Click for Nordhavn Click for Perko Click for Mulder Click for Delta Click for Comfort

Has anyone cruised from the Black Sea to Germany via the Danube?

Discussion in 'Marinas & Waypoints' started by pwgpwg, Oct 20, 2008.

You need to be registered and signed in to view this content.
  1. pwgpwg

    pwgpwg New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2008
    Messages:
    1
    Location:
    San Luis Obispo, Ca.
    I have a US based 64' foot trawler expedition yacht with a 19 foot beam..
    6 foot draft and 26 ft mast height.
    Can I physically negotiate the Danube and the canal system with this vessel?
    What Certificates are required?
    Many thanks.
    Paul
  2. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    Messages:
    7,388
    Location:
    My Office
    Hi,

    Welcome to YF.

    I found this on Wiki.

    The Danube is navigable by ocean ships from the Black Sea to Brăila in Romania and by river ships to Kelheim, Bavaria; smaller craft can navigate further upstream to Ulm, in Germany. About 60 of its tributaries are also navigable.

    Since the completion of the German Rhine–Main–Danube Canal in 1992, the river has been part of a trans-European waterway from Rotterdam on the North Sea to Sulina on the Black Sea (3500 km). In 1994 the Danube was declared one of ten Pan-European transport corridors, routes in Central and Eastern Europe that required major investment over the following ten to fifteen years. The amount of goods transported on the Danube increased to about 100 million tons in 1987. In 1999, transport on the river was made difficult by the NATO bombing of three bridges in Serbia. The clearance of the debris was finished in 2002. The temporary pontoon bridge that hampered navigation was finally removed in 2005.

    At the Iron Gate, the Danube flows through a gorge that forms part of the boundary between Serbia and Romania; it contains the hydroelectric Iron Gate I dam, followed at about 60 km downstream (outside the gorge) by the Iron Gate ll dam. On 2006-04-13, a record peak discharge at Iron Gate Dam reached 15,400 m³/s.

    There are three artificial waterways built on the Danube: the Danube–Tisa–Danube Canal (DTD) in the Banat and Bačka regions (Vojvodina, northern province of Serbia); the 64 km Danube–Black Sea Canal, between Cernavodă and Constanţa (Romania) finished in 1984, shortens the distance to the Black Sea by 400 km; the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal (about 171 km), finished in 1992, linking the North Sea to the Black Sea.


    The PDF was found in about 5 mins with Google, there is bridge data there for the section it shows. If it exists for one part then it should be available for all parts.

    What is the draft of your boat?

    Can you make the mast hinge able?

    Certificates: A Masters Ticket and compliance with whatever your flag state requires plus there may well be some local insurance things to be dealt with. The best thing to find will be an agent who can setup your passage through the sections you want to go to.

    To avoid potential problems I would also suggest that you did not take your boat up there with a US Flag on the back.

    I think that would be a pretty amazing trip, please keep posting and let us know how it all goes.

    Attached Files:

  3. Ju52

    Ju52 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2006
    Messages:
    148
    Location:
    Frankfurt
    greetings from Germany

    Hi

    first read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danube
    and this http://www.danubecom-intern.org/index.htm
    and here http://flagspot.net/flags/eu_rivr.html

    In Germany you need a valid license (Schiffer Patent or equal). An Radio and Radar license is welcome to drive during the night and if the sight is bad.

    International patents / licenses are mostly valid.
    Could be easy to hire an skipper for this time.

    The lowest bridge in Germany is about 4,5m, if you want to go over Main and Rhine to the Noth Sea.

    Hope to see you in Frankfurt.
    Gerhard
  4. OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2006
    Messages:
    906
    Location:
    ...............
    Sounds like a "dream vacation". Better put it in my book of things to do before I die.
  5. brunick

    brunick Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2005
    Messages:
    633
    Location:
    earth
    i thought about this trip some years ago - also a trip from hamburg to monaco with a small (about 30 feet) boat - could be possible with all the channels from hamburg to monaco - the danube floating system should be possible

    have a closer look at the vacation boats floating around - there are 230 feet boats going along the danube (or donau in germany)

    the worst thing that can happen is that some bridges have a lower clearence than you boat.

    http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donauschifffahrt <-- this is a german article maybe you can use google to translate it - but it says a lot about ships on the danube

    just found a nice information about the bridges along the danube:
    http://www.donauschifffahrt.info/fi...ehrswege_Donau/danube_bridges__december06.pdf
  6. OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2006
    Messages:
    906
    Location:
    ...............
    I wouldn't navigate it on my own, that would be a recipe for a heart attack.
    More likely commission one of those barges with a knowledgeable pilot. Kick back, and be a good tourist.
  7. yachtpanorama

    yachtpanorama New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2007
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    Genoa, Italy
    Last year I took panorama pictures of a couple of river boat cruise ships managed by the US company Grand Circle Tours, www.gct.com, they ship from Amsterdam down to the Black Sea. The captains are austrian, from Romania or from Hungary. Maybe you can contact somebody through GCT.

    A german friend did the trip a couple of years ago from Bavaria down to the Black Sea with a home built wooden boat. He enjoyed it a lot and found a lot of friendship during the trip in the East European countries.

    Thomas
  8. Innomare

    Innomare Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2004
    Messages:
    233
    Location:
    The Netherlands
    Generally the river cruise vessels on these rivers have an airdraught of max. 6 metres (measured from waterline to highest point). They use lowering pilothouses, tilting masts and retractable satdomes and of course a lot of ballast to achieve this. I don't know if it is just a question of minimizing waiting time for bridges to be opened or if there are fixed bridges with only 6 metres clearance, but that's the number they all aim for.
  9. yachtpanorama

    yachtpanorama New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2007
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    Genoa, Italy
  10. pfjay52

    pfjay52 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2018
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Australia
    Does anyone have an update on this trip? these posts are very old, so there must be some new information around that would be very welcome. i have a boat in Marmaris similar size to the original post, and want to do the same trip? any suggestions, ideas, gratefully received.
    thanks,
    Phil
  11. MountainGuy

    MountainGuy Member

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2009
    Messages:
    138
    Location:
    Austria
  12. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    Messages:
    7,388
    Location:
    My Office
    See if you can find a copy of The Danube: A River Guide. Its by Rod Hiekel who wrote a lot of cruising guides
  13. pfjay52

    pfjay52 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2018
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Australia
    Thanks for that, i'll check it out.
    Phil
  14. pfjay52

    pfjay52 New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2018
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Australia
    thank you, i'll see if they have it on Amazon. cheers, Phil