’s power demands, Croom has posted many of his recent workouts and training rides on Strava, an online activity tracker.

Croom has done extensive endurance work, already logging weekly rides longer than 80 miles in January. He’s also been completing viciously intense interval workouts to build his body’s tolerance for maximum efforts. For example, he was able to hold 371 watts for 20 minutes in one such workout. Simply a statistic, right? I’ve been racing bikes for the last 25 years, and at my best, I can hold 302 watts for 20 minutes. Someone without training or experience would do well to maintain just half of Croom’s wattage.

While the training and performance of these new crewmembers are opaque, the technical details of the AC75 are practically impenetrable. American Magic’s spokespeople and crew did not answer specific questions about how the hydraulic power system works, but what we do know is that the boat has a hydraulic accumulator tank, which stores pressure generated by the cyclors. The crew uses a hydraulic actuator to convert the tank’s pressure into force, which in turn powers the boat’s controls. Any time the boat needs to tack, jibe or simply trim a sail, power is needed.

Sources indicate that the hydraulic accumulator results in a very unusual feel at the pedals for the power team. It’s also believed that as the tank gets full, the effort to add more pressure to the accumulator becomes harder.

“We can change the different inputs to the system,” James Wright, of the American Magic power team, told the America’s Cup Recon Unit, which monitors and reports on the team’s developments. “The different power demands necessitate different inputs from us on our side. The system kind of auto-adjusts depending on the demands from the sails and, of course, what we can give it.”

It’s easy to imagine how the team might strategize its efforts, given the intensity of a 20- to 30-minute America’s Cup race and the essentially limitless power demands of the boat. They might attempt to keep the tank as low as possible with steady, moderate pedaling, and then fill it as fast as possible with maximum effort ahead of a demanding maneuver like a tack. Perhaps some of the four riders would be specifically reserved for all-out efforts to fill the tank on demand, while others would ride steadily to feed power to minor adjustments.

Whatever the strategy, it is clear that the entire crew needs to be in lock-step during a race. “When we talk about the sailing team, we consider the power team part of a sailing team; they have to work in cohesion,” Day says. “The afterguard will request efforts from the guys as they trim the boat, and they’ll learn what they can deliver in terms of power. And the guys will give it their all to deliver what’s asked of them. So, there must be solid cohesion between the two groups; ultimately, we are one team.”

Clearly, the sailors, engineers and coaches are working furiously to optimize the use of the cyclors. There is another area of the sport that has some catching up to do, and that is World Cycling’s anti-doping controls. Even the casual cycling fan is aware that performance-­enhancing drugs have long tarnished the sport’s reputation. Given the massive physiological demands placed on the AC75’s power team, the sport’s governing body, World Sailing, would be wise to heed the lessons of cycling’s past.

In the wake of a major doping scandal about 10 years ago, cycling began rigorously testing athletes out of competition because it was found riders could achieve huge performance gains by doping for training and then cleaning up in time for in-competition controls at races. It stands to reason that this is a major liability for the America’s Cup, given the amount of run-up that the teams have to train for the 2024 event.

Although World Sailing conducted 186 in-competition tests between 2020 and 2022, including anti-doping ­controls at the last America’s Cup, it did not conduct any out-of-­competition controls during those three years. To ramp up efforts for the 2024 Cup, World Sailing brought on Vasi Naidoo as its director of legal and governance. Naidoo has experience with anti-doping efforts at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, and she served on the Ethics Commission at the UCI, cycling’s international governing body. World Sailing confirmed that there will be out-of-­competition anti-doping tests in 2023, and the testing will include America’s Cup athletes.

Fortunately, on the whole, the interplay between cycling and sailing—two unlikely ­bedfellows—has resulted in a fascinating exchange of technology and science. “The transition to cyclors allows a tech-forward, applied-­sciences sport to pull in a completely separate sport and borrow technology from it,” says Reijnen, who himself is an accomplished sailor, having finished the WA360 event sailed out of Port Townsend, Washington, in 2021. “What does sailing borrow from cycling, but what does cycling then borrow from sailing?”

Even at the person-to-person level, this exchange of information and experiences has been rapid and, in fact, quite cordial.

“The coolest part about being part of this team is that I came into this group of sailors so new and so green,” Croom says. “And they were super-­welcoming, understanding, and trying to get me to learn as quickly as possible. Like, any questions I had, there was no such thing as a dumb question, and that was something special.”

• More: AC75 , America's Cup , American Magic , Print March 2023 , Racing , Sailboat Racing
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We provide the best cruises and flotilla trips..

Set sail with American Sailing aboard various mega-yachts located around the world. Find amazing cruises in New England, The British Virgin Islands, Greece, and Croatia. Feel the wind, make new friends and explore multiple ports!

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Our goal is to get more people out on the water. We want you to go sailing. We organize these charters to expand our member’s ability to experience the joy of sailing. Therefore, we work to make these trips as affordable as possible.

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We are an organization of sailors. American Sailing is the largest sailing education entity in North America. When you sail on one of our member events you will be with other sailors.

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We are not a travel agency or a charter company. We teach sailing. We encourage you to use the skills that you learned while obtaining ASA certifications.  These are pleasure cruises but you will be surrounded by sailors and by people who love the water.

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When you book there is one person handling your trip. One. You are not just another passenger, you are one of our members. Go ahead and send an email to [email protected] and you’ll see that your travel questions will be answered. 

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Whether you are sailing in New England, the British Virgin Islands, or in the Mediterranean, you will always have an American Sailing Ambassador on your trip to help with the details. 

Upcoming Cruises & Flotillas

EXPLORE CROATIA ABOARD CATALEYA A LUXURY CRUISE

Welcome aboard Cataleya a 30 meter luxury sailing yacht which will be your home for 8 days as you explore the Dalmation coast of Croatia. This trip will include stops in Split, Hvar, Korcula as well as a few anchorages that are the secrets of the captain and the crew. Join us on a once-in-a-lifetime sailing vacation.

EXPLORE MALLORCA ABOARD CHRONOS A LUXURY CRUISE

Embark on a 6-day luxury sailing adventure aboard Chronos Yacht, exploring Mallorca to Menorca with American Sailing. Enjoy personalized service, secluded coves, and stunning coastlines with a small, passionate group. This intimate voyage offers full-board luxury, breathtaking views, and unique experiences in the heart of the Balearic Islands. Set sail for an unforgettable journey this fall.

SAILING GREECE ABOARD KAIROS A LUXURY CRUISE

Embark on an enchanting 8-day, 7-night sailing voyage through the stunning Saronic Gulf and its neighboring regions in Greece. This trip provides a blend of historical exploration with leisurely island-hopping, offering a captivating experience for sailing enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

CHRONOS IN THE CARIBBEAN A LUXURY CRUISE

Sailing in the Grenadines allows you to experience a variety of landscapes and activities. You can anchor in a quiet cove for a day of swimming and snorkeling, visit lively markets and historic sites onshore, or enjoy a sunset from the deck of Chronos. The Tobago Cays, a protected marine park, is a highlight, offering some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean.

Lenny Shabes Sailing Festival ~ BVIs A Guided Flotilla

Join us for a week of sailing in paradise, as our late founder Lenny Shabes, set out to teach aspiring sailors to do. To pay tribute to all Lenny has done for the world of sailing, we are calling all sailors to partake in a week of festivities ranging from sundowners to regattas in the beautiful BVI’s.

EXPLORE THE AMALFI COAST ABOARD CHRONOS A LUXURY CRUISE

Experience the enchanting allure of the Italian coast – from the picturesque Amalfi and Positano to the captivating islands of Capri and Ischia. Bask in the sun-drenched hillside villages, where the air is imbued with the tantalizing scent of citrus. Indulge in the delights of limoncello and embrace the charm of “Molto Bene.” Embark on a journey of luxury aboard a sailboat, as we navigate the azure waters of the Amalfi Coast in the summer of 2025.

ST TROPEZ & MALLORCA ABOARD CHRONOS A LUXURY CRUISE

Your journey begins in the glamorous port of St. Tropez, known for its luxury yachts, vibrant nightlife, and charming old town. As you set sail from this iconic French Riviera destination, the Mediterranean’s turquoise waters will guide you toward Marseille. Along the way, you can enjoy the stunning coastal landscapes, with opportunities for swimming in secluded coves or relaxing on deck.

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“Everything is taken care of. You don’t have to worry about anything. You just sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery, fresh sea air and fantastic ports of call to explore. In a very short time, we all got to know each other and everyone felt like family to me. I learned a lot, and enjoyed sharing this brief moment in time and space on this lovely boat called the Arabella.”

“What do a film producer, a tech consultant, a dad and his son have in common with a group of Puritans? They all boarded a boat named Arabella bound for Massachusetts, albeit 385 years apart. Unlike John Winthrop and crew the modern passengers sailed in comfort on an ASA sponsored voyage to Martha’s Vinyard, Nantucket and Cuttyhunk islands!”

“Absolutely no better way to relax… A full day of sailing aboard the “melts my heart” Arabella, lobster for dinner and slow trip back to the schooner during golden hour. Fantastic!”

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jeanneau yacht 51

Specifications

Basic information.

• Builder Jeanneau
• Category Cruisers
• Condition Used
• Hull Material Composite
• LOA 50' 9"
• Beam 15' 6"
• Max Draft 6' 2"
• Fuel Tank 105.67 GAL
• Fresh Water 174.35 GAL
• Holding Tank 31.7 GAL
• Keel Type Fin Keel

2021 Jeanneau 51'

Jeanneau Yacht 51, private owned and sold by current first owner. fully equipped and Mediterranean based

Full Description

Brewer Yacht Sales is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Sofer Yachts. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a particular vessel

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Edwards Yacht Sales

• 866.365.0706

2018 Jeanneau 51

• Cape Canaveral, FL, US

Yacht price

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This highly sought after shoal draft and ICW friendly 2018 Jeanneau 51 is well-equipped, well-maintained, and ready to cruise!

The Jeanneau 51 is designed for crew comfort and ease of handling. As soon as you step aboard you'll appreciate the deck layout. A large cockpit, spacious decks, dual helms, great rigging plan, bow thruster, and light heel under a full press of sail make this boat a joy to sail!

Equal consideration was given belowdecks. There is generous headroom, a large galley, refrigeration everywhere, lots of natural light, spacious cabins and heads, fine touches and finishings, washer/dryer, and an appreciable quality of construction. Whether for a weekend or indefinitely, you'll feel at home onboard.

Major Highlights :

• Excellence Package (to include bow thruster, electric winches, secondary windlass controls with chain counter, and much more)
• Terrace Package (folding sun loungers in Sunbrella Cadet Grey, teak cockpit, and opening aft terrace)
• Electronic Ocean Package (Raymarine i70s, radar, AIS, and more)
• Highfield Tender
• 8kW Onan Generator
• Cockpit and deck cushions in excellent shape
• Combination washer and dryer
• Roller furling headsail

Advanced co brokerage Florida Sail is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by David Walters Yachts.

Descriptions, basic information, dimensions & weight, tank capacities, accommodations.

