From the White Sea to the Black Sea, by Maxine Maters
In the summer of 2013, John Vallentine took his Australian flagged yacht Tainui to Russia. In early June she entered the White Sea and cleared in at Archangel, then followed the Volga and Don Rivers to Ukraine and the Black Sea in a journey lasting four months. His account of the trip won the CA Lacey Trophy for the best blog www.tainui.org.
His requirements for a crew were stringent: fluency in Russian, ICC and CEVNI licensing, navigational skill, freedom to commit to four months aboard, and a sanguine attitude to the whole plan falling through were Tainui to be refused entry into Russia. Maxine fitted the bill. John says “I doubt the journey could have been possible without her unassailable optimism, her irrepressible humour, her patience, her competence and her understanding of the foibles of Russian bureaucracy. These qualities excuse completely her irritating failure to get seasick…”
Date: Wednesday 10th of February. Lectures and talks start promptly at 19:00 hrs
Place: CA House
Booking: To book, please contact the CA Office on 0207 537 2828 or email reception@theca.org.uk. Tickets are £4 for members and £7 for non-members. Season tickets are available at £20 for the eight lectures 3 February to 23 March.