The starting point for the expedition was Augustów. This is where our journey through one of the most magnificent hydrotechnical monuments in Poland begins, the construction of which dates back to the first half of the 19th century. First, we headed east. Along the way, interesting locks, beautiful lakes and the legendary Rospuda, which we also managed to sail into. Then the route leads south of Augustów, where the Canal connects with Biebrza.
Biebrza is a beautiful, natural river that meanders through fields, creating wide backwaters in places. A true miracle of nature. For this reason, it is subject to very rigorous environmental protection. As a result, it is forbidden to use any drives, both combustion and electric. Only kayaks and rafts are allowed for going, but under certain conditions and after meeting the requirements set by the National Park. Due to the fact that we were cruising after the season, we managed to obtain special permission from the Park Director. Of course, we were not allowed to use the engine, so we pushed our several-ton yacht over 80 km in almost 9 days using only poles, just like on a raft. A huge challenge, especially since our efforts were often thwarted by a strong, contrary wind. The effort paid off, because the impressions turned out to be unforgettable.
Then a short section of the Narew, we pass Łomża and in Nowogród we enter Pisa. Unfortunately, according to the reports, the water level on Pisa (as usual) was very low. The rocky reefs had to be overcome by pulling the yacht on a rope between the stones, and the reeds by pushing the boat. In addition, every now and then we had to pull away fallen trees. After a few days of fighting the current, but above all obstacles, we managed to reach our destination, Pisz.
There began a much easier navigational cruise on the Great Masurian Lakes. Since it was already December, everything was quiet, empty, and there were free spaces in the marinas. Almost like Masuria 40 years ago! Winter slowly began to remind us of itself, as can be seen in the attached photos. Finally, the yacht, left for some time in Ryn, froze in the ice and we had to cut a gutter with a chainsaw, which we used to push it under the crane. The operation was a success.
The next stage was to be a journey down the Narew to the Zegrze Reservoir. After transporting the yacht to Łomża, it turned out that the banks of the Narew were still frozen. A gutter had to be cut out for the yacht to slip. Unfortunately, the thaw came so quickly that the wheels of the trailer and the car got stuck in the mud when trying to get into the water. After an all-day operation with the help of a huge tractor, we had to give up. In addition, it turned out that in several places on the Narew there were ice jams that would be difficult to overcome. As a result, Ania is ending the sailing season on the trailer.
