pete goss yachtsman

Pete Goss MBE

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Inspirational Yachtsman

Pete Goss MBE is an Inspirational Yachtsman, a Polar Explorer and Inspirational Motivational Speaker.

A former Royal Marine , Pete’s life has been dominated by sport and adventure. His record of achievement includes six transatlantic and two round-the-world races.

The Vendee Globe Rescue:

Pete Goss is best known for taking part in the 1996/7 Vendee Globe non-stop, single-handed, round-the-world yacht race in his yacht ‘ Aqua Quorum ‘.

It was during this race that Pete turned his 50-ft yacht back into a hurricane-force headwind to rescue French sailor Raphael Dinelli. He risked his life and any chance of winning one of the world’s great yachting challenges.

He dramatically rescued his fellow competitor, for which Pete was awarded the MBE by HM The Queen and the Legion d’Honneur by the French President.

Pete’s determination and competitiveness during the race was evident later on in the race when he had to operate on himself to repair ruptured muscles around his left elbow without anaesthetic and just a few basic instructions, after which he joked… “Now I’m truly a single-handed sailor” .

Even with these setbacks, Pete became the fastest Briton to sail around the world single-handed with a time of 126 days and 21 hours.

Other Seafaring Challenges:

The british steel challenge.

Pete’s other sailing exploits include training and leading a previously inexperienced crew of fourteen through what is generally held to be ‘the worlds toughest yacht race’ – The British Steel Challenge (later known as the Global Challenge). The route goes the ‘wrong way’ around the World, against the prevailing winds and currents. Pete, having spent three years as the training manager for the whole fleet of amateurs, proudly went on to lead his team aboard Hofbrau into third place.

Carlsberg Singlehanded Transatlantic Race

In 1988 he defied convention by finishing second in class in the Carlsberg Singlehanded Transatlantic Race , sailing Cornish Meadow , a tiny catamaran just 26 feet in length. This was Pete’s first fully-sponsored project, which he used to prove that small, lightweight multi-hulls can be viable giant-killers by coming in ahead of many larger craft.

Team Philips

In December 2000, Pete gathered together the team and sponsors that enabled the construction of the world-famous giant catamaran Team Philips ; a five-year-long project that ended with the sad loss of the boat, but thankfully not the crew, in a freak mid-Atlantic storm December 2000.

Like all of Pete’s projects, Team Philips rested on the four legs of Innovation, Technology, Challenge and Adventure. ‘Dare to Dream’ was the project’s strapline as it challenged many norms, including a spirit of community and openness. The Project visitor centre, which was free to enter in keeping with the ethos of the project, saw some 1.2 million visitors. The website generated 97 million hits, of which 76% were outside the UK.

Round Britain and Ireland Yacht Race

Pete Goss returned to competitive sailing in 2006 competing in the Two-handed Round Britain and Ireland Yacht Race , and in 2007 competed in the Rolex FASTNET , considered one of the world’s classic offshore races, with former Team Philips crew mates Paul Larsen and Andy Hindley.

The Spirit of Mystery

In 2008, Pete built a wooden lugger and followed in the wake of seven Cornishmen who made a heroic journey to Australia 154 years ago – The Spirit Of Mystery . Pete and his crew set sail for Australia on 20th October 2008, arriving on 9th March 2009.

Arctic Expeditions:

Away from sailing, since 2003, in partnership with Arctic Explorer and friend Alan Chambers MBE , Pete Goss has led many teams to the North and South Pole including a team of 15 internationally known business leaders.

Together, Pete and Alan lead groups through the barren beauty of the arctic wilderness to the very peak of the planet.

Pete Goss Motivational Speaker:

With a wide variety of adventures under his belt, yachtsman Pete Goss talks positively and with passion about leading teams through exciting, but often complex, challenging and dangerous situations. A natural communicator with a dynamic but informal style, Pete never ceases to amuse, entertain and inform with his presentations.

At the height of the Team Philips project, Pete headed-up a workforce of more than 100 employees, brokered multi-million-pound sponsorship deals and assisted in the creation of several new companies in fields as diverse as new media, engineering, education and boat-building. Handling these complex and often conflicting pressures while all the while being under the media spotlight, gave Pete a unique insight into the challenges that face every organisation.

