ORIGINAL ARTICLE Bulletin of the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk

Shipping on the Vistula Lagoon – analysis and potential partially to replace land transport Żegluga na Zalewie Wiślanym – analiza i możliwości częściowego zastąpienia połączeń lądowych

Boris V. Chubarenko, Ph.D1, Vasiliy A. Pilipchuk, M.Sc1, Dmitry A. Domnin, M.Sc.1, Antoni Staśkiewicz, Ph.D2 1Laboratory of Coastal Systems Study, Atlantic Branch, P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences 2Department of Economy and Law, Maritime Institute in Gdańsk

Article history: Received: 10.06.2016 Accepted: 15.09.2016 Published: 24.10.2016

Abstract: In Poland and Russia, sharing the Vistula Lagoon, there are strong tendencies toward developing tourism, on the local and national scale. Socio-economic development of the Vistula Lagoon subregion can benefit from the ongoing process of improving infrastructure of ports and harbours. The aim of the paper is to analyse transport accessibility of ports and harbours of the Lagoon. Potential partially to replace land transport by ships is investi- gated. Travel times by land and waterways between ports and harbours of the Vistula Lagoon within national borders and the entire Lagoon basin are compared. On average, water transport requires more time – up to four hours, than land transport – up to three hours. However, advantages of water transport in travels from inner ports, like Frombork, Mamonovo, Nowa Pasłęka, and Ushakovo, to ports on the Vistula Spit are obvious. Due to shorter travel distances, water travel in the Polish part of the Vistula Lagoon is less time-consuming than in the Russian part.

Keywords: inland waterway transport, land transport, travel times, Vistula Lagoon

Streszczenie: W Polsce i Rosji, współgospodarujących na Zalewie Wiślanym, istnieją silne tendencje rozwoju turystyki w skali lokalnej i krajowej. Rozwój społeczno-gospodarczy subregionu Zalewu Wiślanego może skorzystać z trwającego tam procesu poprawy infrastruktury portów i przystani. Celem pracy jest analiza transportowej dostępności portów i przystani Zalewu Wiślanego lądem i wodą oraz zbadanie potencjalnych możliwości częściowego zastąpienia transportu lądowego przez transport wodny. Dokonano oceny czasu podróży lądem i wodą między portami i przystaniami Zalewu Wiślanego – między portami krajowymi, a także między portami różnych krajów. Średnio biorąc, korzystanie z transportu wodnego wymaga nieco więcej czasu w całym regionie, do 4 godzin, niż w przypadku podróży samochodem, do 3 godzin. Przewaga transportu wodnego jest bezsporna w podróży z portów na wewnętrznym brzegu Zalewu jak Frombork, Mamonowo, Nowa Pasłęka, Uszakowo do portów położonych na Mierzei Wiślanej. Ze względu na mniejsze odległości drogą wodną żegluga w polskiej części Zalewu jest bardziej korzystna niż po stronie rosyjskiej.

Słowa kluczowe: transport wodny śródlądowy, transport lądowy, czas podróży, Zalew Wiślany

Introduction by the sandy barrier of the Vistula Spit. Waters of the Lagoon cover the area of 838 km2, average and maximum width The Vistula Lagoon (Fig. 1) is the second largest semi-isolated – respectively 9 km and 13 km, average depth – 2.7 m. The coastal water area of the Baltic Sea, after Curonian Lagoon. highest natural depth in the centre of the Lagoon amounts 154 The Lagoon is narrow, extending over 91 km from southwest to 5.1 m. The Lagoon is divided by the national border into to northeast along the coast of the Gulf of Gdańsk, separated the northeast Russian part with an area of 510 km2 (61% of

BMI, 2016; 31(1): 154-159 DOI: 10.5604/12307424.1220629 www.bullmaritimeinstitute.com ORIGINAL ARTICLE Bulletin of the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk

entire Lagoon surface) and the southwest Polish part with an area of 338 km2 [8].

Besides the large Kaliningrad maritime port complex and sea- river port in Elbląg, the Vistula Lagoon transport infrastructure comprises local small ports and harbours network representing different capacities, technical parameters, scope, and quality of services [11].

