Ellos - UK Leg 4: Kiel - Cuxhaven via the Kiel Canal 25/9/23 71NM

We pulled out of Sporthafen Kiel at 0615, testing our thrusters as we moved Atom sideways against an on dock breeze from where we were buried beside the huge cat, and motored around to the entrance to the Kiel Canal at the earlest time yachts can enter. A quick chat with the canal control on the VHF and the small North Lock was opened for us. We moored to a floating raft that was no more than 6 inches above the waterline (the pilotage advice about weighted tyres is good advice if you have space for them, which we didn't!) and after a couple of other yachts had joined us we gently rose 40cm to the height of the canal. Once the gates had opened we stopped to pay the very modest 35 EUR canal fee (thankfully we had cash as the card system was broken!!!!) and then set off at the statutory 6.5kts on glassy water, counting down the kilometres from 92.

But glassy water meant time for breakfast and a civilised lunch. It also allowed us to appreciate this extraordinary feat of engineering which lets ships of 100m plus pass each other and transit through Jutland in under a day. We arrived at Brunsbuttel lock by the river Elbe at 1530, had a simlarly speedy passage through and the tide in the Elbe spat us out towards Cuxhaven at nearly 10kts over the ground from only 6.5kts through the water. Don't go the other way. We were lucky with the tides but their timing meant that what we had originally planned to do in two days with a mid canal stop at Regensburg, we decided to do in one.

We arrived in Cuxhaven at around 1730 and after taking on some more fuel, tied up in a beautiful marina next to a much larger friend. The marina had a fabulous restaurant and since we couldn't leave much before 1100 the next day because of the tides, we had time for a good dinner, more laundry and food shopping without any stress.

The North Sea coastline from the Elbe south is bleak, shallow and there are few easy places to stop, so we went to bed that night knowing we needed to get to Den Helder and do it before the 30kts plus forecast on the Wednesday afternoon arrived!