Kotka to Haapasaari
Minka of Southampton - Cruising Log
Edmund Wigan
Fri 1 Jul 2011 09:29
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This trip was only three hours through the Islands.
We had to go to the small island of Haapasaari to check out at the passport
control office as we were leaving the EU for Russian waters. The trip was
uneventful and as usual I took one or two photos.
 This is the main building on the island which is
the coastguard control/radar tower. The only other building of any height is the
church
 which is in the centre of this shot. This is
looking across the harbour.
Last time he was here Michael met a local family
who we went to visit.
 They were very welcoming and showed us around their
home. It is very comfortable and has one bedroom, kitchen. living room and
sauna. The interior is completely lined out in pine boarding as you would
expect. Initially they built it with a mezzanine sleeping area but added the
bedroom afterwards. This meant that the view over the entrance channel was
lost to the sauna but of course gained by the new bedroom. However, this
was not liked so they installed a large television screen in the sauna with a
remote controlled CCTV camera overlooking the channel.....I thought this was
brilliant.
A few pictures of the outside of their home.
Although they only have one bedroom there are a series of other buildings that
provide guest accommodation.
 This is the original sauna which was a separate
building.
 The main house is behind our friends but this is a
veranda which is part of their outside kitchen.
 The garden is mostly rock but it is possible to do
some gardening.
We stopped with them for an hour or so having a
drink and chat and then had a walk around the island which only takes 40
minutes. Our plan was to set off that evening after only stopping for three
hours so that we could get into St Petersberg early evening on the following
day.
We returned to Williwaw and motored across to the
Control Quay.
 Just as we were tieing up the coastguard patrol
boat came in and asked us to make room for a 48ft German X boat which was
coming in. That was no problem but it was interesting as the X boat had tried to
leave Finland without clearing through passport control so they had gone and
brought them in.
 That is the German skipper by the wheel and this is
the patrol boat
 We left Haapasaari at about 2100 for St
Petersberg.
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