• View Option

Additional Options and Features:

• Running rigging for Asymmetric Spinnaker only 
• Electric Primary winches
• 2nd windlass control at helm
• Folding helm seats
• 2 boarding ladders at side gates
• Cockpit table with leaves
• Cockpit cushions
• Electric sea pump for deck wash in anchor locker
• Onan 8KW 115V Genset
• Fridge/Freezer in utility room
• Secondary drawer fridge in galley
• Fridge in cockpit table 
• 3 Zone Air Conditioning
• Double berth in salon with conversion kit
• Mattress battens in master cabin
• Innerspring mattress in master cabin
• Electric JABSCO Heads
• Extra fuel tank 63Gallons (total Fuel 126 gallons)
• 3 blade fixed propeller
• Rub rail w/stainless steel
• 110 HP Yanmar shaft drive
• 147' of 13mm chain
• 33kg Rocna Anchor
• Life raft 
• Epirb 
• 2 auto inflate offshore lifejackets.
• 2 Jack lines
• 4 CO detectors
• 4 fire extinguishers 
• First Aid kits

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

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2021 Jeanneau Yachts 51

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Jeanneau 51

Great size for a cruising couple

49'2" / 14.98 m

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About the yacht

sailing monohull

330300€ (Ex. VAT)

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Key Highlights

Yacht Review & Polar diagram

Perfect for fun and fast cruising

Jeanneau 51.

Description from Yard: “The world is rich with extraordinary destinations. The Jeanneau 51 was created to take you there. The Jeanneau 51 benefits from the latest innovations that have made Jeanneau Yachts so successful: unequalled level of finish, unrivalled quality of life aboard and maximum ease of handling. Inspired by the Jeanneau 54, this new model was designed by naval architect, Philippe Briand and designer, Andrew Winch. Living spaces have been carefully studied, with meticulous attention to detail and the use of fine materials, to contribute to an excellent cruising experience and a luxurious lifestyle on board.”

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Description

Jeanneau 51 is a sailing yacht in production since 2018. It has international CE (A) certification and can be operated on the high seas. The case of the model is made of fiberglass, its length is 15.38 meters, width - 4.7 meters, and draft - 2.10 meters. The vessel is equipped with seats for sixteen passengers and three cabins with six berths.

Four sofas are installed on the cockpit of the ship, transforming into sun loungers and equipped with lockers. Between them are a folding wooden table and a passage to the captain’s post with two corner sofas and an adjustable steering wheel. On the sides of the yacht installed metal railings and stairs for access to water. On the bow of Jeanneau 51 there is a double soft lounger with a compact table - you can enter it through the aisles located on both sides.

The main cabin of the yacht has two corner sofas and a wooden dining table. On the starboard side there is a galley with a sink, a refrigerator, several food drawers, a bar and an oven. On the port side there is an electronic control panel with a soft armchair and a table. In the bow there is a spacious sleeping cabin with a double bed, a wardrobe and two armchairs. Doors leading to two compact sleeping cabins with double beds are installed next to the stairs. On the port side, in a separate room, a bathroom is equipped.

A stationary engine rated at 80 or 110 hp is installed on the model. The capacity of its fuel tank is 240 liters, and the tank for fresh water is 640 liters.

• Main Deck 2
• Lower Deck (Optional)
• Lower Deck (Optional 2)
• Lower Deck (Optional 3)

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• Length 15.38 m
• Beam 4.70 m
• Draft 2.10 m

• Draft 2.28 m

• Draft 0.00 m

• Length 14.98 m

• Draft 1.77 m

new from $ 478 175

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Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51

• 12 Passengers

General information

• Speakers in cockpit
• Swimming ladder
• Cockpit table
• Electric windlass
• Bow thruster
• Electric hoist
• Outboard motor
• Automatic pilot
• Deck shower
• Mask and snorkel
• Board games
• Diving equipment
• Fishing gear
• Solar battery
• The desalination of sea water
• Air conditioner
• Electric toilet
• 220V socket
• Speedometer
• Card reader
• 220V converter
• Refrigerator
• Coffee maker
• Oven/cooker
• Flippers, masks and snorkels
• Scuba diving equipment
• Water skis and accessories provided
• Wakeboard and accessories provided
• Tow buoy and accessories provided
• Dining table
• Bow sundeck
• Aft sundeck
• Child protection nets
• Protective equipment
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51′ Jeanneau 51 | 51' 2021 Jeanneau

Listed at $438,345

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Available for Sale 51′ Jeanneau 51 51' 2021 Jeanneau  

26 North Yachts is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Sofer Yachts. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a particular vessel

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• International Boat Show of Moscow | Russia

VISIT our sailboat lines, outboard and inboard powerboat models at the  Moscow INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW .

 - from 5th through the 9th of march, 2020 -.

We invite you to join us at the  Moscow International Boat Show  to discover, in a premier showing, our models and latest innovations . Professional representatives will be available to advise and guide you in order to find the right Jeanneau for you.

We will update you as soon as possible with the list of powerboats and sailboats that will be on display at this boat show. Stay tuned!

For all the news regarding shows where Jeanneau will be present, join us on social networks!

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Refined and elegant, the interior of the Jeanneau Yachts 51 shines in its style, as well as in its ergonomic design for longer cruises. Copious storage, a clever galley, a pantry, enabling you to install options such as a washing machine or a wine fridge, and especially, tanks and batteries for greater autonomy on board.

Find Jeanneau 51 boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Offering the best selection of Jeanneau boats to choose from.

The Jeanneau Yachts 51, also called the Jeanneau 51, is a French sailboat. The hull was designed by Philippe Briand, the interior by Andrew Winch and finishing by the Jeanneau Design Office. It was designed as a blue water cruiser and first built in 2015. Production. The design was ...

Find Jeanneau Yacht 51 boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Offering the best selection of Jeanneau boats to choose from.

Why Choose the Jeanneau Yacht 51? EXTERNALLY. As you approach the Jeanneau Yacht 51 you instantly appreciate the flowing lines from the pen of Philippe Briand, hard chine hull with large hull ports and sleek swan head coach roof she is a cut above the rest. The electric terrace provides access over the stern as well as an impressive bathing platform when open and a flat cockpit floor when ...

Jeanneau 51 yacht, owners version- 3 cabin, 2 heads+ utility room, sold by her first owner ! always private and never chartered ! Model 2021, with full options list to include: Generator, Air conditioning, Electric winches, Electric aft ramp, Bow thruster, furling main sail, electric winches, full electronic navigation pack. ...

With its large rudder and bow thruster, maneuvering the Jeanneau 51 in and out of the fuel dock in Hillsboro Inlet was a snap. Equally important was how well the boat did motorsailing on our second day. With just the main up to steady things out, we clipped along at 7.3 knots with the engine turning over at 1,800 rpm.

Brewer Yacht Sales is pleased to offer this 2021 Jeanneau 51 located in , . This yacht is offered at $438,345, and listed with Sofer Yachts. Whether buying or selling, the yacht sales professionals at Brewer Yacht Sales can make your boating dreams a reality.

This highly sought after shoal draft and ICW friendly 2018 Jeanneau 51 is well-equipped, well-maintained, and ready to cruise! The Jeanneau 51 is designed for crew comfort and ease of handling. As soon as you step aboard you'll appreciate the deck layout. A large cockpit, spacious decks, dual helms, great rigging plan, bow thruster, and light ...

The Jeanneau Yachts 51 plunges you into an unparalleled interior, bathed in light, where every detail has been carefully studied for your complete satisfaction. WARMTH / STYLE Her interior aesthetic is worthy of large yachts, with spacious, refined cabins, silky cocoons of well-being.

The weight required to sink the yacht one inch. Calculated by multiplying the LWL area by 5.333 for sea water or 5.2 for fresh water. FOR MULTIHULLS ONLY: BN - Bruce Number: The Bruce Number is a power-to-weight ratio for relative speed potential for comparing two or more boats. It takes into consideration the displacement and sail area of ...

Exceptional Comfort and Autonomy for Complete Serenity. Refined and elegant, the interior of the Jeanneau Yachts 51 shines in its style, as well as in its ergonomic design for longer cruises. Copious storage, a clever galley, a pantry, enabling you to install options such as a washing machine or a wine fridge, and especially, tanks and ...

Jeanneau Yachts 51 . In verkoophaven, Netherlands. 2017. $475,702 Seller Nautisch Kwartier Stavoren 62. Contact +31(0)514 682345.

The Jeanneau 51 was created to take you there. The Jeanneau 51 benefits from the latest innovations that have made Jeanneau Yachts so successful: unequalled level of finish, unrivalled quality of life aboard and maximum ease of handling. Inspired by the Jeanneau 54, this new model was designed by naval architect, Philippe Briand and designer ...

2018 Jeanneau Yacht 51. US$549,500. ↓ Price Drop. US $4,340/mo. Marine Servicenter | Seattle, Washington. Request Info; Sale Pending; 2017 Jeanneau 51 Yacht. US$454,638. ↓ Price Drop. US $3,591/mo. Network Yacht Brokers | Chatham, Kent < 1 > * Price displayed is based on today's currency conversion rate of the listed sales price. Boats ...

Find 28 Jeanneau 51 boats for sale near you, including boat prices, photos, and more. Locate Jeanneau boat dealers and find your boat at Boat Trader!

Order Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51 at MindYacht. Miami +1 786 233 7721. London +44 203 807 94 54. Moscow +7 495 215 19 11. [email protected] . Services; Sale; New yachts; Charter; News; Contacts; EN RU. Home; New yachts; Jeanneau; Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51; Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51. 12 Passengers ; 5 Cabin ; General information.

Send Enquiry. Available for Sale 51′ Jeanneau 51 51' 2021 Jeanneau. 26 North Yachts is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by Sofer Yachts. It is offered as a convenience by this broker/dealer to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a particular vessel.

Jeanneau has given the Sun Odyssey 51 all the keys to perfection.It is difficult to speak about the Sun Odyssey 51 as if it were a simple sailboat. It was designed to offer the ultimate in offshore cruising. Since its conception, this 51-footer has been the object of all the necessary study to achieve cruising perfection.It is no surprise, then, that it has since earned an indisputable ...

The Moscow Boat Show 2018 took place from the 1st to the 3rd of June, 2018

The Moscow Boat Show 2018 took place from the 1st to the 3rd of June, 2018. Moscow Yacht Show 2018, organized in the best yacht club of the Russian capital Royal Yacht Club, finished successfully.Despite the changeable weather from June 1 to 3 all three days of the exhibition were filled with events.

VISIT our sailboat lines, outboard and inboard powerboat models at the Moscow INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW. - FROM 5TH THROUGH THE 9TH OF MARCH, 2020 - We invite you to join us at the Moscow International Boat Show to discover, in a premier showing, our models and latest innovations. Professional representatives will be available to advise and guide you in order to find the right Jeanneau for you.

• Places - Siberia and the Russian Far East

OMSK, NOVOSIBIRSK, TOMSK AND THE VASYUGAN MARSHES: HEART OF WESTERN SIBERIA

Western siberia.

Western Siberia has traditionally been defined as the area of land between the Ural Mountains and the Yenisei River. Much of it lies on the West Siberian Plain which is lower and slightly warmer than the higher Central Siberia Plain.

The forests are dominated by pine, spruce and fir. The hardier larch dominates on other side of the Yenisey. The large industrial cities of Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Kransoyarsk are on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Some of the most interesting area are in the Republic of Altay and Tuva near the Mongolian border.

Western Siberia is also quite swampy and has a lot of mosquitos. Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker, “ The country’s swampiness did not manifest itself in great expanses of water with reeds and trees in it, like the Florida Everglades. There were wide rivers and reedy places, but also birch groves and hills and yellow fields. The way you could tell you were in the swamp was, first, that the ground became impassably soggy if you walked at all far in any direction; and, second, by the mosquitoes....Western Siberia has the largest swamps in the world. In much of Siberia, the land doesn’t do much of anything besides gradually sag northward to the Arctic. The rivers of western Siberia flow so slowly that they hardly seem to move at all.” [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 3, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010)]

On driving through the region, Frazier wrote: “Beyond Yekaterinburg, the road lay straight through grain fields like Nebraska’s or Iowa’s, and the sky unfolded itself majestically outward and higher. Vistas kept appearing until the eye hardly knew what to do with them—dark-green tree lines converging at a distant yellow corner of the fields, and the lower trunks of a birch grove black as a bar code against a sunny meadow behind them, and the luminous yellows and greens of vegetables in baskets along the road, and grimy trucks with only their license numbers wiped clean, their black diesel smoke unravelling behind them across the sky.

