Appuskidu
went too
A Baltic & St Petersburg
Adventure with a sailboat in tow.
Appuskidu went too is a book for anyone interested in
independent motoring
around
the Baltic cities, for anyone intrigued by the extra places you can explore
when you have a small cabin boat in tow and for anyone with a little of the
spirit of 'Swallows and Amazons'. Here is a record of the first journey to
Some of the events from this wonderful journey that are
chronicled in the book include an encounter with a gunboat, finding the hidden
treasures
of the Hermitage, dealings with dodgy Russian cops and making a voyage in the
wake of Arthur Ransome.
We hope that this book will inspire other ordinary
adventurous
souls to consider similar journeys that they could make in their own car with
or without a boat for the experience of a lifetime.
The book is illustrated with over 150 monochrome photographs as well as charts. The chapter headings of the book are set out below to give you some idea of the scope of the journey.
The initial print run is sold out but if enough people are interested I may do a short run reprint. To register your interest, send me an email with the address where you would want the book sent and send the email to:
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This will not commit you to purchase. You will receive acknowledgment but will then need to be very patient.
If you are seriously researching a trip to the region, let me know as it may be possible to offer you a copy on CD.
Note that this book has never been available in the shops or on Amazon etc.
Contents
Preface 1
Friday 4th
June 5
Newcastle
Learning how to disable a car alarm
Saturday 5th
June 8
Newcastle to
Gothenburg
The Cruise to Sweden – & St Petersburg moves to Greenland
Sunday 6th
June 11
(1) Gothenburg to
Stockholm
Locked in the floating car park & ‘aeroplanes on sticks’
(2) Ferry to Turku
Finland
Dancing through the islands in everlasting sunset

Monday 7th
June 15
(1) Turku and on
through Helsinki
Mistakenly breathalysed in Turku & a new style summer
starts
(2) The Russian
Border
Hour after hour of very much ado about nothing
(3) Border to St
Petersburg
Nightmare road
Tuesday 8th
June 25
Central River
Yacht Club
Rain and crumbling communist concrete
Wednesday 9th
June 29

Exploring the city
When to steal a car, McDonald’s and a Russian trolleybus
Thursday 10th
June 37
Voyage to Peterhof
Encounter with a Russian gunboat and later a rude Russian
Friday 11th
June 45
Hermitage & St
Isaac’s
‘Cretinous Octopus’, Da Vinci and the pickpocket
Saturday 12th
June 54
Voyage to
Kronstadt
Turfed out by the Russian Navy
Sunday 13th
June 60

The Hermitage
The profusion of modern art
A Hermitage
Treasury
Hidden gold and jewels
Peter & Paul Fortress
Rockets and murdered Tsars
The Cruiser Aurora
A unique warship (sunk to protect it from German guns)
Monday 14th
June
71
Voyage up the Neva
River
Illicit journey
Tuesday 15th
June 76
St Petersburg to
Estonia
Crooked cops and even more ado about even less
Wednesday 16th
June 88
To Pirita and
Tallinn
English stately home and a night in the car for Margaret
Thursday 17th
June 93
Tallinn Old Town
Fat Margaret’s Tower, applied art, flowers and a convent
Friday 18th
June 99

Voyage to Naissaar
Island
Forest, Russian mines, roses and a romantic deserted beach
Saturday 19th
June 103
Sail back to
Pirita
Booze cruisers and practising ‘finding the ferry’
Sunday 20th
June 108
Voyage to Helsinki
Margaret alone to Helsinki
Sunday 20th
June 113

Voyage to Helsinki
Douglas’s trip - In Ransome’s wake. A cracking good sail
Monday 21st
June 123
Helsinki
Move to Lauttasaari and England win the football match
Tuesday 22nd
June 127
Voyage out through
the islands
Sailing clubs and a rally driving legend
Wednesday 23rd
June 131
More great islands
His and hers loo with an amazing view
Thursday 24th
June 136
Helsinki then the
Turku ferry
The fight to get on to the ferry
Friday 25th
June 142

Stockholm
Flowers in their hair, a golden room and midsummer
celebrations
Saturday 26th
June 151
Stockholm to Malmo
Lake Vattern and Brahehaus
Sunday 27th
June 154
Copenhagen at the
run
Odense, ugly ducklings and the Esbjerg ferry
Monday 28th
June 161
Harwich and home
Sailing barges, sailplanes & home to British traffic
What have we
learnt from the experience? 163
Boating and
motoring influences 165
References 172