The shallowness of the Lagoon is a limiting factor for ship draught. Only the Kaliningrad Seaway Canal (KSC) has a depth of 10-12 m. The KSC is an artificial shipping pass that links the Vistula Lagoon inlet (in Russian part of the Lagoon near the city of Baltiysk) with Kaliningrad and runs along the northern Lagoon Fig. 1. Ports and harbours of the Vistula Lagoon coast separated from the waterside by man-made islands that create a dyke [8]. The system of waterways in the inner area of the Lagoon, comprises a major waterway (2.4 m deep) transport axis and national scale. Modernized and developed infrastructure of connecting Polish and Russian parts and spanning from Elbląg ports and harbours can play a major role in the socio-economic to Kaliningrad, several branches (1.3-2.4 m deep) leading from development of the Vistula Lagoon subregion. It would be based the major axis in the Polish part of the Lagoon to local ports and on providing different services related to transport, tourism, and harbours, and a section linking the entire system with KSC in the fishery, both in ports and their surroundings [11]. Russian part. Shipping on the Lagoon waters is regulated by Polish – Russian intergovernmental agreement, signed in 2009 [12]. One of the most important indicators determining transport and tourist attractiveness of Vistula Lagoon ports are travel The shipping season in the Vistula Lagoon is limited by climatic times between these ports. This paper is the first to discuss this conditions. The Lagoon is in the transition area, from marine to subject for the Vistula Lagoon. As a part of the complex analy- moderate continental climate. Winter is relatively mild here, with sis of transport cost categories, [1-3, 5] value of travel time [6], air temperature fluctuating near 0ᴼC. However, due to low water is one category among twenty [9]. Value of travel time savings salinity and basin shallowness, ice cover is present practically eve- is considered the most important category in such an analysis ry winter. During 1985-2005, the yearly number of days with ice [9, 13, 14]. cover varied from 31 to 146 [10] with an average of 73 days. This paper discusses clock time [2] travel by two transport Due to shallowness of the Lagoon, even during strong winds, means (car and water vessel) so it assesses time-space acces- waves are not a serious obstacle for navigation, except for sibility. Therefore, estimation of this parameter can provide a small boats. Yearly average air humidity over the Lagoon clear view of Lagoon local ports accessibility. The paper cannot exceeds 85%, and it causes a large number of days with fog. discuss other transport cost categories, e.g., travel costs, since However, during shipping season, fog rarely occurs, compared water transport in the Lagoon is not well-developed and prices to winter time. A large number of sunny days there, especially are not fully shaped by the market. Also, instability of currency at the Vistula Spit, attracts tourists [4]. exchange rates made it impossible to compare travel cost in Po- land and Russia in a reliable way. Over the last few years, most Polish ports and harbours underwent or are undergoing modernization. In the near future, ports of the Vistula Lagoon will provide service for 8-10 passenger vessels. In Material and methods the Russian part of the Lagoon, most small ports and harbours are in the initial stage of the modernisation process. In both countries, Assessment of travel time to local ports of the Vistula Lagoon by there are strong tendencies toward developing tourism, in local land and waterway was made based on two scenarios – trip to

155 Fig. 2. Time accessibility of national harbours of the Vistula Lagoon (from Mamonovo-Krasnoflotskoye (a) and from Frombork (b), hours

BMI, 2016; 31(1): 154-159 DOI: 10.5604/12307424.1220629 www.bullmaritimeinstitute.com ORIGINAL ARTICLE Bulletin of the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk

Fig 3. Time accessibility of the Vistula Lagoon harbours for transboundary scenario (from Kaliningrad (a) and Elbląg (b), hours)