Equally at home battling the elements alone or leading a business team from the front, Pete Goss draws from these experiences to offer management talks, team-building exercises and training sessions that will not only challenge individuals and groups but inspire them to achieve beyond what they thought possible.

For more info on Pete Goss MBE, email us or speak with an agent on 01275 463222

Testimonials

“Absolutely first class. We were mesmerised. Without doubt the most interesting, stimulating and motivational speaker we have experienced….Pete Goss has excellent management motivation."

“Pete Goss made an enormous impression on our audience. He had the right mixture of ‘adventures’, pertinent leadership and teambuilding, delivered in a relaxed and personable manner which left our audience with a lot to think about”.

“Incredibly motivating. Pete Goss has a unique ability to turn problems into challenges. One of the most thought provoking speakers we have heard."

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Leadership and teambuilding lessons from a heroic round the world yachtsman

• Adventurer / Explorer •

An inspirational yachtsman, Pete Goss is known internationally for his heroism and for his belief in innovation, technology, challenge and adventure.

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What Pete Goss's clients say

" Pete's presentation, like the oceans he has sailed, has an underlying calm, while on the surface the audience are hit with waves of ideas, advice and emotions that leave a lasting and valuable impression in the business world. An amazing speaker. "

" Pete was recommended to us as a motivational and leadership speaker. We wanted to put him in front of our customers, a senior group of no nonsense operational management. Having not seen Pete speak before, I was apprehensive. His session was a keynote, the audience was tough, but one minute into his speech, the attention was 100%. You could hear a pin drop, everyone related to his adventure and story of determination in business. We were all truly motivated by it. In our feedback survey everyone voted 5/5 for Pete, we would definitely hire him again! "

" What strikes me most about Pete Goss is that he's authentic! No pretenses, no self-adulation, just exceptional wisdom and leadership skill. He takes real-life adventures and extracts lessons that are relevant to many business situations. "

" Absolutely First Class. We were mesmerised. Without doubt the most interesting, stimulating and motivational speaker we have experienced... Pete Goss has excellent management motivation. "

" Pete's work with executives exhibits his ability to reinforce important business lessons. These include, how to move on from having an idea to making it happen and how to manage risk. He always remains humble and grounded - reinforcing the concept of the team approach. Pete's sessions provide the ideal backdrop for global senior executives to challenge their capability, whilst remaining true to their values. "

" His style is balanced and at times understated, not punctuated with dramatic outbursts or flashy media, however through this he delivers a significant impact. Having captured the unwavering attention of every delegate within seconds of his introduction, Pete's session proved to be a source of energy and a talking point throughout the whole of our event. "

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Pete Goss 's 2024 biography

Pete Goss is a multiple adventurer , businessman and lecturer who relates his experiences of courage and determination to the business audience. He is still adventuring and his in-person talks and book have motivated and inspired people around the world.

In today’s challenging business environment , Pete understands the need to deliver real performance; he achieves this through mentoring and empowering individuals, motivating teams and driving companies forward…

A regular lecturer at business schools, particularly the Said Business School of Oxford University, Pete has the privilege of being an Associate Fellow, and The London Business School.

Before any speech Pete Goss spends time researching and talking to the company

• He listens to their specific needs and requirements for the conference and the speech.
• He makes sure key messages flow through the talk clearly and seamlessly.
• He produces a unique and dynamic speech full of usable content and fresh ideas.

Pete Goss is an experienced businessman having set up and managed 15 different projects:

• He has headed up workforces of more than 100 employees.
• He has brokered multi-million pound sponsorship deals.
• He has assisted with the creation of several new companies.

In turn this has given Pete the experience to speak knowledgeably on many different themes and aspects within business.

NEED MORE IDEAS?

Find more speakers, pete goss 's 2024 talks & topics.

Dare To Dream

More astronauts have circled the globe than single-handed sailors. The Southern Ocean is known as the most desolate place in the world. Imagine you are competing in a single-handed round the world yacht race and you are in the midst of a fierce Southern Ocean hurricane. You are thinking of your family when suddenly you hear a mayday call. Do you risk your own life, turn your yacht around and prepare to sail into the unknown to rescue a stranger?

