Tuesday 24th September 2013 Spandau North of the lock to Spandau South 20.8 kms 2 locks

Waiting area abv Plotzensee lock. 

Drizzle that lasted most of the day, becoming heavy at times. Set off at 9.30 a.m. with the generator engaged to do some more washing. Winded and went back North up the lake a short distance to the start of the Hohenzollernkanal, grey and dismal in the wet. At 10.45 am we arrived at Plötzensee lock and moored next to the waiting area – a very inhospitable length of metal tubing whose horizontal bars bore witness to innumerable scrapings of multi-coloured paint from the boats whose fenders were in the wrong places when they tried to moor next to it. Mike pressed the button to call the lock keeper on the intercom and had no reply, the thing was broken. It looked like work was going on in the left hand lock chamber, (the right was out of use), with a WSA boat in the lock and various workmen in fluorescent reflective waterproofs attending to whatever was going on in the lock. 

Leaving Plotzensee lock

A voice made an announcement on the tannoy system, but it was drowned out by the noise of traffic on the road alongside the canal. Mike managed to pick out the words “two hours" and "work” and so we took shelter from the rain for a while. Around midday the WSA boat came out of the locks (it had a blue and white "diving in process" flag on it) and we got green lights. 

Houseboats.

The lock was surrounded with cameras and we deduced that it was remotely worked, from where we had no idea but the gate rose from the murky depths behind us, the chamber emptied and we left 0.9m lower than when we went in. Still raining quite heavily as we ran down to the junction with the Westhafenkanal and I took photos of the houseboats in the corner basin. We turned right and ran along the Westhafenkanal for a short distance then turned left on the Charlottenburger verbindungskanal (link canal to Charlottenburg) dead straight for about two kilometres to a junction with the river Spree and the Landwehrkanal. We intended to take the latter route but found a sign that said “No entry, except boats with engines less than 3.69pk”. We had heard that this canal now had one way working and we hadn’t known which way, now we knew – the opposite way to the one we wanted to go. 

Houseboats. Looking back towards Plotzensee lock

We turned right, heading down the Spree through Charlottenburg and spotted a boat we knew, little Katje, an unusual DB that we’d met up with at Burgwall. We winded and went to moor by the boat hoping we might get more information about navigating through Berlin from the crew until it dawned on us that there was no one on board and this was Katje’s home mooring and no one was going to be on the boat any time soon. We decided to push on to Spandau and take the long way round as we were unsure of crossing through the middle of Berlin without a “legal” VHF Marine radio (with ATIS - our new one is waiting for us at Mum’s). 

Under the autobahn bridge at the end of the
Hohenzollern kanal

Past the gardens of the grand palace of Charlottenburg and on to the lock of the same name. I made a cup of soup to warm us up a bit. There was a large cruiser waiting for the lock. The skipper said about a quarter of an hour. Not long after two commercials came past and went into the lock, filling it, no room for us. I made a hot sandwich for lunch and we almost had time to eat it before the lock refilled and we got a green light. The lock at Charlottenburg had been rebuilt when we were here last in 2004/5 and had a very smart elevated cabin alongside the chamber, however, from the number of cameras surrounding the lock we suspected that this also was remote-controlled. 

Is there a lock keeper up there?
Charlottenburg lock.

We followed the cruiser into the lock and dropped down another 1.1m. The rest of the Spree running into Spandau is a bit grim and industrial made worse by the rain. Past the coal-fired power station next to the huge Siemens factory. The 24-hour mooring in Spandau below Spandau lock was totally empty. We tied up in the rain at 4 pm, two kilometres further South than where we started from this morning. As we finished mooring a Polish Bizon tug pushing two pans of coal for the power station came down Spandau lock. It moored opposite us while the tug unleashed its two pans and ran round to the other end and coupled up again – it was too long to make it round the bend on to the Spree so it did the simple trick of swopping ends. Mike said he was surprised they tied the pans up while they moved the tug, as we’d seen Polish tugs do the same thing with free pans on the flowing river Oder at Eisenhüttenstadt with a skill and timing that was remarkable.

Monday 23rd September 2013 Kremmen to Spandau North of lock. 39.5kms 3 locks

The quay at Kremmen - home for two wet weeks

Grey clouds and later just brief spits of rain. Set off at 6.40 am and went upstream of the road bridge to wind. Ten minutes later we passed the boat that had arrived at dusk the night before and moored in front of us on our way downstream, no signs of life aboard. Spotted a tall wooden hide for hunters that had been blown over and was lying hidden among the trees. A heron kept flying off in front and then a pair of cranes struck up from the field to our left and flew over the boat, calling loudly as they went - no time for the camera. 

