Engineer Turned Yachtsman Guides Tourists to Titanic's Glacier
Yachtsman Dmitry Startsev has been sailing the seas for over 16 years.
66-year-old Dmitry Startsev from Ulyanovsk is an incredibly interesting person: an engineer by education, a seafarer by calling, he has been traveling on various vessels around the world for over 16 years. At one time, he trained in yacht management in Montenegro and became a professional yachtsman, which is how he now earns a living. In September, Dmitry Startsev sailed from the icebergs of Greenland to the beaches of Cape Verde in West Africa on the Russian yacht «Aurora». He shared his adventures with a correspondent from 173. RU.
Travel as a Way to Earn a Living
Yacht expeditions are, to put it mildly, not a cheap pleasure. According to the Russian company that organized the trip Dmitry Startsev participated in, the sailing to Greenland cost tourists €4,000 per person (347,240 rubles, approximately $3,800 at current rates). This cost included accommodation on the yacht, fuel surcharge, food, and crew services. Air tickets, insurance, and satellite communication had to be paid separately. But the thing is, Dmitry Startsev wasn«t vacationing on this voyage; he was working. He was the yacht»s captain, so not only did he not pay for the trip, but he also received a salary from the company. He declined to specify the amount, citing that this information is confidential.
Yacht travel is beautiful but a very expensive pleasure.
«The journey for me began with a flight to Greenland via Iceland. When asked at customs why I was flying, I simply answered: tourist. This doesn»t raise any suspicions—there are plenty of tourists in Greenland,« explained the yachtsman.
According to Dmitry Startsev, in the same city of Ilulissat where he arrived, 2–3 planes with tourists land daily. They are drawn by the unique landscapes and, of course, the icebergs.
Under Prop Sails
Most of Greenland, as the traveler explained, is pure wilderness. People live in small settlements and get around on all-terrain vehicles and ferries that can carry 10–15 people. There are practically no roads on the island. Local residents often hunt for seals using small boats and even inflatable boats.
The untouched nature of Greenland remains wild and pristine.
In the harbor, the Russian sailing yacht «Aurora» was already waiting, on which Dmitry was to serve as captain. Paired with another yacht, «Alenka,» they spent two weeks taking photographers out to sea who wanted to capture the icebergs.
«Aurora is a very sturdy vessel with a metal hull, with an unlimited sailing area. It has nine cabins and three heating systems,» continued the traveler.
Among the ice, the yacht travels under motor power.
Despite Aurora being a reliable yacht, a sailor was constantly stationed on the bow with a five-meter bamboo pole to push away ice floes. They traveled under motor power—sailing among the ice is dangerous due to the risk of damaging the vessel«s hull. Moreover, during the warm season in Greenland, there is almost always a calm. However, for a beautiful shot, they did raise scarlet sails on Alenka, but they were more for show.
Icebergs are a major attraction in Greenland.
«We entered Isfjord—it»s a real park of icebergs. Of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they break apart—the larger they are, the louder the crash. But icebergs rarely flip over; for that, a large piece needs to break off,« explained the yachtsman.
The passage from Greenland to Cape Verde was full of adventures.
It is believed that from this very glacier in the spring of 1909, a huge iceberg broke off, which on the night of April 14–15, 1912, sent the legendary steamship Titanic to the bottom. Fortunately, no mishaps occurred with the Russian yachts.
From Greenland to the Azores
After dropping off the photographers, Aurora entered the Davis Strait and set course for the Azores Islands.
«We had to take shelter from a storm for three days in the settlement of Narsarsuaq. We refueled and stocked up on drinking water. We filled five-liter bottles from a spring near our pier. Such a cozy spring of the purest mountain glacial water. The settlement has only about fifteen houses and 160 local residents. But it has everything necessary for life: a museum, hotel, bar, supermarket, and even an airport with the second longest runway in Greenland. And on the opposite shore of our fjord is a larger settlement. It is famous because it was here at the end of the 10th century that the famous Viking Eric the Red landed and founded the settlement of Brattahlid,» explained the traveler.
The harbor is filled with numerous small vessels.
The yacht approached the island of São Miguel late at night, and there was no one to take the mooring lines. Fortunately, a free berth was found, and Aurora docked there.
The island was remembered for its semi-colonial architecture, which makes it similar to many cities in southern Europe, and the abundance of flowers. Tourists enjoy staying on so-called houseboats—mini-hotels on the water.
In the Calm Zone
After five days, Aurora headed towards Cape Verde. As they approached Africa, flying fish were increasingly found on the deck. But soon problems began.
Flying fish land on the deck of the yacht.
«The diesel engine of our yacht, which was due for a major overhaul, broke down. And we hit a window of complete calm. For four days, we traveled at a speed of 30–50 miles per day. A guest who was on the yacht had to cancel his booked plane ticket—we didn»t make it in time,« emphasized Dmitry Startsev.
After all the vicissitudes, the yacht finally reached Cape Verde, the southernmost islands in the North Atlantic.
In the port of the island of São Vicente.
«Once there was a slave market here, so many residents are of mixed race,» concluded the yachtsman. «They don»t particularly like to work, but they skillfully beg money from tourists. From there, I flew home. Overall, the journey took over a month, covering 3,700 nautical miles.«
Dmitry Startsev willingly shares his stories with residents of Ulyanovsk.
Over 16 years of expeditions, Dmitry Startsev has visited more than 40 countries, including the entire Mediterranean, Caribbean islands, and crossed the Atlantic. According to him, he used to bring back a flag from each country, but then he simply ran out of space to hang them. In total, on various yachts, he has sailed over 80,000 nautical miles, which is three times the length of the equator. Currently, he awaits the next challenge to set sail to any point in the world ocean.
