N54 10.76 E09 26.46 - GIESLAU, KIEL CANAL
OOJAH's AWESOME ODYSSEY
Peter & Christene Tanner
Sun 23 Aug 2015 11:39
The 280nm sail from Kalmar in Sweden to Kiel was fast if uncomfortable at first when broad reaching in 25kts of wind. With the wind starting to gust to 35 kts we opted to anchor overnight & were relieved when the anchor set first time as there was little shelter from the wind. At first light we continued in moderating conditions & had a good 24 hour run until fog descended & we groped our way into Holtenau in the Kiel Fiord. The canal was built in 1895 to enable German warships to get in & out of the Baltic without having to pass through the narrow Kattegat between Sweden & Denmark. It has a lock at either end but the rise & fall are small & reduces the distance from the Baltic to the North Sea to a mere 54nm. We were fortunate that the fog lifted just as we arrived as it is closed to leisure craft in low visibility. After overnighting alongside at Gislau we locked out at Brunsbuttel into the huge tidal estuary of the River Elbe with only 14nm to a well earned rest overnight at Cuxhaven before the next leg of our return down the North Sea.     With unsettled weather ahead we may not get far! Best wishes to all, Peter & Christene |