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……..!