MV Dirona travel digest for Helsinki 2019

Position: 59°57.89'N, 20°55.97'E

5:15am sunrise underway from Kokar to Oro. The days are getting longer.

Position: 59°52.19'N, 21°54.56'E

Lukarsbaden is barely large enough to hold the light standing on it.

Position: 59°52.70'N, 22°0.87'E

Tordmulharun light and a typical Finnish range marker. The center yellow stripe of the range marker is lit at night, but we'll probably never see that with the longer daylight hours we're heading into.

Position: 59°51.87'N, 22°11.43'E

The village of Vano to our north.

Position: 59°50.01'N, 22°18.02'E

The 315 ft (96m) offshore patrol vessel Turva is the largest in the Finnish Boarder Guard fleet and the first to be powered by LNG.

Position: 59°49.85'N, 22°19.80'E

Sunrise through the mist at the anchorage off the island of Oro.

Position: 59°49.85'N, 22°19.80'E

We're using an I2C bus to connect a Raspberry Pi running in the lazarette with a LCD screen we use to show status information at the front of the engine room. Strictly speaking, I2C is designed to be used between components on a circuit board (Inter-Integrated Circuit), so we're kind of pushing our luck asking the protocol to run reliably beyond 10 meters. It's been doing well but we're seeing voltage loss on the 5V bus that powers the remote I2C devices. James put an additional 5V power tap onto the I2C power feed this morning and, during installation, made a mistake that led to short that did some damage before the fuse released. These are some of the damaged wires.

Position: 59°49.85'N, 22°19.79'E

We were planning to tour the military sites on the island of Oro today, but a thick fog has settled over the area—this has been the view pretty much the entire day. So we'll get a few projects done around the boat instead and visit tomorrow.

Position: 59°48.60'N, 22°20.13'E

Our tender tied off at the Oro Gasthamn for walking tour of the island. It's a Sunday and three boats were at the marina when we arrived, but all had left by the time we returned late in the day.

Position: 59°48.61'N, 22°20.14'E

The docks in Sweden and Finland often are beautifully built to follow the contour of the rocks.

Position: 59°48.56'N, 22°20.28'E

Marine ways on the island of Oro. A shipyard has been in this location since the early 1900s.

Position: 59°48.47'N, 22°20.29'E

Massive 12-inch (305mm) gun barrel, built in St. Petersburg in 1915. Oro has been a restricted-access military base since the early 1900s, when Russia built a fortress here, and has only recently been opened to the public as part of Finland's Archipelago National Park. Blog reader Markus Rautio thought we'd find the island interesting and he was right. This will be on this summer's highlight list.

Position: 59°48.43'N, 22°20.34'E

This rare 12-inch (305mm) Obuhov gun on Oro has a range of 28 miles (45km) and fires shells weighing nearly 1,100lbs (500kg). The life expectancy of the barrel is only 200 firings.

Position: 59°48.42'N, 22°20.36'E

We found a wonderful picnic lunch spot on Oro just beyond the Obuhov gun.

Position: 59°48.41'N, 22°20.17'E

The Kasarmihotelli in a converted military barracks building.

Position: 59°48.37'N, 22°20.02'E

James standing on the barrel of a second 12-inch (305mm) Obuhov gun, viewed from a smaller adjacent gun.

Position: 59°48.50'N, 22°19.93'E

This naval observation post was added in the 1980s atop a 1950s artillery observation tower and is one of several buildings on the island still under military control with restricted access. The Archipelago National Park service has done an excellent job of making the island accessible with well-marked trails and dozens of interpretive signs describing the island's historical and natural features.

Position: 59°48.25'N, 22°18.96'E

An artillery observation tower, used for providing guidance to the artillery battery as the target can rarely be seen from the gun itself because it is relatively low.

Position: 59°48.20'N, 22°18.81'E

Tunnel under the 6-inch gun barracks near the southern tip of the island. Except for a few buildings that were off-limits, most of the island's military infrastructure was open and accessible. We really enjoyed being able to explore it all.

Position: 59°48.19'N, 22°19.06'E

One of several 6-inch guns at the south end of Oro.

Position: 59°48.15'N, 22°18.80'E

Beautiful Solkuro beach looking east from the southern end of Oro.

Position: 59°48.15'N, 22°18.80'E

One of many saunas we found throughout the military infrastructure.

Position: 59°48.15'N, 22°18.82'E

The parks service had placed picnic tables at several viewpoints throughout the island.

Position: 59°48.15'N, 22°18.71'E

Jennifer loves suspension bridges and was thrilled to discover this one.

Position: 59°48.08'N, 22°18.63'E

We saw these odd lights all around the island, all hand-built. Some have two fluorescent lights in hand built fixture. Here a high-wattage bulb is housed in an outdoor garbage can with a Plexiglas cover. It's hard to be sure what they are for, but we guess it might be a research study using the lights to attract insects or animals.

Position: 59°48.05'N, 22°18.64'E

Munitions storage for the battery at the southern tip of Oro.

Position: 59°48.06'N, 22°18.61'E

James standing on one of the four 6-inch Russian-made Canet guns that were mounted on the southern tip of the island during fortress construction in the 1910s.

Position: 59°48.18'N, 22°18.62'E

About 4.7 miles (6km) of cobbled roads were built on the island to transport heavy artillery pieces between the harbours and the batteries and barracks.

Position: 59°48.38'N, 22°18.76'E

Modern radar tower on the west side of Oro, above another gun emplacement.

Position: 59°48.48'N, 22°18.83'E

Wild pansies were in bloom through all over Oro.

Position: 59°48.47'N, 22°18.86'E

West Beach on Oro viewed from the gun emplacement beneath the radar tower.

Position: 59°48.50'N, 22°18.91'E

This walkway led to an underground sauna. It was a strange path in that the overhead timbers were less than 5ft above the path, so you had to really crouch down to enter.

Position: 59°48.58'N, 22°18.97'E

You'd be hard-pressed to get lost on Oro. We almost always could see at least two trail marks ahead of us.

Position: 59°48.59'N, 22°19.17'E

The Mortar Hill bunker was built in the 1970s in the center of the island to defend Oro should an enemy successfully land. We walked through a series of underground tunnels and fully explored the whole facility.

Position: 59°48.59'N, 22°19.19'E

Jennifer looking out from the steel armored observation point visible in the background of the previous photo of Mortar Hill. The thick-steel structure would allow someone to safely observe during an enemy shell attack.

Position: 59°49.03'N, 22°19.68'E

The view east across another gun on Oro.

Position: 59°49.68'N, 22°19.15'E

The air defense positions on the north end of Oro were built in the 1980s.

Position: 59°49.69'N, 22°19.14'E

Looking north from an observation post in the North Fortifications on Oro.

Position: 59°49.67'N, 22°19.15'E

Beds left in the barracks in the North Fortifications.

Position: 59°49.66'N, 22°19.18'E

A view to our anchorage of the northern end of Oro. Anchoring is prohibited anywhere along the island, so we found a great spot a little to the east.

Position: 59°49.57'N, 22°19.23'E

One of several hedgehogs along the northwest shore, designed to prevent heavy armored equipment from landing and driving up the beach.

Position: 59°49.54'N, 22°19.28'E

Jennifer descending into an air raid shelter just south of the North Fortifications.

Position: 59°49.54'N, 22°19.28'E

Another sauna.

Position: 59°49.40'N, 22°19.19'E

Taking a break and enjoying the view from another wonderful picnic table. In the background is a modern artillery observation post, built in the 1980s.

Position: 59°49.03'N, 22°19.36'E

The overgrown ruins of a 120mm bunker reminded us a bit of Fort Whitman just north of Seattle.

Position: 59°48.83'N, 22°19.24'E

We popped out of the woods to an open area with a small booth and an indoor phone. No dial tone though. :)

Position: 59°48.83'N, 22°19.23'E

Looking towards the shelter of Oro's old shooting range. The tall wall behind the targets behind the camera and the surrounding woods shelter the area, making it popular for butterflies.

Position: 59°49.84'N, 22°19.85'E

An unusual vertical beam in this morning's sunrise.

Position: 59°49.11'N, 22°17.77'E

Another spectacular Baltic sunrise.

Position: 59°43.48'N, 22°28.81'E

Approaching the tiny skerry of Bengtskar. The prominent lighthouse there is visible for several miles, and the light itself for 10 miles.

Position: 59°43.44'N, 22°30.05'E

The 170ft (52m) Bengtskar Lighthouse, built in 1906, is the tallest in the Nordic countries. The large house been converted into a hotel and the island itself is a popular tourist destination, drawing 13,000-15,000 visitors annually. Nobody was apparent as we passed by though.

Position: 59°44.01'N, 23°31.74'E

We're taking a more direct route offshore to get close to Helsinki tonight and arrive early tomorrow morning and can see a fair amount of traffic in the Baltic lanes to our south.

Position: 59°47.12'N, 23°49.55'E

In the distance we could see several helicopters and navy boats about five miles away in what appeared to be a military exercise.

Position: 59°47.92'N, 23°54.17'E

Some, but not all, of the navy ships were broadcasting AIS as "NATO Warship".

Position: 59°48.16'N, 23°55.58'E

The 510ft (155m) USS Graveley, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, taking part in the NATO warship exercises. It's been a long time since we've seen another US flagged vessel. Also participating were French and Turkish navy ships.

Position: 59°50.95'N, 24°11.62'E

Last year we installed a sensor to measure the fuel pressure on the main engine primary filters, but the fuel quality in Europe has been so high that's it's taken nearly a year to build up sufficient suction to justify replacing the filters. The report shows fuel suction at the RACOR 900s in PSI, but we actually use inches of mercury when deciding when to change this filter. The recommendation is to replace the filter at 7"Hg but we normally change when it gets above 5"Hg.

The display here (yellow near the bottom left corner) shows fuel pressure at 2.5PSI, roughly half inches of mercury. We show yellow at 5"Hg and red at 7"Hg. We also send email at 7"Hg.

Position: 59°50.95'N, 24°11.62'E

We changed the fuel filter and the vacuum is back down to 0 PSI

Position: 59°51.94'N, 24°17.30'E

Approaching the tiny island of Kallbadan.

