Keil Canal

[alexhs]

Hi
My parents, aged approx 75, intend to motor their Albatross 871 ( approx 29 ft long) from Amsterdam to Sweden this summer.
They are experienced sailors, yachting previously, now motor boats.
They intend to take the Keil canal, then over the baltic to southern Sweden.
They are in good shape for their age.
Any tips or advice would be gratefully received.
many thanks

Alex

 

[Sultans_Kapitein]

Tell them to read 'The Riddle of the Sands' by Erskine Childers, maybe a novel, maybe over 100 years old, but it deals with all the quirks of this area and makes the passage more interesting.

Mal

 

[rickp]

A few things we took note of when we came through the canal last year (in the other direction):

Weather can be very changeable around the Fresian islands. We went into Nordeney in calm conditions. Came out after fueling and it was very unpleasant - so we stopped at Borkum. Thats one area I'd love to go back and explore (and as has already been mentioned, you have to read Riddle of the Sands).

Watch out for wind against tide in the Elbe estuary - it can kick up very quickly and can be particularly nasty.

You can't move in the canal after dark (which doesn't last long in summer), we stopped at a yacht club near Rendsburg - but only 'cos we were pushing hard on a delivery (Göteberg to Rendsberg in a day!). A bit worrying when the ships stop and you end up overtaking them...

See Notes for Pleasure Craft from the Kiel website.

We found Laboe a nice place to stop (fuel for the boat, and fuel for the crew).

I think we missed loads of nice places - the perils of delivery rather than cruising /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif