A ferry crossing to Sakhalin connects this island with mainland Russia. Passenger-and-freight ferries transport railway cars, passengers, heavy-duty and passenger cars through the Tatar Strait. Vessels ply between the Sakhalin city of Kholmsk and the village of Vanino, territorially belonging to the Khabarovsk Territory, overcoming 260 kilometers of the waterway in 16-21 hours. Time depends on weather conditions, sea waves and season.
History
In the post-war years, on the initiative of Joseph Stalin, the construction of a tunnel began, which was supposed to provide transport links with remote Sakhalin. However, in 1953, the rack completely stopped after the death of Stalin. For a whole decade, problems with supplying the island with the necessary resources remained unresolved.
Only in 1964, the leadership of the USSR, realizing the unacceptably slow pace of development of Sakhalin, made the final decision to build a powerful and year-round ferry crossing. The village of Vanino and the city of Kholmsk were modernized and equipped, berths, warehouses, railway approaches, housing for builders andport workers.
Specially for the Sakhalin crossing, the specialists of the Kaliningrad plant "Yantar" designed and launched an icebreaker ferry capable of transporting up to 28 wagons all year round without unloading, which significantly accelerated the delivery of cargo and increased its safety.
The first ferry to Sakhalin left Vanino at the end of June 1973, and in 1976 six Sakhalin-class ships sailed between the island and the mainland. The crossing paid back the funds invested in it in just five years and gave a powerful impetus to the development of Sakhalin. With its help, more than a million tons of cargo and tens of thousands of passengers were transported annually in both directions. Before the collapse of the Union, up to eight Sakhalin-Vanino ferries ran simultaneously, but in the 90s, due to low funding and the general economic crisis, the crossing fell into almost complete decline.
Current State
A total of ten ships of this series were built, but most of them have already been scrapped. To date, the flotilla consists of three ferries: Sakhalin-8, Sakhalin-9, Sakhalin-10. The latter is intended purely for the transport of goods. True, in February 2018, the Sakhalin-9 ship was sent to China until May for scheduled repairs and modernization. In May, it will be replaced on the Sakhalin-8 flight, which will go for the same repair. Therefore, until the end of July 2018, only one passenger ferry will run to and from Sakhalin.
Freight transport
Year-round transportation of goods in both directions is the main task of the Sakhalin crossing. On thethe decks of ferries can accommodate 28 standard freight cars or 37 trucks. Ferries carry goods and resources necessary for the life of the island to Sakhalin. Heavy trucks usually deliver products with a short shelf life to Sakhalin people.
In the opposite direction, seafood, textile goods, export products that come to Sakhalin ports from abroad arrive on the mainland. The ferry service is an efficient and cheaper alternative to flying to Sakhalin.
Passenger transport
Transportation of passengers is a secondary, but highly demanded function of the ferry crossing. It is especially liked by travelers who are afraid of airplanes. The ferry "Sakhalin-9" and the ferry "Sakhalin-8" are used for transportation of people. The photos of these ships are impressive. Each ferry is equipped with one-, two-, four- and eight-berth cabins and can take on board approximately one hundred people. In addition, in case of increased passenger traffic, additional seats have been installed on the upper deck, in which seat tickets are sold.
Booking and buying tickets
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office of the sea station directly on the day the ferry leaves for Sakhalin or Vanino, but there is a high probability that all seats will be filled. Therefore, it is better to book a place in advance a couple of months before the trip, first by calling the ticket office, and then confirming the reservation a day before departure. The necessary phone numbers can be found on the website of the shipping company SASCO, which serves the Sakhalincrossing.
You also need to remember: if an hour or two before departure, the reservation is not redeemed, then the ticket goes on sale. Ticket offices selling ferry tickets are located in the building of the Vanino and Kholmsk railway stations. The passenger from the station to the ferry is delivered by a special bus. It is forbidden to go to the berths on your own.
Services
The ticket price includes not only the delivery of a passenger by ferry to Sakhalin or the mainland, but also his transportation from the ticket office to the pier, all fees, baggage fees, a place in the cabin, one free meal: dinner or lunch, depending from the time of departure, but the right to eat must be used within the first few hours of the journey, and it must also be taken into account that the dining room is open until 22:00.
According to passengers, swimming takes place in quite comfortable conditions: there is a video salon, a dining room with affordable prices, hot water heaters, a wardroom, showers for a fee, cabins have a place for luggage, radio, adjustable lighting. True, some travelers complain about the constant noise of working mechanisms, but most people quickly get used to it and stop noticing it. The ships have two decks: the lower one is for cargo and transport, the upper one is for passengers, where they can entertain themselves with walks, breathe fresh air and enjoy the open spaces of the sea.
For drivers traveling from Khabarovsk or Vladivostok, the Sakhalin-8 and Sakhalin-9 ferries are the most affordable way to get to the islandalong with the vehicle. For an additional fee, a car or motorcycle can be transported on the deck of the vessel, and the price includes a double cabin and a free lunch.
Schedule of ferries to Sakhalin
There is no stable schedule. The crossing works on the principle: no cargo - no flights. In addition, the weather can make adjustments to the schedule: in case of severe storms, flights are delayed. But, as a rule, a passenger can find out when the next ferries depart for Sakhalin or Vanino by calling the ticket offices of the seaport or visiting the SASCO website.
Sometimes ferries fill up with cargo for a very long time or bad weather makes navigation impossible, so the passenger must be mentally prepared for a long wait for his flight. The stations of both marinas are poorly adapted for this, so sometimes travelers are forced to spend the night in hotels in Kholmsk and Vanino. Experienced people advise choosing hotels not in Vanino, where the hotel is not very good and expensive, but in the nearby city of Sovetskaya Gavan. There is a richer choice of hotels, lower prices and better service. In Kholmsk, there are usually no problems with an overnight stay.
