Despite the unsuccessful operation in building the line, the Russian evacuation did not affect the Azov Cossacks' role in patrolling the Black Sea Coast. In 1845 the 26 commands were re-organized into two groups. The first one numbering 147 Cossacks and 7 Starshinas patrolling the coast from Anapa where they were based to Navaginsk fort (modern Sochi), and the southern group numbering 164 Cossacks with 20 officers from Svyatogo Dukha to Svyatogo Nikolaya (Sukhum). During the following years, as quoted by General M.Rayevsky "The Azov Cossacks recommended themselves as a potent force and stroke fear to the captains of contraband ships and Circassian galleys". The success of the Azov Cossacks, led to a plan being drawn in 1843 to once again re-settle them to the whole Black Sea Coast from Mingrelia to the mouth of the Kuban river. This however was never realised.