EPScader to Tallinn - a blog post

16.06.2025

In the midst of last winter, more precisely on the fourth day of February, one of our active members, Miikka, started a discussion in the EPS group on Facebook. It began like this: “Is it a crazy idea, but crazy ideas have been orchestrated before… A group sailing to Tallinn of EPS members’ small boats (and why not bigger ones too) in the summer!”

The idea was that when going as a group of several boats, even those who might have been nervous about crossing the Gulf of Finland alone in their own boat would dare to join. At the same time, such a group trip would be an excellent way to build community spirit within the club.

I myself had been nervous about just such a longer open sea stretch for several reasons, and now it felt like this just had to be done. Over the past ten years, I had managed to sail the Gulf of Finland from east to west to my heart’s content, but I had never ventured to Sweden or Estonia. In the winter, it somehow felt incredibly easy to say yes, as there was still plenty of time until summer. However, that time passed, and some inner desire to surpass myself also kept me committed to the decision.

Quite quickly, enthusiastic sailors interested in participating joined the discussion. Planning started already in the winter, resulting in two separate EPScader events – June 14th and July 10th. During the spring, various ideas emerged alongside EPScader. One of them came a bit too late, as we no longer had time to get our own EPScader flags for the boats’ backstays. Instead, Sydney’s Andrew organized a team shirt order, so everyone had the opportunity to get a nice EPScader polo shirt. Next time, we’ll include the flags too.

The morning of June 14th dawned warm, like the first real summer days of the year. The sea was completely calm, giving us the easiest possible start for the Tallinn sail. We managed to leave the harbor at eight, even though the previous day, Friday, Andrew’s Sydney boat had lost its propeller, and our eight-year-old Yanmar, which had always started reliably, didn’t start.

Sydney’s propeller was successfully dived up from the bottom, although initially, another propeller, a toilet seat, and thirdly, the missing correct propeller were found. Against all expectations, Sydney was also raised and the propeller was put in place in time. What about our engine? We charged the battery for an hour, assuming that the starter battery was the problem. Charging didn’t help, and at 11:30 PM, we concluded that a new battery must be bought and installed before eight in the morning. At three in the morning, we went to sleep with a functioning battery bought from Kannelmäki’s Prisma in place. We definitely didn’t give up because of small problems; we had to go on the trip regardless.

We, 12 boats, met at nine in the morning next to Kytö, and at the same time, Silja Serenade was approaching the inner channel towards us. We set off under Silja’s shadow to the sea at the pace of a motor march. Quite soon, however, the first group of smaller boats decided to raise the sails.

We jokingly wondered if we might see a Russian submarine in international waters. The surprise was quite big when Can’s Thomas sent a message that behind them was a vessel that looked like a submarine, but it was red. It turned out to be an unmanned French Exail DriX H-8 vessel, which apparently the defense forces were testing near Upinniemi. It certainly aroused excitement and curiosity. No other submarines were seen, but there were plenty of Tallinn ferries cruising back and forth between Helsinki and Estonia. A few cargo ships were also in transit. All encounters with large ships went smoothly since we had already planned which lane we would proceed in. This was especially important after Naissaar when we arrived at Tallinn Bay in a large group.

The group of larger boats was able to sail only after more than halfway when the wind started to pick up. We got to enjoy really pleasant and leisurely sailing almost until we reached the harbor.

Upon arriving in Tallinn, we had agreed for one boat to contact the harbor office at Old City Marina. We also used VHF and the EPScader WhatsApp group for exchanging messages. The internet, at least with Elisa’s connection, worked surprisingly well for almost the entire crossing.

Eemeli of EPScader’s largest boat, the 50-foot Beneteau Aurora, handled communication with other boats and the harbor this time. We had to wait about twenty minutes to get permission to enter the harbor. The route to the marina goes through the same channel where Eckerö Line’s Finlandia docks. Once we got permission to enter the harbor, we still had to wait for the bridge to open. When the traffic light turned green, we were able to drive into Old City Marina. The service was top-notch, and the harbor had provided us with precise instructions, a harbor map, and pre-assigned spots for each boat. The harbor staff greeted all the epsilon boats upon arrival and informed us where everything was located. A very friendly reception and an overall functional harbor. The only issue was with the sauna and hot water, for which they were very apologetic. They said they knew how important the sauna is for Finnish sailors. However, we didn’t let it bother us.

Instead, the restaurant we had booked in advance was a disappointment this time. The fact that nearly thirty sailors coming to eat as previously agreed was a surprise to the restaurant didn’t bode well. Different place next time!

The EPScader officially traveled in only one direction like HTR, but we agreed with several boats to leave back to EPS at the same time in the morning. After the previous calm day, the wind gave its all this time. 11-13ms wouldn’t be bad in itself, but the wave height was quite significant. In surfing conditions, going down from the crest of a wave and immediately back up was quite tough to drive on such a long leg. I have to say, during the “washing machine” conditions, the main fear was what if some part of the boat fails. Our confidence in our own boat grew really strong on this trip, and we don’t need to worry much about managing in tougher conditions. I was glad that there were three sailing-skilled people on our boat in total because our strength was depleted faster than usual behind the wheel. You also never know if someone might suddenly get seasick. We didn’t experience it, but at least one boat did. I clocked our boat’s return journey at just over 6.5 hours. We had speed! The outward journey took about 8 hours, but that included waiting at Kytö. In any case, on average, it takes about seven hours to cross the Gulf of Finland.

At the harbor, Kati greeted us with drinks and snacks. It was also fun to exchange thoughts with other boat groups. Some continued to the clubhouse for a sauna.

In the words of Jussi from S/Y Lole, the trip left a really good feeling. We had a great group with us, and this should become a tradition! Let’s wait for the July EPS squad and then start planning a similar event for next year.

Good summer winds to everyone!

Hanna Saario
S/Y Hyannis skipper