Gonta

The Incredible True Story of Two Men, One Boat, and a Harrowing Journey from Ukraine to the Southern Ocean

Two Soviet engineers. One abandoned sailboat. A promise made in vodka and brotherhood—to bring her home, no matter the cost.

In the early 1990s, Alexei and Nikolai hand-built a sleek racing yacht—Gonta—crafted with grit, sweat, and dreams of freedom on the open sea. But after it’s shipped to Australia under orders from a powerful Soviet director, Gonta is left behind and forgotten. Years later, lost in post-Soviet monotony and cheap vodka, the friends make a pact to retrieve her—an oath that will test the limits of courage, friendship, and survival.

What begins as a drunken dream spirals into a once-in-a-lifetime odyssey:

• A cross-continental ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway
• Hard labor on a longliner trawler in pirate-infested Antarctic waters
• An arrest and public scandal off the coast of Australia
• The rediscovery of their beloved Gonta—weather-worn but still waiting
• A storm-lashed return voyage across the deadly Southern Ocean

Gonta is a story of resilience and redemption, of how the things we build with our hands can tether us to the best parts of ourselves—even when everything else has fallen apart. With raw humor, rich imagery, and unforgettable real-life adventure, this memoir captures:

• The fierce bond of lifelong friendship
• The quiet dignity of blue-collar craftsmanship
• The peril and poetry of sailing into the unknown

From abandoned marinas and outlaw fishing vessels to a yacht restored by hand and sailed back through 70-foot waves, this is a journey as visceral as it is inspiring.

Once you've read it, you'll never forget the name Gonta.