round the World – a tough test for any sailor, and you have teams of untried youth, the students. How they coped with the task?
Nikolai Zorchenko: because of the epidemic of the coronavirus “a Pallada” has banned the port of Mauritius, the team was unable to go ashore in Singapore, Brunei, Nagasaki. In the end, the longest journey lasted 75 days. But riots on the ship was not.
a few days after our return to Vladivostok, I saw that the students already hovering around the sailboat. And it pleases me, because our main goal is to teach the young man to the sea. Before the expedition we asked the guys if they want to be sailors? A third wanted a third doubted the others had nothing to say. At the end of this voyage we again conducted a survey. And only one person answered that the work at sea was not for him.
Evgeny Romashkin: the sailing boys 17 – 19 years understand that without mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual help at sea, no way! You will not be able to single-handedly roll the sail. Only together, only together.
When the student comes to the ship, all of his attention is a tall mast, and when ashore – shakes hands with each member of the crew. The other day we walked 35 cadets in Kaliningrad. Under a March “Farewell of Slav” and three beep “Sedov” they went ashore. In tears. Do you think they will tell about masts and sails, but about people.
What, in your opinion, the guys still remember?
Nicholas Zorchenko: In the Tsushima Strait, where 115 years ago, agreed the two fleets of Russia and Japan, in a tragic date, we, together with the “Sedov” has honored the memory of Russian sailors laid wreaths on the water. For “Pallas” is a mandatory ritual during the passage of Tsushima, we conducted more than 50 times. The students are always very serious about the memorial ceremony. And will not forget it.
Evgeny Romashkin: Sometimes the sailors ask each other: “How many times have you crossed the equator?”. Our ward has provided a unique opportunity. They could do this repeatedly, because we went a few miles just on the equator. In two hemispheres was waving a Russian flag and the sound of her national anthem.
In the English channel on the zero Meridian for the children staged a tug of war. Therefore, we would have tied the whole of Russia, because the ship gathered cadets from Kaliningrad to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from St. Petersburg to the town. This is an important educational moments that are remembered for a lifetime.
How to meet Russian sailing ship in foreign ports?
Evgeny Romashkin: In Las Palmas in the Canary Islands wishing to visit the ship was so large that authorities have turned to us with a request to spend the day at their expense. We organized a terrific exhibiku works by the artist Pavel Mikhailov, who participated in the voyage of Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. His paintings of Antarctica, have become the proof that Russian sailors had discovered a new continent.
In the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo for three days, “Sedov” visited by 7.7 thousand people. Turn in three or four rows stood from the ship to the port entrance and from there another two bus stops.
From Germany, England, France and other countries, we sent letters, which were admired by the expedition three sailboats.
the highlight of the swim was in the Atlantic regatta, which was attended by all three of the sailing ship. It gave the cadets?
Evgeny Romashkin: of Course, it was a unique spectacle: the day before the start, we approached each other at a minimum distance of 60 metres. In the center of the “Sedov” in full armor – 35 sails, right “Kruzenshtern” left “Pallada”. The crews saw each other’s faces, could speak. We had to go 200 miles.
Nicholas Zorchenko: Began we well. At 18 o’clock took the start – there are waves of 4 – 5 points, the fresh wind of 12 – 14 meters per second. Around one o’clock – brasili down, “Pallada” was carrying only three tiers of Marsala. The morning felt that these extra sails.
In the third hour of the night, when finished, the storm has already hard and on a sailboat there was only the bottom of Marseille. The speed was high – 11 – 12 knots. We rode on the waves like mountains. They beat through the settings, broken guard rails. The wind broke five sails, but the losses we did not consider, the main thing was to stay. “Pallada”, the smallest of the three ships, suffered more than anyone else.
I Admit, I was scared. And the students, for the first time caught in this mess, told me that they were interested. They were behind the wheel, wearing a seat – eyes like saucers, but they could read the determination to remain in office until the end. So the green guys are real sailors.
the Captain of a sailing ship today “piece goods”. How are you different from other sailors?
Evgeny Romashkin: first, the ship going to sea under sail only, should feel. Secondly, we will be able to operate a tanker or cargo ship, but the captain of the tanker Burke or a frigate is unlikely.
by the Way, the captains of sailing ships are familiar with each other and communicate.
Andrew Carriers, who for 12 years was the captain of “Sedov”, lives in Latvia. Thanks to him, in 1991, during the collapse of the USSR, bark, assigned to Riga, handed over to Murmansk state technical University. Before the flight I sent Perevozchikova large clocks. He wished success of the expedition.
Petro Mitrofanov was the first captain of the “Sedov”. In my youth, I did not find it, but we kept in touch with his son Mitrofanova – valentotherwise. I offered him to give us in flight thing my father, who in the world never were. Son handed the compass. 8 Dec 2019 “Sedov” went in flight, and on the same day I received the last message from Valentina. He soon passed away.
Dying, captain Mitrofanov asked to bury his ashes in the Bay of Biscay. This has been done. Despite the storm, we came to the point with desired coordinates, observed a minute of silence in memory of the famous captain and, it turns out, had brought him news of his son’s death. And, it would seem that the connection of the barque “Sedov” with the family of the first captain broke, but with the address of Valentina wrote me his son.
Nicholas Zorchenko: With the burial of the ashes Mitrofanova in the Bay of Biscay is associated with an almost mystical history. In 1992, the capsule was lowered into the water. After the ceremony, the sailboat continued on his way, and after some time the sailors saw the sea in a plywood box of cigarettes. Apparently somewhere along the way have opened the container. The crew saw this as a sign of gratitude to the captain, who during his lifetime was a chain smoker.
he Came to Vladivostok, the command of the barque “Sedov” laid flowers to the monument to Sergey Lazo. What connects the ship with the hero of the Civil war?
Evgeny Romashkin: “Sedov” owes his long life and even Ada Lazo, the granddaughter of the hero. She rescued a sailboat from turning into a restaurant, removing the film “Who needs sails”. View it and you will learn how to go under sail, and thus live and breathe Russian sailors.