ports within Polish and Russian national territories of the Vistula ♦♦ in land travel, when crossing the Vistula Lagoon inlet, an Lagoon (“national” scenario) and trips including border crossing additional 30 minutes was calculated, which represents the (“transborder” scenario). Assessment is made with the assump- shortest waiting time, entry to the ferry, and actual crossing; tion that the accessibility of the transport means, land and wa- ♦♦ time for the border control was not included in travel time terway transport, is similar, although water transport between neither via boat nor car. local ports practically does not exist. Also, customs clearance at water checkpoints is, at the moment, a more lengthy and time- To verify the results obtained during desk research, an consuming procedure than similar on the road checkpoints. empirical experiment was conducted. A car went from Fishboat (Kaliningrad) to Svetly and Baltiysk, and from In the “national” scenario, the starting point of the trip in the Museum of World Ocean to Krasnoflotskoe (Table 3) following Russian part of the Lagoon is the port of Krasnoflotskoye and the prescribed speed limits on roads. All travel times, for trips in the Polish part – Frombork. These ports were se- according to calculations using above stated assumptions and lected as starting points, because they are planned to become practical measurements, are comparable. The time difference customs checkpoints for water travel in the Lagoon [11]. increases with distance. The maximum difference of 5 minutes was found at the Baltiysk checkpoint and was about 4% of the In the “transborder” scenario, the largest ports of the region, Ka- original time. This low percentage confirms that the method liningrad and Elbląg, were selected as starting points due to the of analysis for determining the theoretical time was chosen highest number of tourists, while local ports and harbours across correctly. the national border were selected as points of destination.

These two scenarios do not cover all possible variants of travel Results and analysis in the Vistula Lagoon region; however, they allow for assess- ment of travel times by waterways and land. The longest travel time in the Russian part of the region is almost three and a half hours by waterway transport from the port of To calculate travel times, the following assumptions were in- Krasnoflotskoye to Kaliningrad (marina of Museum of the World troduced: Ocean) and three hours by land from Mamonovo to the “point of ♦♦ shipping does not take place on the shortest routes, but recreation on the Vistula Spit” (Fig. 2a and Table 1). The shortest along the existing waterways (Fig.1); travel time by waterway (among selected points) was 43 minutes ♦♦ in the Russian part of the Lagoon, the shortest routes le- – to the “point of recreation on the Vistula Spit” on the opposite ading from the main axial waterway to local ports were side of the Lagoon. The shortest travel time by land is obviously a analysed. The shipping route to Baltiysk was delineated trip between Mamonovo and Ushakovo, 33 minutes. The average through the Kaliningrad Seaway Canal and through the travel time for all analysed water routes is two hours and 15 min- shortest distance near Nasypnoi Island from the axial ro- utes, though by land, one hour and 31 minutes. ute directly to Baltiysk; ♦♦ effective speed of shipping in national parts of the Lagoon Within the assumed framework of the analysis, it was concluded waters was assumed at 15 km/h, and for transborder tra- that water transport in the Lagoon can rival road transport in vels – 35 km/h (based on the speed of hydrofoil type Pole- travel times on routes to Svetly, Primorsk, Baltiysk, and “point of sie, which was in operation on route Elbląg – Kaliningrad); recreation on the Vistula Spit.” For all the places from Krasnoflot- ♦♦ travel routes in land were considered in accordance with skoye to Kaliningrad, travel by waterway cannot compete in terms parameters of the existing road system; of travel time, unless it is taken for recreation or tourism. ♦♦ adopted travel speeds on land amounted on different road sections to: 60 km/h – outside urban areas, 40 km/h The longest travel time in the Polish part of the region is just over – within the urban areas, 20 km/h – on a dirt road in the two and a half hours by waterway from Frombork to Elbląg and Russian part of the Vistula Spit; two hours by road from Frombork to Piaski (Fig. 2b, Table 1). The ♦♦ in the Russian part of the Vistula Spit, an additional desti- shortest travel time by water (among selected points) is 42 min- 156 nation point «Lighthouse», as the future centre of recre- utes – to Piaski on the opposite side of the Lagoon. The shortest ation on the Vistula Spit, was included in analysis; time by land is a trip between Frombork and Tolkmicko, just 22

BMI, 2016; 31(1): 154-159 DOI: 10.5604/12307424.1220629 www.bullmaritimeinstitute.com ORIGINAL ARTICLE Bulletin of the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk

Tab. I. Time accessibility of the Vistula Lagoon harbours within national borders from Krasnoflotskoye (Russia) and from Frombork (Poland)