Pete Goss’s humorous, emotional and compelling storytelling takes you with him to that moment of truth. You are left realizing that Pete’s success rests on the shoulders of a very broad team that challenged the norm through innovation and technology, adapting to the disruption of change. From creating new yachting concepts, studying sleep patterns, analysing dietary requirements and developing personal resilience. Pete has a ‘can-do’ spirit that’s infectious. His exploits are both inspirational and awe-inspiring. When he recounts his adventures and you feel you are at sea by his side!

With remarkable skill Pete, a successful businessman in his own right, takes real life adventures and relates them to todays business situations. He reinforces lessons in Leadership, The Importance of Teamwork, Risk and How to Make Things Happen. This talk will touch you, stay with you and influence your thinking.

The importance of Team

Picking the right team is imperative but how you keep all members of the team motivated, feeling involved, valued through listening, communication, sharing and good delegation is what brings the magic to successful teams.

Adventures On Land And Sea

This after-dinner speech is a mix of funny but thought provoking anecdotes from every thing Pete has done so far – from racing in the Vendee, pushing the boundaries of boat design with Team Philips, having an integral role in The British Steel Challenge, leading 4 expeditions to the North Pole to being a the Royal Marine, raising a family and working on a Salvage Tug!

Leadership Reflections

‘Leadership challenges the norm whereas management makes it more efficient.’ ‘The best teams are all leaders, it’s an ethos, an attitude’. Imagine starting with a sketch, a sketch that stretches the norm and then turning that sketch into reality. Where would you start, what would your guiding principles be? How would you ignore those timid experts that choose to judge future potential by polishing the past rather than challenging it? Leaders must have mental resilience, be credible, they are judged and must judge themselves by their actions.

Planning for Success

For all Pete’s adventures he has to have a plan in place years in advance – sharing his knowledge of how he does this and sticks with the plan is hugely valuable to corporate leaders.

Spirit of Mystery

Weaving a story through history, family, risk and adventure. This is a unique, amusing yet thought-provoking speech recreating Pete’s journey on-board the ‘SPIRIT OF MYSTERY’.

Mental Resilience

Having the mental capacity to keep going when things don’t go to plan.

Pete Goss 's 2024 speaking fees

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Pete Goss’s new boat on Tomorrow’s World

• Elaine Bunting
• May 17, 1999

TV programme gets under the skin of the revolutionary British contender for The Race round the world

British yachtsman Pete Goss’s giant catamaran, currently in build in Devon, will feature on the BBC’s Tomorrow’s World programme on Wednesday evening and on the following Wednesday, 26 May. The two features are part of the coverage of the boat’s progress over the next two years, culminating in The Race, the no-limits race round the world at the end of 2000.

In the next two weeks’ programmes, Tomorrow’s World’s presenter, Peter Snow, will look at the concept of the boat and the ideas of her designer, Adrian Thompson. Rig trials and the tank testing that are being used to prove this radical boat are also featured, as is the science of physical fitness training and the technological advances being made in the clothing the crew will wear.

Pete Goss’s boat is mid-way through building in Totnes, with one hull and the central pod already complete. Elements of the boat will be put together in the autumn in time for her launch in mid-January next year. After only a couple of months of sea trials, Pete Goss and his crew will set off on a Jules Verne non-stop round the world record attempt in March or April 2000 – what they are calling “a sort of shakedown” for The Race.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Follow Pete Goss

‘Why I’m embracing Starlink’ – Pete Goss on why he’s convinced by broadband anywhere

• February 15, 2024

Admittedly I’m an old duffer, but it still amazes me how communications have developed over my lifetime. The budget for my first single-handed race couldn’t be described as tight; it…

Your tether might not keep you safe – Pete Goss

• December 19, 2023

Hearing a tale from the Rolex Fastnet Race had me contemplating the unglamorous safety strop. Many of these reflections came from bashing our way into the Southern Ocean with hanked…

When is a race more than a race? When it’s the Fastnet

• October 11, 2023

The Rolex Fastnet Race is of course a race – it’s in the title. But lightly scratch the surface and it quickly reveals itself to be much more than a…

Why my yacht is my refuge – Pete Goss

• August 29, 2023

Tracey and I have just commenced construction of our very own Grand Designs in so much as we are self building a long dreamed of off-grid house in our little…

How to get your yacht home without power

• August 1, 2023

Electrical systems and electronics have become such an essential part of our normal lives that it’s hard to imagine life without them. Those good old days when there was a…

