Crimea offers a variety of seafaring experiences – both Crimeans and tourists are welcome to embark on a sea adventure and test their resilience against the elements. Yacht tours, skipper training and sailing regattas are available in almost every coastline town.
Have fun
You can set sail with an experienced crew and go on an excursion, or just cruise leisurely on a motor-propelled beauty – every opportunity is available in Crimea.
Motor-propelled yachts are more often chosen for leisurely onboard pastimes such as admiring the sights fr om the water, sunbathing on the deck, diving, and taking beautiful photos. One of the advantages of yacht tourism in Crimea is the endless variety of scenic bays and harbors. In addition, a yacht can be chartered for a party or a picnic.
According to Crimean travel blogger and event organiser Andrei Safonov, the offer of onboard activities and water toys is expanding every year.
The world’s first yacht club was established by Peter I in St Petersburg on 23 April 1718 and named the Nevsky Fleet. The emperor wrote its charter with his own hand.
“We have available on our yachts. We offer towed tubing, too. The crew includes the captain as well as a professional chef who will cook mussels and other seafood for the group. Once a month, we throw big parties wh ere three yachts are fastened to each other at sea, and guests can move freely between them. One has a bar, another one, a grill, and the third one, a dancefloor. Participation is 5,000 rubles per person. We also offer yacht rentals for photo shoots, birthdays and other events, as well as sunset cruises. We can let clients steer the boat if they want to,” Andrei Safonov says.
Every year, yacht charter is becoming more and more popular among tourists who want to enjoy a sea voyage. What are some tips on making the right choice? Typically, you start with deciding on the type of boat that’ll suit your needs. Do you want a sail- or a motor-propelled yacht? For how many passengers? Do you want it to have cabins, a kitchen, a shower, etc.? These details will influence the cost of your charter – whether you’ll pay 5,000 rubles per hour, or 40,000, or 120,000 rubles. It all depends on the boat’s class.
The most favorable and popular months for yacht cruising are July, August and September.
Become a captain
Crimea has several yachting schools that offer a variety of courses and programs for any level. Black Sea School in Sevastopol offers a ten-day program to obtain an International Yacht Training license. Its founder and head Vadim Denisov says yachting had been his hobby before it evolved into a career and his life’s passion.
“In 2015, I moved fr om St Petersburg to Crimea to create a yacht rental company. Crimea offered great conditions for starting a business – a free economic zone with boat import privileges, so I took the opportunity. I raised some investment, and imported the first three boats as soon as 2016. The delivery accidentally coincided with an anniversary of Crimea’s reunification with Russia, 18 March, and the yachts entered the bay to an orchestra playing – that was quite symbolic. On the same day, we registered the Black Sea Charter Company. The initial plan was just to expand the fleet and rent out boats. At some point, we had 27 yachts; some of the contracts have expired, so now we only have 20. We are the largest yacht charter in Russia. Even in Europe, an average charter company has only about 15 vessels,” Vadim shares.
The number of sailing yachts in the world significantly exceeds the number of motor yachts: 94% to 6%.
Tourists that are into yachting ensure a good influx of money to a resort.
“We decided to get busy attracting yachtsmen to Crimea. Our ambition is not just to teach our clients how to sail a yacht. We want them to become familiar with the company, the team, the local water area and infrastructure, so that they want to come back here. It is always easier to make your first independent sortie in a place wh ere you have practiced,” Vadim adds.
The cost of a practice period varies from 39,000 to 54,000 rubles, with accommodation on a yacht included. Participants can obtain a crew member’s or a captain’s license, or update and improve their seamanship skills. In addition, the company offers a guest sailing service, for those who wish to try their hand at yachting, for 5,000 rubles per person per day.
Balaklava Bay is considered the home port for most yachts in Crimea, but berths are also available in Yalta, Sevastopol, Yevpatoria, Cape Tarkhankut, Koktebel, Novy Svet and Sudak.
Charter services are provided by boat owners as well as by large hotels. Guests can choose a vacation to suit any taste, from fishing on small boats to traveling on luxury yachts with impressive interiors and first-class service on board.
Yachting as tourism
The yachting season lasts 24 weeks in Crimea – from May 1 until the end of September. But in fact, some go yachting in April, or in October, and some even make sorties in November.
“When we began offering yacht charter and training, the region received a whole new group of customers specifically interested in yachting. We have estimated how much a tourist like this spends in Russia from the moment they board a plane to Crimea. About 100 charter boats secure 1 billion rubles that remain in Russia, as revenue of related businesses including caterers, gas stations, and others,” Vadim says.
Yachting is an additional source of income for the regional tourism industry; it brings in a cohort of tourists with a higher level of spending.
“In fact, the local infrastructure cannot even offer enough services yet compared with how much yachtsmen are willing to spend. But this is what stimulates growth,” Vadim explains.
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Yachts are classified into different types according to size. A boat’s length determines the number and size of cabins, bathrooms and other premises, its ceiling height, deck space, and speed (engine power, water resistance, sail area) etc.
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There are small yacht types such as two-meter dinghies, and there are multi-deck mega yachts that are more like ocean liners.
The length of seagoing vessels is measured in feet. (1 foot equals 30.48 centimeters) - Most charter agencies will offer 30 to 53 feet (9 to 17 meter) yachts. You will be allowed to steer it yourself if you have an international license with minimum qualification of Bareboat (Day) Skipper for sailing yachts up to 60 feet. Larger yachts are rarely rented out, or they are chartered with a captain/crew.
New berths
Crimea has a shortage of yacht mooring places. To address this problem, a marina is planned to be built in Balaklava. The construction is taking place in stages – after the work is completed on Tavricheskaya Embankment, Nazukin Embankment will be redeveloped as well. The modernisation project also includes replacing local utilities networks, expanding the embankment, and erecting an administrative building for the future marina. After the former Metalist plant’s facilities are demolished, the two embankments will be linked into a 2.4 km pedestrian area.
According to the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities, plans are in place to create a 200-hectare recreational complex, Yacht Village, next to the marina.
Other plans call for opening a yacht marina at Mriya Resort & SPA.
In 2023, History Supreme was recognised the most expensive yacht in the world, with an estimated cost at $4.8 billion. The 30-meter-long superyacht was created by British high-end designer Stuart Hughes. Her keel and hull are made of gold, which should provide eternal protection against corrosion.
History Supreme has two helipads, a solid gold pool, a cinema, a wine cellar, and other luxuries.
Text: Alla Dovgan
Photo: Yevgeny Letov, Alexander Safonov’s archive, Mriya Resort & SPA press office, Alexander Shinkarevsky
