Life on a lifeboat

We have already done a 5-year voyage over 13 countries from the North Sea to the Black Sea, crossing the entire European continent through scenic internal arteries. After arriving back, last year we bought a bigger lifeboat to fit out for the next adventure https://www.patreon.com/c/boatingeurope The voyage, tracing the historic Volga trade route and travelling across completely contrasting geographic and cultural worlds. But it is frustrating when geopolitics get in the way of a planned itinerary, given the current realities, we need to hold on those plans. Navigating a vessel from Finland through Russia’s internal waterways (Volga-Baltic Waterway), down to the Caspian Sea, and over to Iran is an incredible adventure, but it is currently a geopolitical minefield. The Russian inland waterways, internal canals and the Volga River are highly militarized and strictly controlled zones. Since the expansion of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the has been persistent, long-range drone strikes…