Position: 59°52.16'N, 24°17.96'E

The Soviet-era lighthouse on Kallbadan was built in 1920. The light was eventually automated and then shut down in 2015, replaced by an adjacent sector light.

Position: 59°54.54'N, 24°19.59'E

Watchtower on the island of Makiluoto. The island is an unmanned military installation with no public access allowed.

Position: 59°54.89'N, 24°19.90'E

One of several coastal artillery guns on the island of Makiluoto.

Position: 59°58.04'N, 24°28.84'E

Helsinki Sailing Club at the island of Ormholmen. The club, established in 1899, owns the entire 12-acre island.

Position: 59°59.04'N, 24°29.99'E

A Finnish Navy Uisko class landing craft passing near our anchorage. The vessels can do 35 knots.

Position: 59°59.02'N, 24°29.98'E

The islands around our anchorage aglow in the evening sun.

Position: 59°59.03'N, 24°29.98'E

Sunset from our anchorage about 22 miles out of Helsinki. We'll be there tomorrow morning.

Position: 60°6.44'N, 24°56.93'E

Pilot station and Grahara Lighthouse on the island of Harmaja as we approach Helsinki.

Position: 60°6.59'N, 24°57.31'E

The Tallink ferry Star departing Helsinki for Tallinn, Estonia. We'll be taking that ferry to Tallinn two mornings from now.

Position: 60°7.83'N, 24°59.32'E

The 18th-century fort Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage site, prominent to port as we enter Helsinki.

Position: 60°9.71'N, 24°59.43'E

Helsinki skyline about 10 minutes out of our berth at Helsinki Marina.

Position: 60°10.12'N, 24°58.91'E

Icebreakers moored for the summer at Helsinki.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Dirona moored at Helsinki Marina right downtown. This will be our home for the next couple of weeks.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

As we've travelled, we've seen many different power configurations and quality. Cape Town South Africa voltage levels would drop down to around 195V most afternoons but the nominal voltage there was only 220V. 195V is quite low, but it's still only down 11% when the regional power loads were highest. Another common configuration is 208V at the dock. Here again voltage levels can easily drop down to 195V or less even with good quality dock wiring.

Here in Helsinki, we have a nominal voltage of 230V at 50hz but there is excessive voltage drop in the dock wiring and any circuit where the draw goes up above around 11A has the voltage plunge to 195. If the full 16A of load is put on a shore power connection, the voltage quickly drops down below our voltage cutout point in the 185V range. This is the point where the power quality is so poor that we automatically disconnect from the shore supply to avoid equipment damage and then reconnect as the voltage climbs back up to normal.

These voltage drops we are seeing are upwards of 20% from the nominal voltage levels of 230V. One solution is to use a boosting transformer, but few of those can deal with more than 20% drops. What we do is set our shore power draw to avoid dropping down below 195V. In this configuration we're effectively running two 11A shore side connections and, in this configuration, the voltage stays above our minimum and everything continues to work fine.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Due to excess voltage drop in the shore-side power supply, we're running on two 16A shore supplies but we have turned down our max draw to 11A rather than the rated 16A. This avoids the exponential voltage drop-off as the weak shore circuits are pushed too hard. In this case, everything works perfectly well when de-rated to 11A.

Here we are adjusting the max draw of our two Mastervolt chargers to 70% of their rated 100A output. This adjustment is a common one for us where we often draw less than full circuit rating where the shore-side breaker is old and no longer able to hold it's rated load.

We also "turn down" the chargers where running on very low amperage shore supplies such as the 10A common in Sweden. Less commonly, we'll adjust the chargers to limit the voltage drop on a weak shore power supply where excess resistance or poor wiring is causing a deep voltage sag.

Position: 60°10.19'N, 24°57.69'E

Spitfire getting his first smell of Helsinki from our berth at Helsinki Marina.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.15'E

Spectacular neoclassical Tuomiokirkko (Helsinki Cathedral) was completed in 1852 as a tribute to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, the Grand Duke of Finland. It's our first stop on a Lonely Planet-inspired Helsinki "Iconic Buildings and Monuments" city walk.

Position: 60°10.20'N, 24°57.14'E

Senaatintori (Senate Square), viewed from the top of the stairs to Tuomiokirkko. The statue right of center is of Emperor Alexander II of Russia.

Position: 60°10.23'N, 24°57.12'E

The majestic altar inside Tuomiokirkko during a service.

Position: 60°10.23'N, 24°57.12'E

The beautiful organ inside Tuomiokirkko was installed in 1967, of a similar design to the church's original organ.

Position: 60°10.27'N, 24°57.18'E

Saatytalon (House of the Estates), has been a government building since it's construction in 1891. The guards out front kept a careful eye on anyone approaching.

Position: 60°10.27'N, 24°57.21'E

The Bank of Finland building, fronted by a statue of Finnish philosopher and statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman, who was ennobled in 1866. Visible damage to the base of the statue is from Soviet bombing during World War II.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.37'E

Tulips blooming in Ritarihuoneenpuistikko (Knight's House Park).

Position: 60°10.07'N, 24°57.38'E

The Presidential Palace in Helsinki, one of three official residences of the President of the Republic of Finland.

Position: 60°10.06'N, 24°57.35'E

Kauppatori (Market Square) on the waterfront is the central square in Helsinki, busy with vendors selling food and souvenirs.

Position: 60°9.98'N, 24°57.22'E

The Finnish minelayer Porkkala, built in 1992 and upgraded around 2016, arrived into port as we were walking past.

Position: 60°9.97'N, 24°57.14'E

Jennifer sharing a bench with a lounging cow statue outside Goodwin steakhouse.

Position: 60°9.97'N, 24°57.16'E

Inside Vanha Kauppahalli, (Old Market Hall), a traditional Finnish market along the Helsinki waterfront .

Position: 60°9.97'N, 24°57.19'E

We had delicious burgers for lunch with a harbour view at Story restaurant in Vanha Kauppahalli. On the left is the Finnish minelayer Porkkala and the superyacht on the right is Kismet, that we passed earlier this year at the Lurssen yard on the Kiel Canal.

Position: 60°10.06'N, 24°57.00'E

Striking glass-enclosed Kappeli cafe dates from 1867.

Position: 60°10.04'N, 24°56.71'E

Looking east along Helsinki's grand park Esplanadin Puisto. The statue in the distance is of Finland-Swedish poet Johan Ludwig Runeberg.

Position: 60°10.04'N, 24°56.71'E

Fact and Fable, a memorial to Finnish poet and historical novel author Zachris Topelius.

Position: 60°10.13'N, 24°56.43'E

Kolme Seppaa (The Three Smiths) is a 1932 statue of three naked smiths hammering an anvil. An unusual task for nude participants. :)

Position: 60°10.24'N, 24°56.49'E

Helsinki Central Station, built in 1919, was chosen in 2013 by the BBC as one of the most beautiful in the world.

Position: 60°10.26'N, 24°56.47'E

At the Helsinki Visitor Information center to pickup some maps and brochures.

Position: 60°10.28'N, 24°56.48'E

The beautiful glass-covered central platforms at Helsinki Central Station.

Position: 60°10.37'N, 24°56.23'E

The spectacular newly-constructed Helsinki Central Library Oodi opened to the public in December of 2018.

Position: 60°10.36'N, 24°56.14'E

A movie being filmed at Civil Market square near the new library building.

Position: 60°10.38'N, 24°56.14'E

Laulupuut (Song Trees) sculpture on Civil Market square.

Position: 60°10.39'N, 24°56.07'E

Musiikkitalo, the Helsinki Music Center, is home to the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Sibelius Academy.

Position: 60°10.35'N, 24°56.09'E

Imposing Parliament House above Civil Market square opened in 1931.

Position: 60°10.47'N, 24°55.93'E

Kansallismuseo, the National Museum of Finland, opened in 1916 in a building resembling a Gothic church.

Position: 60°10.41'N, 24°55.48'E

Large apartment blocks like this one are common in Helsinki, with the building often shaped to follow the contour of the road.

Position: 60°10.36'N, 24°55.53'E

Extraordinary Temppeliaukion Kirkko church was built in 1969 into solid rock outcropping, with the roof barely above eye-level from outside and behind.

Position: 60°10.90'N, 24°55.67'E

Ooperatalo, completed in 1993, houses the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.

Position: 60°11.09'N, 24°55.51'E

Helsinki Olympic Tower and Stadium. The city hosted the 1952 summer Olympics, the most northernmost city to do so. Notable countries making their Olympic debut here included The Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, Israel and Thailand. Japan and Germany also were reinstated and allowed to participate after being banned for 1948 for having started World War II. The tower and stadium are undergoing a major renovation, expected to be completed this year.

Position: 60°11.30'N, 24°55.25'E

We enjoyed watching this goaltender practice in one of the several fields near Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

Position: 60°10.92'N, 24°54.79'E

Striking monument in Sibelius Park to Finland's most famous composer Jean Sibelius. The face of the composer is visible in the rocks beyond the sculpture.

Position: 60°10.81'N, 24°54.70'E

Taking in the waterfront scene at iconic Cafe Regatta.

Position: 60°10.46'N, 24°55.93'E

Enjoying "Real Ale, Real Food, Real Pub" at St. Urho's Pub, one of the oldest pubs in the city. The establishment opened in 1973 and has a real British pub feel to it.

Position: 60°10.45'N, 24°55.90'E

St. Orhu's Pub is near the Helsinki Music Center Musiikkitalo and shortly past 6:30pm it filled with tuxedo-wearing patrons.

Position: 60°10.49'N, 24°55.95'E

Waiting for a tram to bring us back to Dirona. We were pretty much walked-out after trekking over 10 miles.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

We are currently using two 16A shore service but we've adjusted our max draw down to 11A so the voltage drop doesn't drop down below 195V. The problem is excessive voltage drop in the shore-side power infrastructure due to inadequate wiring or excessive resistance. Here you can see we're drawing 9A and 10A respectively and both shore power voltages are at 196V

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Uspenski Cathedral, topped with golden onion domes and aglow in the evening light, viewed from our berth at Helsinki Marina. The church was built on a hilltop in 1868 as a Russian Orthodox church and now is home to a Finnish Orthodox congregation. In front of the church are converted old red-brick former industrial buildings, with resturants and bars strung along street level.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Early morning view to the street Pohjoisranta behind our moorage at Helsinki Marina.

Position: 60°10.09'N, 24°57.56'E

Looking up at the west side of Uspenski Cathedral, built in 1868.

Position: 60°10.01'N, 24°57.48'E

The view across Helsinki Harbour from the multi-level terrace above Allas Sea Pool. Tuomiokirkko is prominent in the distance at right.

Position: 60°10.01'N, 24°57.48'E

Looking from the terrace above the Allas Sea Pool to Helsinki's Skywheel, completed in 2014. A Viking Line ferry is visible beyond.

Position: 60°9.94'N, 24°57.71'E

A surprising location for a seagull nest, on the corner of a gate leading into the port area.

Position: 60°9.84'N, 24°58.14'E

Jennifer pointing where our ferry to Tallinn will leave from tomorrow morning. Dirona is moored at the upper right, where the three white parallel lines cross the water.

Position: 60°10.15'N, 24°58.56'E

A gigantic wringer next to what appears to be several drying racks. Near as we could tell, people use this area to dry wet throw rugs—a couple were hanging nearby.

Position: 60°10.12'N, 24°58.15'E

A view from shore to the icebreakers that we saw on the way into Helsinki, docked hear for the summer season. Finland is leading export in icebreaker design and construction—Finnish companies have designed about 80% and built about 60% of the icebreakers currently in use worldwide.

The leftmost ship is Polaris, Finland's most powerful icebreaker and the first in the world to be LNG-powered. With total power of about 30,000 HP (22.3 MW), Polaris can do 6 knots through ice 4 feet (1.2m) thick and can navigate through ice 6 feet (1.8m) thick without stopping.

Position: 60°10.15'N, 24°58.42'E

Diagrams at Katajanokka Icebreaker Base showing the ice extent at three recent points, from left to right, March 24 2008, February 25th 2011 and February 7th 2014. The ice was particularly bad in 2011—nearly the entire Baltic Sea was covered. You can see why the iron ore mine we visited in Kiruna, Sweden established a port in Narvik, Norway: their other port, Lulea (top of map), is icebound much of the winter.

Position: 60°10.15'N, 24°58.06'E

Memorial to those who demined the Finnish Sea of some 60,000 mines after World War II. Of the 2,000 men that took part, 200 were killed and 35 disabled.

Position: 60°10.17'N, 24°57.94'E

Dramatic timber-built lookout tower, Kupla, on a clifftop in the Helsinki Zoo on the opposite shore from where we are moored.

Position: 60°10.08'N, 24°57.93'E

Helsinki is full of National Romantic style buildings such as this one, "Norma", an apartment complex built in 1904. The National Romantic style is a Finnish/Nordic interpretation of Art Nouveau, often using medieval or prehistoric themes, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Position: 60°10.03'N, 24°57.47'E

After a walking tour of the island of Katajanokka, we couldn't resist stopping for a drink on the terrace overlooking Allas Sea Pool and the harbour.

Position: 60°10.17'N, 24°57.14'E

Tuomiokirkko viewed from Senaatintori. A lot less people are around later in the day.

Position: 60°10.08'N, 24°57.12'E

We had a tasty meal at opulent Salutorget, built into a former bank building.

Position: 60°10.15'N, 24°57.57'E

The streetside cafes along Kanavarnta were full of patrons enjoying the warm Helsinki evening as we walked back to Dirona.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Dawn from our berth at Helsinki Marina

Position: 60°10.15'N, 24°56.74'E

On a 5:30am tram to the Helsinki ferry terminal for a 7:30am departure to Tallinn, Estonia.

Position: 60°9.04'N, 24°54.89'E

Striking Terminal 2 ferry building at the Port of Helsinki.

Position: 60°9.01'N, 24°54.98'E

Our ride to Tallinn, the 610ft (186m) Tallink ferry Star. The ferry can do 27 knots and makes the 50-mile crossing from Helsinki to Tallinn in 2 hours.

Position: 60°8.96'N, 24°54.95'E

After boarding the Star we went to the outside section at the stern to watch the ramps come up and the lines be released. But, something wasn't right. If you look closely, there are no mooring lines! The Tallink Star is resting against the dock while passengers and vehicles are being boarded without any mooring lines. It's being held in place by the Cavotec Automated Mooring System. Cavotec also makes the battery electric charging system used on the ferries we saw near Loen, Norway last summer.

Position: 60°8.86'N, 24°54.90'E

This is the Cavotec Automated Mooring System. The boat arrives and eases up against the dock and, when the captain gives the command, these automated docking pads move out towards the boat, seal up against it, apply a hard vacuum, and then apply a programmed force to hold the ship securely against the dock. When the ship is to leave, the captain gives the command, all the mooring systems release at once and the ship is free to sail.

It's super fast and far less injury- and error-prone than dock line handling. In this case, when the 610' Tallink Star arrives in Helsinki, there are no line handlers. The ship just arrives, is pulled up against the dock by the vacuum mooring system, the passenger and car ramps move into place and the ship unloads/loads and then reverses the process on exit.

Position: 60°1.08'N, 24°53.93'E

Enjoying a Starbucks coffee from a cafe on the Star as we cross the Baltic for Tallinn. We so much enjoyed having a cabin on the trip to Visby that we booked one for this run too. The cost is pretty reasonable: a basic one-way journey for two people costs 70 € and our cabin is a 35 € upgrade.

Position: 59°47.97'N, 24°47.88'E

Passing Megastar, the other Tallink ferry that shuttles between Tallinn and Helsinki. We'll be taking it on our return trip tomorrow evening. Conditions are wonderfully calm in the Baltic today, with a clear blue sky and almost no wind.

Position: 59°28.39'N, 24°45.84'E

Our first view to Tallinn as we arrive into port. Tallinn was a German-dominated Hanseatic League port starting in the early 13th century and has a marvellously preserved Old Town, one of the best in Europe, that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Position: 59°28.10'N, 24°46.06'E

The large concrete staired structure in the foreground is Linnahall, a huge concert hall built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics when Estonia was part of the USSR. The crumbling complex is a prime example of post-Soviet decay and has heritage protection, making it difficult for the city to deal with.

Position: 59°27.82'N, 24°46.28'E

In the height of the season, up to six cruise ships can be in port at Tallinn at one time. Today there are "only" three, including the 4,500 MSC Meraviglia.

Position: 59°26.64'N, 24°46.07'E

The Star can carry 2,080 passengers. It wasn't full today, but many hundreds did get off with us at Tallinn.

Position: 59°26.51'N, 24°45.65'E

The Tallinn Old City Marina, right outside the Hotel Europa where we are staying. We really liked the room, but hardly spent any time there.

Position: 59°25.86'N, 24°44.35'E

Construction on the Estonian National Library began in 1985 and completed in 1983, two year's after Estonia's independence from the USSR, making it one of Estonia's first public buildings and a good example of Soviet architecture.

Position: 59°26.01'N, 24°44.17'E

Jennifer standing beneath a portion of Tallinn's medieval Old Town Wall in the park Harjumagi. It's a beautiful spring day and warm enough to not need a coat.

Position: 59°26.01'N, 24°44.36'E

Memorial to Admiral Johan Pitka at one of the entrances to the park Harjumae. Pitka was one of the key organizers of the Estonian Defense Forces and as Commander of the navy, led it to victory in the 1918 Estonian War of Independence without losing a single ship.

Position: 59°26.03'N, 24°44.62'E

Huge glass cross in Freedom Square commemorating the 1918 Estonian War of Independence from Russia following World War I.

Position: 59°26.19'N, 24°45.00'E

Viru Gate, built as part of the defense system for medieval Tallinn in the 14th century. The gate itself was later removed to provide wider access into Old Town for horse-draw trams, but the corner towers were preserved.

Position: 59°26.20'N, 24°45.00'E

Certain streets in Tallinn are packed with tour groups following their sign-or flag-wielding leader. It must be crazy busy here in the summer when six cruise ships are in town. Today we "only" have three.

Position: 59°26.21'N, 24°44.94'E

Looking down the cobblestone street Sauna, lined with pastel-colored buildings.

Position: 59°26.06'N, 24°44.60'E

Jennifer on Mayer's Staircase, completed in 1865 to provide access to Harjumae park from Toompea. Mayer was a wealthy merchant, and the major, who spearheaded and funded the project.

Position: 59°26.07'N, 24°44.45'E

15th-century Kiek in de Kok (German for 'peek in the kitchen'), one of the 46 original towers in the Tallinn City Wall, viewed from Harjumae park. As the legend goes, soldiers liked to look down from the tower to the kitchens in the town below.

Position: 59°26.08'N, 24°44.19'E

Looking up to Toompea Castle, standing 50 meters above sea level, from Linda Hill. Wooden castles were believed to have stood here since the 10th century and the first stone castle was constructed in the 12th century. The tower, Pikk Hermann, was partially built in 1360-1370 and extended to 150 ft (45.6 m) in the 16th century.

Position: 59°26.13'N, 24°44.32'E

The baroque interior facade of Toompea Castle, viewed from Castle Square. The building is now home to the Estonian Parliament.

Position: 59°26.14'N, 24°44.30'E

Magnificent Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral, across Castle Square from Toompea Castle, was completed in 1900 as part of the Russian empire's push to force its culture and language in its Baltic holdings.

Position: 59°26.20'N, 24°44.31'E

St. Mary's Lutheran Cathedral was founded sometime before 1233, but much of the exterior was created in the 15th century and the tower in the late 18th century.

Position: 59°26.27'N, 24°44.53'E

The fabulous view east from the Kohtuotsa lookout from Toompea Hill. The ferry and cruise ship terminal is just visible in the distance at center (click image for a larger view).

Position: 59°26.31'N, 24°44.46'E

Another great view from Toompea Hill, this one northeast from the Patkul Lookout. Visible are seven towers of the nine connecting Lower Town Wall and the spire of St. Olaf's Church that we plan to climb later in the day.

Position: 59°26.14'N, 24°44.45'E

The tranquil Danish King's Garden next to Toompea Hill. Well, it would be tranquil if not packed with fifty tourists. One of three monks statues is standing above the west entrance gate.

Position: 59°26.17'N, 24°44.46'E

The original oak gate at Short Leg Gate Tower. This was one of two gates that separated the upper town, where the Estonian rulers lived, from the lower town where the Hanseatic merchants lived and traded.

Position: 59°26.23'N, 24°44.52'E

Walking the Long Leg path, with the upper town on the left and the lower town wall on the right.

Position: 59°26.25'N, 24°44.55'E

Long Leg Gate Tower, dating from 1380, is the second of the two gates between the upper and lower towns.

Position: 59°26.33'N, 24°44.48'E

Looking back up to crowded Patkul Lookout from Nunne street.

Position: 59°26.35'N, 24°44.55'E

Kloostrivarav, or Monastery Gate, at one of the best-preserved sections of Tallinn's Lower Town Wall.

Position: 59°26.44'N, 24°44.64'E

Four of the nine connected towers in Lower Town Wall, viewed from outside the city.

Position: 59°26.44'N, 24°44.64'E

Jennifer standing inside a small arched entry through the wall leading to Aida street.

Position: 59°26.42'N, 24°44.65'E

Narrow Aida street winding through Lower Town.

Position: 59°26.41'N, 24°44.73'E

German merchant's houses on Lai (Wide Street), many built during the 15th century. The lower two floors were used for living and reception and the upper for storage.

Position: 59°26.49'N, 24°44.84'E

Climbing the 258 steps to the viewpoint in the steeple of St. Olaf's Church. The church is believed to have been built in the 12th century.

Position: 59°26.47'N, 24°44.84'E

The fabulous view from the 406ft (124m) steeple of St. Olaf's Church. When completed in 1549, the 532ft (159m) steeple made the church one of the tallest buildings in the world. The steeple burnt down in 1624 after being struck by lightening and was rebuilt shorter.

Position: 59°26.56'N, 24°44.96'E

The dramatic Great Coast Gate at the north end of the Lower Town.

Position: 59°26.43'N, 24°44.86'E

Estonia was under Soviet control from 1940 through 1991 and its fearsome security agency, the KGB, had a headquarters in this Tallinn building. Here "enemies of the state" were interrogated and tortured in the basement, and later executed or sent to the Gulag prison camps. The lower windows were bricked in to muffle the sounds of the suffering. According to Lonely Planet, locals joked that "the building had the best views in Estonia—from here you could see all the way to Siberia".

Position: 59°26.43'N, 24°44.85'E

The interrogation cells in the former Tallinn KBG Headquarters are now open as a sobering museum, describing the interrogation methods used and the suffering of those subjected to it.

Position: 59°26.43'N, 24°44.85'E

A book on the table in one of the former KGB Headquarters cells teaches dissidents how to behave during an interrogation. The first paragraph reads "Interrogation is an unpleasant procedure that may occur at any time and in any place. It is not important whether we like it or not. You must be ready for this; otherwise, you may cause inadvertent harm to yourself as well as your friends." (Click image for a larger view.)

Position: 59°26.35'N, 24°44.82'E

A light lunch on the tiny patio at Odessa Restaurant. The yellow building on the left is a famous bar called Hell Hunt (meaning "Gentle Wolf), that bills itself as the first Estonian Pub.

Position: 59°26.33'N, 24°44.79'E

Ornate door at the 16th-century entry to the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, who followed an legendary African-born Roman soldier.

Position: 59°26.28'N, 24°44.73'E

What the 13th-century Holy Spirit Lutheran Church lacks in size it makes up for in a spectacular wood-carved interior.

Position: 59°26.29'N, 24°44.76'E

Amazing detail on the baroque 17th-century pulpit in Holy Spirit Lutheran Church.

Position: 59°26.28'N, 24°44.73'E

The oldest clock in Tallinn, installed in 1684, on the exterior wall of the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church.

Position: 59°26.28'N, 24°44.73'E

Narrow Saiakang ("White Bread Passage") leading between Holy Spirit Lutheran Church and Town Hall Square.

Position: 59°26.24'N, 24°44.69'E

Tallinn's Town Hall, completed in 1404, is the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe.

Position: 59°26.25'N, 24°44.75'E

Town Hall Square, viewed from Town Hall Tower, is bordered by colorful 15th-17th-century buildings and has been a meeting and market place since the 11th century.

Position: 59°26.26'N, 24°44.93'E

19th-century tombstones lining the exterior wall of the Church of St. Catherine of Alexander along Katariina Kaik.

Position: 59°26.26'N, 24°44.93'E

Looking east along picturesque Katariina Kaik.

Position: 59°26.25'N, 24°44.95'E

One of the old sections of city wall was open for visitors to walk along, and climb up the two connecting towers. This is the view looking north, with the steeple of St. Olaf's Church prominent in the distance.

Position: 59°26.19'N, 24°45.04'E

Looking back into town through Viru Gate, that we saw from the inside this morning.

Position: 59°26.28'N, 24°45.26'E

Tallin's Hotel Viru was built in 1972, during the Soviet era, and was the only hotel in Tallinn that foreigners were allowed to stay in.

Position: 59°26.19'N, 24°45.29'E

Hotel Viru in Tallin was designed to allow the KGB to monitor visiting foreigners, with the entire 23rd floor dedicated in secret to the security service. Here they monitored guests in their rooms and in the various public spaces throughout the hotel. To ensure access, it's the only hotel foreigners were allowed to stay in.

We took an excellent guided tour through the KGB Museum now housed there. It's hard to believe that era ended less than 30 years ago in 1991.

Position: 59°25.86'N, 24°44.35'E

In addition to enjoying the KGB Museum, we loved the view to Tallinn from the 23rd-floor balcony of the Viru Hotel. Lower Town and the steeple of St. Olaf's Church that we climbed is on the left, crumbling Linnahall is at center and the cruise ship and ferry terminal is on the right (click image for a larger view).

Position: 59°26.33'N, 24°45.49'E

Relaxing outside at the BrewDog pub in Tallinn's revitalized Rotermann quarter. We've been enjoying the Scottish brewery's IPA throughout Europe.

Position: 59°26.20'N, 24°44.57'E

An exceptional meal at Vaike Rataskaevu. The restaurant has an interesting history where the Rataskaevu 16 has long been so popular that you can't get a reservation unless booking weeks in advance, so they took the unusual option of opening a sister location only 100m away. The same "problem" is befalling the new location, and it too sells out quickly.

Position: 59°26.20'N, 24°44.57'E

Our server at Vaike Rataskaevu was wonderful. We're not sure how she finds time, but we often discovered artistic hand-written notes under a cup or with the dessert.

Position: 59°26.23'N, 24°44.70'E

A much more chill Town Hall Square in the evening with the cruise ship traffic gone.

Position: 59°26.27'N, 24°44.53'E

A tranquil evening at Kohtuotsa Viewpoint. We were one of only a half-dozen people there later in the day, but earlier there were probably two hundred.

Position: 59°26.32'N, 24°44.46'E

Lower Town Wall aglow in the evening sun, viewed from Patkul Lookout.

Position: 59°26.54'N, 24°45.09'E

"Broken Line", a memorial to the 852 people who died in the Estonia catastrophe, one of the worst maritime disasters in the 20th century. The 510ft, 2,000-passenger, 466-car Estonia was enroute from Tallinn to Stockholm in heavy seas when the bow visor parted, pulling the bow ramp ajar and causing severe flooding of the car deck. The large amount of water swirling around the car deck, known as the free surface effect, contributed greatly to the rapid listing. Wave action broke cabine windows and the large windows up on deck six, while water continued to rush into the car deck. The ship sank within a half-hour of issuing a MayDay and before any other vessels could reach it. 510ft, 2,000-passenger, 466-car Estonia.

Position: 59°26.35'N, 24°45.26'E

Our final stop for the day was at Scotland Yard, a pub Tallinn's revitalized Rotermann quarter themed after the British police force. In a great example of "it's a small world", the singer pictured grew up in Victoria, Canada and his father attended Reynolds High School there, as did Jennifer.

Position: 59°26.41'N, 24°46.38'E

A crumbling building, likely Soviet-era construction, as we walk from our hotel to Kadriorg Park.

Position: 59°26.19'N, 24°47.90'E

Looking across the dramatic Kumu art museum at the east end of Kadriorg Park with Tallinn's Old Town visible in the distance.

Position: 59°26.24'N, 24°47.75'E

Cottage where Peter I stayed in the early 1700s while nearby Kadriorg Palace was under construction.

Position: 59°26.25'N, 24°47.64'E

The Presidential Palace was built in 1938 in Kadriorg Park to resemble the style of Kadriorg Palace and is the official residence of the Estonian president.

Position: 59°26.27'N, 24°47.50'E

Kadriorg Palace and its French-style formal garden, built by Peter the Great in the early 1700s. It now houses the Kadriorg Art Museum, containing 16th-18th-century Dutch, German and Italian paintings and 18th-20th-century Russian art.

Position: 59°26.31'N, 24°47.47'E

The spectacular Main Hall in Kadriorg Palace was designed to impress visitors and reflect the stature and taste of Emperor Peter the Great.

Position: 59°26.31'N, 24°47.45'E

Marble statues by Estonian sculpture August Weizenberg with works from Estonian painter Johann Koler behind at the Kadriorg Art Museum. All date from the late 19th century.

Position: 59°26.66'N, 24°47.83'E

Riding an Uber from Kadriorg Park to the Tallinn TV Tower. Tallinn is a high-tech city and the home of Skype, so we weren't surprised to find good Uber service here.

Position: 59°28.27'N, 24°53.25'E

Looking down 557 feet (170m) through a glassed-in hole in the floor in the Tallinn TV Tower viewing platform.

Position: 59°28.28'N, 24°53.23'E

Tallinn Botanic Gardens, viewed from the Tallinn TV Tower.

Position: 59°28.28'N, 24°53.24'E

A great view to the city of Tallinn from the TV Tower.

