Rhine water levels 2023 and similar topics

[SGinNE]

It will certainly be interesting for us next week as we'll be cruising by Kaub right at that time. I still think we'll be okay, but it's not a certainty, that's for sure. If we have our itinerary changed at all, I might shake my fist (I'm kidding) in Notamermaid's direction instead of waving. 😊

 

Let's hope there's rain in the forecast. Happy cruising everyone!

 

Tomorrow, we're off to Amsterdam!

[JRLarson]

What is the water level necessary for river cruise ships?

 

[notamermaid]

3 hours ago, JRLarson said:

What is the water level necessary for river cruise ships?

 

That is a fluid (no pun intended) figure so to speak. Below 70cm at Kaub they stop sailing one by one. 70cm is a vague figure, that is not to say that the first ship stops sailing at that level. A captain may choose to stop sailing at 74cm. Looking at it from the other end, the low figures: a river cruise ship with a favourable hull construction and draft and shorter than 105m can still sail at 35cm at Kaub. We kind of established that in 2018. As far as I know no river cruise ship that is predominantly booked on the North-American market falls into that category. That is as close as I can get to answering your question.

 

Hope this helps.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

5 hours ago, SGinNE said:

It will certainly be interesting for us next week as we'll be cruising by Kaub right at that time.

Hope you are able to take a photo of the Kaub gauge, the Pegelhaus, from river, happily from your river cruise ship that you are supposed to be on.

 

5 hours ago, SGinNE said:

If we have our itinerary changed at all, I might shake my fist (I'm kidding) in Notamermaid's direction instead of waving.

Please do not shoot the messenger, I am only here to report.

 

Have a good trip.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, Saberk9 said:

No matter what, it will all be good.

That's the spirit. Have a great time.

 

notamermaid

 

[bundtkate]

We are just about to embark down the Main. We won't be doing our stretch on the Rhine for a few days yet, but the captain said at his welcome talk that he doesn't expect any troubles with low water. We're in Bamburg today and  my weather app is showing storms on Monday. Not sure how much rain here would help the Rhine, but here's hoping!

[notamermaid]

On 7/8/2023 at 12:15 PM, bundtkate said:

We are just about to embark down the Main.

Have a great time and thank you for reporting. I had a nice drive along the Main last year. I still cannot get used to the river being so narrow compared to the Rhine and it being at the same time deeper in stretches than the Rhine. That is of course man-made and thankfully for river cruisers ensures sailing in low water is (almost) perfect. I will not rule out minor problems at docks but sailing is fine - apart from the niggling annoying bit of about one kilometre beyond the last lock where the Rhine kind of determines the depth at the mouth of the Main.

 

As a side note to that: one could have a long river cruise on the Canal from Nuremberg and then all the Main down to Frankfurt, focussing on that river and offering more daytime sailing. Perhaps one day a company will offer that in summer... You can still see the Rhine castles on a hired excursion boat or offer a scenic drive with visit to a castle or a palace.

 

But back to Kaub: 103cm. Running below the forecast. Minimal rise anticipated (rain in the Upper Rhine valley and potentially thunderstorms in the Middle Rhine valley). Drop below 100cm on Thursday most likely. Lowest figure - margin 88cm to 92cm most probable - due for 14 July.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

In other news: a barge carrying containers did not manage the turn in Bendorf harbour and hit a smaller barge. Noone was injured but the damage is extensive.

 

A stowaway sailed on a barge for weeks, all the way to Rotterdam and back, looked after by the crew. It was fed and watered but got seasick so the captain took the cat to a vet. During the visit the chip was noticed and the poor feline could be returned to its owners.

 

A new christening in Basel - the latest edition to the ever growing river cruise ship family is the Thurgau Gold.

 

notamermaid

 

[bundtkate]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

As a side note to that: one could have a long river cruise on the Canal from Nuremberg and then all the Main down to Frankfurt, focussing on that river and offering more daytime sailing.

The first part of our itinerary comes close to that. We didn't get onto the river until Bamberg, but we're on the Main from 7/7 til I believe this Tuesday when we stop in Mainz. No Frankfurt either, but we did come through the airport on our way to Prague so maybe it counts? 😂

 

After Mainz, we will be in the Rhine Gorge heading for Cochem on the Moselle. I'll try to bring some rain with us, both for the river itself and to get rid of this 95F/35C heat we had in Würzberg today. 🥵

Edited July 9, 2023 by bundtkate

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, bundtkate said:

After Mainz, we will be in the Rhine Gorge heading for Cochem on the Moselle. I'll try to bring some rain with us, both for the river itself and to get rid of this 95F/35C heat we had in Würzberg today. 🥵

Moselle, lovely, I am sure you will enjoy that river, it perhaps is more similar to the Main than to the Rhine. Forecast showed highest temperatures in Germany to be around the Main river today. 37 Celsius near Frankfurt was the highest I read. Not sure if it got there, but the air certainly heated up enough to give thunderstorms in the Middle Rhine valley. Markedly cooler this evening than last. Hope your day tomorrow will be a little cooler.