“And everywhere the absence of fences. I couldn’t get over that. In America, almost all open country is fenced, and your eye automatically uses fence lines for reference the way a hand feels for a bannister. Here the only fenced places were the gardens in the villages and the little paddocks for animals. Also, here the road signs were fewer and had almost no bullet holes. This oddity stood out even more because the stop signs, for some reason, were exactly the same as stop signs in America: octagonal, red, and with the word “stop” on them in big white English letters. Any stop sign in such a rural place in America (let alone a stop sign written in a foreign language) would likely have a few bullet holes.”

OMSK OBLAST

Omsk Oblast covers 139,700 square kilometers (53,900 square miles), is home to about two million people and has a population density of 14 people per square kilometer. About 72 percent of the population live in urban areas.The city of Omsk is the capital and largest city, with about 1.15 million people. Omsk Oblast is home to more than 20 game reserves and attracts many people into hunting and fishing. For those interested in history, there are ancient settlements and villages, burial mounds, religious monuments and tombs and the historical sites of Chudskaya Mountain and Batakovo Tract, Website: Tourism Portal of the Omsk Region: omsk-turinfo.com

Some come to Omsk Oblast looking for Kolchak's gold. Others follow in the footsteps of the Decembrists, while others still come to see the prison camp where Dostoevsky spent several years. The climate here is sharply continental: with a warm and even hot summer, a cold long winter with the snow remaining on the ground a long time without melting. In the winter temperatures often reach -25 to -30°C; in the summer the average temperature is around 20°C. But the Siberian climate is unpredictable here and sometimes it warms up in the winter or cool spell shows up in the summer. The weather is very changeable in the winter and autumn.

Getting There: Aeroflot, Pobeda, Ural Airlines, Nordwind, and S7 airlines fly to Omsk daily from all Moscow. From St. Petersburg, one flight per day is operated by Rossiya Airlines. A one way tickets costs from 3,000 rubles. Regional traffic is developing. You can get to Omsk by direct flights from Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Samara, Sochi, Irkutsk, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Surgut, Salekhard, Khanty-Mansiysk, and Novy Urengoy. Regular flights with AirAstana are also available to Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan. By Train: Omsk is conveniently located for rail travel. The station is just outside the city center and all the main sights. A third class ticket from Moscow starts from 2,500 rubles; in second class, from 3,000 rubles. Transport in the Region: You can reach all districts of the region by buses and minibuses from the bus station; however, in certain directions, they leave from the railway station. The schedule, prices and tickets are available online: omskoblauto.ru

Omsk City (kilometer 2716 on the Trans-Siberian Railway) is an industrial city of 1.15 million people. The capital and largest city of Omsk Oblast, it is us where Dostoevsky did four years of hard labor from 1849 to 1854 and was periodically flogged. He wrote about is experienced in Buried Alive in Siberia. There is not much to see. Omsk is home to a large tank factory, a model pig farm. The Pushkin State Scientific Library contains the world’s smallest book. People can read a collection of poems through a microscope.

Omsk lies in the southern part of Western Siberia, at the confluence of the Irtysh and Om rivers, where a Cossack detachment led by Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Buchholtz landed and founded a fortress in 1716. The Omsk area was populated even before Christ and contains many settlements, burial grounds, and encampments, which date to between the 6th millennium B.C. and the A.D. 13th century. Omsk received the status of the town in 1782 and for a while after the 1917-1918 revolution was capital of White Russia. Today, the city stretches for 40 kilometers along the Irtysh River and lies on both banks of the river which is crossed by many bridges. Omski is named after the Om river. In the Siberian Tatarian language, “om” means “quiet”.

Omsk is one of the largest cities in West-Siberia and large transport hub at the intersection of air, river, rail, automobile, and pipeline transport lines. The Irtysh River, a key transport, waterway, and the Trans-Siberian Railway were key to the city's development. Currently, Omsk is the largest industrial, scientific, and cultural center of West Siberia with a high social, scientific, and manufacturing potential. Here, more than 40 organizations, including the Omsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, are engaged in research and development.

Omsk at one time was regarded as the greenest city in Russia and the theater capital of Siberia. It is the birthplace of the artist Mikhail Vrubel and the famous General Dmitry Karbyshev. City transport in Omsk includes buses, trolleybuses, trams, and minibuses. Transportation is regular up to 8:00-9:00pm.

On his brief encounter with Omsk, Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: “ The next days took us to and through the city of Omsk. I had been to Omsk twice before, but only at the airport. This city presented the usual row on row of crumbling high-rise apartment buildings, tall roadside weeds, smoky traffic, and blowing dust. For a moment, we passed an oasis scene—a crowded beach beside the Irtysh River, kids running into the water and splashing—before the urban grittiness resumed. Solzhenitsyn wrote in “The Gulag Archipelago” that he spent time in an ancient prison in Omsk that had once held Dostoyevsky, and that the prison’s three-meter-thick stone walls and vaulted ceilings resembled a dungeon in a movie. I had wanted to explore Omsk looking for this prison, but forgot that idea entirely in our collective eagerness to get out of Omsk. We stopped just to buy groceries, then sped on. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 10 and 17, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010)]

Sights in Omsk City

Sights in Omsk include the preserved house of K. A. Batyushkin, where, during the Civil War, the apartment of Admiral A. V. Kolchak was situated. The building is now occupied by the Supreme Governor of Russia. During the Russian Civil War in the late 1910s and early 1920s, Omsk was the home of three governments: 1) the Provisional Siberian Government, 2) the Provisional All-Russian Government, and the 3) Russian Government of the Supreme Governor. The are many structures left from this period when Omsk was a stronghold of the “White Guard Russia”.

Dostoevsky Literary Museum is located in the city’s historical center, in one of the oldest buildings of Omsk, constructed in 1799. Fyodor Dostoevsky, convicted of participating in the Petrashevsky circle (a group of progressive-minded intellectuals imprisoned for challenging the tsarist government), spent four years at prison camp in Omsk. Many future novels, including Crime and Punishment, were based at least in some parts on his impressions and experience while in Omsk. The museum boasts an excellent, well-thought-out exhibition dedicated to the writer, and in the basement, a reconstructed 19th century prison cell is found. You can go down there and get a taste of the hard life the prisoners of the Omsk fortress used to live, even try on the shackles.The museum occupies a building of historical importance: the Commandant’s of the Omsk Fortress House (built 1799). This house was visited by F.M. Dostoevsky. In 2006, new exhibitions — “Dostoevsky and Siberia” and “Writers of Omsk” — were opened.

Lubinsky Avenue is the main street of the city’s historical center. Here you can find and an ensemble of architectural landmarks dating back to the late 19th-early 20th centuries. All of Omsk most prominent building are found here: the Omsk Academic Drama Theater, the Jubilee Bridge over the Om, the Cadet Corps, the Concert Hall, the St. Nicholas Cossack Cathedral, the Organ Hall, the Vrubel Museum of Art, and the Hermitage-Siberia Center.

Tarsky District became a place of exile soon after the city was founded in the 18th century. The first exiled people were peasants, artisans, delinquent riflemen, tradespeople, Lithuanian war prisoners and Poles. Many of the exiles remained in Omsk after they served their time because they had nowhere else to go. Today descendants of these exiles still live here and national dishes from the exile’s places of origin can be found. Bobrovka is a place where you can try Latvian cuisine. The Latvians have been living in this village since the 19th century. However, they were not exiles, they moved there voluntarily during the Stolypin reform.

Omsk Fortress

Omsk fortress was erected in stages during the 18th-19th centuries to protect the southern borders from nomadic raids. Back in the days when Siberia was like the American Wild West, the barracks of the regiments that participated in the Patriotic War of 1812 stood there. Several surviving structures are concentrated in the fortress: the artillery store, engineering shop, treasury, Tobolsk and Irtysh gates, arsenal, kitchen/mess hall, and the Resurrection cathedral. some of them were restored in time for the city’s 300th anniversary.

History of Omsk started with the construction of the first Omsk fortress on the left bank the Om River. Peter the Great issued a decree in 1714 for Russian military forces to go deep into Siberia to find a "sandy gold" in Erkete. The man in charge of the expedition was Lieutenant Colonel Ivan D. Buchholz. After an unsuccessful campaign in 1716 two small redoubts were built at the mouth of the Om river to protect the military unit and its equipment. Then the first Omsk fortress was built in 1717. It was made of wood and covered an area of approximately six hectares. Castle defenses consisted of a three-meter-deep moat and a one-meter-high outer rampart. The main walls were comprised of 3.5-meter-high palisades dug deeply into the ground and made of tightly-placed-together birch logs. In the corners of the fortress were bastions on which the cannons and guns were positioned.

By the middle of the 18th century Omsk fortress was the focal point of the system of fortifications of the Upper-Irtysh, and later - Presnogorkoy line. However, despite the reconstruction and repair work, the fort gradually became obsolete and no longer meet the military requirements of the time. In the 1768 construction of a fortress began on the right bank of the Om. The fortress was one of the largest military facilities in the East and had a polygon plan enclosing an area of over 30 hectares. It had four bastions, three polubastiona and four gates: Omsk, Tara, Tobolsk and Irtysh. In the historical part of Omsk Tobolsk Gate survives. In 1991 Tara gate was restored and has become a kind of symbol of the city.

A distinctive feature of the new Omsk fortress were its stone structures. The first stone building, built in the fortress is now the oldest in the city. The first stone construction of Omsk was Resurrection Cathedral, founded in 1764 and built by the brothers Cherepanov. In 1920s, the church was closed by the Communists. In 1958 it was demolished.

Structures in the new Omsk fortress included a guardhouse building, which housed the commandant's staff, the fortress guards and garrisons (later Asian) school. Later a Lutheran church, topped by a wooden turret with a clock and a bell was built. At the end of the 18th century the fortress had of the parade ground, around which the architectural ensemble was situated. Among the buildings that have survived and have undergone restructuring and reconstruction, are the guardhouse building, the commandant's house (containing the Fyodor Dostoevsky Literary Museum) and the Lutheran Church (housing the ATC Museum) . All of these have been granted the status of historical and architectural monuments.

These days, buildings in the fortress house museums, art salons, workshops and exhibition spaces that host film screenings and performance and offices for staff of the historical and cultural complex. Six guided tours for groups and individual visitors are offered. Entrance to the fortress grounds is free, while a tour costs 100 rubles. A workshop where visitors can try their hand at weaving a belt with Russian spiritual pattern can be ordered for groups of 5 to 10 people. The cost is 1,000 rubles per group.

Arkhangelsk Sorority of the Holy Mother and St. Michael (60 kilometers southeast of Omsk) was founded near the Cossack village of Achair in 1905. In the late 1920s, like many monasteries, convents and churches it was closed and largely destroyed. In the 1930s, its territory became a penal colony for political prisoners and criminals, who were taken there by barges and wagons. The colony was designed for 800 to 900 people. The living conditions in the colony were very difficult: unheated barracks with very thin walls and floors, light clothes, thin cotton blankets in the -40 degree C Siberian cold. From 1938 to 1953, only one person managed to successfully escape.

