Carusel Tours
1 April 2020
UPDATED 5 December 2023

Guide to Sailing in St. Petersburg. Can you get there by boat?

Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg at sunset
Old Sea Channel of St. Petersburg during White Nights

Although St. Petersburg had rich sailing traditions back in the imperial times, when in 1846 the first yacht club was opened in the city, currently it lags seriously behind its EU neighbours. Sailing is getting more and more popular among locals in St. Petersburg now, but most of us prefer other sailing destinations and some people keep their own boats in nearby Finnish or Estonian marinas where they would often go for the weekend.

However, it is possible to get to St. Petersburg by boat and there were around 100-200 foreign vessels per year visiting our city before 2020. It might seem like a drop in an ocean compared to tens of thousands of yachts visiting Finland yearly, but if you are an experienced and adventurous sailor, you might appreciate this sort of exclusivity when choosing St. Petersburg as your next sailing destination.

In this article, you will find out the latest information on how to approach St. Petersburg when going by boat from Finland and Estonia, available customs clearance checkpoints and guest harbours.

Navigating to Kronstadt with Fort Alexander in the background
Area near Kronstadt with Fort Alexander I in the background

Navigation in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. General information

The navigation season in the Gulf of Finland generally lasts from May until October with most recreational boats sailing from end of May until mid-September. As the Gulf of Finland is shallow, especially closer to the shores, the upper layers of water in it get warm relatively quickly. Gales and fogs are not rare during the navigation season, and the sailors should be prepared to that.

Normally the western winds prevail throughout the Gulf of Finland in the summertime, but recently, probably due to the changes in climate, eastern winds have started to blow more often, which may result in unexpected sand shoals in shallow areas or along the shipping channels around St. Petersburg. Therefore, I advise you to beware of continuous eastern winds.

As the Gulf of Finland is very shallow, many guest harbours have depths of no more than 2.5–3 metres, which you need to keep in mind when choosing the right place for anchoring or mooring. On the other hand, tidal variations in the Baltic Sea in general and particularly in the Gulf of Finland are insignificant and can be neglected.

Another important issue is safe sailing when approaching the main ports along the Gulf of Finland, as there is lot of commercial traffic in these zones. The zones that require particular attention are the areas prohibited for the navigation near islands Moshchny and Seskar (mapped on charts), the only passage through the St. Petersburg dam's and the navigation channels from Kronstadt to St. Petersburg.

The passage in the dam is 200 metres wide and 16 metres deep.
Passage in St. Petersburg Dam
Navigation passage in St. Petersburg Dam

In addition to that, foreign vessels cannot anchor near Russian islands along the way, as most of them are included in the military control zone and they cannot be accessed without a special permission from the FSB (Russian Federal Security Service). FSB does not grant permissions easily and it is a lengthy bureaucratic process, that takes from several weeks to one month. The largest of these islands are Gogland (Hogland, Suurssaari) not far from the Finnish port Kotka, Boshoy Tyuters (Tyterskär, Tytärsaari), Seskar (Seiskari) and Moshchny (Lövskär, Lavansaari).
Coastline of Gogland Island
Coastline of Island Gogland
How to approach St. Petersburg from Finland and Estonia

At the moment, the only available Russian Customs Clearance Checkpoint in the Gulf of Finland is situated at Fort Konstantin of the Kronstadt Fortress 15 NM away from St. Petersburg. Customs points at Vyborg and Saimaa Channel are currently officially shut down for the customs clearance of small vessels. Therefore, the foreign yachts that are heading to St. Petersburg will need to sail almost all the way to the city from the moment they have crossed the territorial waters of Russia without making any stops. It might be easier to try to plan your arrival time in such a way that you reach the customs clearance at a day time, when there are English-speaking people on duty.
If you want to learn more about Kronstadt, see our Kronstadt Tour Description
Lighthouse in Kronstadt
One of the lighthouses near Kronstadt

The distance between Helsinki and St. Petersburg is 175 NM, between Tallinn and St. Petersburg – 185 NM. If you decide to sail from Helsinki and Tallinn directly to St. Petersburg, you can clear out with the EU Customs and Immigration at the local port authority offices in Helsinki and Tallinn, getting in touch with them prior to your departure in advance.

