Helsinki, Finland, is a two-hour ferry ride across the Baltic Sea. It is a very smooth ride, and the ferry is luxurious with several restaurants.
The Chinese did indeed sail a boat without an anchor.
An anchor did indeed interrupt pipelines and communication channels.
Helsinki is amazing but expensive. We were there for only 24 hours. The standout for me, of course, was their library. Here are a few images that I mentioned in Guardian's Instinct plus a few more images so you could see their library.