Kiel Canal to Rendsburg

Saturday 22nd My - from km 39 on the Eider Canal to Rendsburg on the Kiel Canal - 26nm


We have to leave the gentle winding country lane with wildlife and small boats and head for the highway. (Though not before we spot what we think is an eagle sitting watching and waiting next to a lonely seal lolling on the shore, and then another eagle flying off with a fish writhing in its claws. Wow! Photo to follow).

The Kiel Canal is a straight motorway with constant two way traffic. The HGVs here are ships, some of them massive, saving themselves 250 miles on the journey round the top of the Jutland peninsula of Denmark.

Facts:
Proper name Nord-Ostsee-Kanal. Opened in 1895. 
98km long. 

We've avoided the big sea locks at Brunsbüttel at the North Sea end by taking our longer prettier route but there's no way through to the Baltic Sea (Ostsee) for us now without joining this big ship canal part way along. The contrast couldn't be clearer than in comparing shots of our chart plotter.


I took some photos as we motored along the side but the best ones were taken next day from the bank of the canal at Rendsburg where we stopped part way along. This ship is the largest the locks and canal can take and we watched her just squeeze under the 40 metre rail bridge.

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