Black Sea

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BLACK SEA CRUISING GUIDE

An online cruising guide for yachts sailing in the Black Sea.

Black Sea Map.png

The Black Sea (Greek: Μαύρη Θάλασσα or Εύξινος Πόντος, Turkish: Karadeniz) is an inland sea between southeastern Europe and the Anatolian peninsula Turkey and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus Strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and then the long island-bound strait of the Dardanelles connects it to the Aegean Sea region of the Mediterranean. These waters separate eastern Europe and western Asia. The Black Sea also connects to the Sea of Azov by the Strait of Kerch. The Black Sea has an area of 436,400 km² (168,495 sq mi), and a maximum depth of 2,200 m (7,200 ft).

In his wonderful book Neal Ascherson describes the unusual conditions of the Black Sea. The Black Sea receives the waters of five major rivers: the Kuban, the Don, the Dnieper, the Dniester and above all the Danube. These rivers deposit a tremendous amount of organic matter. Over thousands of years the bacteria feeding on this matter exhausted the oxygen at the lower depths of the Black Sea, creating a condition known as anoxia. In its stead, the oxygen has been replaced by the deadly hydrogen sulfide (H2S). So, today the Black Sea consists of two layers separated by a well-defined boundary called haloclyne or oxyclyne. This boundary is at a depth of about 200 m, below which the water is infused by H2S and is totally devoid of life. Above the oxyclyne however, the surface layer of the Black Sea is teaming with life and fish. This abundance of fish has made the coastal area very wealthy. There are many dolphins in the Black Sea which delight the sailor.

The Black Sea basin was colonized by the Greeks as early as the Bronze age. The legend of the Argonauts in search for the Golden Fleece originates from that period. Mycenaean anchors have been found all along the coast of the Black Sea. Later in the antiquity many Greek coastal colonies had been established around the sea trading with their founding mother cities dried fish and later wheat and timber. The Greek presence in the Black Sea, or the Pontos, continued until the early part of this century.

Recent theories have linked the formation of the Black Sea with the biblical legend of the Flood. According to this theory the Black Sea was originally a fresh water lake. Then, 7,600 years ago, the melting of the glaciers flooded the Mediterranean. This extra water, eventually cut a narrow channel, the Bosphorus, and salt water flowed into the Black Sea at the rate of 10 cubic miles per day for two years. This deluge caused the waters in the Black Sea to rise at the rate of six inches per day and covered all the coastal human habitations. Robert D. Ballard, the discoverer of the Titanic, is leading an expedition, based in Sinop, to investigate this theory. The Institute of Nautical Archaeology, under the leadershp of the pioneering underwater archaeologist George Bass, is also interested in future work in the Black Sea waters.

Charts

BA
2214 The Euxine or Black Sea
NIMA
55100 Western Part of the Black Sea
55105 Eastern Part of the Black Sea
Turkey
10A Western Blacksea
10B Eastern Blacksea

Radio Nets

Also see World Cruiser's Nets

Weather

The Black Sea has more extremes and is more humid with the most rain than the Mediterranean. The local Turkish saying is that the Black Sea has four good harbors: Samsun, Trabzon, July and August! In addition, since it the Black Sea is a large body of water with very few islands, the waves are more ocean-like than in the Mediterranean, there almost a constant large swell even when there is no wind.

Weather Forecasts for the Black Sea:

3 Maps to choose from - Wind Direction and Speed, Wave Direction and Height, Wave Period.
This map is produced by the Turkish State Meteorological Service which also produces maps for the whole Black Sea and Mediterranean. Map of Regions

Black Sea Currents:

Countries (and Ports)

Key to icons: TopWiki.png = Featured Cruising Guides, Poe.jpg = Port of entry, Icon marina.png = Marina, Icon anchor.png = Anchorage, Question icon.png = Needs data.

