The Kiel Canal, formerly known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal) is a 61 mile-long freshwater canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The canal was finished in 1895, but later widened, and links the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. An average of 250 nautical miles is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula. This not only saves time but also avoids storm-prone seas and having to pass through the Oresund straits. Besides its two sea entrances, the Kiel Canal is linked to the navigable River Eider by the short Gieselau Canal. We’ve been through the Panama Canal several times as well as the Suez, but the Kiel by far, is the most beautiful.
In 1887, construction started at Holtenau, near Kiel. The canal took over 9,000 workers eight years to build. On 20 June 1895 the canal was officially opened by Kaiser Wilhelm II for transiting from Brunsbüttel to Holtenau. In order to meet the increasing traffic and the demands of the Imperial German Navy, between 1907 and 1914 the canal width was increased. The widening of the canal allowed the passage of a Dreadnought-sized battleship. This meant that these battleships could travel from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea without having to go around Denmark After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles required the canal to be open to vessels of commerce and of war of any nation at peace with Germany, while leaving it under German administration.
The canal was partially closed in March 2013 after two lock gates failed at the western end near Brunsbuttel. Ships larger than 410 feet were forced to navigate via Skagerrak, a 280 mile detour. The failure was blamed on neglect and a lack of funding by the German Federal Government which has been in financial dispute with the state of Schleswig-Holstein regarding the canal. Germany's Transport Ministry promised rapid repairs.
There are detailed traffic rules for the canal. Each vessel in passage is classified in one of six traffic groups according to its dimensions. Larger ships such as ours are obliged to accept pilots and specialized canal helmsmen, in some cases even the assistance of a tugboat. Furthermore, there are regulations regarding the passing of oncoming ships. Larger ships may also be required to moor at the bollards provided at intervals along the canal to allow the passage of oncoming vessels. Special rules apply to personal pleasure craft.
Unlike the Panama Canal, most large, modern cruise ships can’t pass through this canal due to clearance limits under bridges. , the SuperStar Gemini has special funnels and masts that can be lowered for passage. Swan Hellenic's Minerva, P&O Cruises's Adonia, Fred Olsen Cruises' ship Balmoral, 'Cruise and Maritime Voyages' ship MS Marco Polo, ' Oceania Cruises' Regatta, and Nautica, and MS Prinsendam of Holland America Line (our ship)are able to transit the canal. Several of the Viking cruise ships are made specifically with Kiel Canal passage in mind, namely the Sea and Sky models. Cruise ships passing through are so rare that as we transited, the shoreline was lined with town residents waving flags, honking horns, and cheering. It was quite a sight! The Kiel is closer to the Suez in terms of width, but overall, the Kiel is like sailing down a very narrow river with lush vegetation on both sides – so close you can almost reach out and grab a tree branch. And every mile…impeccably clean! Can’t say enough about this place!
A couple other observations we learned…all permanent, fixed bridges crossing the canal since its construction have a clearance of 138 feet. Maximum length for ships passing the Kiel Canal is 772 feet…with the maximum width of 106 feet – and a draught of up to 22 feet.
Our ship really pushed the limits in every respect, but what a beautiful transit.
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