Reinecke's grandfather, Franz Franzevich Reineke (1746 - 1821), was the burgomaster of justice in Vyborg, and later moved to Riga as an adviser to the court.

Reinecke was initially home tutored, then from 1812 to 1814 studied at the private boarding house in Ulrich in Saint Petersburg until entering the Marine Cadet Corps of the Imperial Russian Navy, passing the midshipman exam in June 1815.

On the basis of fifteen years of observations, Reinecke determined the average sea level and stamped it onto the granite of the Kronstadt Blue Bridge in Saint Petersburg.

The accuracy of Reinecke's sea level measurement was so high that over time the Blue Bridge stamp became the standard in Saint Petersburg and then became the starting point of Russia's entire leveling network, and later long-term measurements confirmed the accuracy of the stamp and no adjustment was required.

Reinecke visited Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, his friend from the marine cadet academy, at his return to Sevastopol following Russian victory at the Battle of Sinop.

In June 1855, Reinecke left Crimea to return to Saint Petersburg, and said goodbye to Nakhimov, who would die a month later at the Siege of Sevastopol.

Only two months later, on 30 August 1855, Reinecke was promoted to vice-admiral and appointed director of the Hydrographic Department, inspector of the Fleet Navigator Corps, and chairman of the Marine Scientific Committee.