G'day All, To Go Where No Peterson Cutter Has Gone Before Last night, at the Royal Australian Naval Sailing Association, I attended friend and sailor John Vallentine's launch of his new book, "Sailing Through Russia -- From the Arctic to the Black Sea". It is a great read and documents the first-ever voyage of a private yacht from the tip of Norway to the Black sea through the canals and rivers of Russia, traversing both the Volga and Don rivers. His Russian-fluent Dutch crew and grand vizier for the voyage, co-author and Moscow resident Maxine Maters, was there as well. It was a delight to see John again and meet the charming Maxine. John is truly a legendary sailor and has taken his F46 Tainui to places no one has gone before, not to mention many mostly seldom-visited outposts along the way during his many years of voyaging. The photos he showed us of his journey are magnificent. Along the voyage through fjords, locks, canals, channels, lakes and rivers were the historical remnants of layers of Russian history visible in the overwhelming beauty of onion-domed churches, mouldering Soviet-era brick factories, rusting machinery, abandoned equipment, and the subliminal memory of the near-slaves who built the canals and locks and hauled the barges by hand up and down the Volga. As well, John gave us a glimpse into how it felt to be warmly greeted by local residents, who always brought food and vodka when they visited. At every stop the local media showed up to record the historic event. This is cruising like it used to be. They HAD to write a book! No way out of it. See https://www.sailinginrussia.org/ and http://tainui.org/ for more about the voyages of Tainui and the book. Cheers Jeff Stander 26.10.2016 Reproduced from the Peterson cutter website, with permission)
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We stand with Ukraine More info on s/y Tainui’s adventures
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Tainui’s route
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“…a captivating adventure. I read the book at one setting and was very late to bed.(the book is) beautifully presented and bound, with noble images…half pilot book, half cruising yarn.”
“Vallentine is a semi-retired doctor from Australia with a dry, Aussie humour which he really needs as one crazy nonsense after another gets in his way. He is an unsung hero of ocean sailing.”
– Tom Cunliffe, Yachting World August 2018.
“[whether sailing or taking a river cruise]…this fascinating and entertaining book would be the ideal guide to take along. Everyone interested in cruising off the beaten path…as well as anyone with a specific interest in Russia, will enjoy this book.”
– Ocean Cruising Club book review
“What a fascinating book! Even if you never repeat the history-making voyage of Australian yacht Tainui, this is a great read. If you do plan such a venture, it is compulsory reading.”
– Afloat Magazine
A lively and informative combination journal and cruising guide for those who might follow. Whether you are planning the voyage yourself or just looking for an adventurous tale, Sailing Through Russia is a photo-filled gem that’s well worth the read.
– Cruising World
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