 

Mainz is an interesting city I find, got its appeal. Still have not been to either the Gutenberg Museum or Museum of Ancient Shipping. Unfortunately, the latter is closed for renovation this year.

 

notamermaid

 

[slammer9876]

Embarkation in Basel on July 17th with Debarkation in Trier on July 24th.

 

At this point in time, do any of the experts on this thread, expect any captains to move us off the ship to take a coach to the next port?

 

BTW, I am not an expert, far from it!  🙂

 

Thanks in advance!

Rick

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by slammer9876

[notamermaid]

No expert here either, but this river maiden is trying her amateur best. It looks as if we will have low water levels for most of July but details become a bit more guesswork next week. As the "most likely" scenario remains above 90cm, especially in the time frame for your sailing in the Rhine Gorge, I would say it looks promising for a smooth sailing. The forecast changes daily and more reliable figures are available about four to five days out from the time you are to be at Kaub.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[bundtkate]

On 7/9/2023 at 9:33 PM, notamermaid said:

Still have not been to either the Gutenberg Museum or Museum of Ancient Shipping.

We will visit the former tomorrow and I'm definitely looking forward to it. I also hope the weather continues improving. Today wasn't so bad in Heidelberg (32C at the worst) so things are moving in the right direction. I'll accept the heat if it means rain for the Rhine. Lord knows we've dealt with worse so we'll manage and I'd sooner sweat a bit if it keeps ships sailing.

 

On 7/9/2023 at 9:33 PM, notamermaid said:

On 7/9/2023 at 6:33 PM, bundtkate said:

 

Moselle, lovely, I am sure you will enjoy that river, it perhaps is more similar to the Main than to the Rhine.

We've spent some small time on the Moselle before on an excursion boat out of Cochem so I know we'll enjoy it. I particularly look forward to seeing Cochem again and our planned excursion in Koblenz. The vineyards are lovely and one reason I love all 3 rivers we'll be sailing. All are beautiful in their own way.

On 7/10/2023 at 12:11 AM, slammer9876 said:

At this point in time, do any of the experts on this thread, expect any captains to move us off the ship to take a coach to the next port?

We were chatting with our captain today who believes our ship will at least finish our voyage and the next in reverse direction with no adjustments. After that he felt it was more of a toss. We're not on the Rhine much, but I understand the gorge is the most trouble so low water on the Rhine would still impact our ship. We arrive in Trier in 3 days and the next cruise will pass through the Rhine Gorge about 2 or 3 days after so seems our captain is comfortable through 7/15 or7/16, but uncertain after which leaves you in that uncertain territory still. I'll keep up my rain dances as we head for Cochem

[notamermaid]

11 hours ago, bundtkate said:

I particularly look forward to seeing Cochem again and our planned excursion in Koblenz. The vineyards are lovely and one reason I love all 3 rivers we'll be sailing. All are beautiful in their own way.

I agree, it is interesting to compare the rivers and they all have their own atmosphere and particular beauty. Also some of the more built-up areas of the Rhine have their appeal. Would you believe I have never done a guided tour of Koblenz? A bit embarrassing really, but I suppose it is the case of not getting round to exploring what is near you.

 

Reassuring to know that I interpret the situation almost exactly the way your captain sees it. He is a bit closer to the water than I am...

 

Have not had much time to nip down to the river bank, but from what I have seen more stones and groynes are sticking out of the water. Which reminds me: the "Seven Maidens" may be more visible by now, not sure, as it is such a well-known legend I reckon your commentary in the Rhine Gorge will mention the stones. There is a popular spot on a hill from where you can see the river and that area at Oberwesel. @RDVIK2016 the text mentions "Heimat"! https://www.romantischer-rhein.de/en/a-aussichtspunkt-sieben-jungfrauen-blick

 

Kaub gauge: 104cm, still due to drop below 100cm tomorrow.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[Saberk9]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

Kaub gauge: 104cm, still due to drop below 100cm tomorrow.

Kaub gauge don’t fail me now….. Just two and a half weeks to go!!!  

[notamermaid]

Website for long-range forecast was offline. Back now. Kaub gauge 97cm Wednesday into Thursday. After that a rise to over 100cm again, 115cm likely. Likely to remain above 100cm until 22 July.

 

notamermaid

[notamermaid]

In other news: the old steamer "Mainz", built in 1929, has been the "Mannheimer Museumsschiff" for many years now. It needs the special Schiffs-TÜV, a check-up like an MOT just the equivalent for a ship. For that reason it has been towed from Mannheim to a Cologne shipyard alongside a tanker. The folk from Binnenschifferforum picked up the story and one man has kindly posted photos from the journey. The Mainz has passed the Loreley again (second photo): https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?115420-Mannheimer-Museumsschiff-beim-quot-Schiffs-Tüv-quot-in-Köln

like she did so many years ago (homepage of the preservation charity): https://www.raddampfer-mannheim.de/

 

I am not sure if I have traced the signal of the tanker properly but I think the steamship is now in Mülheim, that is opposite Cologne Zoo, i.e. on the right bank. I was a bit surprised to find a river cruise ship signalling from there, the Viking Vali:

 

If you see the steamer there or spot it somewhere else, do drop me a line here please.