A few days after Stalin's death, the colony was dissolved. Many documents were immediately destroyed and what remained of the monastery was blown up. In 1991, Theodosius, the Archbishop of Omsk and Tatarstan, announced the decision to rebuild the ensemble of Achairsky Convent of the Cross in memory of the victims of those times. Vitaliy Meshcheryakov, the director of the Rechnoy animal farm, located near Achair village, alloted 38 hectares for the construction, in memory of his father, who was a prisoner in this horrible colony. Today you can see the new Dormition Cathedral, a wooden summer church for weddings and other structures there.

Traveling Eastward from Omsk

Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: “A day beyond Omsk, the vastness of the Barabinsk Steppe stretched before us. For hours at a time, the land was so empty and unmarked that it was almost possible to imagine we weren’t moving at all, and I often had trouble staying awake. Lenin himself had declared this a land “with a great future,” but what I saw resembled more the blankness of eternity. And yet it was not like other flat places I’ve seen. The Great Plains of America tend to undulate more than this steppe does, and when the Plains are flat-flat, as in southwest Texas, they’re also near-desert hardpan with only stunted brush and trees. On the Barabinsk Steppe, by contrast, stretches of real forest often appeared here and there, intruding into the flatland like the paws of a giant dog asleep just the other side of the horizon. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 10 and 17, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010)]

“The villages now were fewer, and their names seemed to reach new levels of strangeness. In far-apart succession, we went through Klubnika (Strawberry), Sekty (Sects), and Chertokulich (hard to translate, but something like Devil Bread, according to Sergei). In the village of Kargat (meaning unknown, probably a Tatar word), we stopped for a break in the late afternoon. I sat in the van with the window open and my feet up, watching. First, a man went by on a motorcycle with a sidecar. In a few minutes, he passed by going in the other direction, with the sidecar now full of hay. A flock of sparrows burst from a cluster of bushes by the corner of a house with a noise like heavy rain. A moment later, a small hawk hopped from the bushes onto a nearby pile of firewood, looked around, hunched down, and flew off after them.

“A motorcycle again came by with its sidecar full of hay. I looked closely. It was definitely not the same as the previous motorcycle. This motorcycle’s driver was wearing an aviator’s hat with goggles, and the sidecar was blue, not brown. As I considered that, a tall, shapely woman came walking from a long distance up the road. She wore a plain dress and had curly black hair. She passed the van and I smiled at her. She did not smile back. Then a beat-up car lurched into sight towing an even more beat-up car. As the cars came near I saw that they were connected back to front by a loop made of two seat belts buckled to each other. That was the only time I ever saw a Russian use a seat belt for any purpose at all.

Lake Chany and Its Monster

Lake Chany (420 kilometers west of Novosibirsk, 300 kilometers east of Omsk) is one of the biggest lakes in the world, and the third largest in Siberia (after Baikal and Taymyr). The area of the lake exceeds 1,400 square kilometers but has a depth of only two to seven meters. The lake is almost 100 kilometers long and 60 kilometers wide. People living around the lake are convinced a monster lives in the lake. Ssome describe it as a giant lizard, while others claim it to be a giant snake. They say on numerous occasions the beast attacked the local fishermen. The easiest way to get to Lake Chany is by car.

The lake's shores are mostly covered with dense reeds. Chany consists of three lakes connected by canals: Bolshye Chany, Malye Chany, and Yarkul. Water in different parts of the lake has different levels of mineralization. In Malye Chany, where the Kargat River flows in, the water is fresh. In Bolshye Chany, it is subsaline, and in Yarkul, it is saline.

The water's composition provides it with therapeutic properties. Since the water in the lake is moderately saline, it influences the human body positively: it has a calming effect, normalizes a person's general condition, and improves a person's general physical and mental state; it also promotes purification of the body from waste and harmful substances.

The healing effect is provided not only by water, but by the air as well. The wind changes from quiet to strong and the air becomes saturated with evaporated salts and the intense scents of different herbs found on the Baraba steppe.

Lake Chany is a popular place for winter and summer fishing. Sixteen species of fish inhabit the lake: crucian carp, perch, mirror carp, ide, sander, roach, dace, bream, and others. In addition, Lake Chany is great place for birdwatching. Almost 300 species of birds live among its waters. Geese, ducks, swans, herons, cranes and even pelicans nest here. It is also home to one of the largest colonies of the common gull.

Water in the lake freezes in the second half of October or the first half of November, and unfreezes in May. There are almost 70 islands on the lake. The islands of Cheryomushkin, Kobyliy, Perekopnyi, Bekarev, Kalinova, Chinyaiha, Shipyagin, Kruglyi, Kolotov, Kamyshnyi are natural monuments and preserve unique landscapes containing rare spices of plants and animals.

NOVOSIBIRSK OBLAST

Novosibirsk Oblast covers 178,200 square kilometers (68,800 square miles), is home to about 2.8 million people and has a population density of 15 people per square kilometer. About 77 percent of the population live in urban areas. The city of Novosibirsk is the capital and largest city, with about 1.6 million people, or about 57 percent of the oblast’s population. Novosibirsk Oblast is located in the south of the West Siberian Plain between the Ob and Irtysh Rivers. The oblast borders Omsk Oblast in the west, Tomsk Oblast in the north, Kemerovo Oblast in the east, and Altai Krai and Kazakhstan in the south. The oblast extends for more than 600 kilometers (370 miles) from west to east, and for over 400 kilometers (250 miles) from north to south. The oblast is mainly plains and steppes in the south with huge expanses of forests and marshes in the north. The landscape starts its transition to a low mountain relief at Salair ridge. There are many lakes. The largest ones are located in the south. The majority of the rivers belong to the Ob basin, many of them falling into lakes with no outlets. Among the largest lakes are Chany, Sartlan and Ubinskoye.

Although Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia, it is not a center for tourism; most visitors come here on business. Nevertheless, there is plenty to see and do in the oblast including ski resorts, Zveroboy cliffs, Barsukovskaya Cave and Lake Karachi. The nature reserves and pine forests are great places to enjoy outdoor sports, walk, look at nature and gather mushrooms and berries. You can learn about the history of the Trans-Siberian Railway at the Museum of Railway Transport and exercise your brain in the city's Academic Town. Travel to the Ordynsky District and find out about the twists and turns of the last battle for Siberia between the Cossacks and the army of Kuchum Khan. Lake Chany is said to be the home of a Loch-Ness-like monster.. You can also visit the Bugrinsky Bridge; climb the Pikhtovy Ridge, the highest point of the region (495 meters) and go boating in vast Ob Sea.

Getting There: A flight from Moscow to Novosibirsk costs RUB 16,000 (adult round-trip ticket) and takes four hours. An economy class round-trip train ticket from Moscow for one adult costs RUB 7,000, and the journey takes from 48 to 55 hours. Novosibirsk is a stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway About ten major train routes from different directions go through Novosibirsk, including Moscow-Vladivostok and Moscow- Beijing. Transport in the Region: Buses from Novosibirsk bus station go to all major cities and districts of Novosibirsk Oblast, as well as many places in nearby regions. A Round-trip bus tickets to Tomsk costs RUB 1,520 per adult; a ticket to Barnaul costs RUB 1,300 (round-trip, per adult);, and a ticket to Kemerovo is RUB 2,000 (round-trip, per adult).

Novosibirsk City

Novosibirsk (kilometer 3343 on the Trans-Siberian Railway) is the largest city in Siberia and the third largest in Russia, with 1.6 million people. Located where the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the mighty Ob River and founded in 1893, it grew into an important city in the 1920s when it became a major transport center and expanded greatly in World War II, when weapons factories were located there out of range of Nazi attacks. More than 50 defense plants were rebuilt in Novosbrink.

An industrial city about halfway between the Urals and Lake Baikal, Novosibirsk is the capital of Novosibirsk oblast, with about 57 percent of the oblast’s population living there. Just over a century ago it was a village with less than 700 people. No other place in Russia has experienced such astounding growth in such a short period of time. Novosibirsk is situated on the Priobskoe plateau near a reservoir, which is officially called Novosibirsk reservoir but is more commonly known as the Ob Sea. The right-bank part of Novosibirsk features many ravines, low ridges, and gullies.

Novosibirsk is a scientific, cultural, industrial, transportation, trade and business center of Siberia. It is the largest industrial center in Siberia, and a rail, river, and air transportation hub. The Siberian branch of the world-famous Academy of Science is located here. The huge railway station of the city, one of the largest in the country, has become a symbol of Novosibirsk, along with the letters on its roof which say: “Novosibirsk the Main”.

History of Novosibirsk

The first Russian settlement in the territory of modern Novosibirsk dates back to the last decade of the 17th century the beginning of Peter the Great's rule. At that time the village Krivoshchekovskaya (“Crooked Cheek”) was set up. It is named after a serviceman from Tomsk, Fyodor Krenitsyn, dubbed Crooked Cheek for the saber scar on his face.

At least until 1712, Krivoshchekovskaya acted as a trade center between the Russians and the Teleuts, who owned the lands on the other side of the Ob River. The settlement in the territory of modern Novosibirsk developed at various rates in different areas. The Russian colonialists preferred to settle on the left bank. By the end of the 18th century, this area was completely populated by Russians as most of the Teleuts had left. A Teleut fortress of one of the tribes and a few tribesmen remained they were subordinate to the Russians. Russian people called them the Chuts and, probably, did not really like them, as they only settled on the left shore.

Novosibirsk was known as Novonikolayevsk when it was formally founded in 1896. It was renamed Novosibirsk in 1925. The became a trade center during the building of the Trans-Siberian Railroad and after it was completed. During World War II entire industrial plants were moved here from area vulnerable to Nazi attacks in the western Soviet Union.

Accommodation in Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk is considered to be the capital of Siberia — naturally, the hotels here also meet the standards of a capital city. For example, the 4-star Doubletree Hilton Novosibirsk offers its visitors a variety of facilities, including a gym, business center, swimming pool, spa, restaurant and a bar, as well as a seven-room conference center. A room with a king size bed goes for RUB 11,000 per night. A Junior Suite with king size bed costs RUB 14,990 per night. The Presidential Suite is RUB 39,750 per night.

If you've arrived here by train you can find the 4-star Marins Park Hotel Novosibirsk just 300 meters away form the station. Standard room with a king-size bed costs RUB 2300 per night. A luxury suite costs RUB 7830 per night. In addition, female visitors might be interested in the hotel's beauty salon, while men can enjoy its snooker and pool club.

Hostels in Novosibirsk: BigBen has rooms for RUB 550 per night and a places in a room with four people in bunk beds for RUB 300 per night; At FunKey Hostel you can stay in a room for four people with bunk beds for RUB 500 per night, room for two people for RUB 1,600 per night.

Sights in Novosibirsk

Novosbirisk is not an old city. It was founded only in 1893. There are not many churches or old buildings and it has a very Soviet atmosphere. And, although Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia, it is not a center for tourism; most visitors come here on business. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to see or do. Novosbirisk is home of the largest zoo in Russia and a large number of museums and theaters. The city boasts the largest Scientific and Technical Library and the largest railway station in Siberia. Among the places of interesti are a local studies museum, an art gallery, the Russian Institute of Archeology and Ethnography, Alexandre Nevsky Cathedral, recently restored and returning to working status, and the Central Park.

Probably the most famous feature of the city is Academgorodok (“the Academic City”), a place with relatively small area where more than twenty scientific and educational institutions are located. Cafe-club “Under the Integral” of Academgorodok has become one of the symbols of the “Khrushchev thaw”: for example, it is here that Alexander Galich had his only public concert in the U.S.S.R. The Pazyryk lady — one of the greatest archaeological finds in Russia — is (or was) displayed at the Russian Institute of Archeology and Ethnography The central market draws traders from all over Siberia.

