#Keil canal full#
#Keil canal plus#

The approach was another of those harrowing moments. Now that IРІР‚в„ўve done it once, had we not had a favorable tide, I would recommend docking inside the canal and waiting for a favorable tide before proceeding through the lock and continuing.Р”Р„t around 8:00 pm we approached the Cuxhaven marina. Our timing was such that we were on a favorable tide to keep going. This gives favorable current (as high as 5 kts) for the 15 nm to the marina at Cuxhaven or to keep going. The result is smaller boats need to make sure to exit and continue on only if it is a high tide at Brunsbuttel. There is the flow of the river, the seas built up from the prevailing strong westerly North Sea breeze and a major shipping channel.

There are many forces at play at the exit of the Canal all creating some challenging sailing conditions. In fact, the container we shipped from Boston to Denmark made it to Haderslev, Denmark by way of a New York to Hamburg ship. Much of EuropeРІР‚в„ўs goods that arrive by ship come up the Elbe to the port of Hamburg. The Elbe is a major European river that flows through German and further into Europe. The canal ends about 15 nautical miles up the Elbe river. The North Sea side is a completely different scene from the Baltic end.

#Keil canal full#

We went full throttle and barely made it, as soon as we entered, the lock doors started closing behind us. When we finally realized that we had to head to the south side, the light there was white and boats were already entered. One set is for large commercial traffic and another set is for small pleasure craft like us. What we didnРІР‚в„ўt realize is there are two separate locks being operated on this side of the canal. We slowly motored up and started circling around. As we approached, we again saw red lights. The North Sea end locks were a little different. They say you need to hand-steer the full way, donРІР‚в„ўt tell, but we did let autopilot take a turn. Most of the scenery is rolling farmland with people biking, walking and fishing along the banks. The canal passed through various towns and had many small car and people ferries along the way. It must have been a huge amount of dirt to move to create a 60 mile long hole 30+ feet deep by close to 500 feet wide.

Along the way it was easy to marvel at the engineering of the canal. In the lock, looking backwards In the lock looking forwards at the lock tourist boat, I didnРІР‚в„ўt know such a thing existed.Р”Р„fter leaving the locks, we entered the canal and made the 8 hr passage southwest to the North Sea side. During this time tankers were entering the lock first and smaller boats were circling around. Like many marine situations we next did a quick scurry once Vera/Renee were back to get off the dock and head to the entrance area only to end up circling and waiting for another 45 minutes. As they did the lights turned red/white giving the prepare to enter signal. We pulled up to a quay and Renee and Vera quickly headed off to find the place to pay. We knew we had to pay the canal fee but were unclear how long we had before it opened or where to go to pay. The main sequence is: Red, closed green, open for tankers, red and white, prepare to enter white, enter.

#Keil canal plus#

As we approach there is a steady stream of tankers coming and going plus lights signaling the state of the locks. We left the Laboe marina around 8am and headed to the entrance of the canal which was about a half an hour away.