After a genuinely sad farewell to Konstantin and Medvezhegorsk we set out into Lake Onega. With a warm, gently lit afternoon, flat seas and a steady beam breeze we wove through the cardinal marks sipping Maxine’s Delight (cognac, lemon, sugar and water).
An odd mark was seen in the distance ahead and, as we approached, it transmorphed into an unusual but wonderful Russian square rigger. Photos were taken and waves exchanged.
Now, at 10 pm, we have the gentlest sail in low, bright sunlight. Mozart string quintets and a come-what-may stew saved by Chris’s ras al hanout. Maxine is overjoyed because Dirk has finally got his Russian visa and will join us shortly.
(Later) It is 1 am and Maxine is comatose below. Sitting in the cockpit I notice that after many weeks at sea we now have sunsets and sunrises. It is always light enough to read on deck, but this division of the day is new and welcome. Tonight’s sunset is a riotous mixture of oranges and pinks astern. Quite lovely.
We have decided to look for an anchorage on the eastern shore of the lake and go on down to Vitegra tomorrow. There are good spots on the chart but I am not sure what holding will be like. The lake has an uneven and very rocky bottom which I hope give way to mud or sand inshore. We will see.
At Vytegra a whole new and not very appealing adventure begins – we will have to find a crane to remove the mast. From here on the bridges and power lines are too low for us to pass. I will have to stow the mast on deck with 10 feet sticking out at the bow and 15 behind. Then we will be putting Mr Henry Ford through his paces for 2,000 miles, coolant loss notwithstanding.