 

notamermaid

 

[bundtkate]

We're currently docking in Rüdesheim while some light rain falls. Not enough to send the families at the nearby pool inside so probably not enough to make a big difference in water levels, but a welcome sight all the same. Here's hoping it pauses long enough for our evening excursion into town, but no longer.

[notamermaid]

10 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

We're currently docking in Rüdesheim while some light rain falls.

Yes, clouding over a bit around where I am. Have a nice evening in merry Rüdesheim. Tomorrow - the Rhine Gorge!

 

notamermaid

 

[rcaruso]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

In other news: the old steamer "Mainz", built in 1929, has been the "Mannheimer Museumsschiff" for many years now. It needs the special Schiffs-TÜV, a check-up like an MOT just the equivalent for a ship. For that reason it has been towed from Mannheim to a Cologne shipyard alongside a tanker. The folk from Binnenschifferforum picked up the story and one man has kindly posted photos from the journey. The Mainz has passed the Loreley again (second photo): https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?115420-Mannheimer-Museumsschiff-beim-quot-Schiffs-Tüv-quot-in-Köln

like she did so many years ago (homepage of the preservation charity): https://www.raddampfer-mannheim.de/

 

I am not sure if I have traced the signal of the tanker properly but I think the steamship is now in Mülheim, that is opposite Cologne Zoo, i.e. on the right bank. I was a bit surprised to find a river cruise ship signalling from there, the Viking Vali:

 

If you see the steamer there or spot it somewhere else, do drop me a line here please.

 

notamermaid

 

Last November on the Viking Ve we were ported their during our visit to Cologne.

[notamermaid]

41 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

Last November on the Viking Ve we were ported their during our visit to Cologne.

Thanks for the info. I am a bit surprised. A bit inconvenient for the city centre but certainly preferable to Niehl, which is even further out and not the right place for a pleasant evening stroll.

 

notamermaid

 

[RDVIK2016]

8 hours ago, notamermaid said:

In other news: the old steamer "Mainz", built in 1929, has been the "Mannheimer Museumsschiff" for many years now. It needs the special Schiffs-TÜV, a check-up like an MOT just the equivalent for a ship. For that reason it has been towed from Mannheim to a Cologne shipyard alongside a tanker. The folk from Binnenschifferforum picked up the story and one man has kindly posted photos from the journey. The Mainz has passed the Loreley again (second photo): https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?115420-Mannheimer-Museumsschiff-beim-quot-Schiffs-Tüv-quot-in-Köln

like she did so many years ago (homepage of the preservation charity): https://www.raddampfer-mannheim.de/

 

notamermaid

 

Very nice old looking ship. It must be a side-wheeler??  Are there any side wheelers on rivers in Europe? It seems they could be appropriate for shallow rivers. 

 

[RDVIK2016]

12 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I agree, it is interesting to compare the rivers and they all have their own atmosphere and particular beauty. Also some of the more built-up areas of the Rhine have their appeal. Would you believe I have never done a guided tour of Koblenz? A bit embarrassing really, but I suppose it is the case of not getting round to exploring what is near you.

 

Reassuring to know that I interpret the situation almost exactly the way your captain sees it. He is a bit closer to the water than I am...

 

Have not had much time to nip down to the river bank, but from what I have seen more stones and groynes are sticking out of the water. Which reminds me: the "Seven Maidens" may be more visible by now, not sure, as it is such a well-known legend I reckon your commentary in the Rhine Gorge will mention the stones. There is a popular spot on a hill from where you can see the river and that area at Oberwesel. @RDVIK2016 the text mentions "Heimat"! https://www.romantischer-rhein.de/en/a-aussichtspunkt-sieben-jungfrauen-blick

 

Kaub gauge: 104cm, still due to drop below 100cm tomorrow.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

Thank you for tagging me about the Günderodehaus that appeared in "Heimat". 

[notamermaid]

7 hours ago, RDVIK2016 said:

Very nice old looking ship. It must be a side-wheeler??  Are there any side wheelers on rivers in Europe? It seems they could be appropriate for shallow rivers. 

 

Back wheelers on the Elbe (CroisiEurope), side wheelers several on the Elbe as excursion boats. Only river cruise ship on the Loire is a side wheeler (CroisiEurope).

 

The "Mainz" confirmed to be in Mülheim, one enthusiastic spotter on Binnenschifferforum has already posted photos from the shipyard.

 

notamermaid

 

[MamaMags123]

On 7/11/2023 at 9:40 AM, notamermaid said:

Website for long-range forecast was offline. Back now. Kaub gauge 97cm Wednesday into Thursday. After that a rise to over 100cm again, 115cm likely. Likely to remain above 100cm until 22 July.

 

notamermaid

I’m happy to hear that! Thank you for the updates! I’m curious if you know what the largest 1-week drop has been in the past (i.e. 2018/2022) and also what the longest stretch of days without a rise in the water levels is. I’m trying to get an idea of worst case senario for 30 July embarkation of Basel to Amsterdam. Thanks!