Fouling experience this year

[Daydream believer]

Can one take boats through the Kiel single handed?
I draw 1.800. Is navigation difficult in the Waddenzee etc
I understand that weather is unpredictable (area related) & tides etc a bit like the Thames estuary with lots of shallows. This is why I have not followed up this area of sailing without much thought.
But if I have got this wrong it might be a cruise worth considering

 

[johnalison]

Can one take boats through the Kiel single handed?
I draw 1.800. Is navigation difficult in the Waddenzee etc
I understand that weather is unpredictable (area related) & tides etc a bit like the Thames estuary with lots of shallows. This is why I have not followed up this area of sailing without much thought.
But if I have got this wrong it might be a cruise worth considering

I'm sure that I have seen singlehanders go through the Kiel Canal and don't see any reason for a problem except at the locks. They are very large and the pontoons at the side are very low. I know that the single-handed pennant is well known in Holland but it would be worth carrying in Germany too.

Much of the Waddensee is buoyed and deep and so it is pretty easy to get around just by sticking to the channels, as we have done with 1.5m. The weather is mostly pretty ordinary summer weather on the North Sea coast, whatever it's reputation, but you just need to keep in mind where shelter lies and which entrances are dodgy in a strong NW blow. I have been into Norderney in a W6 with little trouble. You may find the longest leg here is Norderney-Cuxhaven, which is 60 miles, much within the Elbe. Both Norderney and Cuxhaven are decent places to wait out a blow.

As for shallows, it is all charted and the buoyage excellent.

 

[ANDY_W]

I sail singlehanded and have been through the Kiel canal four times with no problems.

With regard to the canal, be aware that, as one is overtaken by ships, the water level drops by up to two meters due to displacement effects so keep out from the banks as far as is practicable when being overtaken.

Buoyage in Friesian waters is excellent and represents the latest information. Up to date charts are good but use your eyes!

Especially when in German waters obey the rules, particularly with regard to traffic separation schemes and use of cone whilst motor sailing.

All VTS operators and lock/ canal VHF speak English.

If you google " Kiel canal pleasure craft regulations " , you will find all the information you need to transit the canal.

Andy

 

[ballyabroad]

:encouragement: Felixstowe Ferry. I'd also spent a week in Fresh/Brackish water. Interestingly the prop was not too bad. I think the previous owner used Trilux.

 

[Gargleblaster]

I tend to go straight to Den Helder before working my way east past the Friesian Islands. Be very aware that there are very fast tides in the Elbe and planning is required to get up to Brunsbuttel. I have also transited the Kiel Canal several times single handed. I wrote an article for PBO two years ago about the Kiel Canal as a destination rather than just something to transit. Some lovely stopping places along the way.
Altogether there are four entrances to the Baltic, or maybe three and a half as two emerge in Kiel Bucht. They are 1. Kiel Canal, 2. Eider River into Giselau Canal into Kiel Canal. 3. Limfjord although this is fairly shallow in places and my 1.8M draft prevented me entering a few of the marinas along the way, but well worth the trip. 4. Kattegat.
It is quite easy for a single hander to take a direct course from the East Coast to the Kattegat or Limfjord in 3 or 4 days. To enter the Elbe or the Eider I think about stopping at Helgoland to get the tides right.

 

[oldgit]

Re: Fouling experience this year Mudway.

Due mechanical disasters, time out of the water and several hull powerwashes,, , have never seen so much hull fouling in such short periods of time..........ever.
This despite spending time in freshwater cruises.
Much weed at start of season and prolific barncule growth towards the end after only 3 months in water.

Perhaps due to very low amounts of freshwater coming from upper Medway.
Although 12 miles from lock,freshwater fish species are frequently netted not far upstream from our moorings.

 

[Daydream believer]

Thanks for the replies.
I will see if Imray do a cruising chart of the area & see if there is a pilot book by Imray or someone to read up about it. Reeds covers some harbours on the way, but makes a big point about "dangerous seas" in northerly winds over F4 etc etc. Sometimes they over state it, but other times they do not, so one has to be careful first time out

 

[johnalison]

Thanks for the replies.
I will see if Imray do a cruising chart of the area & see if there is a pilot book by Imray or someone to read up about it. Reeds covers some harbours on the way, but makes a big point about "dangerous seas" in northerly winds over F4 etc etc. Sometimes they over state it, but other times they do not, so one has to be careful first time out

Although there are potential dangers, it shouldn't be anything outside one's normal experience and capabilities.

I have never found the Elbe alarming in any way. If the book says 4kn tides, that's what it will be, meaning that you are doing 10kn over the ground, very satisfying. I did meet one British boat that had collided with a buoy after taking his eye off the ball and stove in his bow, but I'm sure you are not so careless.

As for depths in the canal, the banks normally slope predictably and yachts proceed in about 7m depth. There are some quite long areas where you need to stay 25m from the shore, and these are marked with notices. Frequent ferries will wait for traffic but you should not pass too close. The canal is surprisingly attractive, but doing it in one day can be tiring, so one of the stops can be worthwhile.

 

[Ali-alshira]

The most convenient charts are the NV ones, which cover The North Sea coast in several A3 booklets. (We have a mixture of charts from several sources which either overlap,or miss small but important areas between them!) There is a Brian Navin pilot boat that covers Denmark and Germany, and another for the Netherlands, both Imray. Once in the Baltic, NV publish sets of charts covering quite large areas which come with a booklet with details of the harbours (in German and Danish) which are very helpful. Look at the norwegian harbour guides - i think there is a free trial for the electronic version (harbourguide.com).

 

[RivalRedwing]

I tried SML's CuPRO this year as a replacement for Jotun Seaqueen. Worked a treat, no barnacles or other crustacea only a hint of slime. Boat in SYH on the Orwell.