WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2021) Russian and US voyagers who are traveling around the world onboard the Pilgrim, a replica of the 18th century wooden boat Pomor, left their vessel for the winter in Homer, Alaska, and plan to renew sailing toward Chukotka next spring, the boat's captain Sergey Sinelnik told Sputnik.
"We plan to come back onboard in late April or early May to prepare the vessel and re-start navigation in the end of May or early June," Sinelnik said.
The Pilgrim will sail from Homer to the island of Kodiak, then to Aleutian Islands and along the North-West shore of Alaska, probably to the city of Nom to end at Russia's Chukotka, he said.
"We will have to spend almost a month on the way and cover about 1,300 nautical miles," Sinelnik said.
After Chukotka, Sinelnik said he plans to obtain a license for sailing toward the Arctic town of Tiksi and along Russia's Northern coast.
Sinelnik noted that he is seeking crew members who want to navigate through the Northern route and is open to any suggestions.
This year, the Pilgrim was able to cover a distance from the US city of Duluth on the Great Lakes to Seattle by land on truck, and then to Alaska through Canada.
"We covered almost 1,800 nautical miles from Seattle to Homer in 37 days," Sinelnik said. "Thank God, navigation is over, all crew members are healthy and came back home."
Sinelnik characterized the experience along the Canadian and Alaskan coasts as leaving "a good and deep trace" in his soul.
"No one tropical island can compare to uninhabited islands and the shore of Alaska, sublime beauty of the North surprises even despite rains and strong winds," he said.
The Pilgrim, a 40-foot sailboat, started the voyage around the world four years ago from the city of Petrazavodsk in Russia's Karelia region. On the way to the United States, the vessel visited multiple countries in Europe, the Canary and Caribbean islands as well as Cape Verde.
