Kotka is modern town with a big commercial port. Close to the yacht harbour you find the Sapokka water garden.
Approaching
The fairway between Katarinan niemi and Varissaari leads into the yacht harbour. The big marina is situated at Sapokanlahti bay. The service is concentrated close to Meriniemi sailing pavilion, owned by Kotka Sailing society.
The Battle of Svensksund (rus. Rochensalm)
The waters outside Kotka was the theatre of the big naval battle of Svensksund. In late 18th century, Sweden went to war in order to regain lost eastern territories.
In just a few years several big naval battles were fought in eastern Gulf of Finland.
The battle of Hogland, "the bloodiest Baltic naval battle", ended without conclusive victory.
Later on, the Swedish high sea fleet got trapped by westerly winds outside Vyborg. The Russian took the opportunity to strengthen their forces, and eventually they became a threat to the Swedes. At "The gauntlet at the Vyborg Bay" the Swedish fleet succeeded to break out, but to a cost of heavy losses.
But both the Russians and the Swedes had two kind of naval fleets. The Galley fleets (the archipelago fleets) was mainly built up with with armed Galleys which was able to navigate shallow coastal waters. The Swedish Galley fleet was attacked by the Russians at Svensksund outside Kotka.
Geography and wind favored the Swedes, and the battle turned out to be a decisive victory for Sweden. It became also the the greatest naval victory in Swedish history.
However the war ashore did not went well for the Swedes. But due to the Swedish naval victory the Russians were forced to negotiate. The peace treaty ended the war with no territorial changes. The Russian-Swedish border at this time went west of present Kotka.
After the naval loss, the Russians hurried to fortify Svensksund. Fort Slava were built. This fortress came to function until the Crimean war 1855, when it destroyed by a British fleet.