A long straight section of the Kermmer Rhin

The tree that had been brought down in the gale last month and had just missed a house in the forest had now been chopped into a neat stack of logs. A crow was busy attacking a white-tailed eagle as we arrived at Hohenbruch lock. It was just 8 am and the keeper came out to work the lock for us. Mike saw a pair of white-tailed eagles flying over the lock as we dropped down in it. Not far below the lock we passed a most unusual little sailing boat with moveable outriggers. It was sitting in among the lily pads and its skipper waved and said "Morgen" as we passed by. 

Hohnebruch lock

Not sure if it was anchored or not, maybe had wind-down legs like the sheds have. Into Tiergarten lock for 9 am. Same chatty keeper, he wanted to know if we liked Kremmen, so either someone told him we were there or he must have driven past and seen the boat moored there. He laughed when Mike took photos of a vole sitting on his lock gate. Then as we were leaving two pairs of ducks flew low over the boat and, fearing a bombing run, we both ducked, laughing, as was the keeper. 

Vole taking a break on the lock gate. Tiergarten

At the junction with the Oranienburger kanal there was a notice that said “Munition Beratung” – ammunition?? And there were three men in a small metal pontoon doing something in the water. Hope it wasn’t live WWII stuff! The canal was deserted, no boats, but we saw a child minder walking with a strange box on two wheels containing four toddlers who couldn’t be persuaded to wave back to the funny man on the funny boat. Little beaches along the canal that were full of swimmers and sunbathing youth in the summer were now empty. A lady walking her Alsation dog stopped to wave and say hello. 

Below Pinnow lock. Oranienburger kanal

The quiet lock keeper worked Pinnow again for us and at 11.10 am we turned right on the Oder-Havel-Kanal and started looking for a drinking water tap. The first place was an offline basin and the first boat we’d seen moving was coming so we slowed down so we could have a look and maybe turn into the arm. No good. There was just a small channel between houses with stumps to moor boats to, but none there, and no tap. We carried on down the Havel. Fifteen minutes later our second boat of the day went past, a smart charter boat. 

A private, palatial, floating shed.

We found a landing to tie to at the Marina Havelbaude. No coin operated taps and so Mike went to find someone in charge and paid 2€ for our 300 litres. While he was away I filled the kettle, made a cuppa and did the washing up. We set off again at 12.15 pm with the big gennie running to do some washing.  Finished just before we had done the length of the Havel lake leading to Spandau. The quay was empty so we had our choice of mooring. It was 2.25 pm. 

Photos of the moorings between the lakes at Lindow

Bored. Not moving as the weather has turned nasty, rain and more rain. So here are some of the photos I took of the moorings in Lindow as we went from the Vielitzsee towards Gudelacksee.

North end of the Vielitzsee where it narrows coming
into the town of  Lindow

Holiday bungalows have moorings for small boats

And bigger boats have boat houses

More boat houses

A chalet with a long offline mooring

More boats and boat houses,
more like car ports than garages

Under the road bridge looking towards the railway bridge in Lindow

Boats moored beyond the railway bridge

More bunglaows and a little slipway

Bridge over access to offline basin

Sailboats as we get nearer the big lake

Slipway for sailboats

Another old boat house and bridge

Modern bunglaows

Getting nearer to Gudelacksee

Another bridge over access to an offline basin

New boathouse

Charter boats

Offline basin with a tent and caravans

Smaller boats moored in the shade.

An old communist era boat house

End of the channel to Gudelacksee

View of Gudelacksee

A Bunbo cruising across the Gudelacksee

Saturday 7th September 2013 Alt Ruppin to Kremmen. 30kms 1 lock

Filling up the water tank

Sunny and warm, but with a cool breeze from the SE. Up bright and early. A small fishing boat had gone past before dawn, rocking the boat and waking Mike. One cruiser came in off the lake as we were untying; winded and set off at 7.40 am, nice and early so we could get some water on the way to the lock and be there for his 11 am locking. One lone fishing boat was rowing round the small island at the top end of the lake. Called at the Neuruppin Motor Boat Club to get some water. Perched across the ends of two sets of stumps for two lines of boat moorings, the water was coin operated but none of our coins would fit. Used our hosepipe instead, as theirs was sticky and also narrower bore which restricts the flow. Mike went into the hotel/restaurant Seeperle to get tokens, 1€ each. He bought two, and then discovered that they delivered roughly 80 litres each, so he went back for four more and that didn’t fill the tank! 12.50€ per 1000 litres. 