NO. DESTINATION NAME DISTANCE BY LAND, KM DISTANCE BY WATERWAY, KM TRAVEL TIME BY LAND, TRAVEL TIME BY WATERWAY, H : MIN H : MIN From Krasnoflotskoye (within Russia) 1 Ushakovo 30.6 28.9 0 : 33 1 : 55 2 Yacht Club 42.7 45.1 0 : 46 3 : 00 3 Kaliningrad Fishboat 52.3 50.9 0 : 59 3 : 23 4 Kaliningrad (Museum of the 52.5 52.2 1 : 00 3 : 28 World Ocean) 5 Vzmorye 69.5 36 1 : 21 2 : 24 6 Svetly 77.9 28.7 1 : 31 1 : 54 7 Primorsk 86.7 32.6 1 : 39 2 : 10 8 Baltiysk 100.7 20.6i 2 : 07 + 0 : 30ii 1 : 22i 31.8iii 2: 07iii 9 Lighthouse (planned recreational 114.7 10.9 3 : 09 0 : 43 site at the Vistula Spit) From Frombork (within Poland) 10 Tolkmicko 19.6. 17.7 0 : 22 1 : 10 11 Suchacz 32.6 23.9 0 : 34 1 : 35 12 Elbląg 34.2 40.3 0 : 39 2 : 41 13 Kąty Rybackie 79.1 37.0 1 : 30 2 : 28 14. Krynica Morska 94.4 24.5 1 : 48 1 : 38 15. Piaski 107.4 10.7 2 : 02 0 : 42 i: shortest route near the Nasypnoi Island; ii: 30 min. – ferry crossing the Vistula Lagoon inlet; iii: route through Kaliningrad Seaway Canal

Tab. II. Time accessibility of the Vistula Lagoon harbours in case of cross-border trip eather from Elbląg or from Kaliningrad NO. DESTINATION NAME DISTANCE BY LAND, KM DISTANCE BY TRAVEL TIME BY LAND, TRAVEL TIME BY WATERWAY, KM H : MIN WATERWAY, H : MIN From Kaliningrad (Russia) to Polish harbours 1. Frombork 74.9 69.2 2 : 23 2 : 58 2. Tolkmicko 94.5 78.5 2 : 46 3 : 14 3. Suchacz 107.5 84.7 2 : 58 3 : 25 4. Elbląg 109.1 101.1 3 : 03 3 :53 5. Kąty Rybackie 156.2 97.8 3 : 57 3 : 47 6. Krynica Morska 169.3 85.3 4 : 12 3 : 26 7. Piaski 182.3 71.5 4 : 26 3 : 02 From Elbląg (Poland) to Russian harbours 9 Krasnoflotskoye 59.1 60.6 2 : 10 2 : 43 10 Ushakovo 85.4 79.1 2 : 36 3 : 15 11 Yacht Club 97.5 95.3 2 : 49 3 :43 12 Kaliningrad Fishboat 107.1 101.1 3 : 03 3 :53 13 Kaliningrad (Museum of the World Ocean) 107.3 102.4 3 : 03 3 : 55 14 Vzmorye 124.3 86.2 3 : 25 3 : 27 15 Svetly 132.7 78.9 3 : 35 3 : 15 16 Primorsk 141.5 82.8 3 : 43 3 : 21 17 Baltiysk (shortest route) 155.5 70.8 4 : 31 3 : 01 18 Baltiysk (via Kaliningrad Seaway Canal) n.a. 82 n.a. 3 : 20 157 19 Lighthouse (planned recreational site at the 169.5 66.3 5 : 13 2 : 53 Vistula Spit)

BMI, 2016; 31(1): 154-159 DOI: 10.5604/12307424.1220629 www.bullmaritimeinstitute.com ORIGINAL ARTICLE Bulletin of the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk

