Sunday 4th May 2014 Neuendorf to Parey KP349 EHK 38kms 1 lock

An empty commercial on the Plauersee

5.1°C A cold night. Grey skies, no rain but cold with a westerly wind. Untied at 7.10 am and set off down the Breitlingsee and into the Plauersee. We passed a 65m empty called Moka heading for Brandeburg halfway across the Plauersee and a 65m called Janet, loaded with wood chips, at the north end of the Wendsee, our last lake in Germany. A sign by the bridge in Kirchmoser marked the start of the Elbe-Havel-Kanal (EHK) with Kilometre Post 380, as it is classed as an extension to the Mittelland Kanal – 380 kilometres and five locks to the junction with the Ems Kanal, it really feels like we’re leaving Germany now. We

Below Wusterwitz lock on Elbe-Havel-Kanal

stopped below Wusterwitz lock on the new pontoon for sport boats at 8.35 am. The new chamber on the left was blocked off with a small pan across the entrance and the intercom didn’t work by the startplatz. Mike called the lock keeper on the radio – and got an answer. The old lock chamber on the right started to empty. A loaded Bromberger came out of the lock then the keeper called us in, he spoke a little English. There were two boats moored below the lock, an empty called Magda and Luca loaded with scrap metal. We stayed at the back end of the chamber (225m long x 12m wide)

Hotel boat Sans Souci overtaking at Gethin EHK

using fore and aft ropes going up three bollards inset into the brick walls and rose gently 4.3m. The keeper has to walk all the way to the top end gates to use the controls there (and back to operate the bottom end gates and paddles) and as we left I asked how long it would be before the new lock opens, he shrugged and said he didn’t know. As we left Navtrans IV, loaded with soil, was waiting to go down. The next boat, a loaded tanker called Marlene2, was about five minutes away from the lock when we passed it. The keeper held the lock for him. I made a cuppa. Mike lit the coal fire, saying that we should have lit it the night before, but it had been such a warm afternoon we didn’t notice the evening outside temperature plummeting. There was a fishing

Tug pushing workboats. EHK

contest just finishing on the left bank by a couple of houses called Kader Schleuse around KP368. As we were passing the fishermen, three men in kayaks paddled past followed by two small cruisers and a loaded 80m tanker called Christoph, the latter had its radar revolving. Shortly after another Bromberger went past and six cruisers. Die Bromel, a loaded 57m boat (that’s a very short one for here!) went past at KP368. As we started going through the town of Genthin Mike set the Internet antenna up for me and I went in to chat with Yvonne on Skype for an hour at 11.30 am, just as 125m long hotel ship Sans Souci overtook us. At KP361 an 80m

Moored at Parey. KP349 EHK

boat called Marlies, loaded with a thousand tonnes of slack, went past. An empty called Vorwärts went past just before we tied up at Parey at KP349. The hotel boat Sans Souci was moored on the commercial mooring in Parey while their guests were eating lunch. We didn’t think hotel boats stopped for meals. It was 1.30 pm. Gave Mike a hand with the bike and he went to collect the car from Schmergow.