In 2010, we sailed around the Black Sea, visiting five of the six countries surrounding the sea and blogging about it along the way. While there, we gathered information to write an updated cruising guide to the Black Sea that was published in 2012. This page contains links to additional information about the Black Sea.
The Black Sea Cruising Guide
The Black Sea cruising guide that we wrote was published in April 2012 as a joint venture between the RCC Pilotage Foundation and Imray. The pilot book is available for purchase through their websites and from the following distributors in North America: Landfall Navigation, Maryland Nautical and The Nautical Mind.
The guide replaces the text-only e-pilot we published with the RCCPF last year and provides sailing directions for all six countries surrounding the Black Sea, including harbor plans and color photos. It is based on previously published guides and unpublished cruising notes as well as information we gathered while sailing around the Black Sea in 2010.
Gyatso Voyage Around the Black Sea in 2010
In our 2010 cruise around the Black Sea, we visited five of the six countries beginning in Turkey and continuing in a counterclockwise direction to Georgia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria before returning to Turkey again. We did not sail to Russia because officials there could not give us assurances regarding clearance procedures.
For our personal account of sailing around the Black Sea, see the Gyatso archives: Logbook for the Black Sea. Logbook entries for the six countries around the Black Sea can be found here:
Suggested Reading
To learn more about the Black Sea, browse our Gyatso Bookstore to find links to suggested reading from the crew of Gyatso.
Photo Gallery
I am looking for information about traveling in Russia, particularly about the TransSiberian Railroad.
The Black Sea guide is for sailors who wish to go cruising there. Sorry we can’t help you with rail information in Russia.