Finnish border control points on islands Haapasaari and Santio are the closest to the Russian Border. Alternatively, you can clear out with the EU Customs and Immigration there. The distance from Haapasaari to St. Petersburg is 95 NM, from Santio - 85 NM. If you decide to use these control points, it is better to contact them a day in advance and check with them that they would be open at the time of your arrival. The boarder control and boat inspection usually takes around an hour.

If you head to St. Petersburg from Estonia, you will still need to enter the shipping lane south east of Gogland Island, therefore it makes no sense to go further to the east than the Estonian port of Vergi (115 NM to Kronstadt, 130 NM to St. Petersburg). For instance, if you use the harbour of Narva Jõesuu on the border with Russia for the EU Customs Clearance, you will still have to turn west and head back north to enter this shipping division lane, which will eventually double your distance to Fort Konstantin in Kronstadt. For this reason, most vessels sailing from Estonia clear out in Tallinn or Vergi.

There is no full-time border control office at Vergi, you will need to call the border control hotline and inform them about the approximate time of your arrival.
Gulf of Finland Navigation Map
Map of the eastern part of the gulf of Finland with restricted areas

You can find the charts, distances and the general information about sailing to St. Petersburg in the pilot book Baltic Sea and Approaches, Edition of 2017, available for sale and in Google Books.

This book, created by the Royal Cruising Club, is really useful and by far it is the only sailing pilot book for the Gulf of Finland, but please keep in mind that currently there have been some major changes in the border control procedures and now the Russian customs clearance in Vyborg or Saimaa Channel is NOT permitted.

It means that once you enter the Russian territorial waters, you will need to sail all the way to Fort Konstantin in Kronstadt for border control and therefore you are not allowed to make use of the marinas on the coast between Vyborg and St. Petersburg, described in this book.
Please also keep in mind that the areas restricted for navigation may be expanded and include all type of dangerous zones marked on the maps. Therefore, it is important to follow the recommended route below and try to keep in touch with the coastguard by radio once you cross the border. If you accidentally cross the no-navigation zones, you might need to pay the fine upon your arrival to Fort Konstantin.
Approach Map for Fort Konstantin in Kronstadt
Approach to Fort Konstantin. Map uploaded from the website of St. Petersburg Border Control

Approaching Border Checkpoint at Fort Konstantin in Kronstadt

When you cross the EU border, make sure that the border officers contact the Russian coastguard and let them know that the name of your boat and the destination port. This way they will be aware of your arrival and have the officials at Fort Konstantin ready.

The Russian coastguard can be contacted on VHF Channel 6 using the call sign GRANIT (pronounces as "g-r-a-n-ee-t" with the accent on the second syllable), once you enter the territorial waters of Russia, but as the practice shows they might not be able to speak or understand English very well, or be reached easily.
Approach Map for Fort Konstantin in Kronstadt
Approach to Fort Konstantin with Danger and Resticted Areas

You will then sail along the big ship channel marked on maps (beware of restricted areas) and once you approach Kronstadt, you will need to contact the traffic controller at VHF Channels 9 or 16 stating the name of your vessel and the destination – Fort Konstantin for customs clearance and border control.

We advise you first contact them by VHF channel 9 or by mobile around 4-10 hours prior to your arrival. You do not need to ask for a pilot to guide your boat through the passage in the dam as you are allowed to enter Fort Konstantin on your own, but keep in mind that this passage is also used by big cruise ships and commercial vessels, most of them tend to cross it either in the morning or after 5 pm in the evening.

St. Petersburg Dam and Ring Road in the Gulf of Finland
Get in contact with the Fort Konstantin staff directly to request up-to-date harbour plans and copies of documents that need to be filled in for the customs clearance.

During the border control the local customs officers will enter you boat and film it on camera, and you will fill in the declaration later.