Position: 59°26.29'N, 24°44.70'E

We returned to Old Town for a great lunch street-side at Clayhills gastropub.

Position: 59°26.84'N, 24°45.20'E

Our next stop was a close-up view to Linnahall on the harbour just north of Old Town. Linnahall is a concert hall, built for the 1980 Moscow Olympics when Estonia was part of the USSR. The complex is crumbling to pieces everywhere, with walls sagging, and is a prime example of post-Soviet decay. Much of the facility is closed for construction, but a portion of the roof can still be accessed from the sea side.

Position: 59°26.99'N, 24°44.35'E

At Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour, Tallinn's excellent maritime museum, on the harbour just north of Old Town.

Position: 59°27.04'N, 24°44.37'E

View to Patarei, between Linnahall and Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour. Patarei was built in 1840 as a sea fortress, it later become a prison. But is most known for being used by both the Soviets and the Nazis as a place of brutal interrogation, torture and executions.

Position: 59°27.09'N, 24°44.30'E

The Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour maritime museum is housed in the 114x360ft (35x110m) Seaplane Hangar. The structure, completed in 1916, is considered an architectural marvel because of the massive spans of the arching concrete roofs. Prominent in the foreground is the 1930s-era 195-ft (59m) British-built submarine Lembet.

Position: 59°27.11'N, 24°44.31'E

Inside the submarine 195-ft (59m) Lembit, built for Estonia in England in 1936. It was the oldest submarine still afloat in 2011 when it was hauled ashore for the museum.

Position: 59°27.18'N, 24°44.32'E

A view to massive Linnahall from outside the Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour maritime museum.

Position: 59°27.18'N, 24°44.35'E

The huge boilers in the century-old 247 ft (75.4m) icebreaker Suur Toll, on display at the Lennusadam Seaplane Harbour maritime museum in Tallinn. The Suur Toll was among the world's most powerful icebreakers and is one of three remaining early 20th-century Baltic Sea steam icebreakers.

Position: 59°26.68'N, 24°46.28'E

On board Megastar for our return trip to Tallinn. We had reserved a table for dinner and got a fabulous window table.

Position: 59°27.58'N, 24°46.58'E

A view to the Tallinn TV Tower that we visited early today, viewed from the Megastar as we depart Tallinn for Helsinki.

Position: 59°28.35'N, 24°46.15'E

The distinctly Soviet Maarjamae War Memorial, completed in 1960 in memory of the Soviet soldiers killed in the 1918 war against Estonia. This was not a popular monument locally, particularly since the Soviets destroyed many Estonian war monuments when they came to power here.

Position: 60°8.21'N, 24°54.32'E

We returned back to Helsinki from Tallinn in the same wonderfully calm conditions that we'd left in the morning before.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

An historic boat navigating in the harbour and using a tender as a bow thruster.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Time for another oil and filter change on the main engine. It's been 240 engine hours and a surprisingly long 7 months since the last change.

Position: 60°10.14'N, 24°57.60'E

Enjoying a glass of wine with a view to the Helsinki harbour at Le Petit Chaperon Rouge.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.68'E

When Patrol Boat 55 appeared close alongside, we were expecting an inspection. But it's no longer a navy vessel and has been converted into a small cruise ship.

Position: 60°10.05'N, 24°57.24'E

A tasty grilled salmon lunch at one of the food stalls in Helsinki's Market Square.

Position: 60°9.99'N, 24°57.36'E

Allas Sea Pool viewed from the ferry from Helsinki to Suomenlinna sea fortress.

Position: 60°8.98'N, 24°58.82'E

Suomenlinna sea fortress was built on an island group outside Helsinki in the 18th century to protect Swedish-held Finland from a Russian attack. Today much of the fort is open to the public and the Merisotakoulu (Finnish Naval Academy) operates from this building and others on the island of Pikku Mustasaari.

Position: 60°8.88'N, 24°58.74'E

Bunker, possibly for munitions storage, on a small island connected to Lansi-Mustasaari.

Position: 60°8.89'N, 24°58.41'E

Looking north across the fortifications on the tip of Lansi-Mustasaari.

Position: 60°8.89'N, 24°58.41'E

Helsinki Harbour viewed from Lansi-Mustasaari. The 666ft (202m) ferry Silja Symphony is on the left and the cathedral Tuomiokirkko is prominent at center.

Position: 60°8.89'N, 24°58.41'E

View from Lansi-Mustasaari in Suomenlinna to West Harbour, where we took our ferry to Tallinn.

Position: 60°8.88'N, 24°59.14'E

Suomenlinna Church was built as a Russian Orthodox garrison church in 1854 when Russia controlled Finland and now is Lutheran. We particularly liked the fence around it, made from sets of three cannons and a massive ship's chain.

Position: 60°8.87'N, 24°59.17'E

The elegant interior of Suomenlinna Church.

Position: 60°8.70'N, 24°59.27'E

Photograph at Suomenlinna Museum showing the entirety of Sea Fortress Suomenlinna. Our ferry landed at the north end, near where the steeple of Suomenlinna Church is visible.

Position: 60°8.71'N, 24°59.27'E

Sea Fortress Suomenlinna in the winter. Note the paths through the ice between Helsinki and the island complex. Several hundred people live here year-round and rely on the ferry service to get on and off the island.

Position: 60°8.55'N, 24°59.35'E

The Finnish submarine Vesikko on display at Suomenlinna. The 134ft (41m) vessel was built in the 1930s and carried a crew of 20 and is the only surviving Finnish submarine from World War II. The Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 classified Finland as an ally of Nazi Germany and the country was not allowed to have submarines. All except the Vesikko were scrapped.

Position: 60°8.57'N, 24°59.29'E

Most of the fortress is open, including many underground tunnels and caverns.

Position: 60°8.61'N, 24°59.23'E

A path leading between the outer fortress wall on the right and inner fortifications on the left.

Position: 60°8.67'N, 24°59.15'E

With its heavy fortifications and extremely thick walls, Suomenlinna Fortress was considered near-impregnable and referred to as the "Gibraltar of the North".

Position: 60°8.67'N, 24°59.15'E

A series of beautiful stone arches connecting rooms in a building at Suomenlinna Fortress.

Position: 60°8.66'N, 24°59.12'E

Memorial in the Great Courtyard to Augustin Ehrensvard, the architect of Suomenlinna Fortress.

Position: 60°8.68'N, 24°59.08'E

Viapori dock, built at Suomenlinna in the mid-18th century, is one of the oldest operational dry docks in Europe and one of the largest in the world when it was completed. To get an idea of the size of the dock, a large tugboat is in the center of the picture and two 100ft+ sailing yachts are on the right, and still the dock looks near empty.

Position: 60°8.51'N, 24°59.09'E

Having a break with a view at Cafe Piper.

Position: 60°8.42'N, 24°59.07'E

Russian-era fortifications at Kustaanmiekka along the southwest coast of Suomenlinna Fortress.

Position: 60°8.36'N, 24°59.09'E

This Russian cannon had a real steampunk look to it.

Position: 60°8.33'N, 24°59.43'E

Walking through underground tunnels in Kustaanmiekka.

Position: 60°8.30'N, 24°59.45'E

Starting around 5:15pm, the big Baltic ferries that dock in Helsinki Harbour make their way through the narrow 400-ft (120m) channel between Suomenlinna and Vallisaari. We found a spot just outside the fortress wall to watch them pass. This is the 666ft (202m) ferry Silja Symphony exiting to sea.

Position: 60°8.31'N, 24°59.45'E

Jennifer waving to the passengers on the 576ft (174m) ferry Mairella as it passes between Suomenlinna and Vallisaari. The ferries run at a good 12kts through the narrows—it looks crazy.

Position: 60°8.33'N, 24°59.40'E

We're amazed at the number of ferries that operate in the Baltic. The three in sight run from Helsinki Harbour and several more run from West Harbour.

Position: 60°8.31'N, 24°59.38'E

The 606-ft (185m), 2,500-passenger, 240-car ferry Viking XPRS returning from Tallin. We watched this one go through the narrows from a viewpoint above the fortress walls. We're standing at about the same height as the bridge of the Viking XPRS and you can see how large the ship is for that channel.

Position: 60°8.40'N, 24°59.39'E

King's Gate Quay, the ceremonial entrance to Suomenlinna Fortress.

Position: 60°9.91'N, 24°56.93'E

Valontuojia (Light Bringer) is a memorial in Kasarmitori square to those who died in Finland's winter war with Russia from 1939-1940. Viewing holes in the sphere show archived photographs inside and perched atop is a representation of a Finnish solder. At night lights shine through the holes.

Position: 60°9.89'N, 24°56.88'E

The evening sun lighting up the pastel-colored Art Nouveau buildings along Kasarmitori square.

Position: 60°9.83'N, 24°56.77'E

An excellent meal on the terrace at Juuri, who specialize in Sapas, Spanish Tapas with a Finnish twist.

Position: 60°10.06'N, 24°57.28'E

Walking back through a now-empty Market Square. All the vendors we'd seen earlier, including the one we had lunch at, are now gone. We wouldn't have guessed such a large and busy market would be temporary.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Our V7hts continues to operate but it often looses signal when the boat turns and, at times, won't make connection after a disconnect without a reboot. The problem was remotely diagnosed as a slow azimuthing system and the main circuit board was scheduled for replacement at our next port of call. This picture is of the V7hts open for service showing the electronics control box in the bottom of the dome. You can also see the belt that turns the fully stabilized antenna.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

The now replaced V7hts main circuit board. We'll not know for sure until we're next in rough water but the system now tests out perfectly so we expect it'll do well on the water.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

James is working on an intermittent I2C bus communications problem where the system works perfectly and never faults unless the engine is running. Actually the engine running is fine but when the alternators start charging, there are intermittent I2C bus errors. This is the junction box for the control system including the I2C bus, 16 channels of digital I/O, and the three engine room warning lights (Blue autostart on, yellow warning, and red alert). The problem appears to be noise on the 5V power supply to the I2c Devices. A cleaner power source has solved the problem.

Position: 60°10.72'N, 24°57.31'E

Delicious, and huge, burgers with craft beer at Kuja in Helsinki's Kallio district.