Novosibirsk was built according to a preconceived plan, as were its main architectural landmarks. The main street is Krasny Avenue (former Nikolaevskiy Avenue). If the city's opera house seemed huge to you, you are right —it is the largest theater building of the former U.S.S.R. If you are feeling something Parisian in the city's landscape, it means you are walking past the 100-Flat Building (Krasny Prospekt 16). You will find wooden merchant mansions, red-brick houses from the years of Trans-Siberian Railway construction and even an example of the contemporary 21st century architecture — the unusual “walking” building of the Center of Information Technology.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (on Krasny Avenue) is the grandest church in Novosibirsk. It honors honors St. Duke Alexander Nevsky, the 13th century defender of the Russian Land. It is the first city’s stone church and one of the first stone buildings in Novosibirsk, In 1896 Tsar Nicholas II granted a piece of land for the construction of the cathedral and donated 5000 rubles to the cathedral construction and 6500 rubles to the iconostasis. In 1899 Nicholas II gave priest and diacon vestments, made of precious gold brocade, which had covered the coffin of the Grand Duke George Alexandrovich. He also donated to the cathedral icons of the Athos letter: the Iverskaya Icon of the Mother of God and the Icon of the Great-Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.

Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater

The Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater building is the largest theater building in the former Soviet Union. It required complicated architectural techniques to build. The most unique part of the building is its dome, which 60 meters in diameter and 35 meters high but only 8 centimeters thick. This dome was the first in Europe to be constructed without girders or buttresses. The roof of the dome is covered with thousands of silvery tiles that contributes in overall splendid appearance of the Theater. One cannot visit the main square of the city without being delighted with The Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.

Founded in May 12, 1945, and nicknamed “A Peer of the Victory” (as it opened when World War II was finally ending), the theater has hosted about 350 premieres and capital reconstruction of classical opera and ballet productions since 1945. Classical opera and ballet performances forms the basis of its repertoire but at the same time “The Siberian Coliseum” is at the cutting edge of modern theater life, ready to offer you modern up-to-date performances. The Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater took part in global international projects implemented under the auspices of UNESCO.

The Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater company is (was) so good it has been called the "Bolshoi of Siberia". During foreign tours the ballet and opera company successfully performed such productions as: “The Sleeping Beauty”, “The Nutcracker”, “Swan Lake”, “Spartacus”, “Legend of Love”, “Carmen”, “Boris Godunov”, “Prince Igor”, “Khovanschina”, “Dame Pique”, “Otello”, “Galka”, “Tosca” and many others. The leading opera and ballet soloists are often invited to foreign tours. Some of the performances in Novosibirsk feature foreign or non-company actors and dancers.

Theaters in Novosbirisk

It has been said that Novosbirisk has to keep its large population entertained, especially when you considers what a long winter the city’s residents have to endure, and that is why there are so many theater, opera and ballet companies in the city.

Among the theaters in Novosbirisk are: 1) Novosibirsk Drama Theater Red Torch founded in 1920 in Odessa by a group of young actors and relocated in Novosbirisk in 1932; 2) Novosibirsk City Drama Theater, stringly influenced by its longtime author, founder and artistic director Sergey Afanasiev; 3) Novosibirsk State Drama Theater Old House, whose repertoire is primarily classical texts but also with ultra-modern stagings; 4) Theater La Pushkin, which opened under Oleg Zhukovsky in 1999 in Dresden and came to Novosibirsk in 2013.

Youth and Puppet Theaters include: 1) Novosibirsk Academic Youth Theater Globus, the largest center in Siberia for the aesthetic and spiritual education of children and youth; 2) Novosibirsk Youth Theater Drama, founded in 2008. 3) Novosibirsk Regional Puppet Theater, opened in 1934 and today has a repertoire of more than 25 performances and is often on tour; and 4) Puppet Theater Cdc Them. Stanislavsky, opened in 2011.

Among the music oriented theaters are: 1) the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (See Above); and 2) the Novosibirsk Musical Theater, opened in 1959 and now regarded as one of Russia's leading musical

Among the modern and avant garde theaters are Theater A Clockwork Orange, founded in 1997 by a group of leading actors of the academic theaters Red Torch and the Globe; 2) Theater Company Akademgorodok, featuring audience stories that actors create on the spot with no rehearsed roles, or even stage design; 3) Studio Theater The First House, established in 2008 by graduates of Novosibirsk State Theater Institute in 2008; 4) City Drama Theater On the Edge, located on city’s outskirts and found in 2005; and 5) Novosibirsk City Drama Theater On the Left Bank, one of the youngest theater collectives of Novosibirsk; created in 1997.

Museum of Death

The Museum of World Funeral Culture (unofficially known as The Museum of Death), was established by Sergei Yakushkin, the founder of the Novosibirsk crematorium. The museum's collection includes 19th century mourning dresses, hearse models, as well as engravings, paintings, sculptures, photos and postcards depicting death and funerals.

The museum collection numbers more than 1 million items, which are divided into collections on various topics, including the world's largest collection of postcards on the theme of death, which includes copies from the late 19th- early 20th century. There are also death masks, family memorials, exclusive funerary urns, coffins, copies of famous historical figures, paintings, sculptures, photographs, old books, household items and much more.

Of particular interest are: 1) unique mourning outfits from the 19th-20th centuries, which are annually used in the funeral parade of fashion in the museum and outside it; 2) a collection of old prints of famous Russian and foreign engravers; 3) works on the themes of death, mourning ceremonies, funerals of famous people; and 4) funeral carriages and hearses, including classic American ones from the 20th-21st centuries The history of funeral vehicles can be clearly traced back to the exhibits presented in the museum. There are the models made to scale, and actual samples.

Museum of World Funeral Culture is Russia's only museum of this kind. It is located in the Park o Memories of the Novosibirsk crematorium in the village of Sunrise in Novosibirsk region. The museum is part of the International Association of Museums of death and included in the program of conservation of world heritage funeral culture at UNESCO. Many visitors claim this museum has made them appreciate their life more. Address: Sunrise, st. Voentorgovskaya 4/16 Hours: 11:00am to 7:00pm; Closed: Monday; Phones:+7 (383) 363-03-29; + 7-913-712-3709 Entrance ticket prices can be found on the museum's website:musei-smerti.ru.

Novosibirsk Zoo and Aquarium

Novosibirsk Zoo is one said to be the biggest zoo in Russia. Spread over 65 hectares, it is home to home to 11,000 animals and birds in of landscapes ranging from African savannah to Arctic sea ice. About a half of the animal species found here are rare. Among these are tree-dwelling prehensile-tailed porcupines from South America; rusty-spotted cats from Southeast Asia; miniature dik-dik antelopes; and red flamingos. The zoo is open from 9:00am to 7:00pm. The entrance ticket prices are RUB 300 (for an adult ticket) and RUB 150 (for a reduced-fare ticket)

The Center of Oceanography and Marine Biology “Delfinia” is a unique facility for Siberia: a a large-scale aquarium in the middle of an industrial city in the taiga far from the seas and oceans and operates all year round. The halls of the complex cover more than 8000 square meters and its pools, basins and aquariums hold about 2.7 million liters of water. “Delphinia” can accommodate up to 650 spectators at once. It unique dome, which allows natural light in, helping to warm the place even on the coldest days.

Pacific bottlenose dolphins, white beluga whales, belugas, South American sea lions and the Pacific walrus perform for spectators. Also, along with performances of dolphins and sea animals, there is the aquarium with a tunnel that passes through the aquarium. The facility has 28 aquariums. There are more than 300 species of fish and marine animals, such as moray eels, stingrays, sharks and other inhabitants of seas and oceans.

History and Architecture Open Air Museum

Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (near Novosibirsk State University) opened in 1981. The first architectural object was the bell tower of the church from the polar city of Zashiversk, brought to Akademgorodok in 1969 as a result of the Institute expedition. The church itself was transported in 1971. The IAESB of the RAS museum covers the area of 46.5 hectares. Several recreational zones and archaeological, ethnographic, architectural monuments and an experimental site are located on it. Another exhibition is housed in the administrative building.

The central exhibit in the architectural monument area is the masterpiece of Russian wooden architecture, the Church of the Increate Savior from the Zashiverski Ostrog, built by the philistine Andrei Khabarov in 1700. The monument was donated to the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. by the government of the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and was transported from the banks of the Indigirka River.

The Yuil (Kazym) jail, a monument to the era of the Siberian development by the Russian population, from the Lower Ob region is partly exhibited on the museum territory. The third architectural object is the peasant household of Russian Eastern Siberia. There's a separate archaeological zone, where stone steles and statues of various eras, from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages, are represented. A polygon with the reconstructions of tools and devices for catching animals and hunting is located in the zone as well. The ethnographic zone is a reconstruction of the Mansi family shrine.

In 2012, after the construction of the administrative building, an exhibition dedicated to the culture of the Slavic population of Siberia was opened on the second floor. The commissioning of the administrative building allowed conducting master classes and mass events.

Near Novosibirsk

Travel agencies offers one-day and overnight cross-country ski outings in the region during the winter, picnics during the summer and trips to Russian bathhouse where you get to whack yourself with birch boughs and everything, year round. Novosbirisk is a jumping place for trips in the Altay Mountains, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The 1,442-kilometer Turkestan-Siberia Railway to Alma Ata branches off here.

Big Horde Ring Tours (70 kilometers southwest of Novosibirsk) are tours organized in Ordynsky District. The Ordynskoye Koltso (The Horde Ring) is a chain of local historical and cultural landmarks that includes: 1) the site of the Battle of Irmen (August 20, 1598), the last battle for Siberia between the Cossacks and the army of Kuchum Khan; 2) the church in the village of Chingis, reconstructed on the site of the original consecrated in 1756, featuring unique murals made of colored clay rather than not with paints. The tours cost RUB 1,500–2,000 per one person.

Akademgorodok

Akademgorodok (32 kilometers south Novosibirsk) means "Academic City". Founded in 1958, it is a former center of military research that attracted the best and brightest scientist from all over Russia and put them to work designing atomic bombs, sophisticated missile systems and other weapons and defensive systems.

During the Soviet era, the scientists enjoyed high salaries and many perks. They came up with grand schemes like using nuclear bombs to dig canals and changing the courses of rivers that "wastefully" flowed into the Arctic Ocean.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Akademgorodok fell on hard times. Scientist suddenly found themselves without wages and goals. Some where paid by the United States to keep from revealing weapons secrets to Iran and Iraq. In the 2000s, the research center was reborn as "Silicon Taiga," the home of 120,000 people and many computer, software and Internet firms.

Akademgorodok is a pleasant place full of terraces and well planned neighborhoods. One of the main gathering places is the "Ob Sea," a 200 square kilometer reservoir that is used for swimming and boating in the summer and skating and fishing in the winter. Thee is also a variety of museums.

Heading East from Novosibirsk

Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: ““Ravens and Crows—For weeks as we drove, flocks of ravens and hooded crows remained a constant, ubiquitous in western Siberia no less than in St. Petersburg. The birds are easy to tell apart, because the ravens are all black, the hooded crows black and gray. On the Barabinsk Steppe, both kinds sometimes wheeled in great numbers that vivified the blank sky above the wide-open horizon. Past the city of Novosibirsk, however, it suddenly occurred to me that although I was still seeing ravens, I hadn’t seen any hooded crows for a while. I began keeping a special watch for them, and did see a few stragglers. But after another few hundred kilometers no more hooded crows appeared. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 10 and 17, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010) ]

“Prisons—Sometimes I caught a glimpse of a prison, but invariably it went by too fast. Prisons cropped up in unexpected places on the outskirts of a city. Suddenly, I’d see a guard in boots carrying a machine gun and standing on a catwalk directly above an exercise yard. But always, it seemed, we were in traffic and couldn’t stop. Outside Novosibirsk, I saw derelict guard towers, tumbledown buildings, and drooping barbed wire in a broad, open place beside the road. Whenever I pointed to such a site, Sergei and Volodya would say, “Military,” without even turning their heads. My ongoing search for prisons did not sit well with either of them. After a while, I decided that pursuing it too much was impolite, and I let it drop for the time being.

