Marine Department on the warpath

Live-aboards at Discovery Bay Marina

Unintended consequences of the tragic crash of a ferry with a pleasure boat in October last year, from a couple of sources in the shipping industry:

To Russia with Voxy

The road follows the railway, mostly.  The only difference was that we went
Perm-Kazan, rather than through Kirov (in the NW).  Click to enlarge.

First post here.

For the past three weeks have been sailing across the steppes of Russia -- from the Vladivostok in the Russian Far East to Siberia and the Urals, and thence Moscow -- with sailing mates Gordie, Rob and Joe.  

10,221 kilometres on the trip-meter, from Vladivostok to Moscow, and we've made it in our trusty Voxy. Now just back in Hong Kong, and some random photos below.... [and for gluttons for punishment, more piccies at Picasa]

Four blokes in a Voxy: Rob, Pete, Joe, Gordie in the hiker's hut, hills of Krasnoyarsk.
We were served tea by the caretaker Viktor who was born and brought up here
and spends all his days in the mountains.  

BTW: I've been asked about "Treacling" (from my last post):  Rob tells me it's the Yorkshire habit of putting the car in neutral going downhill, to save fuel.  Yorkshire folk are renowned for being careful with money, if I can put it like that....  There's also "extreme treacling", which is, in addition to being in neutral, also turning off the engine -- which can, of course, be a bit tricky, what with steering locking up 'n all... if not outright dangerous.
We had to Treacle on the road to Chita, east of Lake Baikal, as there's a bit of road, about 400 km of it, where there's not a single gas station: and the little Voxy only has a range of 410km.  Rob was Treacling like crazy for a whole afternoon's driving...
There are more photos below the fold..