River Danube to the Black Sea

[Gordo]

We are planning a trip through the Canal systems of Europe, down the River Danube and out into the Black Sea.

We would then like to sail south into the Aegean Sea, around the Greek Islands heading west until we finally make it back to France.
Our boat is a 24ft Hirondelle bridge deck catamaran, narrow enough to cope with canals but hopefully big enough to deal with the various challenges that such a voyage will bring to us.
We are looking for information from anyone who has done a similar voyage and who would be happy to share any information with us.
Look forward to hearing from you.

[Steve Pope]

You can go up the Rhine and down the Danube, there has been a canal linking the two for several years now, Currents are the biggest challenge, you need a reasonably powerful motor for the upstream part especially in the spring. It depends at what time of year you plan to do it. You can get a tow from from the commercial canal freight boats.

[Gordo]

Thanks Steve, our boat has a 9.9 yamaha outboard, what d'you reckon ?

[Steve Pope]

Your 9.9 would be struggling against the current in the Rhine, you would probably need a tow. It wouldn't be to bad going down stream in the Danube except when you have to maneuver across the current and perhaps up into the current to moor up at night or wherever you wish to stop, it would take careful planning.

[Solitude]

Current in Danube is upwards of 5 knts Rhine is the same...

Sailpolaris Home Page
Yachting Magazine - Watch on the Rhine

[Bugged]

The last post has a reference to sailpolaris - my wife and I crewed with Skipper Bob on his cruise from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea in 2006, via the Rhine and Danube Rivers (among other watercourses). Yes the current on the Rhine was strong but we maintained headway by going from apex to apex on the bends, looking for the slower water. With your cat, you could get closer into the bank than we could (6 foot draft).

The fastest currents were in the area of the Lorelei Rock, and Bingen Lock. Bingen Lock has maybe 6 to 7 knots, but you can get a tow through there - there is always a tug on station, waiting to assist the freight barges.

The rest of it is a doddle, and I would go again in a shot - a boat with 5 to 6 knots is adequate. Make sure you have plenty of fuel on board, there are some peculiar rules about re-fuelling on the Rhine, and long stretches of the Danube have no services. Course you are going downhill by then!

Let me know if you want any more information. I posted a short log of the trip on Tom sommers eurocanals yahoo group.

Jeff

[HinewaisMan]

We arrived from Oz in Turkey earlier this year - will play E Med next year, but have been thinking about the Danude-Rhine E-W for 2011. Few people seem to go that way - any reason apart from current?

Any advice/comments/links welcomed

[Joefloki]

Going up the Rhine or Danube:
You need a very strong and reliable engine.
Even for down it is recommended: You do not go only down, you have to pass ships and so on.....

If it is possible with a cat in Germany in the channels between Rhine and Danube, I do not know, once on the Danube is reached, I do not see any problem.

The route is meanwhile very popular, many sailing boats have done it.
There are many reports on German websites, however in German only