Cuxhaven to the Baltic via the Kiel Canal
07 May 2025
by Steve Parry

Cuxhaven is a convenient stopping place only 16 miles north of the entrance for the Kiel Canal. The marina has basic facilities and reasonable cost (£32 for 12-15m boats). There no restaurant at present due to refurbishment. Still, we were happy to rest up and had adequate provisions (more than adequate thanks to Lorette). The only thing lacking was a basil plant! which I hunter gathered in a local Aldi!
We stayed three nights due to the wind picking up but left on Monday 5th. After filling up with diesel at 05.00 we headed to Brunsbuttel lock, the entrance to the Kiel Canal. It was very cold again (5C) and the wind was still gusting up to 25kt but it was with the tide (which is good) so we made good progress. We had registered and paid for our canal passage on line (€35) and after waiting for about 30 minutes the white entry light went on and we were off. The lock has floating plank pontoons only 9 inches above the water and rings to pass the ropes through. It’s a long hop off from a fender step to get the ropes secured. The good news is you don’t have to worry about letting out your ropes as the platforms move up and down with the water.
The lock opens and we are now in the canal and on our way to the Baltic some 50 miles across the German countryside. The Kiel Canal is a 98-kilometer-long fresh water canal that links the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. It runs through the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, from Brunsbüttel to the Holtenau district of Kiel. It was constructed from 1887 to 1895 and widened from 1907 to 1914 . The canal saves the 290 mile journey round the Jutland peninsular and it is one of the most frequented artificial waterways in the world.
We decide to head just 20 miles up the canal to a secret spot, the Gieselau Canal where about 1/2 mile along there is a lock and moorings on the bank, which are free for one night. It is a beautiful sheltered quiet spot with overhanging trees and a lot of bird life. A restful afternoon in the sun and a stir fry for dinner.
After a peaceful nights rest a relaxed start for the 35 mile journey up the canal. We thought nothing of the tree bud cases that lay all over the deck, they would wash off with a hose-down at our next marina. After an uneventful quiet journey with very few ships around we reached the Holtenau lock at the Kiel end of the canal. Only the large locks are in operation at this end and we could see one was open with only one yacht inside and a motor boat close to the entrance, no sign of commercial ships. We opened up the throttle and made it inside, closely followed by the bell signalling the gates were closing. The same system as the Brunsbuttel end with low floating platforms and rings to feed the rope through. This necessitates someone (Lorette!) jumping off the fender step, quickly threading the rope back to the boat securing the other ropes and then being hauled back up by me.
The gates opened and we are in the Kieler Bucht in the south west corner of the Baltic. With blue skies and a light breeze it was a welcome sight after our long journey, some 450 miles with 6 sea days. We made our way to a nearby marina (Stickenhorn Marina) to a quiet alongside berth.
The following ‘rest day’ turned out be anything but. One of our toilets had broken some days earlier and needed a replacement handle (one of the more unpleasant tasks on board). The nearest chandlers was an hours bus ride away so I set off for the replacement while Lorette decided to wash the tree debris off the boat and do some polishing. After returning and fixing the toilet I was informed that the tree litter had left brown spots all over the deck that wouldn’t come off. They finally did two hours later with a drill and rotary brush and Cif! The joys of rest days boating, but she looks good (the boat).
As I am writing this two customs officers arrive to check our documents, the first time since leaving the UK. They were very pleasant, checked our passports, entry document from Netherlands and ships papers, everything was in order! They also asked we had anything to declare, the answer was of course no, just a ‘few’ bottles of wine and spirits for personal use. A few more pleasantries and they were off.
We plan to sail the 30 or so miles across to the small Danish island of Aero to the town of Marstal tomorrow and start the holiday proper.
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