Sailing in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan has Lake Issyk Kul - the world's second largest mountain lake at 180km long and 70km wide. This vast expanse of water represents Kyrgyzstan only navigable waterway and is sometimes likened to an inland sea. In fact, it is sometimes called "The Kyrgyz Sea".

Although it is thought that the locals may have sailed on the lake in boats made of animal hides stretched across wooden frames, rather like the coracle, the history of navigation on the lake appears to begin in 1856, when a local manap, (tribal leader), invited the Russians to the region in order to pacify various groups of warring Kyrgyz tribes. Colonel Homentovsk arrived with a troop of military and as part of their expedition was commissioned to reconnoiter the Southern shore of the Lake which, at that time, was relatively unknown and unexplored as far as the Tsarist empire was concerned. In order to complete this task, the expeditionary force constructed a launch and two boats. Unfortunately, the group was recalled urgently to Verney, (which is now called Almaty), and so the boats were left abandoned on the shore.

The first sailing vessel on the lake was constructed in 1871. It was on the order of the governor of the Russian Semirechiye oblast, Gerasim Kolpakovsk, (a close friend of the Russian explorer Nikolai Prezhevalsk and the Kazakh explorer Chokana Valihanov), to carry out archaeological investigations and to measure the depth of the lake. The two masted vessel sported three sails and weighed 11 tons. Unfortunately, however, it handled badly and was sunk in a gale two years later and a hundred people were needed to drag it to the shore.

So, Kyrgyzstan's first vessel also became its first shipwreck! Unfortunately, it was to be "the first of many". Hardly a promising start for Kyrgyzstan sailors.

The first shipwreck on the lake, and several of the subsequent ones, was caused by bad weather.

Oddly enough storms are less frequent in the winter months, (December, January and February), and most frequent in Spring and Autumn. As might be expected, on the other hand, the average wind speeds on the lake are at their lowest in the summer. One of the peculiarities of wind conditions on the lake is the occurrence of "seabreezes" and mountain-valley winds. There are also local winds on the lake: “Ulan” (from the West) and “Santash” (from the East). These winds can create choppy conditions, waves with an attitude of between two and two-and-a-half meters, (the highest registered attitude of the waves on the lake is 4 meters).

Generally, sailing under good meteorological conditions creates no difficulties for sailors, but the roughness of these choppy conditions are the main factor which causes sailors trouble. In 2009, a sudden change in weather conditions led to a surge in wind which blew a pedallo with two two boys on it out into the lake. Although a search was mounted for them, they weren't found until the next day - having been blown 40km from the shore.

In particular, stormy weather decreases visibility, especially in the Tyup gulf at the Eastern end of the lake.

Although there is not a lot of navigation equipment on the lake, in the most difficult or dangerous places there are beacons and lighthouses installed, with a visibility of between 3 and 5 miles.

However, despite this less than auspicious start, in 1913 there were two vessels sailing the waters of the lake. One was a motor schooner called the "Traveller Prezhervalsk" and the other a sailing yacht called "Taras Bulba". Both of them were constructed locally by the agriculturist Elena Mazurenko. The following year they were joined by two sailing cargo ships built by a local merchant. Unfortunately, however, they suffered a similar fate to their predecessor of thirty years before: caught in a gale they were thrown up onto the shore and were badly damaged in the process.

This was a difficult time - the First World War, the Russian Revolution and the Civil War followed one another in rapid succession and the ships stood idle. The sailing yacht ended up providing the locals with firewood and the only item rescued from the Traveller Przehervalsk was the motor which was transported back to Verney.

Undeterred by all this, however, the Soviets embarked on a programme of developing navigation on the the lake. The year 1921 saw four launched in Karakol, with stirring names like "Red East", "Proletarian", "Young Communist" and "Ilyich" (after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin). Quays were built at various points about the lake and the ships were employed transporting things like grain.

They were joined in 1926 by the steamship "Progress of Kyrgyzstan" which ferried both passengers and cargo across the lake. Later came other steamships: "Pioneer", "Soviet Khirgizia", "Ten Years of Khirgizia" and the massive "General Panfilov", ... and more. All of them built in the shipyards at Rybachiye, (now called Balykchy).

All was not well, however. Instead of the storms which had caused the demise of the earliest vessels, and the human errors which led other losses, (such as overloading or negligently failing to repair a developing hole in the hull(!), or a fire accidentally started - apparently, as some of the crew in their drunken state disregarded the rules of fire safety on board a vessel(!)), or even a natural hazard such as an attack by a flock of geese, (yes, apparently there was such an incident which led to the loss of one vessel(!) - although "attack" is probably too strong a word to describe the series of mishaps that led to the loss of the ship), the fate of the ships which plied the waters of the lake was sealed by economics. Operating the ships to carry cargo and passengers proved to be uneconomic when compared to road transport once suitable roads had been constructed around the lake. The ships were berthed, beached, rusted and rotted.