Seeperle restaurant and Neuruppin MBC

Enough, we’ll top up somewhere else later. Away again at 8.20 am and headed for the one-way west bridge where the road and railway crosses over the lake on a causeway. Kept to the right so we could take photos as we went past Neuruppin. The new hotel was wooden clad and had a floating box shaped structure in front of it with bathing steps – could it be a spa? Must look it up (yes, it's a luxury hotel with spa, Resort Mark Brandenburg). It now occupies the place where the old mooring quay used to be. 

Luxury hotel & spa resort Mark Brandeburg 

A bit further along was the magnificent (love it or hate it) statue that we’ve always called the “Tin Man with a Boat and a Whirlygig on His Head” Lovely, as it’s so daft - it's called "Parzival at the Lake" and was inspired by the Arthurian legends and an immensely famous medieval German romantic poem of the 13th century. Took several views of it as we went past. There was some sort of a “do” on as we could hear loud pop music and a there were festoons of blue and white balloons decorating the lakeshore. 

Klosterkirche St Trinitatis in Neuruppin

Took photos of the church and the steps down to the lake. Made some tea and toast as we stooged gently down the lake with the sun reflecting off the water and the wind in our faces. Still nothing much moving, but the inhabitants of the anchored vessels were waking up. Seems to be a popular thing to wash in the lake. One sailing boat set off from the town side and several rowing skiffs. A canoe was paddling down the edge and there were one or two anchored speedboat type cruisers. A red kite wheeled overhead, following us until I picked the camera up and a large flock of mallard also took flight. 

Parzival at the lake -or -
Tin Man with Boat & Whirlygig on his Head

A cruiser was moored on an old quay at Karwen that our chart says is a mooring on the “Alten Bollwerk”. The crew waved, we think they went past us the evening before at Alt Ruppin. Still nothing moving but canoes (must be turn-around time for the hirers so all the sheds will be back at Lindow) until we turned into the narrow channel leading to Altfriesack lock and a speedboat cruiser came out as we went in. Paused on the quay above the lock and took some photos from the bank of the carved tree (it's called "The Fisherman's Dream") then the keeper opened the liftbridge and the lock gates. Time to move. I asked if the water tap on the lockside was drinking water, he said yes so I asked if we could have some. We only needed about 100 to 150 litres to fill the tank. No problem. It was soon full and it was free! Why had we forgotten that, we remembered filling up in the lock in 1999. Hmm, could have saved ourselves 6€. 

The Fisherman's Dream. Altfriesack

Put a bottle of beer on the lockside to say thanks as the keeper worked the lock from the controls by the bottom end gates. There was an old small cruiser (surprising how many pre-Cold War boats there are still about and how beautifully they’re kept) and a canoe waiting to go up the lock. A small modern open speedboat did a U-turn almost under our bows and moored on our right. Wished they would realise that we haven’t got brakes and can’t easily manoeuvre sideways like they can! Past the canoe rastplatz where several canoes were hauled up, tents up, just having breakfast. Out on to the Bützee. Fishing boats were the only boats moving, then a speedboat behind us plunged into the reedbed, probably the same one that did a suicidal dive across our bows. At the far end of the lake two cruisers came towards us, one old one and one newish one. Into the Bützrhin, back on the little river running through marshland again. 

Nature reserve on the Kremmer Rhin

Two cruisers that had been moored under the trees set off, still tied side-by-side – except one got his stub mast and cabin in between the branches so part of the willow tree came with them! It was still very breezy but warm as we ran down the twisting little river with views opening up across wide empty meadows with the ever-present forest behind. We passed the junction with the Alt Rhin, regrettably not going to the end of that lovely little navigation this time. 

Lily pads. Kremmer Rhin

(Drew our own map when we went up there the first time as it wasn’t included in our book of charts) Around KP19, at the start of the Nature Reserve, an open speedboat came towards us with a huge bow wave – what 8kph speed limit? Trees closed in again and we were more sheltered from the wind. Through the wide section, now on the Kremmer Rhin, with reed beds, sedges and masses of water lilies. Lunchtime must be over as we met two more cruisers going the opposite way, then five minutes later another one and an inflatable two-person canoe. Two lads with a speedboat went past very slowly compared to the others we’d seen today. Had a brief chat with a swimmer (in English!) as we passed a hotel with a large landing for the passenger trip boat. 

Sedges, reeds and water lilies. Kremmer Rhin

He asked the usual questions, how did we get that (the boat) here? Several others were swimming by the long high wooden landing staging. Not far to the old quay at Kremmen, under the railway bridge then, once in sight of the quay (no one there not even a fisherman) Mike winded and reversed to the quay so we could have the side doors opening on to the “wet” side, as the quay wall was full of bugs and mossies. It was 2.15 pm. The guy from the house at the back of the quay came out and said hello, you’re back!