What You Can Bring To Russia On Your Boat Without Paying Extra Tax (2023):

10 000 euro or 10 000 dollars per adult person* or equivalent in other currencies

5 kilos of packed products (cheese, meat, fish, etc) per person

3 litres of any alcohol per adult person

200 cigarettes/50 cigars/ 250 grams of tobacco or 250 ml of liquid for electronic cigarettes/200 tobacco sticks per adult person

*Adults are those who are at least 18 years old



What You Cannot Take from Russia Without Extra Permission:

Cultural artefacts and works of art that are more than 50 years old. Not all old things fall into this category, but if you are going to buy something in local flea markets or antique shops, it is better to check with the seller if this item could be taken out of the country without the permission from the Ministry of Culture

More than 5 kilos of fish and more than 250 grams of black caviar
On the way back please beware that Russian customs officers may pay attention to expensive jewellery, watches, technical devices, so I recommend you to put them all in your declaration when you enter the country. It is also important to check the EU regulations on what is allowed and not allowed to bring there from Russia at the moment.
Plan of Guest Harbour at Fort Konstantin, Kronstadt
1. Border Control
2. Berths for vessels with draught of up to 2 metres
3. Berths for vessels with draught of more than 2 metres
4. Gas Station – only card payments are currently accepted


After border control, you can stay at Fort Konstantin, where they have guest berths, water, electricity, showers and washing machines. The rates in Fort Konstantin are better than in St. Petersburg marinas. As for 2023 navigation season, the birth cost around 25 euro per day and there were discounts for longer stays.

The nearest shops are in Kronstadt, which is accessible by bus or taxi (10-minutes ride). Central St. Petersburg is 30 km away through the northern part of the picturesque ring way built on the dam going above the Gulf of Finland, from Kronstadt you can get there by taxi or by bus and then metro, the ride will take you approximately one hour by taxi and around 1.5 hours by public transport. If you follow the ring way along the dam to the south, in 20-35 minutes you will get to the former royal residences along the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland - beautiful Oranienbaum or Peterhof with its marvellous fountains.

Navigation brochures in English can currently be downloaded from here and here.

Guest Harbour at Fort Konstantin, Kronstadt
Guest Harbour at Fort Konstantin, photo from their website in Russian

How to get through the Customs Clearance at Fort Konstantin

For the customs clearance, you will need to have at hand originals and copies of the following documents:

- Passports with valid Russian visas or electronic visas, depending on your country of residence, unless your country of residence does not require visas to entry Russia.

- arrival-departure crew lists

- filled-in customs declaration

- yacht registration documents

- skipper's license

Read about current Russian visa requirements in our article.
For the full list of documents and number of copies get in contact with Fort Konstantin.

Central River Yacht Club in St. Petersburg
Aerial view of Central River Yacht Club

Central River Yacht Club on Petrovski Island and Yacht Clubs on Krestovski Island

At the moment, Krestovski Yacht Clubs and Central Yacht Club are either closed or working at the reduced capacity because of ongoing land disputes. They are situated on green islands, very close to the city centre, which makes them attractive to realtors and everyone who can earn from building posh apartment houses on them.

Therefore I recommend you to check what yacht clubs are working not long before your actual trip by writing to us.

Central River Yacht Club is situated on Petrovski Island around 15 NM to the south east from Kronstadt. For the approach instructions see The Baltic Sea and Approaches pilot book or contact the yacht club directly.

Beware of hydrofoils (fast speed boats travelling between St. Petesburg and Peterhof) and other motor vehicles on the way to and from St. Petersburg! The sea lane that they use will intersect with your lane marked with buoys as you approach St. Petersburg. They may travel fast, often violating the speed regulations, so it is better to keep track of them.

The Central River Yacht Club is situated on the bank of Malaya Nevka River, where the counter current is quite strong, so keep that in mind when mooring.

Krestovski Island is divided from Petrovski Island only by a river, so you can use the same instructions to approach Krestovski Island. At the moment, marinas on Krestovski Island do not have updated websites.

