The Saint Peter Yacht

The summer of 2003 saw the start of a project to build an exact copy of the 12-gun Dutch yacht the Saint Peter, in the restored part of Solovki’s Ambar. The original Saint Peter was built in Arkhangelsk in 1693 specially for Tsar Peter the Great. It was on this yacht that Peter made his first journey to the White Sea and visited the Solovetsky Islands. This is why, 310 years after these events this particular vessel was chosen for the replica reconstruction project.

So, what happened to the original yacht? Having served 30 years at sea it seems likely that she became the first exhibit on show in Arkhangelsk. She was kept for a further 6 years as an example of Russian shipbuilding. A ship to be proud of with a history to be proud of, both closely linked to the White Sea and Solovki.

The 2003 Saint Peter under construction on Solovki is being built to resemble as closely as possible the original. Lack of space has meant that the yacht has been reduced in length from 18m to 12m, with a proportional reduction of other measurements. Even in its reduced form, the yacht as it is now in dry dock (keel and ribs) looks very impressive. In 2003 the project leader was Dmitry Golovachev, a shipbuilder from St Petersburg, who had spent many years working at the Leningrad Experimental Shipbuilding Yard and had many ships to his name.

In the summer of 2006 the project was taken over by a team of young shipbuilders under the leadership of Alexander Lapenko, a member of the NSF.

The Northern Seafaring Fellowship is looking for qualified shipbuilders to work on the Saint Peter project. The project is based at the restored rowing boat house, the Ambar, on Solovki, which is fully equipped to modern requirements, materials provided and the prospect of spending time on Bolshoi Solovetsky Island. We are looking for someone with experience, the relevant skills and who has an appreciation of the philosophy of the project and of the NSF. If you are interested, please send an email to the address on this site.

MRB Historian Morozov (MRB = small fishing vessel)

In the summer of 2003 the Solovki harbour saw the arrival of a small wooden ship whose navigational instruments and elegance of form immediately differentiated it from its metallic brothers among whom it was moored. This vessel was a gift in memory and demonstration of the love and respect of members of the Northern Seafaring Fellowship and friends for the late Sergei Morozov, the founder of the NSF and a quite exceptional man. The ship had been built by craftsmen from the Varyag shipbuilders in Petrozavodsk, from where it sailed to Solovki in July 2003 via the White Sea — Baltic Canal (Belomor-Baltic Canal). In August — September 2003 the MRB Historian Morozov with NSF members aboard went on its first expedition deep into the Onega Gulf up to Island Kondostrov and back again. Summer 2004 saw the Historian Morozov sailing to the Kandalakshsky Gulf; in 2005 along the shores of the Gulf of Onega on the Onega side and in 2006 from Belomorsk to Petrozavodsk along the White Sea-Baltic Canal.

Historian Morozov Technical Description

Length — 12m
Width — 3m
Draught — 1.2m
Diesel Engine — 48.5kw
No of passengers — 12
Design: MRB-40PM (small fishing vessel, passenger carrying, modernised)
Date Construction commenced: - 7 March 2002
Launch Date: 2 June 2003
Built by — ZAO Varyag, Petrozavodsk

A Pomor Shnyaka Sewn Boat

In 2001–2003 a Pomor sewn boat known as a shnyaka was reconstructed after the pattern of a 1905 model from the Murmansk area by Mikhail Naimark, a member of the NSF. Mikhail built the shnyaka on Lake Vodlozero in Arkhangelsk oblast.

In June — July 2005 the shnyaka was moved to Solovki. It was taken by road to the river Vodla from where it made its own way to Solovki. The photographs show the beginning of this unique journey. For more details about the actual building of the shnyaka, please go to Mikhail Naimark’s site. For a complete photo album of the voyage by one of its participants, please see Henri Bergius’ site (Finland).

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