To Cuxhaven , the gate to the Northsea

31-08-2010




Today we will leave the Kielcanal and go to Cuxhaven over the river Elbe.
The Elbe is a big river here and up to several miles wide.
Also the depth is enormous , up to 12 meter in the fairway and up to 28 meters near Cuxhaven where the river makes a sharp bend.
Sailing can be quite dangereous or impossible when the strong tide goes against a force 5 wind or more!
But today there is hardly any wind and we have a nice trip to Cuxhaven. Only the last 15 minutes it started to rain!
Cuxhaven is the typical departure port for Dutch sailors to go home and for others to go to Holland for holiday.
Sometimes dozens of sailers wait for days for the weathere to improve because leaving Cuxhaven and sailing the"German bight in a force 5 or more can easily become unpleasant or dangereous.
We also waited one day for the weather to improve.
During that day a curious event happened in the harbour.
Somebody was trying to put a "cherry picker"or servicing platform on the newly installed slipway but someway uncoupled it from the towing car. He tryed to hold on but the whole thing rolled down the slipway and almost totally vanished in the salty waters! By the way , it was low tide . After a lot of talk and try a diver came and attached hoist sling under water to make a lift-out by a crane possible.
See the following fotos.



Oops.....



OOOOops.....



Here comes the tide.



Rescue is on its way.



Resurgence.



As they say in Holland "Luctor et emergo" or "I struggle and emerge".



Like in the song "On the road again".

But back to normal live. Tomorrow we will leave at 8 oclock when the tide goes out and have a long trip back to Norderney.