If you stay on these islands, you can reach the city centre by metro (there are two stations on Krestovsky Islands), trolleybus (stops near the Central Yacht Club) or taxi. It would be 10-15 minutes by taxi (depending on traffic).

Smolenka New Gazprom Yacht Club St. Petersburg
Photo from Smolenka Website

Smolenka Yacht Club
Prospect Kruzensterna 18/4

As Gazprom finishes their skyscraper in Lachta, their marina next to it was closed and instead they opened a new marina for their sailing school and competitions in 2023. It is called Yacht Port Smolenka and they are situated on Vasilievsky Island not far from the centre of St. Petersburg.

Their website is only in Russian and it does not contain any charts at the moment. It has berths for 200 vessels of up to 130 feet long, and a birth costs 10 000 rubles per day, which is quite costly for our country. Not that they have had any foreign guests so far, but if you want to be among the first visitors of this marina, you can book the place over the phone from their website and check it out.

Approach to Baltiets Yacht Club in St. Petersburg
Baltiets Yacht Club near Strelna and Peterhof

Baltiets is a very popular city marina where many people actually live in small boathouses, not only keep their boats.

It is pretty much the same distance from Kronstadt and Fort Konstantin, as to Petrovski and Krestovski Islands, but you will need to head South-East, sailing along the main fairway to the cargo port of St. Petersburg. Vessels are not allowed to enter the fairway, see the map below for recommended route, marked with thick red line.
Map - Approach to Baltiets Yacht Club in St. Petersburg
Approach to Baltiets Marina is very shallow and when continuous Eastern winds blow, it may be hard to reach.

Baltiets is not suffering from any land disputes at the moment, but as the other marinas of the city are not functioning, the demand for a berth here is very high, so places are very limited and the usually run out of them by May.

You can reach Baltiets by taxi from the central part of the city easily, the nearest metro station is around a 20- minute drive (again, depending on traffic). Beautiful royal residences of Peterhof and Oranienbaum are nearby and the Palace of Congresses in Strelna, currently the official venue of the president of Russia where the G8 summit once took place, is only a few stone throws away from the marina. Close to the Palace of Congresses you will also find the old wooden Road Palace of Peter the Great, open for visitors.

Take a look at our tours ideas to get a better idea of what the city can offer you!
St. Petersburg during regatta
Can you sail through the Neva River and reach inland waterways of Russia?

Yes, you can, as travelling through the inland waterways of Russia was permitted in 2012, but in fact many local authorities still do not know how to deal with it.

If you decide to venture on this journey, we recommend you to read a book by J. Vallentine and M. Maters first, who crossed Russia all the way from the north to the south on their boat several years ago.

Link to Sailing Through Russia for Europe
Link to Sailing Through Russia for USA


You can cross the Neva River, the main river of St. Petersburg that connects Lake Ladoga (the largest in Europe) with the Gulf of Finland, either without a mast during the day time or with a mast at night.

For the night crossing you will have to use the service of a pilot who will guide you through the drawn bridges along the Neva River for a fee (around 25 000 RUB). For the day crossing you will need to get the permission from the local authorities and you won't have to hire a pilot, but taking a mast down in order to be able to sail under the bridges along the Neva River might not be the easiest option either. Besides, a Russian-speaking crew member is a must, as well as a Russian river radio station, a lot of patience and a keen interest in the Russian culture!

Below is the photo by A. Golovdinov taken on the Night of the Scarlet Sails.
St. Petersburg Brigantine on Night of the Scarlet Sails ( photo A. Golovdinov)
A few words from the author

You might wonder why this post appears in our Carusel Art Travel Blog. Apart from being passionate about arts and culture, I also love sailing and I noticed that very few people have access to any information about sailing in St. Petersburg and it is hardly available in English.
That is why I did my best to write here about all the relevant news and recommendations for those of you who are interested in getting to St. Petersburg by boat or simply want to know more about sailing in Russia.
In our future posts, I will be writing about international and local regattas taking place in St. Petersburg and in the meantime, do not hesitate to drop me a line if you have any questions or need some advice!

Alexandra Carusel Tours
Vyborg Islands Sailing