Oddity the yacht designed by a legendary yachtsman

• July 25, 2023

Designing my own boats has resulted in a series of different craft, ranging from small, high-performance multihulls through to a sea kayak, a Cornish lugger, a huge futuristic catamaran and…

‘Why I fear a loss of freedom at sea’ – Pete Goss

• June 14, 2023

Much like Asterix, the cartoon character from Gaul, I have never once considered that our coastal sea might one day find the generosity of its appetite being stretched. As a…

‘Why I would never have in-mast furling’ Pete Goss

• April 21, 2023

One of my pleasures in life is to wander round marinas nosing at what’s afloat and I’ve started to notice in-mast furling systems are becoming a lot more common. Now…

Night Sailing: A full guide to sailing in the dark

• September 23, 2022

Night sailing is bread and butter to an ocean sailor and often crucial to coastal passage making, be it to catch a tide, avoid bad weather or simply to eat…

Practical guide to life at sea for sailors

• July 7, 2022

Navigation and boat handling are all well and good, but overlook the practicalities of keeping your crew fed, warm, safe and healthy and you risk putting a big hole in…

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2021 was gifted texture with the construction of our next boat ‘Oddity’. The basic design had been signed off and she essentially ‘went live’ with a fortuitous deal on 1.4 tonnes of lead from the breaking of a local boat. I’m pleased to report she is on schedule for launch in spring and with that in mind I am starting the Oddity blog .

Tracey has chosen the hull colour and bought a colourful mix of soft furnishings to match. In truth it was the other way round and I can’t think of a better reference for Oddity is to be a home from home. A centre of gravity about which the family and grand children can orbit. A fun refuge from social media where we can share the wider world through the eclectic joys of nomadic cruising. A kit bag of life lessons where individuality, teamwork, self reliance and responsibility are paramount.

‘Oddity’ will be a mongrel for she is a mix of past boats. I use the word mongrel with a sense of endearment for Tracey and I have spent many happy hours making her fit for this next chapter in our lives. She will undoubtedly be an outcast when it comes to the homogenised production boats of today. That said, I prefer to think she will become a loyal, lovable scruff that will readily adapt to our eclectic needs for years to come.

At thirty two feet she is a tough little bugger of ply/epoxy construction with a commercial rubbing strake for access to remote fishing docks. Although ocean capable her brief is explore the coast, upper reaches, rivers and canals of Europe. We want to probe beyond the present tide line of cruising congestion and wriggle our way into unspoiled nooks and crannies.

She will draw three feet and dry out on a wide 10mm steel shoe that runs her length. After ‘Pearl’ we could never go to sea without a large pilothouse that shares the beauty of an anchorage as we potter below. Too small to lose both a centreboard and engine under the pilothouse floor we have opted for a couple of canted daggerboards. These will draw six foot when down and can be used as stabilisers when drying out on uneven ground. Twin rudders will be transom hung with a partial keg for protection and directional stability.

The rig is designed to be dropped remotely to transform her from an ocean going yacht into a river boat. First and foremost she is a sailing boat so we have opted for a powerful gaff rig which enables all the spars to remain within the boat length. The mast will have a high pivot point and lower into a saddle on the cockpit arch such that when stowed it all be above the cockpit Bimini. The cockpit arch will also carry solar panels, a dinghy hoist and SuperWind 350 wind generator.

So there you have it, we shall be sailing a boat called ‘Oddity’ with a dinghy called ‘Quirky’. Not quite sure what that says about us but hopefully it will promote an interesting and non conformist life.

I hope you enjoy the blog. Click here

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HOW WE MET: PETE GOSS AND RAPHAEL DINELLI

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Pete Goss, 35, is one of Britain's most experienced racing sailors. Last year he turned back in heavy seas during the Vendee Globe non-stop round-the-world race to rescue his fellow competitor, the Frenchman Raphael Dinelli - an action of singular bravery for which the French have awarded him the Legion d'Honneur. He lives in Cornwall with his wife Tracy and their three children. Raphael Dinelli, 29, has worked in racing and boat- building for eight years. Last autumn he entered the Vendee race for the first time, only to nearly die after his boat sank. In August, Dinelli will be marrying Virginie, the mother of his young son; Pete Goss will be best man

Pete Goss: I hadn't met Raphael properly before the race, because he was a late entrant and wasn't hanging around [the starting port] Les Sables d'Olonne like all the rest of us. Then on the morning of the start, when everybody does a sort of round of all the competing boats, I jumped on board Raphael's yacht, grabbed his hand and said: "Take care, be safe and best of luck." I don't speak any French and he only speaks sort of pidgin English, so that was it. I only got a fleeting impression - the boat looked good, in good shape, you could tell he was a good skipper. And Raphael looked fit, positive, you know, shiny eyes, a good bloke.

