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!