Position: 60°10.60'N, 24°57.46'E

Looking east from the bridge over the small bay Kaisaniemenlahti as we return back to Dirona.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

This time when an official boat came close alongside, they were here for a reason: it was the Finnish Border Guard coming by to check our Schengen status. They didn't want to see ship's papers, only our passports. They seemed very serious about immigration enforcement and if we weren't compliant, we expect it would have been a serious problem.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

We glanced across the harbor to this scene on one of the historic ships opposite us. It was indeed a warm day in Helsinki.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

The remote failed on the Glendinning shore power retractor for the second time in 9 years. The first time this expensive part failed, we replaced it with a $15 generic wireless remote. The bad news is our generic replacement lasted about the same as the OEM part. The good news is it's 1/10th the cost, easy to change, and we have a spare.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

A thick pollen has been falling all over Helsinki the past few days—the water surface in sheltered areas has a thin green coating and so does all of Dirona. James gave it a power-wash today and you can see how green the water runoff is. No wonder James has been having allergy issues.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.68'E

We last saw Mika Naatula and Katri Rosenberg of Nordhavn 64 Sweet Hope while we were in Southampton UK early last year. Mika and Katri live in nearby Espoo and came by for a visit.

Position: 60°10.01'N, 24°57.48'E

A delicious meal at Allas Cafe with great company and a wonderful view overlooking Helsinki Harbour. Mika Naatula and Katri Rosenberg of Nordhavn 64 Sweet Hope have been giving us great advice on cruising in Finland and we'll be following more of it as we cruise Lake Saimaa.

If you are interested in cruising through some of the wonderful places we've visited in the past few weeks, or if you just want to spend some time learning about a Nordhavn, Sweet Hope is available for charter. Their boat is beautiful and it's hard to get more knowledgeable hosts than Mika and Katri. Check out some of the itineraries at the bottom of sweethope.fi/.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Our engine room wet/dry vacuum stopped working. James took it apart and found connection damage from excess current draw and heat. It's back to running now but we'll need to replace it on our next trip back to the US.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.68'E

Our Tecma Silence Plus heads have been remarkably reliably. Nearly a decade later they have never failed. The one maintenance item is a small hose that plugs up. The hose bridges between the top and the bottom of the S-shaped hose that connects the bowl to the macerator motor. In steady liveaboard use it seems to go four or five years between replacements but this period will depend upon the mineral content of the flush water, where harder water will require more frequent attention. We cleaned out the big S-shaped hose and replaced the small clear hose that connects the top and the bottom.

Position: 60°9.98'N, 24°57.13'E

An excellent dinner at Goodwin steak house in Helsinki.

Position: 60°16.25'N, 24°59.96'E

Spitfire checking out his new digs at Helsingin Kissahotelli where he'll be staying while we're away for four nights in St. Petersburg.

Position: 60°9.34'N, 24°55.25'E

Helsinki's infamous 28ft (8.5m) Bad Bad Boy statue by the St. Peter Line ferry terminal. The work was unveiled in 2014 in the downtown harbor as part of an exhibition and was moved to a permanent home the West Harbour in 2016.

Position: 60°9.25'N, 24°55.26'E

The Finnish Border Guard giving us approval to travel. The ticket agent said James wasn't allowed to travel if he'd been in the Schengen area for greater than 90 days and called for official approval. (Jennifer is a British citizen and when James is accompanying her that time doesn't count against his Schengen 90-day limit). Unfortunately the Finnish Border Guard said the same thing as the ticket agent, despite our letter from the EU stating otherwise, but disappeared with our passports to check. 45 minutes later, within 15 minutes of the check-in closing, he came back with an approval to travel. Whew.

Position: 60°9.35'N, 24°55.38'E

Our ride to St. Petersburg, the Princess Anastasia, that we'd seen a couple of weeks back en route to Arholma.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Our cabin on the Princess Anastasia for the overnight run to St. Petersburg. We were right at the front of the ship with a view forward. As soon as the car deck bow door is lowered, we'll be able to see forward of the ship. After the major delay at checkin, we were quite relieved to finally be on board.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Checking out the Princess Anastasia an hour before we depart Helsinki for the 14-hour run to St. Petersburg. We depart at 7pm and arrive the next morning at 9am.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

The 755-ft, 50,000 DWT Icebreaking Gas Condensate tanker MT Yuriy Kuchiev under construction at the Arctech shipyard in Helsinki Finland. This one is so big it won't even fit into the large ship building at the Arctech Helsinki yard. Like all icebreakers, this one has a lot of power with 2 12 cylinder and 2 16 cylinder Wartsila main engines putting out a combined 42,054 hp. It can break 5' meters of ice and, when operating astern, it can break a full 6 feet of ice at a continuous 2 kts. The ship is scheduled to be completed and delivered this year.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

We loved deck 11 on the Princess Anastasia, where you could get up high and right behind the bridge.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

The deck 9 Sky Bar looking down from deck 10 on the Princess Anastasia. That empty round table in the left corner had our name on it, so we hustled down and snagged it for a drink on deck.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Watching from behind the bridge as the captain operates from the wing to bring the Princess Anastasia off the dock at Helsinki.

Position: 60°3.54'N, 24°53.20'E

We had a good dinner at New York City restaurant on the Princess Anastasia. The ship has a number of restaurants, but reservations can only be made for this one. We reserved a table as soon as we got on board and got a great window booth.

Position: 59°53.69'N, 25°53.20'E

9:30pm sunset en route to St. Petersburg.

Position: 59°55.05'N, 26°2.80'E

While passing through the boat, we saw a hockey game playing in the casino and stopped to watch Finland playing Sweden in the Ice Hockey World Championships.

Position: 59°58.82'N, 26°32.51'E

We'd booked our trip to St. Petersburg back in early March while still in Amsterdam. In researching the trip (the Adventurous Kate blog post was most helpful), we'd learned 1) most Princess Anastasia cabins have twin beds 2) to avoid deck 6 cabins because some are below a disco and very loud and 3) the disembarkment and immigration process at the St. Petersburg end is a real nightmare with long delays, no queues and everyone just pushing forward to get to the front.

We resolved all three issues by booking a Deluxe Cabin for about €200 (per person) over the base price of €107 for an interior, twin cabin. This put us on deck 5 with a window and double bed also and gave us VIP status, which included priority check in and disembarkment. An unexpected perk was this VIP lounge right at the front of deck 8. It is pretty well hidden behind the casino and we just stumbled on it when exploring. Nobody else came in, so we had the place all to ourselves.

Position: 59°53.85'N, 30°13.00'E

Our cabin on the Princess Anastasia was quiet and comfortable and we slept well before arriving into St. Petersburg the following morning. This is looking across the forest of cranes as we pass through the Big Port of St. Petersburg. The port is the second largest in the Baltic Sea and the third largest in Russia with 200 berths and 19 miles (31km) of berth space.

Position: 59°54.24'N, 30°13.50'E

Piles of coal at the Big Port of St. Petersburg. The channel we're in is quite narrow, giving us a great view to the land on both sides.

Position: 59°55.22'N, 30°14.61'E

Looking back to the channel we just came through.

Position: 59°55.51'N, 30°14.09'E

On deck 11, behind the bridge, watching the captain bring us onto the dock at St. Petersburg.

Position: 59°55.51'N, 30°14.03'E

The St. Peter Line Ferry terminal in St. Petersburg. Disembarkment and immigration was a breeze. With the priority disembarkment, we were within the first ten off the boat and through immigration in minutes.

We were a little apprehensive entering Russia as US residents, given the strained relationship between the two countries, but passed through immigration quickly with no questions asked. James, travelling on a US passport, actually got through faster than Jennifer, whose British passport was carefully examined with a magnifier, perhaps because it carried no stamps at all.

Normally we'd need a visa to visit Russia, but special rules for cruise ships and certain passenger ferries allow visa-free stays for up to 72 hours. So we'll only spend two nights in St. Petersburg, arriving Friday morning and departing Sunday afternoon.

Position: 59°56.04'N, 30°18.04'E

To qualify for the visa-free visit to St. Petersburg, our ferry ticket included the purchase of a mandatory guided tour. This really is just a shuttle bus that stops at a few hotels and then near St. Isaac's Square. We were then on our own for the rest of the time in St. Petersburg.

Here we are walking down tree-lined Konnogvardeisky Bulvar to our hotel shortly after getting off the shuttle bus. It's 9:53, less than an hour after we docked in St. Petersburg.

Position: 59°56.05'N, 30°18.49'E

Imposing 18th-century St. Isaac's Cathedral is a top sight in St. Petersburg. We'll be visiting in two day's time.

Position: 59°56.21'N, 30°18.58'E

The Admiralty Tower, the Navy headquarters, viewed from Alexandra Garden's.

Position: 59°56.31'N, 30°18.78'E

The opulent Winter Palace, completed in 1761, is now home to the world-famous Hermitage museum. Once we check into our hotel and drop off our bags, we'll be spending the rest of the day here exploring the vast collection.

Position: 59°56.18'N, 30°19.13'E

St. Petersburg is a beautiful city of grand buildings and palaces, and reminded us very much of Paris. This is the Stroganov Palace, built in the mid 18th-century for the richest family in Russia. Their chef created a meat dish served with a sauce of sour cream and mushrooms that became known all over the world as "Beef Stroganoff".

Position: 59°56.12'N, 30°19.50'E

The 364-ft (111m) colonnaded arms of Kazan Cathedral wrap around a lovely garden on Nevsky Prospect.

Position: 59°56.10'N, 30°19.61'E

At Megafon to pickup a data SIM card. At just over €4 for 40 gig, it's by far the cheapest data we've ever purchased.

Position: 59°55.97'N, 30°20.04'E

Redistributing our gear in our room at the M Hotel. We were travelling with just two knapsacks, and transferred our essentials to a medium-sized fanny pack to travel light while touring the city and attractions.

A hotel nearer to St. Isaac's Square would have been better, but none were available, and this one worked out well. We chose the M Hotel because it was convenient to the metro line, but ended up deciding to walk everywhere instead.