“Pigs—Although roaming herds of pigs were occasional in villages in western Siberia, east of Novosibirsk they became more common. Now every village we went through seemed to have big gangs of them. Because the weather was so hot, the pigs had generally been wallowing in a mudhole just before they got up to amble wherever we happened to see them ambling. Evidently, the wallowing technique of some pigs involved lying with just one side of themselves in the mud. This produced two-tone animals—pigs that were half wet, shiny brown mud, and half pink, relatively unsoiled original pig. The effect was striking—sort of harlequin. The other animals that roamed the villages in groups were geese. When a herd of pigs came face to face with a flock of geese, an unholy racket of grunting and gabbling would ensue. I wondered if the villagers ever got tired of the noise. Whether challenging pigs or not, the village geese seemed to gabble and yak and hiss non-stop. The pigs grunted and oinked almost as much, but always at some point the whole herd of pigs would suddenly fall silent, and their megaphone-shaped ears would go up, and for half a minute every pig would listen.

“Birthplace of Volodya—About a half-day past Novosibirsk, we passed close by a town called Yashkino. Seeing it on our road map, Volodya remarked that he had been born there. His mother’s people were originally from this area, he said. His father, a tank officer who had been stationed in the Far East at the end of the war, had met his mother while crossing Siberia on his way back to western Russia. Volodya was still a baby when he and his parents left Yashkino, so he had no memory of it; no relatives he knew of still lived there. He felt no need to go there.

“Cottage Cheese—Called tvorog in Russian, this was a favorite lunch of Volodya’s and Sergei’s. Usually it could be obtained in very fresh supply from the grannies along the road. Sergei and Volodya especially liked their tvorog drenched in smetana (“sour cream”). I got to like it that way, too. Once or twice, we had tvorog so smetanoi not only for lunch but for a snack later in the day. The only drawback to this diet was that it made us smell like babies. And as we were able to bathe only infrequently our basic aroma became that of grownup, dusty, sweaty babies: the summertime smell of Mongols, in other words.

“Talk Radio—There is talk radio in Russia just as in America, and call-in radio shows, and “shock jock” hosts who say outlandish things. Sergei and Volodya enjoyed listening to these shows sometimes. Usually I understood nothing that was said on the radio, except for one time when the host told a joke that Sergei and Volodya both laughed at. I picked out the word “Amerikantsi,” so I knew the joke was about Americans. I asked them to tell me the joke, but they wouldn’t. I kept bugging them, but Sergei said the joke was not important. Finally, when he was off doing something in the campsite, I asked Volodya about the joke again, and he told it to me. The joke was: “Why do American men want to be present when their wives are in childbirth?” Answer: “Because maybe they weren’t present during conception.”

Ob River (flowing northeast of Novosibirsk and Tomsk) is the forth longest river in the world if you include its major tributary the Irtysh River and the seventh longest without it. The westernmost of three great rivers of Asiatic Russia, the Ob is 3,650 kilometers (2,270 miles) long and is an important commercial waterway that transports goods back and forth between the Trans-Siberian Railway and the resource rich regions of northern Siberia. Since it is frozen over half the year activity on the river is concentrated mostly in the summer months. The Ob-Irtysh is over 5570 kilometers (3461 miles) long

The Ob and the Irtysh River begin in the Altay Mountains, a range located near where Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia all come together, and flow northward. Although the Ob and the Irtysh begin at points within a couple of hundred miles of one another the two rivers don't join until the Irytysh has traveled over 1,600 kilometers (1000 miles). Once the two rivers have dropped down out of the highlands the meander lazily through open steppes, then rich farmland, and meet in flat, swampy plains, where the width of river ranges between a half a kilometer and a kilometer and a half. The Ob then passes through fir and spruce forests of West Siberia, then through Arctic tundra before finally emptying into the Kara Sea, an arm of the Arctic Ocean.

The Ob is one of the great Asiatic Russian rivers (the Yenisei and the Lena are the other two). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it has the longest estuary (550 miles long and up to 50 miles wide) and is widest river that freezes solid. The mouth of the river on the Arctic Ocean is ice free only a couple of months a year. Huge flood sometimes form in the spring when high waters fed by melting snow and ice meet still frozen section of the river.

The main city on the Ob is Novosibirsk. Parts of the Ob are very polluted and nearly void of life. At the mouth of the river so much land has been degraded by gas exploration that huge chunks of permafrost land have literally melted into the sea. [Source: Robert Paul Jordan, National Geographic, February 1978, ♬]

Traveling on the Ob and Irtysh Rivers

There is a regualr ferry the Ob and Irtysh Rivers that travels between Omsk – Tobolsk – Khanty-Mansiysk – Berezovo and Salekhard (Yamal Nenets Autonomous Region). Omsk and Tobolsk both have train stations on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Khanti-Mansiysk is accessible by bus from Tyumen, which has a train station. After Khanti-Mansiysk you are beyond the road network. As well as the major stops listed on the route above, the boat also stops at plenty of isolated indigenous villages in between them. Salekhard is the only city in the world located exactly on the Arctic Circle.

The name of the ferry is the Rodina. It travels three times a month in June and September and four times a month in July and August. Going from Salekhard to Omsk: Day 1): departs Salekhard at 5:00pm; Dat 2) stops at Berezovo for 30 minutes ay 7:30pm; Day 3) stops at Oktobraskaya Market for one hour. Day 4) stops at Khanty-Mansiysk for two hours at 8:00am; Day 6) one hour stop in Tobolsk at 7:30. Day 9) arrive in Omsk at 3:00pm. Traveling the other direction, with the current, takes one third less time.

On the Salekhard - Tobolsk - Omsk trip on person posted on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum in 2013: “I'll start by saying that this boat is amazingly good value for money. Here some example prices. The first is for beds in the common area, similar to platzkart on the train, the second is for a bed in a private 4-, 6-, or 8 bed cabin and the third is for a bed in a private 2 bed cabin. 1) Salekhard - Omsk (8 days): 1162 / 1437 / 3926 roubles; 2) Salekhard - Tobolsk (5 days): 774 / 969 / 2632 roubles; 3) Tobolsk - Khanty-Mansiysk (2 days): 429 / 526 / 1394 roubles. Children go half price!

“Tickets can be bought in advance at the airport in Salekhard or on the boat itself an hour before departure (it's apparently never full). Most people get off at one of the stops in the first 24 hours when going south from Salekhard, leaving only one or two people in most of the cabins for most of the route. The beds are comfortable , both longer and wider than on trains. Everything is cleaned several times a day, there's a shower, laundry, restaurant with simple but tasty meals and alcohol. Breakfast about 70 roubles, lunch and dinner 150 - 300, beer 50 - 80, wine, vodka and so on also available. Theres also a small room where films are shown starting in the afternoon and a shop selling all sorts of useful stuff such as toiletries, mugs, books.

“You can walk around on deck as much as you want or sit and read a book on the benches up there. The scenery is more or less the same all the way - endless taiga forest with absolutely no sign of civilisation. There are a few villages such as Pitlyar for which the boat is their only access to the outside world and a couple of towns where you can get off the boat and walk around - Beryozovo 24 hours after Salekhard and Khanty-Manskiysk 3 days from Salekhard. From Khanty Mansiysk there are regular buses to Tyumen on the Trans Siberian which take 8 hours. At Tobolsk the boat stops next to the stunning kremlin, the only one in Siberia.

“Anyone can freely sail the whole route between Omsk and Pitlyar, a small village of 500 and the last stop before Salekhard. Salekhard and areas north are closed to outsiders, Russian or otherwise, unless they get a temporary permit. See the Yamal Peninsula link in my signature line for how to get this permit. Permit in hand, you can continue the journey north from Salekhard a further two days to Antipayuta, well beyond the Arctic Circle, with a similar level of comfort and price.

“It sails the whole route from June to September and once in October from Khanty-Mansiysk to Omsk. Check www.irsc.ru for timetables and fares. Only about half the boats from Salekhard go as far as Omsk, the rest stopping in Tobolsk. Eg in July and August, the most frequent sailing months, 6 boats go from Salekhard - Tobolsk each month but only 3 continue to Omsk. Check the timetable carefully when planning if you want to sail all the way to Omsk!”

TOMSK OBLAST

Tomsk Oblast is situated in the heart of Western Siberia and, some say, is the best place to experience real Siberian nature: the endless taiga forests, rivers, lakes and swamps. It covers 316,900 square kilometers (122,400 square miles), is home to about 1 million people and has a population density of only 3.3 people per square kilometer. About 70 percent of the population live in urban areas. The city of Tomsk is the capital and largest city, with about 525,000 people. Website: The Tourist Portal of Tomsk Oblast: travel-tomsk.ru

Attractions include unique museums, fun festivals, fishing, hunting, and folk crafts. The region has a rich intellectual tradition: Tomsk contains the oldest university in Siberia. If you have the time take a flight to the remote, isolated towns of Strezhevoy and Kedrovy to see the unusual lifestyle of the people there. For adventure head off into the taiga or penetrate the Vasyugan marshes. Pine nuts are the oblast’s symbol. There are many fine examples of Siberian wooden architecture.

Getting There: A round-trip air ticket from Moscow to Tomsk costs about RUB 23,000. The travel time is 4 hours 30 minutes. A branch off the Trans-Siberian Railway reaches Tomsk. A ticket for express train No. 038N from Moscow to Tomsk will run you RUB 11,000 for a round trip in third class. The one-way travel time is 54 hours 40 minutes. When flying from Saint-Petersburg to Tomsk, you will have to make a transfer in Moscow. The travel time is seven and a half to eight hours. A round trip costs you ca. RUB 30,000. If you decided to take a train from St. Petersburg, you’ll need to transfer in Moscow, Novosibirsk or Vladimir. A third class round trip ticket will set you back about RUB 15,000. The travel time is up to 60 hours.

Transport in the Region: Some of the districts of the Tomsk region are in remote areas, accessible only by air or water. Tomsk airport offers flights to the towns of Strezhevoy and Kedrovy. The historic village of Narym, known from 1598, can be reached by water in the summer, on a snow road in the winter, or by air in autumn and spring.

Tomsk (170 miles northeast of Novosibirsk, kilometers 3771 on the Trans-Siberian at Taiga is where you catch the branch line to Tomsk) is one of Siberia's oldest cities. Founded in 1604, it went into decline when it was by bypassed by the Trans-Siberian Railway, but was later reborn as a nuclear research facility. The city and oblast is named after the Tom River which flows through the city.

Tomsk is the capital and largest city ot Tomsk oblast , with about 525,000 people. It is home to several universities, an active academic community and many old wooden houses. There is a fine arts and local studies museum, a botanical garden, a Polish cathedral and the SS Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Tomsk is regarded as the educational, scientific and entrepreneurial center of Siberia, and also maintains the title of historic city. More than 100 monuments of wooden architecture of the 18th-19th centuries are preserved here, more than 700 houses are included in the program of preservation of a unique architectural landscape. At the same time, a special technical and innovation type economic zone operates in Tomsk. Large scientific forums and conferences are regularly held here.