Turkey Romania Bulgaria
West to East

Igneada (NOT a Port of Entry) Question icon.png
Sile Icon anchor.png
Eregli Poe.jpg Icon anchor.png
Kefken Adasi Icon anchor.png
Zonguldak Poe.jpg Question icon.png
Bartin (Rumoured Port of entry)Poe.jpg Question icon.png
Amasra Icon anchor.png
Ovaköy Icon anchor.png
Sütlüce or Gideros Icon anchor.png
Cide
Doganyurt Icon anchor.png
Inebolu (as at July 2011 NOT a Port of Entry
contrary to some cruising guides)
Caylioglu (Çaylioğlu)
Hamsilos Icon anchor.png
Sinop Poe.jpg
Yakakent
Samsun Poe.jpg
Ünye Icon anchor.png
Fatsa
Ordu Poe.jpg Icon anchor.png
Giresun Poe.jpg
Trabzon Poe.jpg
Rize Poe.jpg Icon anchor.png
Hopa Poe.jpg Question icon.png

South to North
Mangalia Poe.jpg Icon marina.png Question icon.png

Eforie Nord (Unofficial Port of Entry) Poe.jpg
Ana Yacht Club marina
Can arrange for officials to come from
Constanta to handle entry or exit.)

Constanta (Port Tomis) Poe.jpg Icon marina.png Question icon.png
Sulina Poe.jpg Question icon.png

South to North
Michurin (Tsarevo) (Rumoured Port of entry) Poe.jpg Question icon.png
Kiten Question icon.png
Primorsko Question icon.png
Sozopol Question icon.png
Neftochim Question icon.png
Burgaz (Bourgas) Poe.jpg Icon marina.png Question icon.png
Promorie Question icon.png
Nesebar Question icon.png
Byala Question icon.png
Varna Poe.jpg Icon marina.png Question icon.png
Zlami Pjasaci (Golden Sands) Poe.jpg Question icon.png
Balchik Poe.jpg Icon marina.png Question icon.png
Kavarna Question icon.png

Ukraine Russia Georgia
Artek

Balaklava
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Poe.jpg
Feodosiya Poe.jpg
Kerç Poe.jpg
Koktebel
Massandra
Odessa Poe.jpg
Sevastopol Poe.jpg
Sudak
Yalta Poe.jpg
Yevpatoria

Gelincik

Novorossiysk Poe.jpg
Sochi Poe.jpg
Tuapse Poe.jpg

Batumi Poe.jpg

Poti Poe.jpg

Entry/Exit

Islands and Groups

Passages

Popular passages & best timing, etc.

Trans-Europe Canals/Rivers from the Black Sea

Possible cross-Europe transits between the Black Sea and the North Sea

  • Danube: The Rhine-Main-Danube Canal (German - Rhein-Main-Donau-Kanal), connects the Main and the Danube rivers across the European Watershed. It runs from Bamberg via Nuremberg to Kelheim. The canal connects the North Sea to the Black Sea, providing a navigable artery between the Rhine delta (at Rotterdam in the Netherlands) and the Danube Delta in eastern Romania. The canal was completed in 1992 and is 171 km long.

    The cross-section of the waterway is mainly trapezoidal, with 31 meters width at the bottom, 55 meters wide at the water surface, 4 meters of water depth, and a side gradient of 1:3. The channel is a European Waterway Class Vb; the largest authorised vessels are 190 m in length and 11.45 m wide. The channel in the Kelheim-bound Bamberg lock has a depth of 2.70 m. In the few sections with a rectangular profile, the width is usually 43 m.

    The canal is the easy bit of the trip between the North Sea and the Black Sea. The rivers can both be very fast flowing, particularly the Danube which also forms the border between Serbia and Romania and later Bulgaria and Romania. The Bulgaria-Romania border bit should not be a problem as both are EU countries so the free passage of people, goods, services and money is guaranteed by the treaties of Rome and Maastrecht. The Serbian border, on the other hand, might be a bit of a trouble spot. If doing the trip one must follow the inland waterway rules but I would recommend not berthing on the Serbian side of the river.

    Given the strength of the flow of the Danube, It is recommended to sail from west to east and return via the Mediterranean.

    Anyone making this trip will be required to hold an International Certificate of Competence with a CEVNI endorsement. At a practical level, you should have someone on board who can speak German.
  • Volga: The Volga-Baltic Waterway or, as it used to be called and is probably better known, the Mariinsk Canal System. (expand this)

External Links Black Sea Canal / River Options

Forum Discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

References & Publications


Note that the RCC Pilotage Foundation is now involved with both the "Black Sea Cruising Guide" (David Read Barker and Lisa Borre) & "Cruise the Black Sea".

External Links

Personal Notes

Personal Experience External Links

Template:Guide1



SailorSmiley.gifContributors to this page

Names: Lighthouse, Istioploos, Haiqu


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