Position: 59°56.00'N, 30°20.17'E

The National Library of Russia, established in St. Petersburg in 1795, is Russia's oldest public library and its first national library.

Position: 59°56.03'N, 30°20.24'E

Monument to Catherine the Great, the ruler of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after organizing a coup that overthrew her husband, Peter III. Her reign was considered Russia's Golden Age, a period of great expansion of the Empire and the adoption of the ideals of the Enlightenment.

Position: 59°55.98'N, 30°20.63'E

With rivers and canals running throughout the city, St. Petersburg has many bridges. Anichkov Bridge, built in 1841-1842 with its famous horse sculptures on each corner, is among the most well-known.

Position: 59°55.96'N, 30°20.77'E

We grabbed a quick lunch at McDonald's on our way to the Hermitage. All the signs were in Russian, but they had placards we could point out what we wanted on, and the staff also spoke reasonable English.

Position: 59°56.05'N, 30°20.21'E

Pedestrian mall on Malaya Sadovaya St lined with fountains, cafes and terraces.

Position: 59°56.13'N, 30°19.59'E

The Singer Sewing Machine Company opened a factory in St. Petersburg in 1904 and erected this distinctive Art Nouveau building, topped with a glass dome and sculpture, as their headquarters.

Position: 59°56.18'N, 30°19.18'E

Looking north along the Moyka River from Nevsky Prospekt, the main street in St. Petersburg. As in Amsterdam, canal tours are popular here.

Position: 59°56.26'N, 30°19.05'E

Passing through the arch in the General Staff Building, a massive structure with a 1,900ft (580m) facade and one of the most famous buildings in St. Petersburg.

Position: 59°56.33'N, 30°19.04'E

The Alexander Column in Palace Square was erected in 1834 to commemorate Russia's 1812 victory over Napoleon. It is named for Emperor Alexander I who ruled from 1801-1825. Beyond the column is the Winter Palace with a stage being setup out front as part of the St. Petersburg Day celebrations that will take place in three days on Monday May 27th.

Position: 59°56.33'N, 30°19.00'E

Looking back to the Triumphal Arc connecting the two wings in the General Staff Building. The arc is a monument to Russia's victory in the War of 1812 against Napoleon's invading forces.

Position: 59°56.48'N, 30°18.84'E

We spent most of the rest of the day in the vast Hermitage museum, containing one of the world's greatest art collections. The main complex comprises five separate buildings, including the Winter Palace, with a total of 360 rooms. To ensure we hit the highlights, we followed Lonely Planet's "Half-Day Tour", which got us through the major exhibits and points of interest in the time we had.

The tour starts at the spectacular Jordan Staircase, the main staircase to the Winter Palace.

Position: 59°56.46'N, 30°18.84'E

The Hall of Peter the Great, also known as the Small Throne Room, was created in the Winter Palace as a memorial to Peter I.

Position: 59°56.45'N, 30°18.86'E

Nicholas Hall, also called the Great Hall, is the largest room in the Winter Palace and could support 5,000 guests.

Position: 59°56.43'N, 30°18.92'E

The dazzling Great Church, following a major renovation in 2014.

Position: 59°56.45'N, 30°18.89'E

St. George's Hall in the Winter Palace is a spectacular room with white Carrara marble imported from Italy and wooden floors made from 16 different kinds of trees. The imperial throne used to sit in these former staterooms.

Position: 59°56.42'N, 30°18.71'E

The Hermitage Academic Library is housed in this wonderful Gothic library, believed to have been created in 1762 when Catherine the Great established a position of librarian for her book collection.

Position: 59°56.36'N, 30°18.79'E

The Golden Drawing Room, with a gilt ceiling and marble fireplace, was part of the private apartments of Czar Alexander II.

Position: 59°56.38'N, 30°18.83'E

The spectacular Winter Palace tends to overshadow the Hermitage's art, but it does have a great collection. This is Portrait of a Lady in Blue by Thomas Gainsborough, considered among the best British portrait artist's of the period 1750-1800.

Position: 59°56.38'N, 30°18.83'E

Infant Hercules Strangling Serpents by Sir Joshua Reynolds was commissioned by Catherine the Great in 1785.

Position: 59°56.50'N, 30°18.90'E

The wonderful Peacock Clock in the ornate Pavilion Hall was a gift to Catherine the Great in 1781 from Griory Potemkin. As the hour strikes, the peacock spreads its wings and the surrounding animals come to life. Here's a video showing the clock in detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPlVRoUl_8.

Position: 59°56.53'N, 30°19.04'E

Catherine the Great commissioned the Loggia of Raphael as a copy of a Vatican gallery.

Position: 59°56.51'N, 30°19.02'E

The Lute Player, painted in 1596 by Italian master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Position: 59°56.50'N, 30°19.04'E

The somber State Staircase in the Winter Palace.

Position: 59°56.50'N, 30°19.07'E

Knight's Hall in the Winter Palace contains a collections of weapons and armaments that Nicholas I collected from around the world, including four 16th-century armored German knights and steeds.

Position: 59°56.49'N, 30°18.98'E

St Sebastian Cured by St Irene painted in 1628 by Spanish artist Jusepe de Ribera.

Position: 59°56.51'N, 30°18.95'E

The Hermitage has 26 paintings by Rembrandt, including the Return of the Prodigal Son, painted between 1663 and 1665 at the height of his talent.

Position: 59°56.52'N, 30°18.92'E

The light-filled Council Staircase, adorned with a malachite vase created at the Imperial Yekaterinburg Lapidary Works in 1841–42.

Position: 59°56.45'N, 30°18.88'E

Jennifer has long been interested in Ancient Egypt and was excited to visit the Hermitage's extensive display.

Position: 59°56.45'N, 30°18.88'E

Mummy of a priest from the 7th century BC in the Hermitage's Ancient Egypt hall.

Position: 59°56.49'N, 30°19.00'E

Huge marble statue of Jupiter, one of over 100,000 items in the Hermitages' Greek and Roman antiquities collection.

Position: 59°56.41'N, 30°18.70'E

A great view southwest to the River Neva from the second floor of the Hermitage. At the far left is the gold dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral, with the Admiralty Tower just to the right.

Position: 59°56.41'N, 30°18.70'E

Display of 19th-century swords and sabres in the Hermitage's Oriental and Middle Eastern collection.

Position: 59°56.33'N, 30°19.02'E

Hundreds of singers performing outside the General Staff Building as part of the St. Petersburg Day celebrations. The city will be 316 years old on Monday, May 27th.

Position: 59°56.26'N, 30°19.11'E

The General Staff Building houses the Hermitage's Impressionist and post-Impressionist collection. This striking marble staircase, that doubles as an amphitheatre, leads through a light-filled atrium to the galleries.

Position: 59°56.27'N, 30°19.19'E

Hall dedicated to the works of Roberto Matta, one of Chile's most famous painters and a pioneer of 20th century abstract expressionist and surrealist art.

Position: 59°56.34'N, 30°19.13'E

Dance with Veils, a good example of Picasso's cubist work and one of over thirty paintings by the artist in the Hermitage's collection.

Position: 59°56.29'N, 30°19.15'E

Portrait of the Artist's Wife, one of nearly 40 paintings by 20th-century artist Matisse, a leader of the Fauvist movement that emphasized strong colors and visible brush strokes.

Position: 59°56.20'N, 30°19.37'E

After a long and exciting day, we had an excellent meal at a window table in second-floor Goose Goose. The restaurant was filled with dramatic photos of principal dancers with St. Petersburg's famous Mariinsky ballet company.

Position: 59°56.16'N, 30°19.34'E

As we returned back to our hotel after dinner, we passed several bands playing street-side. This band was quite good.

Position: 59°55.95'N, 30°20.11'E

The striking bright pink Dom Basina building near our hotel was completed in the late 1800s in the neo-Russian style at the home for architect N.P. Basin.

Position: 59°56.33'N, 30°18.82'E

A clearer view of the imposing General Staff Building now that much of the scaffolding has been removed overnight.

Position: 59°56.43'N, 30°18.56'E

View to the Peter & Paul Fortress on the River Neva from the Dvortsovy Bridge. Peter the Great built the fortress in 1703 to protect the new seaport he was planning to establish to give Russia access to the Baltic Sea trade.

Position: 59°56.49'N, 30°18.48'E

Today we'll be spending much of the day at Peterhof Palace, 18 miles (29km) southwest of St. Petersburg. This is our ride there: the Peterhof Express Hydrofoil.

Position: 59°56.39'N, 30°18.48'E

On board the Peterhof Express. Boarding was a bit of a struggle, with a large waiting area that funnelled into a single queue. Even though everyone had reserved seats, those behind pushed hard for the narrow entrance and we found ourselves wedged in a jostling crowd for the ten minutes it took to enter.

Position: 59°56.92'N, 30°17.16'E

Passing Yubileyny Sports Palace on the Peterhof Express. The stadium seats over 7,000 for hockey and basketball games.

Position: 59°57.47'N, 30°15.34'E

Russian Coast Guard vessel moored along the River Neva.

Position: 59°57.77'N, 30°11.36'E

Completed just last year, the 1,516 ft (462 metres) Lakhta Center is the tallest building in Russia and Europe and the 13th-tallest in the world.

Position: 59°55.28'N, 30°1.16'E

Once we left the River Neva, the hydrofoil really stepped out and we ran 37mph much of the way to Peterhof.

Position: 59°53.39'N, 29°54.69'E

Peter the Great initially stayed in a small cabin in the area while overseeing the construction of the offshore fortress Kronshtadt. He liked it so much that he later built a small villa here, and then several palaces with extensive gardens, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The crowds were already getting thick first thing in the morning. It must be a madhouse here at the height of the season.

Position: 59°53.07'N, 29°54.44'E

In our usual approach of putting the most important first, we went straight to tour the Grand Palace. The palace is extravagant in every sense of the word. This is the Grand Staircase, full of gilded statues and carved bouquets.

Position: 59°53.07'N, 29°54.44'E

The Ball Room in the Peterhof Grand Palace was previously called the Merchants Hall. As the story goes, Empress Elizabeth told the designer to use as much gold as possible because the hall originally would be used to receive merchants, who Elizabeth believed admired gold.

