There are waiting pontoons inside the Holtenau locks for outgoing yachts: like the locks, they have a freeboard of only a few centimetres and your fenders may float over them.

The waiting pontoons outside the Holtenau locks for ingoing yachts, just for variety, have extremely high freeboard: they are higher than most smaller boats’ decks.

In spring 2013 we got some useful tips for the Kanal passage from local sailors.

For pleasure boats, the old lock is mainly used. The VHF contact with lock operators can be difficult to achieve. What most local boats do is that they are just circling around for a while and soon the white light will lit up giving permission to enter the lock.

Please note that white light is a permission to enter for pleasure boats as defined in the Navigation Handbook. Greenlight is only for commercial vessels. Even if not obvious from a distance the white light is made from two lamps side-by-side.

The lamp lit indicates the side of the lock to make fast. Along the canal are many other lights for ships and yachts should not worry about these too much. Like for example, two reds lit above each other does not apply to yachts in any way.

Andrus.
S/Y Suwena – http://www.suwena.net/en