Approaches to the Saint-Petersburg Central (River) Yacht Club

The docks of the Saint Petersburg Central (River) Yacht Club are situated in the mouths of the rivers Malaya Neva (Little Neva) and Bolshaia Nevka (Big Neva). One can easily find the way to our yacht club using the Sea Channel and Peter’s Passage.

Boats going to the Central Yacht Club from Kronstadt can use as reference points the Saint Petersburg TV tower, or the stadium, named after Kirov, with its flood-light masts (these can be seen to the left of the club, over the river). Further on, you will come to a break in the line of modern houses. First the club whereabouts will be seen as a low, wide green zone between the towering modern buildings, then you’ll detect the right edge of this break, which is the Vasilievsky Island with its buildings (this island lies to the right of the club, on the opposite bank of the river from it). More closely you’ll see the futuristic 3-floor administrative building of the yacht club.

The recommended course is 92 – 272 degrees from the buoys numbers 23 and 24. Those coming along the Sea Channel up to buoys 33 and 34 will see lit range buoys, leading to Peter’s Passage on a course of 63 – 253 degrees. The length of Peter’s Passage from the entrance buoy number 2 to the Parade Harbor of the Saint Petersburg Central Yacht Club is 3,1 miles. They always maintain the depth in this Passage to no less than 4 meters and a width of 80 meters. To navigate through this Passage follow the Krestovsky Island beacons. The beacons are 2 steel and concrete towers with red vertical lines. Their lights are fixed red and can be seen from 11 miles distance. The direction to the beacons is 245,3 – 65,3 degrees.

Once you reach the buoys 10 and 12 of Peter’s Passage you can keep to the north of the Passage but only at a distance of 50 meters from buoys, no more. Further west from buoy 10 you can follow the Passage in the same manner, but keeping even closer to the line of buoys. It is not recommended to go to the south side of the Passage. Boats using Peter’s Passage drawing less than 1 meter must follow the channel outside of the buoys. Bigger vessels must move under power. Ships using Peter’s Passage are not obliged to give way to sailing yachts. From buoy number 14 in Peter’s Passage begins a sea channel, leading to the river Bolshaya Nevka and to the Central Yacht Club. This is the way to the Parade Harbor in the Bolshaia Nevka which features stone embankments and wooden mooring berths and also to the Guest Harbor, which is the big basin at the seaside of the club. It also has a wooden pontoon on its eastern side. The entrance to the Guest Harbor is between two stone breakwaters just at the edge of the river’s mouth. The depths in both harbors are 3,5 – 4 meters and more, except the farthest south side of the Guest Harbor, which is used mostly for motorboats. Peters Passage leads farther into the river Malaya Neva, where the yacht club also has a Work Harbor (the first on the left from the river’s mouth).

The Saint Petersburg River Yacht Club

The Saint Petersburg River Yacht Club is the oldest and the biggest yacht club in Russia. It was established in 1860. The club’s founders liked to travel by small boats on rivers, which are numerous in this region. That’s why they called the club the River Yacht Club. Right from its foundation, the River Yacht Club had facilities on the sea coast and its activities have always been directed to voyages and sports on the sea.

During its history, our club has changed its name and site rather often. In 1910 on its 50th anniversary the club received an honorable addition to its name: The Saint Petersburg River Yacht Club of His Majesty the Emperor of Russia, thus marking the club’s great achievements in sports and social life. In Soviet times our club was renamed and changed its place several times. In 1935 – 1936 the club was moved for the last time to the sea end of the island, which lies at the mouth of the river Neva and is named after Peter the First. So now our postal address is 197042 Saint Petersburg, Petrowskya Kosa 9, Russia. After that move, the name of the club became Zentralny (Central) because it was the biggest yacht club in the city even at that time. Later on, several other little yacht clubs joined our club. Choosing the present place for our yacht club, the authorities took into consideration the need for simple sea approaches. That’s why our club has the best sea approaches and stands close to the historical center of Saint Petersburg.

Presently the club owns about 80 big cruiser yachts and about 100 little sailing boats. The flagship of our club is the schooner Nadezda (Hope), built in 1912 in Holland. We have several other historic vessels: the yacht Meramec built in 1910 in Finland, also the yachts Zvezda, Neva, and Malva built in 1936 – 1938 in Germany. Our club accommodates about 50 other big vessels. In addition in summer, we can receive about 50 large visiting yachts every day.

We have 3 main docks. The Guest (or Western) Harbor is used mostly for visiting vessels and is situated at the sea end of our club. It is divided from the open sea by a stone embankment and is quite secure. The Parade Harbor consists of berthing places used in summer mostly by our own fleet and vessels of other companies and persons. The Working Harbor is close to our shipbuilding and repair facilities and winter onshore places for yachts. It is used mostly for work on vessels. There is a 12.5-ton crane.

We are in the process of developing repairing and shipbuilding facilities in our club. We already can undertake practically any repair job for a small or medium size vessel. Prices for such services are subject to negotiation. They are comparatively low, but the quality of work is high. Our workers are especially good when reconstructing old yachts with wooden hulls. We have many orders for this kind of work from Russian and foreign sailors. Our club is a secure place and has security guards 24 hours a day.

We also offer to guests of the club training programs and sea voyages on the club’s own yachts. Our prices depend on the kind of the vessel. The sailing and motor schooner Nadezda can take up to 40 persons for a day’s voyage and 30 for longer programs (30 sleeping places for guests). We can also organize special tourist programs in the Gulf of Finland and inland waters of Russia. Exclusive programs, including visits to islands in the Vyborg Gulf or islands in Ladoga Lake, which is normally prohibited for foreigners, are also possible.

Saint Petersburg Central (River) Yacht Club, Petrovskaya Kosa 9, Saint-Petersburg, 197110, Russia Tel:+7 812 235-6636, Fax:+7 812 235-6636, www.yachtclub.spb.ru, info@yachtclub.spb.ru