Position: 59°53.07'N, 29°54.46'E

The Grand Palace is a succession of rooms so opulent and lavish that it's no wonder the working class revolted against the tsarist rule. This is the Audience Hall, intended for small receptions held by Empress Elizabeth.

Position: 59°53.07'N, 29°54.46'E

The White Dining Room laid with a 30-person porcelain setting from then up-and-coming English master Josiah Wedgewood.

Position: 59°53.09'N, 29°54.59'E

We'd picked up an audio guide at the entrance and didn't see anyone else with one throughout our tour—all of the hundreds of other people also inside were on a guided tour, either in large groups or a small private tour.

The audio guide was a slight hassle to get as the ticket counter required a 6,000-ruble deposit and we didn't have enough cash. We eventually found a cash machine in the gift shop and got our guides. We're glad we did. Not only was the guide quite informative, but also the museum staff hurried everyone else through each room except us. The audio guides seemed to effectively remove the usual forced time limit. Anyone touring the museum must cover their shoes with supplied booties.

Position: 59°53.08'N, 29°54.52'E

Looking down spectacular Water Avenue after completing our tour of the Grand Palace. The waterway leads from the hydrofoil dock to the palace with some 140 gravity-fed fountains.

Position: 59°53.28'N, 29°54.53'E

An escape from the crowds for a good lunch at Shtandart in a park-like setting at Peterhof.

Position: 59°53.34'N, 29°54.23'E

Moat surrounding Hermitage, a two-story remote dining room.

Position: 59°53.33'N, 29°54.20'E

Hermitage contains a unique mechanism allowing diners total privacy. Plates, and the entire center of the table, can be raised and lowered from the kitchen below so diners above never see a servant during their meal.

Position: 59°53.33'N, 29°54.20'E

The Hermitage dining table. Each place has a circular cutout to raise and lower the plate at the tinkle of a bell, with a larger circular cutout in the center.

Position: 59°53.26'N, 29°53.86'E

The Golden Cascade at the western end of the Peterhof estate. The steps are made of white marble, with gilded copper sheets on their vertical faces.

Position: 59°53.23'N, 29°55.14'E

Tulips in bloom in the gardens of Montplaisir, one of several palaces on the Peterhof Estate.

Position: 59°53.12'N, 29°54.52'E

Panoramic view of the spectacular Grand Cascade at the head of Water Avenue below the Grand Palace (click image for a larger view).

Position: 59°53.27'N, 29°54.73'E

Two competing hydrofoil companies appearing to race to the dock at Peterhof.

Position: 59°56.33'N, 30°17.78'E

After returning to St. Petersburg on the hydrofoil, we toured Menshikov Palace, built in the early 1700s for Peter the Great's closest friend Prince Alexander Menshikov. Several of the rooms are lined in Dutch tiles, intended to reduce humidity and ease Menshikov's tuberculosis.

Position: 59°56.02'N, 30°20.49'E

A good meal, and an excellent window seat, for dinner at Gastropub "Ivan da Marya" near our hotel on Nevsky Prospekt.

Position: 59°55.99'N, 30°20.15'E

Walking back to our hotel we passed a small fair, likely part of the St. Petersburg Day celebrations, where everyone was singing along in Russian with this group of musicians.

Position: 59°55.97'N, 30°20.04'E

We finished the day watching Canada play Czechoslovakia in the Ice Hockey World Championships.

Position: 59°56.07'N, 30°19.79'E

We saw dozens of police and security officers, and several armoured buses, on the streets this morning. Likely this is related to the upcoming St. Petersburg Day celebration

Position: 59°56.49'N, 30°19.80'E

The Mikhailovsky Castle, a former royal residence built as a residence for Emperor Paul I at the end of the 18th century. Paul constantly feared assassination and didn't feel safe in the Winter Palace, so had this castle built with a moat so that it could only be reached by drawbridges. Paul was right to be concerned—he was assassinated in his bedroom in the new castle only 40 days after moving in. The imperial family returned to the Winter Palace and the castle was abandoned and later turned into a military school where Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky once studied.

Position: 59°56.52'N, 30°19.80'E

Ornate lampposts on a bridge over the river Moyka.

Position: 59°56.61'N, 30°19.88'E

The eternal flame in Mars Field has been burning since 1957 in memory of war and revolution victims from St. Petersburg.

Position: 59°56.76'N, 30°19.77'E

Monument to Russian general A.V. Suvorov, considered one of the greatest commanders in Russian and world military history.

Position: 59°56.86'N, 30°19.69'E

View to Peter & Paul Fortress from the Troitsky Bridge across the River Neva.

Position: 59°57.06'N, 30°19.24'E

Map inside the grounds showing the layout of Peter & Paul Fortress.

Position: 59°57.06'N, 30°19.24'E

The Petrovskiy Curtain Wall and Gate, completed in 1719, are one of the oldest surviving parts of the fortress. The imperial wing crest above the arch weighs over a ton.

Position: 59°56.98'N, 30°18.94'E

Rabbits were the most abundant animals on the island before the fortress was built, and several statues of them are in the area. This one might be depicting rabbits helping a friend escape a flood.

Position: 59°57.01'N, 30°18.88'E

Most of Russia's imperial rulers are buried in this cathedral inside the Peter & Paul fortress.

Position: 59°56.39'N, 30°19.71'E

After Csar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881, his son Alexander III built the Church on the Spilled Blood on the site where he was stabbed as a memorial.

Position: 59°56.42'N, 30°19.72'E

The lavish interior of the Church on the Spilled Blood is covered with more than 80,000 sq ft (7,500 sq m) of mosaic. The construction was estimated to cost 4.5 million rubles—a fantastic sum for that time.

Position: 59°56.10'N, 30°19.85'E

Nevsky Prospekt was closed to traffic as we walked east towards the Faberge Museum. We'd arrived just at the start of a bicycle rally with thousands of participants.

Position: 59°56.05'N, 30°20.59'E

The Lada, famous throughout the world for having set a new standard for quality, longevity, and minutes of rust free operation :-).

Position: 59°56.08'N, 30°20.59'E

A display of beautiful Faberge Eggs at the Faberge Museum inside spectacular Shuvalovsky Palace. Alexander III began the tradition of tsars giving their wives jewelled eggs for Easter.

Position: 59°56.05'N, 30°20.67'E

A relaxing lunch with an unusual beer mug at Elephant Belgian Bistro.

Position: 59°56.04'N, 30°18.38'E

Starting up the 262 steps to the colonnaded walkway of St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Position: 59°56.04'N, 30°18.36'E

The sweeping view to the River Neva from the colonnaded walkway around the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral (click image for a larger view).

Position: 59°56.05'N, 30°18.36'E

Over 100kg of gold leaf, 6500 sq ft (600 m sq) of Monica, 35,000 (16,000kg) pounds of malachite and 14 different types of marble were used to decorate the spectacular interior of St. Isaac's Cathedral (click image for a larger view).

Position: 59°55.80'N, 30°19.06'E

Several jet skis roared past along Griboyedov channel as we walked back to our hotel.

Position: 59°55.58'N, 30°14.12'E

We arrived back at the ferry terminal around 4pm, two hours before our ferry departed, to a huge line-up of people waiting to enter the building. It was for a security check where everyone entering had to pass through the single security scanner. We'd not read about this in any of our trip research, so perhaps it is new. It took an anxious hour to get through.

Position: 59°55.54'N, 30°14.11'E

Once inside the terminal building, we quickly checked in and were through Customs and Passport Control within ten minutes. Our passports weren't stamped when we arrived, rather we were given a paper migration card that we handed in on departure. Then our passports were stamped with both the arrival and the departure dates. With the visa-free program, you can only exit the country the way you came, and having no entry stamp in our passports makes longer-term stay or broader travel in the country difficult.

Position: 59°55.52'N, 30°14.12'E

We're finally through all the process and are ready to board the Princess Anastasia for the return to Helsinki.

Position: 59°55.53'N, 30°14.07'E

Looking from the deck of the Princess Anastasia to ships moored in the Big Port St. Petersburg, the third biggest largest port in Russia.

Position: 59°55.54'N, 30°14.08'E

The ship departed on time at 6pm, but a queue of passengers were waiting to board right up until then. This is at 5:45pm.

Position: 59°54.52'N, 30°13.87'E

The icebreaker Mudyug uses an innovated dual-bow design that rides up on the ice and then crushes through it. This is a common approach to ice-breaking but the dual bow design is not. This was the first of three ships delivered to the Soviet Union by Wartsila Oy of Finland in 1982 and 1983. The ships were insufficiently maneuverable, especially astern, so the design has not continued to be developed.

Position: 59°53.82'N, 30°12.95'E

With rain falling, we spent much of the departure from St. Petersburg enjoying the view forward from the VIP lounge. We had a fabulous time in beautiful St. Petersburg and quite enjoyed the ferry ride both ways as well.

Position: 59°59.48'N, 29°41.87'E

Passing through Ship Passage S-1, part of the flood control system for St. Petersburg. The gates look similar in design to the Maeslantkering we saw near Delft in The Netherlands. A 6-lane automobile tunnel passes underneath the channel at this point.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

Jennifer returning with Spitfire from Helsingin Kissahotelli, where he stayed for four nights while we were in St. Petersburg. They took great care of him.

Position: 60°10.05'N, 24°57.00'E

We had an excellent meal in a fabulous class-enclosed private corner table at Kappeli. The cafe dates from 1867 and is a Helsinki fixture. We also had a great view to the bandstand behind us, where talented local music students put on a great show.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

A pair of jet skis roaring around the harbour.

Position: 60°10.18'N, 24°57.69'E

The engine room fluorescent light went out above the engine. We changed the bulbs, but that didn't help so we changed them back to the old ones and replaced the fluorescent ballast. A fluorescent fixture in the lazarette also was out. We changed both ballasts and are back to white and bright.

Position: 60°10.93'N, 24°57.21'E

Picking up a load of produce and other groceries at one of Helsinki's several Lidl grocery stores in preparation for the upcoming Saimaa Lakes trip.