I next saw him a month and a half later in the middle of the Southern Ocean, which is one of the most desolate places in the world - there's no shipping there, no vapour trails overhead ... nothing. Two days earlier, on Christmas Day, I had had notification of a mayday. Each boat has, in addition to its telecommunications equipment, a special button which you press only in a life-threatening situation, and then the race organisers notify the local rescue authorities. So I simply picked up a mayday notification on the screen in my cockpit; I didn't know who was in trouble. Then a little bit later, another emergency message came in to say it was Raphael. I immediately decided to turn round and go for him. There was another competitor only four hours away, but his communications had gone down in a storm, so as far as we knew it was up to me.

Turning round was hazardous. My boat, Aqua Quorum, wasn't built to go for long against the prevailing winds. I was knocked down lots of times, the boat lay over, mast in the water, and stuff like that. But she's a good boat and we plugged away all night and the following day the wind eased. I didn't have any sense of panic, but I did wonder whether Raph- ael would be alive. It's very, very cold in that part of the world, and I knew that, effectively, his clock was ticking away.

When I got near Raphael's position, I couldn't find him. It was rough, with 30ft waves and very poor visibility. An Australian Air Force plane flew over and flashed their landing lights when they were above him so I could get closer. Suddenly I saw this little glow of orange, popping up and then disappearing about a quarter of a mile away. As I got nearer, I did wonder if I was going to find a body and what I would tell his family; but 10 minutes before I arrived the Air Force plane said he was alive and able to move, and that took a huge weight off my mind.

The rescue itself was pretty much a clinical, professional job. Getting Raphael on board the boat took about 10 or 15 minutes. As the sea was pretty rough, I didn't have time to think about him; certainly we couldn't speak, everything was done by gesture. It wasn't until he was on the boat and I rolled him over onto the deck that we knew we'd cracked it, and the thing I'll always remember was his eyes. I'll never forget the emotion and gratitude in that pair of eyes: it's astonishing what can shine out of a hole in a survival suit, really. Then we had a little hug and got back to it, because we still had to get the boat going.

Raphael was in a bunk for about four or five days. I had to lift him out of the bunk to go to the toilet for the first three days and he needed feeding every four hours. At first, he talked endlessly about the disaster and the rescue: he had to get it out of his system. We had some problems communicating, but we drew pictures and diagrams and it worked okay. By the end of 10 days we could have quite a deep conversation. We talked about everything: the rescue, sailing, safety, life, everything.

It was strange having Raphael on board. It was partly a welcome relief after so much solitude, but it was an intrusion as well, in a way. I'd settled into a routine, then suddenly there was somebody else on the boat and I had to change. I didn't begrudge him, but the one bizarre thing was I felt I needed to tidy up the boat.

I diverted to Hobart, tied up at a buoy for repairs, and a motorboat with Customs and a doctor took Raphael off. The following day, Raphael came out in a rowing boat and we talked over the guard rails. We said goodbye, and agreed to meet for a beer when I finished. But I was back in the race then [turning back for Raphael had meant technically leaving the race temporarily], trying to focus on getting into gear again. I next saw him wating at the finish with my wife, which was magic. Then we all sloped off and drank loads of beer, basically.

We're very, very close now. The experience was a powerful catalyst, but we're kindred spirits despite that. I mean, I got on with Raphael, but you could pick up somebody and have a character clash, it's just life's lottery. I do this single-handed round-the-world race and I make a very, very special friend. Strange, really, isn't it?

Raphael Dinelli I was very busy trying to finish preparations during the days before the race, so I hardly met the other competitors. The morning of departure, Pete came on board my boat with some other skippers to say au revoir, but I still had loads of work so we didn't really talk. I was so under pressure, I can hardly remember anything of Pete then.

