HS in Kotka | Jaana Auvinen from Kotka remembers how Russian warships sailed in the Gulf of Finland – This is how experienced boaters comment on sea border news

Kotka

Water the surface glistens with light rays, and seen from Sapoka’s small marina, there are a few ships sailing on the sea on Wednesday.

Organized island cruises with her husband for decades Jaana Auvinen says that the boats have already been launched weeks ago. Water transport has gone on as usual so far, although the news from Russia had even experienced boaters on their toes.

The Russian media reported on Tuesday evening that Russia intends to inspect its maritime border areas and move its maritime borders against Finland and Lithuania with a unilateral announcement. The announcement also caused some concern in the port city of Kotka, which is only about 40 kilometers from Suursaari in the Russian sea area.

Auvinen and her husband have been sailing in the Gulf of Finland for more than 40 years.

He especially remembers the 90s, when Russian warships could be seen off Hurpu in the Gulf of Estonia. Foreign customers were transported to the area and Auvinen remembers that they often asked her how they dare to live so close to Russia.

“We have lived on the Russian border for all these decades, so in that sense even this recent case is not surprising to us. As long as they stay on their side,” says Auvinen, referring to Russia’s unofficial announcement to change the maritime borders in the Baltic Sea.

Auvinen does not remember the exact time when the warships disappeared from the area. Now he wonders if they might reappear in the area. In the sky of Kotka, he has seen airplanes and helicopters flying around doing inspections from time to time.

“Probably not everything can be told, but I believe that Finland has good capabilities. The authorities are on alert.”

With Auvi and this man has a total of three so-called lucky engines, which is the Kotka people’s equivalent of a water bus. They organize, among other things, archipelago cruises.

So far, Auvinen has not seen anything out of the ordinary on the waterways and does not believe that Russia’s announcement will have an impact on their daily traffic.

“This is work. Let’s try not to care about this kind of teasing and intimidation. We islanders live and enjoy as long as we can.”

Eagle You can travel to the islands of Eduest, for example, by connecting ships, but boating enthusiasts also like the islands and the sea. A few of them were getting their boats ready for the summer on Wednesday afternoon.

In overalls Erkki Ruuska has taken hold of the ridge and looks diligently cleaning his sailboat at the winter storage place for boats. He says that he is a little late in this matter, because the sailboat should be launched already at the end of the month.

Ruuska has been sailing for no less than 25 years, but only for a few years in Kotka. Ruuska also belongs to the local sailing club and over the years he has also become familiar with open sea sailing competitions, which were organized in Suursaari about five years ago.

“Now it’s starting to be such a place that you don’t like going very close.”

Six Ruuska has been sailing in the Gulf of Finland for a long time with her sailboat Ruuska. First, the boat was in Helsinki’s Vuosaari, from where we often headed west. After the boat moved to Kotka, the route has often gone east.

Changing direction brought a nice change to sailing, says Ruuska. After Tuesday’s Russia news, he has again considered whether the bow of the boat should be turned west again.

“You don’t just leave the middle of the sea if something happens.”

Ruuska says that she was surprised by the news.

“Worrying and surprising, although I first took it as such a throw. In Russia, people are active in making all kinds of dogs. For now, it feels like we’ll see how the situation progresses.”

Instead of a recent announcement, concern has been raised by possible GPS interference, which may also affect sailboaters. Ruuska is concerned about ships sailing in the Gulf of Finland, which do not necessarily keep their transmitters on when in motion.

“Boats have transmitters, with the help of which you can always see the biggest ships that are in motion. If there are ships that do not keep the transmitters on, dangerous situations can arise. Especially if the weather is bad.”

On the other half of the winter storage is the Border Guard area, in front of which there are two shared vessels in the Park. Master of a smaller vessel Joni Markkanen says that the ship has been sailing the waters all day and that it will soon be leaving for Rankki.

The 112-passenger ship has also visited Kaunissaare and Kuutsalo during Wednesday. Markkanen says on Wednesday afternoon that he hasn’t had time to look at the news due to his busy schedule. That’s why he hasn’t heard any recent news from Russia.

“There has been no news to listen to today. Yes, it sounds pretty bad, such a unilateral transfer of borders, but quite a lot of provocation is coming from there now. Let’s test how to react here. I think that borders cannot be changed just like that.”