The lake was left to cruise ships, sailing yachts .... and research ships. Some of these "research ships" might well have been furthering the cause of science, just like their predecessors had done. Others, however, were involved in testing torpedoes for the Soviet navy. In fact, when Kyrgyzstan formed one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, young men and women conscripted into the military might well have found themselves serving in the Soviet navy just as easily as they might in one of the regiments of the Red Army. Some "took to the water" and enjoyed the life ... and there was even a Kyrgyz Vice Admiral who is now interred in Ala Archa National Cemetery in Bishkek.

There are still some fishing boats that work on the lake - but for several years they have been forbidden to fish in an attempt to preserve the dwindling fish stocks.

Today, the recreational use of the lake provides the majority of work for the boats that do remain. During the Soviet period there were lots of nautical activities on the lake as the tourist industry was introduced and developed. Activities such as sailing, surfing and yachting were organised by sports clubs. There was also a sailing school for children in Balykchy. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, however, the school has closed and many of the other activities have been discontinued due to a lack of finances.

Generally, the wind and weather conditions for sailing and motor-boating on the crystal clear waters of Issyk-Kul are extremely good. Nautical activities, however, are still not yet fully developed, however tourists who visit the lake discover that there are many ways to enjoy the waters: as well as simply relaxing and sunbathing on the beach - or going for a swim, go wind surfing or hire a pedallo, speedboat or jet-bike. It is also possible, for example, to arrange diving trips or to take a boat trip. Many people however, like to take a "cruise" on the lake aboard one of the boats which travel between the various piers around the lake -and it is also possible to hire one of these boats for a "cruise" of, say,one or two hours and a particular favourite activity is to go for a trip on the lake and then stop at a beach for a specially prepared Barbeque. Usually trips are arranged which start and finish from the launches’ home base in Cholpon Ata – but it is possible to arrange a pick up, or drop off, at another location – say, one of the resorts such as the "Avrora". Such a trip can be a good way to experience the calm of the waters and see the magnificent panorama of the Terskey and Kungey Ala Too mountain ranges which encircle the lake. After the boat has sailed out from the shore into the middle of the lake, it is sometimes possible to go swimming. In Cholpon Ata, there is a Yacht Club which hires out boats. The huge size of the lake is inviting yacht-owners and tourists to make cruising trips along the (322 Nautical miles) beautiful coast which has a lot of convenient anchorages in gulfs, creeks and bays and visit some of the the villages.

The shipyard in Balykchy, (the Ak Keme, or "White Ship", yard), still exists - although due to the lack of orders it mainly constructs containers for the local telephone company and other customers. During the Soviet period, however, the shipyard built many boats of all sizes up to 1000 tons. There are proposals to turn the yard into a marina and "water center".

So, although a landlocked country, there is some tradition of sailing, in the widest sense of the word, in the country. Enthusiasts are still to be found. There are a number of sports federations and associations which represent nautical activities ... including a Sailing Federation.

The Kyrgyz Olympic team in the past has included canoeists and Kayakers. White water rafting is organized on several of the country's rivers. Kyrgyzstan has a wide range of rivers which provide the possibility for challenging routes for those with all skill levels, from novice to experienced. There are quiet rivers, flowing through beautiful mountain landscapes, as well as rapids of different levels of of difficulty. The level of difficulty on each river can vary depending on local conditions, such as the amount of meltwater descending from the thawing glaciers. At the height of the summer, the water level of some rivers can actually vary on a daily basis.

The rafting season is usually between April and October, but can vary according to the particular river. The end of August and September is the best time on some rivers. The water level in the rivers rise in the spring - with ice melt adding to the both the volume and speed of the water flowing downstream - and falls in the autumn. The most popular rivers are the Chu, Chon Kemin, Kekemeren, Chatkal and Naryn. There is a camp on the Chu River near the Boom gorge - and this area is designated as the "National White Water Arena"and serves as a training ground for the whole of Central Asia.

Another such enthusiast is Kyrgyz businessman, Victor Gavrishev, a 48-year-old - a former professional bobsleigh athlete who was selected for the USSR team in 1987. Between 1987 and 1991 he worked in Kyrgyzfilm and played leading roles in two movies. Gavrishev entered was one of twelve contestants who entered a rowing race across the Atlantic in 2006, from La Gomera Island (in the Canary Islands) and Antigua (in the Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean), a distance of about 3,000 miles. The race was initiated by an international rowing organization, and was planned to last for about 3 months following in the path of Christopher Columbus. Garishev was sponsored by the KATEL Mobile Phone Company. The race was contested by 12 rowers from all over the world. His boat, "Sunny Wind", was based on the Dori old fishing boat from Newfoundland, and was built in Balykchy. Unfortunately, however, Gavrishev ran into troublesome winds and was unable to finish the race being picked up on the high seas by the Spanish navy.

Then there are the two enthusiasts, Ilya Ignatiev, (who is from Balykchy), and Vladimir Soleny, who won the Royal race of 20 miles in Thailand. This was their first competition abroad and apparently they found the scorching sun and salty sea water a little different and more trying than the conditions at home. In this particular race Ignatiev came in first and Soleny took second place, placing them in second and third places, respectively, in the overall results for the regatta.