Accommodation: There is a wide range of hotels to suite a range of tastes and budgets.The Scandinavia four-star hotel at Mikushina street, 12, boasts excellent location and rooms from a basic single standard (RUB 3,325 a night) to luxury (RUB 9,025). The hotel has a restaurant and a laundry room. Transfers are available for visitors on arrival or departure. Guided tours can be booked in the hotel with English-speaking guides available. The Gogol Hotel at Gogol street, 36A is a small hotel with only 24 rooms in downtown Tomsk. The prices range from RUB 3,600 for a basic room to RUB 8,000 for a premium suite. The hotel boasts a sauna, a Turkish bath and a steam room. Hostel prices in Tomsk begin from 480 rubles, although the amenities will naturally be very basic at this rate. Apartments can be rented from 1,500 rubles per day.

History of Tomsk

The history of the city of Tomsk begins in 1604, with Tsar Boris Godunov giving the order “to put the city in a strong place”. In the spring of 1604 the Cossacks, led by V. Tyrkov and G. Pisemsky, arrived on the territory of present-day Tomsk with the order to establish a military fortress and settlement here. It was decided to put a prison on the right bank of the Tom river, as this place was protected on its three sides by nature: by bogs, a river and a steep precipice. The ledge, on which the prison was placed, was later called the Resurrection Mountain. In the 17th century, Tomsk was the most important strategic military center of Siberia and withstood attacks by nomads and hostile tribes.

In the 18th century, the borders of the Russian state moved closer to the north and east, the nomadic raids ceased and Tomsk lost its importance as the military center of Siberia. From the middle of the 18th century, Tomsk became a place of exiles. Many streets in Tomsk are named after the exiles: the disgraced writer A.N. Radishchev, Decembrist G.N. Batenkov, and the ideologist of anarchist M.A. Bakunin.

After 1804, when Tomsk was chosen as the administrative center of the new province, the first stone buildings began to appear, churches were built, and an administrative center of the city was formed. Around this time more than 25,000 people lived in Tomsk. From the middle of the 19th century, Tomsk began to grow and develop rapidly. Thanks to the gold mines discovered in the Tomsk area, many hotels, shops, and, along with them, mansions of wealthy merchants, were built. By the 19th century, Tomsk, was a major trade center, a role that was affirmed when a railway line reached the city in 1896.

In 1888, Siberia Imperial Tomsk University (now Tomsk State University) opened in Tomsk, which still attracts thousands of students throughout Russia and the CIS countries. The first technical university in Trans-Urals, now known as the Tomsk Polytechnic University, opened soon afterwards. Around this time the first theater was organized, three public libraries opened and the Department of the Russian Musical Society was launched. Tomsk suffered during the period of the 1917 Revolution and the Civil War. Afterwards it went decline as began moving to the fast-growing Novosibirsk.

During World War II, about 30 enterprises were transferred from the European part of Russia to Tomsk, which kicked off the city’s industrial development. After the war, the city got a second wind. In the 1960s, Tomsk industry begins to grow and the city became a major scientific center and attention was paid to the architecture of the city.

Tomsk, Nuclear Weapons and Contamination

In the Cold War era, Tomsk was a secret city. It was one of the main nuclear weapons sites in the Urals and Siberia. Plutonium production and weapons-grade uranium enrichment and processing was carried out there. It is considered one of the three most potentially dangerous nuclear sites in Russia.

Nuclear reactors used to create weapons-grade plutonium outside Tomsk were connected to the city by four steel pipes, each 4 feet in diameter, that carried steam from the reactors 19 miles away to heat apartments and homes in the nine-month winter. The city depended on the reactors for about a forth of its heat.

In 1993, a 9,246-gallon tank full of plutonium and uranium exploded at the Tomsk-7 nuclear installation. A northwest wind blew radioactive material to nearby villages and towns. After the disaster radioactive material began being injected into the earth

Sights in Tomsk

In Tomsk, be sure to take a walk through the old city, among the red-brick merchant mansions and wooden houses adorned with lacy carving. After that maybe check out the university areas. Tomsk, a small city compared to, say, Moscow, has ten large higher education institutions. As a result, a quarter of the locals are students. Every year university graduates cover the boots of the monument to Sergei Kirov in bright paint, scarlet or yellow. Back in his day, the famous revolutionary studied at the local university, also engaging in clandestine activities under the “Serge” alias. In 2016, Kirov was painted to resemble Superman with his red boots and blue overalls.

Tomsk is a city with a great sense of humor. Only here you can find a monument to the Lover, a fat man in baggy underwear clinging onto a window sill of the house on Bakunin street, 3. On the quay another well-known monument shows Chekhov drunk in a ditch. Why is Tomsk’s Chekhov depicted like that? Ask the locals when you’re in Tomsk. On Shevchenko, 19/1, you can find a bronze caste of the Wolf who muttered: “Gonna sing now!”

Tomsk Regional Art Museum contains paintings by famous Russian and Soviet masters such as Orest Kiprensky, Valentin Serov, Vasily Tropinin, Boris Kustodiev, and Georgy Choros-Gurkin as well as European art with masterpieces by such artists as David Teners, Jr. (17th century) and a collection of icons from different eras starting with 17th century.

Mansion of the Merchant Golovanov (intersection of Soldier (now Krasnoarmeyskaya) and Yarlykovskoy (now Kartashov)) is surrounded by towering pine trees and has a octagonal tower with a spire topped with a tent. Also known as the Russian-German House and built in 1902, it is the former house of the Tomsk merchant G.M. Golovanov,. The facades have decorative elements that bring to mind smooth terrain forms of different conifers and deciduous trees. And this blends with the silhouette of the main tent and the surrounding firs and pines.

“2+Ku” (Two plus Dolls) is the name of the theater, conceived and created by Vladimir Zakharov, a Tomsk master puppeteer who helped adults and children alike explore the real world through a fairy tale. In 2004, for the 400th anniversary of Tomsk, the theater — also known as the Theater of Living Dolls — moved into its own building, a wooden house resembling a fairy tale outside and inside. In 2019, Zakharov died in a fire. But the theater is still active. These days, its repertoire consists of twelve plays for children and adults.

NKVD Museum

Tomsk Memorial NKVD Prison Museum is housed in the former prison of the Tomsk Municipal Department of the Joint State Political Directorate-NKVD. The building was constructed in 1864-1866. From 1923 to 1944, it basements housed the internal prison of the Tomsk OGPU-NKVD department

Established in 1989, the Tomsk Memorial NKVD Prison Museum was the first museum of the history of political repressions to appear in the post-Soviet landscape. It’s aim is keeping the memory of the many thousands of people who were held here against their will. The former prison courtyard is now Remembrance Square, with memorials to repressed Kalmyks, Poles, Estonians and Latvians. The museum is not for the faint of heart. Still, you should visit. If for nothing else but to understand what suppression of reason and hope that everything will eventually work itself out entail.

The permanent exhibition of the museum includes a renovated jail corridor, a detainee cell, and the interior of an investigator's office. In the four halls of the museum (former cells), the permanent exhibitions are arranged: The Chronicle of Repressions in Tomsk region; the Great Terror; Execution Quest; Kolpashevsky Yar; and The Gulag and Narym krai Settlers. The halls also contain stands with biographical materials and copies of documents of poet N.A. Klyuev, philosopher and linguist G.G. Shtepp, geologist and soil scientist R.S. Ilyin, duke meters.M. Dolgorukov, and others.

Among the exhibits are original documents, copies of investigation files, letters and notes from prisons, personal belongings of repressed Tomsk oblast citizens, as well as everyday items made by prisoners in prison camps and exile. Nobel Prize winning author Alexander Solzhenitsyn was the first honorable visitor of the museum. He visited Tomsk in 1994 when returning home from exile. The first exhibition was opened for visitors in 1995.

The museum operates as an interregional Siberian museum and historical resource and information center. It has an electronic database with information about more than 200,000 people who endured the suffering and hardships due to the activities of the Cheka, NKVD troikas, de-kulakization, and mass deportations of peoples in Tomsk oblast.

Adjacent to the building is Memory Square, where there is a monument to the victims of Bolshevik terror in the Tomsk region and other memorials dedicated to repressed peoples: Kalmyks, Poles, Estonians, and Lithuanians. “Memory watches,” requiem concerts, the lighting of memorial candles and other activities take place on the square every year. The Museum and the Square are a single memorial complex that has become one of the most visited sites in Tomsk.

Museum of Wooden Architecture and Okolitsa Park

Museum of Wooden Architecture has a permanent exhibition is dedicated to the architectural decor of Tomsk. Among the exhibits are carved platbands, pilasters, cornices and other fragments. A vast collection of antique joinery tools is also presented. None less impressive are cast iron stoves — in the 19th century, even stove doors were richly decorated with artistic images! The museum also provides bus and walking tours to the historical sites of Tomsk.

Okolitsa Rural Park is the traditional venue for the Axe Feast in Zorkaltsevo village (10 kilometers west of Tomsk). Today Okolitsa has been turned into a veritable open-air museum and is one of the favorite recreation areas for residents of Tomsk.

Throughout the park one can find works made by Axe Feast participants and carpentry craftsmen from all over Russia and many foreign countries: from unusual park sculptures and carved benches to a part of a Cossack dungeon restored according to building traditions of the 17th century and even a real chapel. There is also a whole range of informative and entertaining areas dedicated to the multinational culture of the Tomsk region: a Selkup mini-village, a Tatar farmstead, a Russian druzhina squad camp, and an Uzbek courtyard.

During the warm months. the park operates an extreme rope park and a mini-farm, where various species of domestic and wild animals live, from pot-bellied pigs to elks. A Chinese cultural zone is to be opened in the future. During the Axe Feast, the petting zoo is one of the main attractions. Every weekend, special events are held for families, including competitive games, master classes, and stage performances.

Kemerovo Oblast

Kemerovo Oblast is in Western Siberia, more than four 4 hours by plane to the east of Moscow. Often called the Kuzbass, the region is home to one of the largest coal fields in the world and the main area of coal mining of Russia. Mines and slagheaps are a staple of the local landscape. Among the tourist sights in Kemerovo Oblast are the Dinosaur Graveyard, the first Siberian rock art museum and one of Russia's main ski resorts — Sheregesh. There is a Dostoevsky Museum in the family home of his wife.

Kemerovo Oblast covers 95,500 square kilometers (36,900 square miles), is home to about 2.8 million people and has a population density of 29 people per square kilometer. About 80 percent of the population live in urban areas. The city of Kemerovo is the capital and largest city, with about 530,000 people. Kemerovo Oblast borders Tomsk Oblast to the north, Krasnoyarsk Krai and the Republic of Khakassia to the east, the Altai Republic to the south, and Novosibirsk Oblast and Altai Krai to the west.

Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: “Until we left Novosibirsk, we had seen none of the large-scale environmental damage that Siberia is famous for. Then we hit the small, smoky city of Kemerovo, in the Kuznetsk Basin coal-mining region. Russians don’t bother to hide strip mines with a screen of trees along the road to spare the feelings of motorists, as we Americans do. Beyond Kemerovo, the whole view at times became the gaping pits themselves, sprawling downward before us on either side while the thread-thin road tiptoed where it could between. Strip mines are strip mines, and I had seen similar scenery in North Dakota and southern Ohio and West Virginia, though never quite so close at hand. Often through this Siberian coal region the road strayed and forgot its original intention, and more than one fork we took dead-ended without warning at a city-size strip-mine hole. We meandered in the Kuznetsk Basin for most of a day and drove until past nightfall in order to camp on the other side. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 10 and 17, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010)]

“After the Kuznetsk Basin came a long interval of meadows. We saw dark-clothed people working the hay fields in big groups as in an old bucolic painting, or riding to or from the work in horse-drawn flatbed wagons whose hard rubber wheels bouncing on the uneven pavement made the flesh of the passengers’ faces jiggle fast. In this more peaceful region, we camped one night on the banks of the Chulym River at a popular spot with a gravel bank more convenient for bathing and washing than the usual swampy mud. While we ate supper, a group of Christians waded in not far from us, some of them in flowing white baptismal clothes. The worshippers sang songs accompanied by a guitar, held hands in a circle, swayed. A man in the middle of the circle took another man and a woman and two girls in his arms and then immersed them one by one.”

