SVN solovelanet

45 SVN Solovelanet Global planned throughout the winter in every detail, espe- cially the route, taking into account the usual meteo- rological considerations, bureaucratic red tape, and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This is why I had to forget about Crimea, the beau- tiful peninsula which was the scene of a naval war in the mid-nineteenth century. The Russian incur- sion of 2012, and subsequent annexation following a 'popular' referendum, was effectively an invasion and was opposed both locally and internationally. This means that even if I managed to land there without a problem, a Russian visa on my passport would probably make it impossible for me to return to Ukraine in the future. My final destination is Odessa, the pearl of this sea, for two hundred years a commercial harbour and a trade hub between the Far East and Western Europe, as well as a hotbed of ideas and a cradle of progressive thought. When the sun softens the air, the mist dissolves and the profile of Tsarevo (Bulgaria) appears before my eyes. My feelings are a mixture of fatigue and exci- tement. Soon I will toss the lines on the quay for my first stop in a harbour on this journey to the sea which has been haunting my mind for months. I head straight for the harbour entrance, and once I am about a hundred metres from the seawall, I engage neutral gear and stop the boat. I grab my handheld VHF and call the port authority on several channels, but receive no response. Usually in these cases, I dock and then look for someone on the pier to hand the mooring lines to, but here I hesitate a little. What if I break some law by entering without permission, even when exposing the required yellow flag on the starboard spreader? After all, Bulgaria was a dicta- torship until a few years ago – can we be sure that the rules, and the police who enforce them, are less strict than they were? After trying the VHF again and it remaining silent, I realize that I have no alternative but to continue, so I turn the bow and in a moment I am traversing the red and green lights of this fairly small harbour. There are some small fishing boats on one side and some old fashioned sail boats on the other. Looking around, I see a man beckoning me to raise a lazy line; next to him there are two people in uniform. I move the stern of Piazza Grande perpendicular to the three people waiting for me and then engage reverse gear and start to approach. Everything is rarefied and silent on this still morning, only the faint wake that I leave behind me marks any sign on the water, as if it marking the boundary between my usual world and this reality that I am about to experience. Il portolano F or navigation, there are a couple of Imray pilot books available for the Black Sea, both in English. Additionally, I purchased a large-scale general chart of the area from the company. I also used electronic cartography based on three dif- ferent GPS units. Constanta in Romania was the only place where I found a signifi- cant difference between what was charted and what was observed. The harbour sea- wall here is about 500 metres longer than is shown on the chart, but the signal buoys are arranged as if it has not been built yet, which must be very dangerous after dark. As for guides I relied on Lonely Planet, and of course I also found a huge amount of interesting information on the internet. For example, noonsite.com is an essential re- ference point for any destination. In addi- tion to the practical information for sailors, you can find updated news and boaters' comments. On this site I came across an American couple who I emailed and who gave me plenty of useful information ba- sed on their recent experience. The pilot book used by Piazza for this voyage Imray chart showing coastal resorts of the Black Sea

• Cover