Sailing Florence · video

What this video covers

Matt and Amy transit the Kiel Canal aboard Florence, their Oyster Marine 37 HERITAGE, to avoid 300-plus miles of upwind sailing around Denmark into the Baltic.0:53 Departing Cuxhaven with a 3-knot fair tide, they enter the canal at Brunsbüttel after timing their arrival to catch a lock cycle — a single white intermittent light signals leisure craft to enter.1:51 The Brunsbüttel end has separate smaller locks for yachts; at the Kiel end, yachts share the large locks with cargo ships.6:17 The canal permit costs 18 euros, takes five minutes to obtain online, and links to the vessel's MMSI for automated lock entry.3:20 Canal rules require the engine running at all times, no autopilot, and a motoring cone displayed when sail is also set; Florence sets a headsail to reach the 6.4-knot speed limit.10:25 Ships overtake gradually, and Florence stays in the 3-metre-depth shallows along the edges to stay clear.19:16 A mid-canal stop in a quiet offshoot provides an overnight anchorage.15:46 After two days, Florence exits into the Baltic and anchors in flat, tide-free water — the tidal graph reads a flat line, a practical adjustment after months of tidal sailing.22:39

Boats in this video

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