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Saturday 17 August 2013

Friday 2nd August 2013 Neuendorf Breitlingsee to Deetz R Havel. 22.6kms 1 lock


Stadtschleuse in Brandenburg
Very hot and sunny. Set off at 8.30 am. We had been surrounded by anchored cruisers and speedboats overnight. Turned left into the Brandenburger Niederhavel, a narrow channel leading into the old city of Brandenburg that is nowadays only used by small boats, commercials have their own canal, the Silo Kanal, which completely bypasses the town, forbidden to sport boats. 
Mast off for low bridge in Brandenburg
First boat past was a very large smart cruiser, called Adagio, with the Stars and Stripes on the back. As we turned right into the Brandeburger Stadtskanal a small cruiser overtook us. Usual story, he’ll get to the lock before us and then we’ll have to wait as he wouldn’t think of waiting for us to join him in the lock. Mike took the mast down as there are two bridges that are low. Spot on about the lock. The cruiser was in the lock and it was half full when we tied to the pontoon below the lock to wait. 
Sailboat towing a swimmer
A busy lock at anytime (our guide book says it locks 10,000 boat through per year, April to end of September), the Stadtschleuse was 22m long by 5.3m wide and lifts boats just 1.2m. The keeper pressed buttons and the lock was soon ready for us. Fore and aft ropes today as the bows were very close to the top end guillotine gate. The keeper sat and read his paper whilst smoking a cigarette, not a chatty type. Another boat was waiting below. We were soon on our way again and not long before we were through the town and on to the beautiful, meandering Havel again, following the marked course between the islands. Masses of small boat traffic, as heavy as the Mitteland was for commercials! 
Ancient quay at Deetz
We saw only one commercial, which was running empty downriver. We stopped to explore an arm with a quay near the village of Deetz, which we’d seen before and noted but never stopped there. Out of the channel it was very weedy but deep, over 2m, so we went slowly over to the old arm. Mike winded and we reversed in. There was a picnic table about 15m from the old concrete quay and a family with bikes had stopped for lunch. They left without even looking in our direction! 
Moored at Deetz, view across the Havel
An old tree provided shade for about half the boat’s length. Two young women on bikes stopped to chat while we were tying up. They spoke good English and told us they were from Bremen on a cycling holiday and had stopped to go for a swim as it was so hot. They decided it was too weedy and pushed on towards Brandenburg. 
Beautiful sunset across the Havel at Deetz
We had to move the boat further back down the quay to be able to get satellite TV through a small gap in the trees.

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