A month and a half later, I was in a group of four boats in the Southern Ocean. There was Catherine Chabot, Pete, me, and the Belgian skipper, all around 100 to 150 miles apart, and in touch with each other by radio. My accident happened when I encountered a huge storm that blew up very suddenly. I took all the sails down, but the boat was still going through 15 to 20m waves, taking off at 30 knots from the top and hitting the bottom at tremendous speed. I was in the cockpit, there was a violent shock, and the boat turned over. The mast broke and crashed through the boat, and all the porthole glasses broke free. Then the boat turned the right way round again, but with a huge hole right through it and all the interior smashed, so I set off the distress alarm. I then waited on top of the boat in 10 or 15 metre waves, in very low temperatures, no food, nothing, my feet rapidly freezing. It was 24 hours before I saw the Australian Air Force plane, one hour before the second night fell. I thought about everything, my wife, child, you know, playing through the film of my life ... I thought "Where is Catherine Chabot? Where is Pete Goss? Did the alarm signal work?" I wasn't afraid, I was angry, really angry. Not with the sea or the boat - I was angry because I knew death was coming and because nobody had arrived ... and I had to keep fighting mentally, because if you don't fight ceaselessly, you're finished.

The plane arrived and dropped a life raft. I got into it and 10 minutes later the boat sank. There was a message in the raft saying "Peter Goss, 10 hours south", so that restored my morale and made me really want to survive. I spent another night in the raft, frozen, paralysed, and only the hope of seeing Pete in the morning got me through that night. Next morning, the planes reappeared and put on their lights, like the previous day, and I thought that's it, Pete Goss must have broken his mast or something, he's not coming, I'll never last another day. In fact, 10 minutes later, I saw Aqua Quorum 200 metres away.

Once I was on board Pete dragged me down below, took off my survival suit, put warm clothes on me, made me a cup of tea, and then I slept. I stayed four or five days immobile, without any feeling in my feet; Pete was in contact with the doctor, diagnosing, manipulating my feet, giving me medication. I speak basic English, so after a couple of days we got by; Pete spoke slowly, carefully, and if I didn't understand, he drew pictures. For a lot of the time, we spoke of the story of the wreck and the rescue, and then later we talked about boats, safety, new technology for speed sailing - a lot of it was technical terms, boat vocabulary, so it was quite easy. But you can't talk about boats for 10 days and later we talked of our families, our pasts, religion, all sorts of things. When you've lived through an event like that together, it makes you very close, there are no taboo subjects, you can speak without conventional restrictions. So we became very close friends because of that extreme situation.

At first, my main feelings had been just enormous relief and intense joy. Pete's, too, I think. But in the following days, I realised fully that Pete had done something wonderful. As I lay in the bunk and saw that all the provisions and food were flung all over the boat, I understood how hard it had been for Pete, too - he'd been mad to come back for me.

My friendship with Pete now is different from other skippers. Of course, everybody's friendly, but when you're on land you're all fighting for sponsorship and planning and working, and when you're at sea, there's a certain competitiveness: it's not war, but you all want to be in front. But for Pete and I all that has been superseded, totally left behind.

Pete dropped me at Hobart, we said goodbye, and I went back the next day to check that he was okay - because at that point he had re-entered the race and had to re-establish his race psychology, to re-motivate himself, which is not too easy. As soon as I saw him, I knew he'd done it. His attitude had changed, he couldn't even pay much attention to me, and there was press everywhere. I was even a little put out at first, but then I was really pleased, because I realised he'd succeeded in getting back into the right frame of mind.

For the rest of the race I was in touch with Pete each week by fax, mainly discussing how his race was going, how the boat was performing, and how my health was coming along. When he arrived at the finish, I met him with champagne - long with 150,000 other people. An amazing day. We couldn't really talk, it was chaos. The next day me and my wife had breakfast with Pete and Tracy and we talked over events. Now we're going to have a holiday together so our two families can get to know each other. My little daughter, Philippine, has met Elliott, his youngest son, and they fought over each other's toys and got on really well.

Would it have been the same if another competitor had rescued me? Would they all have done the same? I just haven't the right to ask that question. Each person does what he feels he should. But it was me who was sinking and it was Pete who rescued me. It was destiny, and destiny also decreed that afterwards we'd get on so well.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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