Tab. III. Comparison of estimated and real travel time (spring time) CHECKPOINT ESTIMATED TRAVEL TIME, H : MIN REAL TRAVEL TIME, H : MIN From Kaliningrad Fishboat Vzmorye 0 : 22 0 : 21 Svetly 0 : 31 0 : 32 Primorsk 0 : 39 0 : 43 Baltiysk 1 : 07 1 : 12 From Museum of World Ocean Yacht Club 0 : 14 0 : 19 Ushakovo 0 : 27 0 : 30 Krasnoflotskoye 1 : 00 0 : 57

minutes. The average travel time by water is one hour 42 minutes The biggest advantage of road transport over water transport can and by land, 1 hour 9 minutes. be observed on route from Kaliningrad to Elbląg (and back) – the difference in time is 50 minutes. Ignoring those additional 50 The smaller size of the Lagoon on the Polish side allows minutes can be justified, since it may not be a decisive factor when more effective use of the waterways to transport goods and deciding a trip by water through this natural and unique region. passengers. Travel time from Frombork to Krynica Morska or Piaski by water is much shorter than in the case of road vehicles. The situation is reversed in short distance travels for which the Conclusions trip by car takes considerably less time than by waterways. On average, throughout the region, water transport requires a According to a survey1, it was estimated by respondents that little more time to travel (up to 4 hours) than a road vehicle (up 2-3 hours was the longest acceptable time of the tourist trip to 3 hours). In the Russian part, water transport becomes com- by water and travel time to almost all places in the Vistula petitive, compared to a car, in terms of travel times on routes Lagoon region, within the national parts (excluding points in from Krasnoflotskoye (Mamonovo) to Svetly, Primorsk, Baltiysk Kaliningrad), is exactly within these limits. and, above all, to the Vistula Spit. The situation is similar in the Polish part of the Lagoon on route from Frombork to all ports of When travelling through the border (“transborder” scenario), the Polish part of the Vistula Spit (Kąty Rybackie, Krynica Mor- the increase of speed of transport means (hydrofoil) makes the ska, Piaski). The advantages of water transport definitely mani- difference in travel times between water and road transport fest in travelling from the mainland of the region, from the ports decrease significantly (Fig. 3, Table 2). on the southern coast of the Lagoon, such as Krasnoflotskoye, Ushakovo, Frombork, Nowa Pasłęka, to the ports on the Vistu- In a trip to the points on the Vistula Spit, the water vessels la Spit. Since the Polish part of the Lagoon is smaller, shipping perform better than road vehicles. The trip from Kaliningrad brings benefits greater than a similar journey on the Russian to Piaski takes, on average, four and a half hours by road and side. Larger travel times by water can be compensated by the only three hours by water. Similarly, the trip from Elbląg to aesthetic experience, while travelling this natural basin. Baltiysk by car takes 4 hours 31 minutes, by water – from 3 hours 1 minute to 3 hours 21 minutes. A trip by waterways is most beneficial in terms of time on route from the Polish part Acknowledgement of the Lagoon to any point in the Russian part of the Vistula Spit – up to almost two hours (respectively three and five The base of the work was carried out within the project hours of travel). VILA – Opportunities and Benefits of Joint Use of the Vistula Lagoon, co-financed by the European Union under Lithuania-Poland-Russia ENPI Cross-border Cooperation 1Survey “Maritime spatial planning and its significance” conducted during public consultations as part of VILA project activities in Baltiysk on 07.11.2013 Programme 2007-2013.

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BMI, 2016; 31(1): 154-159 DOI: 10.5604/12307424.1220629 www.bullmaritimeinstitute.com ORIGINAL ARTICLE Bulletin of the Maritime Institute in Gdańsk

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Word count: 2500 Page count: 6 Tables: 3 Figures: 3 References: 14

Scientific Disciplines: Socioeconomics

DOI: 10.5604/12307424.1220629

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Cite this article as: Chubarenko B. V., Pilipchuk V. A., Domnin D. A., Staśkiewicz A.: Shipping on the Vistula Lagoon – analysis and potential partially to replace land transport: BMI, 2016; 31(1): 154-159

Copyright: © 2016 Maritime Institute in Gdańsk. Published by Index Copernicus Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Corresponding author: Antoni Staśkiewicz, Ph.D., Department of Economy and Law, Maritime Institute in Gdańsk; e-mail: [email protected]

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BMI, 2016; 31(1): 154-159 DOI: 10.5604/12307424.1220629 www.bullmaritimeinstitute.com