Thursday 5th September 2013 KP68 Vielitzsee to Alt Ruppin. 28.4kms 1 lock

Moored next to an old workboat. Vielitzsee

Sunny and warm, clear blue sky to start then white clouds later. Set off back down the Vielitzsee at 9.30 am and I downloaded the photos that we’d taken the day before so that we could use the cameras to take photos of the crowded channel leading through the outskirts of Lindow back on to the Gudelacksee. Boats and more boats, boathouses, little bridges and tiny harbours until we were close to the lake then there were smart modern houses and gardens. Paused before the exit on to the lake and Mike put the drive plate in to connect the Markon generator and do the washing. 

Old railway bridge Lindow

He ran a lead out from the engine room and one to the washing machine so that he could unplug it easily if we had any close encounters with mad Bunbos on the bendy, narrow little Rhin. The Gudelacksee was quiet, just a few Bunbos anchored around the edges. We went round the southern side of Werder island and noted a large smart house between the trees with a gap so that the lake could be seen from the upstairs windows. A lone cruiser went past as we got closer to the exit on to the Rhin, but he went the opposite way to us around the island. 

End of Vielitzsee channel view of Gudelacksee at Lindow

A fisherman in a small boat moved out of the middle of the entrance into the Rhin and waved, smiling as we passed him. A small cruiser with a sunbathing, bikini-clad lady on the bows came towards us as we went around the first bend of the river. We were keeping a careful lookout for sheds. As we approached the Möllensee the cruiser that had gone past us on the Gudlacksee overtook us, heading in the same direction down the Rhin. We circled left, meaning to do a complete circle round at the top end of the lake to allow them to get ahead of us, but then a Bunbo came out of the channel so we carried on down the the little Möllensee to the end. 

Old quay at Dampfmuhle. Gudelacksee 

Mike did the vacuuming while I steered on the way back. He finished just as we arrived back at the entrance to the Rhin. Yet another cruiser turned up out of nowhere and overtook us on a tight left bend where he couldn’t possibly see what was coming, if anything, luckily for him nothing was. Paused at midday to remove the drive plate as the washing had finished. As Mike was ready to push out from the bank two cruisers came round the turn in front heading upstream, followed by two more – then another two! Six of them, one after another. It was peaceful and quiet after that until we met a bunch of canoeists at the end of the river and the beginning of the Zermützelsee, then nothing moving but one small rowing boat. 

Another Bunbo. Gudelacksee

Down the narrow twisty bit into Tetzensee, peaceful and quiet. The lake gradually narrows through Molchow. There were several floating cabins for hire there, earlier we’d seen one similar on the Möllensee. Under the bridge and on to the Molchowsee. An old man sailing a little varnished dinghy came across the lake to have a closer look at the strange boat and have a chat, he was a bit disappointed when we couldn’t answer his questions but he smiled and waved. 

Cruiser coming in to Alt Ruppin lock

It was almost 3 pm as we arrived above Alt Ruppin lock. The lady keeper pressed the buttons and opened the lock gates, so we steamed straight into the chamber. A small cruiser was chasing down the lake to come down the lock with us. The elderly couple on it were a bit flustered and hadn’t got any rope to hand to the lock keeper but the lady managed to find a length of blue cord, which wasn't attached to anything! The man went in the cabin and came out with another hank of blue cord, but this was attached to a bucket and it took him a while to unravel it as it was all knotted up, he left the bucket hanging on the end of it. We dropped down 2m slowly (noticed that the lady on the cruiser flipped a coin up to the keeper which she quickly stuffed into a pocket, tipping seems to be the norm here). 

Trolley for transporting small boats without using lock.
Alt Ruppin

As we left the lock there was a squabble of canoes jostling below the chamber, none of them went in, they were trying to turn around! All of them wore the same peaked hats so they must have been on some sort of club outing. They went down the little river that leads into the north end of the Ruppinersee. We went through the town on the wider channel leading to the lake and stopped to moor at 3.45 pm just before the start of the lake. The canoe outing came past again, laughing and paddling every which way but in a straight line, heading for the lake! 

Rails for boat trolley. Alt Ruppin lock

After we’d tied up another crew of boozers went past, this time in a long open motorboat heading for the lock, they had a duck lure that they kept blowing, frightening all the wild life for miles! Mike replied with a couple of toots on our hooter, which made then laugh even more. Simple things……..!