Getting There: There are two airports in the region, in Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk. A flight from Moscow to Kemerovo will run you around 24,000 rubles (adult round trip); to Novokuznetsk, 26,000 rubles. There are no direct flights from St. Petersburg. With a transfer in Moscow, the flight to Kemerovo will set you back 30,000 rubles; to Novokuznetsk, 34,000. A train ride from Moscow to Kemerovo costs 11,000 rubles (third class, adult, round trip); from Moscow to Novokuznetsk, 7,400 rubles. Buses run from the neighboring regions to Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk. A ticket from Novosibirsk costs 1,300 rubles (adult, round trip); from Barnaul, 2,300 rubles; from Tomsk, 1,000 rubles. Transport in the Region: Cities and towns in the region are connected by quality roads, so travel by car and bus is possible. A bus transfer from Kemerovo to Novokuznetsk costs 523 rubles; to Mariinsk, 310 rubles; to Prokopievsk, 471 rubles.

Kemerovo City

Kemerovo (150 kilometers east of Novosibirsk) is the capital and second largest city of Kemerovo oblast, with about 530,000 people (Novokuznetsk is the largest city). Kemerovo stretches along the both banks of the Tom River, at the confluence of the Iskitimka River. The city is best known for coal mining, which has been practiced here for more than a hundred years, but has a large chemical industry.

About a third of the population is employed in heavy industry, which leaves a heavy imprint on the city but it also a major educational center. At the beginning of the 20th century, present-day Kemerovo was occupied by the villages of Sheglovka and Kemerovo, which were united in a city called Sheglov in 1918. Later the city was renamed Sheglovsk, and then to Kemerovo in 1932.

There are 126 objects of cultural heritage in Kemerovo. Places of interest include the Kemerovo Regional Museum of Local Lore, the Archeology, Ethnography and the Ecology of Siberia museum, the Church of the Holy Trinity and the main church of Kemerovo is Znamensky Cathedral. There is a monument called In Memory to the Miners of Kuzbass by sculptor Ernst Neizvestny on Krasnaya Gorka; and the Holy Great Martyr Varvara — Patroness of Miners sculptural composition and a monument to Mihailo Volkov, the discoverer of Kuznetsk coal, were erected in the same area nearby. Various military equipment and weapons — including an T-55 tank, BTR-60 armored personnel carrier and BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle — are on display in Park Pobedy.

Accommodation: In Kemerovo, try Kuzbass hotel: rooms from standard (2,200 rubles per day) to three-room suite with a hot tub (8,000 rubles per day) are available there. Conveniently, there is no single billing hour: you pay from the moment you check in. Breakfast, dinner, transfer to the airport or railway station, and registration for foreign citizens are available. Hostels in Kemerovo cost from 700 rubles; apartments, from 1,200 rubles per day.

Near Kemerovo City

Shestakovo Dinosaur Graveyard (200 kilometers from Kemerovo) has been known since 1953, when geologists found the bones of a psittacosaurus in Shestakovsky Yar. There are only two dinosaur cemeteries in Russia: one is Shestakovsky Yar, the other is near the village of Kundur in the Far East. Bones of the Shestakovo dinosaurs can be seen in the Chebula district museum and the Kemerovo regional museum. The cutbank is further washed away by the river every year, so you have the chance to find petrified shells, bones and prehistoric younger artifacts on your own. If that's your kind of thing that worries the soul, this is where you should visit! The distance from Kemerovo to Shestakovsky Yar is

Tomskaya Pisanitsa (50 kilometers northwest from Kemerovo) is Siberia's first rock art monument and museum. There are about 280 images in the ancient natural-historical sanctuary. The earliest paintings date back to the late Neolithic period in the 4th-3rd millennium B.C. and depict elks, bears, anthropomorphic beings, sun signs, birds, and boats. Pictures from the Bronze Age (2nd millennium B.C.) show a deer-sun, masks, and birdmen. Many of the images are masterpieces of primitive art. The unique outdoor museum was established in 1988.

A rock with drawings of ancient people was discovered on the banks of Tom river at the turn of the 16th-17th century. The site has attracted the attention of researchers for centuries. Famous scientists and explorers in the 17th-19th centuries described the paintings in their work. The final stage of this long research effort was the fundamental work of A.P. Okladnikova and A.I. Martynov (Treasures of the Tomsk Pisanitsa, 1972, as well as dozens of articles in scientific journals in the U.S.S.R. and abroad). Science helped contemporaries to understand the meaning of life and worldview of the ancients, but they were unable to protect the monument from natural deterioration and, more importantly, from vandals.

In the 1960-80s, a group of scientists, teachers, and students led by professor Anatoly Martynov campaigned to have the rock drawings protected. Thanks to these people, the first monument restoration was carried out. The famous staircase that is today the main descent to the rock was built, and the first excursions were organized. In 1968, the territory adjacent to the neolithic rupestrian drawings was declared a preserved area.

Tomsk Pisanitsa includes three main exhibition complexes devoted to archaeology, ethnography, and ecology. Ninety percent of the museum-reserve is occupied by pine forest. An ancient elk path leads across the reserve to Tom river crossing, where elk can often be seen. In the winter, wolves and lynxes come to the reserve. A small zoo operates in the Tomsk Pisanitsa Museum-Reserve. It is the only permanent zoo in Kemerovo oblast. There are 16 animal species and 7 bird species in the zoo.

Novokuznetsk

Novokuznetsk (120 kilometers south of Kemerovo) is the largest city in Kemerovo Oblast, just barely, with about 548,000 people. It was previously known as Kuznetsk (until 1931), Stalinsk (until 1961). Novokuznetsk is a heavily industrial city and is located in the heart of the Kuzbass coal-mining region. Factories in the city include: the West-Siberian Metal Plant, Novokuznetsk Iron and Steel Plant, Factory "Kuznetsk ferroalloys" and Novokuznetsk aluminium factory

Novokuznetsk was founded in 1618 by men from Tomsk who set up a a Cossack ostrog (fort) on the Tom River, which was was initially called Kuznetsky ostrog. Fyodor Dostoevsky married his first wife, Maria Isayeva, here in 1857. Joseph Stalin's rapid industrialization of the Soviet Union transformed the sleepy town into a major coal mining and industrial center in the 1930s.

Dostoevsky Museum (in Novokuznetsk) is located in the house where Maria Isayeva lived in a rented apartment. The writer fell in love with her back in Semipalatinsk, but she was married then. Maria Dmitrievna's husband died in Kuznetsk. Dostoevsky came here several times, and in 1857, after his wedding with Maria Dmitrievna, he lived in this house for three weeks. The house itself is the main artifact. However, the exhibits, photos, and paintings create a unique atmosphere, an immersion effect. The street on which the house is located now bears the name of Dostoevsky, but back then it was the Police Street, which can be seen as a grin of fate. Maria Dmitrievna died of tuberculosis in 1864. Literature experts believe that this story of unhappy love is reflected in the Crime and Punishment and Humiliated and Insulted novels.

Kuznetsk Fortress (on the Voznesenskaya Hill in Novokuznetsk) began as a stockade established in 1620. It was built for protection against raids by local tribes, and in early 19th century the stockade was rebuilt into a fortress. It was, however, the time when the attacks had already subsided, so the fortress never had to fight. There's not much left of it after two centuries. The restoration of the fortress as a historical landmark began in the 1990s. These days, the Kuznetsk Fortress museum-reserve includes military fortifications and architectural objects.

Near Novokuznetsk

Sheregesh is famous not only for its world-class ski trails, but also for its spectacular nature, which adds a special charm to the Mountainous Shoria region. In Sheregesh there are many beautiful places and Camel (Verblyuda) Butte is one of them. The buttes in the region, located on the slopes of Kurgan Mountain, were formed by magma withdrawal. They have an interesting shape as a result of the influence of wind, frost, and water. One of the best locations for observing the buttes is from the highest point in the area, Zelenaya Mountain, where most of the ski trails are located. From there it is possible to take a walk or take a snowmobile to the buttes.

Sheregesh Ski Resort is a major ski area with 15 ski trails from 700 meters to 4.2 kilometers in length, and from 120 to 800 meters in elevation. The trails are built for different levels of difficulty, their total length is 42 kilometers. There are 18 ski lifts, from J-bars to gondola ones.

One of the main attractions of Sheregesh ski resort is its unique snow conditions. The season welcomes skiers from the early November until early May, and the thickness of snow cover reaches over two meters. Sheregesh attracts the extreme skiers seeking for “off-piste” rides. Resort facilities include a snowpark with springboards, handrail, fs 314 air bag, a trampoline and an indoboard. Instructors will help both beginners who try downhill skiing for the first time and people who want to master freestyle. There is almost no avalanche danger at the resort because of the presence of many trees on the slopes. Acclimatization is quite easy because the resort is not very high. Sheregesh provides equipment rental centers and accommodation. Other facilities include a bowling center, an indoor ice rink, a tennis court, entertainment centers, and even “the upside down house”, an attraction where all things are fastened to the ceiling for unusual photoshoots.

VASYUGAN MARSHES

The Vasyugan Marshes (north of Omsk, Novosibirsk and Tomsk) is the largest swamp system in the world and the largest peat deposit in the world (more than 1 billion tons). Covering 53,000 square kilometers, an area larger than Switzerland, and formed about 10,000 years, the swamp stretches for 320 kilometers from north to south and 537 kilometers from west to east. The swamp occupies the northern part of the Ob and Irtysh interfluve (a region between the valleys of adjacent watercourses), mostly within Tomsk Oblast and partially Omsk and Novosibirsk oblasts. Every year the swamp grows by an average of eight square kilometers due primarily to ice the blocking the flow of the Ob and Irtysh rivers.

The Vasyugan Swamp has called the second “green lungs” of the planet after the Amazon Basin. In 2007, it was included in the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The swamp is the main source of fresh water in the region, with some 800,000 small lakes. The left tributaries of the Ob (Vasyugan, Parabel, Chaya, Shegarka) originate there, as well as the right tributaries of the Irtysh (Om and Tara) and rivers, feeding fishing lakes of the inner basin of Western Siberia.

The nature here has remained completely untouched. Ten percent of the swamp is included in the Vasyuganskiy Regional Nature Reserve (Bakcharsky District). The swamp is home to large shorebirds (curlews and godwits) and a number of rare species of birds. The swamp is the last place the slender-billed curlew — now on the verge of extinction or maybe extinct — was last recorded. Birds such as white-tailed eagles, peregrine falcons, golden eagles, gray shrikes, and falcon all live in the swamp. Sable, squirrels, reindeer, grouse, hazel hen, ptarmigan and wood grouse can all be found here. There is quite a high probability of encountering a moose. The swamp is rich in blueberries, cranberries, and cloudberries.

Kayaking, hiking, skiing, and cycling expeditions are organized in the swamp with the support of the Tomsk branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Among the things you can seek out are vast unspoiled forests and marshes, animals, and abandoned villages. Make sure to bring a strong insect repellent.

See Separate Article VASYUGAN MARSHES factsanddetails.com

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (official Russia tourism website russiatourism.ru ), Russian government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Yomiuri Shimbun and various books and other publications.

Updated in September 2020

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