Rhine - water levels and similar topics 2015

We are on our way to Basel and will board the AmaCerto on Monday. I'll check-in along the way with an update or two.

We are on our way to Basel and will board the AmaCerto on Monday. I'll check-in along the way with an update or two.

Please do! We need as many actual on-the-river reports as we can get.

On the Viking Eistla, will get to Cologne around 11:15am and then need to leave at 7:00pm. We will be sailing tomorrow from Cologne to Braubach. Won't know complete plan till tomorrow. Good day cruising. Good food and very nice people.

After an evening of rain and mild storms my section of the Rhine valley is again bathed in beautiful sunshine. The leaves have almost all gone.

Koblenz level is currently at 49cm (12 noon).

notamermaid

Notamermaid. Left Köln at 7pm. We are on our way to Braubach. From Braubach after the Marsburg Castle tour will sail the middle Rhine on a charter, then meet the Viking Baldur in Mainz. Not much rain today in Köln, but very windy.

Hello rcaruso,

I see on marinetraffic that the Viking Eistla is now docked in Braubach. That means she is actually in the Rhine gorge. Will she take on the passengers from the Viking Baldur and then return to Cologne, I wonder?

Could you please report on the local charter boat, after you have enjoyed all the splendid castles? :):)

Koblenz is currently at 51cm (9.15am).

Given the circumstances your cruise seems to be running smoothly. Enjoy Mainz, even if you are only there to board the ship, and the rest of your cruise.

notamermaid

Notamermaid,

We did Marksburg Castle in am. The Eistla was in Braubach. We ate lunch on the ship then transferred from the ship to a Gilles ship where we had wine, beer, soft drinks and cake. Slow going on the Rhine, got into Bingen around 5:45 and to the Baldur at 6:40. Bags in our staterooms so not much difference. Miltenberg tomorrow around 2pm. Still no rain.

Hello rcaruso,

Thank you for reporting back. Sounds as if it worked out well. Gilles, I know the company, they are family-owned and based in Vallendar just outside (downstream) of Koblenz. Rain is here, looks as if it is raining in Frankfurt and further into Hesse this morning as well. So, close to where you are now.

Enjoy Miltenberg.

notamermaid

Vielen Dank, Notamermaid,

Rain here on the Main this morning.

Due to the recent rainfall the level at Koblenz has risen 15cm. While this is good, I cannot say shout "hooray" as some of that water has come from the Moselle and did not come through the Rhine gorge. The crucial gauge at Kaub is still hardly any higher than three days ago. The Rhine gorge needs water from the Main and the Neckar. Both rivers have not risen much and are regulated by locks to maintain a certain level necessary for sailing (i.e. the barges). A tricky business, so overall the situation has not changed much.

Those who work with and on the river Rhine hope the temperatures will not fall too much soon as that would mean snow in the hills and the Upper Rhine further upstream from Basel keeping much needed rain from feeding the river.

Nevertheless it is too warm for November, it is currently 15 degrees :eek: in Mannheim.

Widespread rain forecast for tomorrow.

notamermaid

I am currently on the AmaCerto in Speyer for the evening sailing from Basel to Amsterdam. We did get some rain today and at the evening briefing tonight we were informed that we made it to Speyer with literally inches to spare and if we had not received the little rain that we did get today then tomorrow we would have swapped ships with the AmaSerena. However even the little we got today has helped and we plan to sail tomorrow as planned.

Hello Richiebaseball,

Thank you for your report from onboard the AmaCerto.

For the first time in 26 days the gauge at Koblenz is now out of the official low water level zone, currently at 90cm. Downstream from Lahnstein, that is just below Braubach and the Marksburg castle things are getting easier for sailing. Koblenz and the catchment area around the three rivers there have been getting quite a bit of rain in the last 48 hours. That is the Rhine, the Moselle and the smaller Lahn river (and the little brooks of course).

Kaub in the Rhine gorge is still low but the rainfall has helped a bit. Quite literally just an inch or two has made all the difference for your ship and cruise!

There is widespread drizzle and in some parts proper rainfall in the South of Germany. That should raise the water levels even further.

It is getting colder and there is a bit of snow forecast for the high hills for Sunday.

By the way, as you are heading towards the Rhine gorge and expect you will be in Koblenz in the evening: the Christmas market at Koblenz will be opened tonight at 6pm.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, Richiebaseball.

notamermaid

We did enjoy the Christmas market this evening in Koblenz! It was quite nice to see them open already. We sail in the morning to Cologne.

In the last 48 hours there has been so much rainfall that all gauging stations on the Rhine are back on "green". There is no low water situation anymore. The level at Koblenz is currently at 212cm.

Today is a day for mourning and remembrance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totensonntag

It is the end of the Catholic church year. Traditionally it is the last day before Advent celebrations begin on the Monday after that (i.e. tomorrow) and from tomorrow Christmas lights will be lit and the Christmas market season begins in earnest.

Enjoy Advent.

notamermaid

Thank you so much notamermaid. Your updates have been VERY helpful!!

Thank you, mhb1757.

Here is the latest news. In fact, not much to report. :)

The level at Koblenz has fallen 1m in 70 hours due to the little rain we have had. It is so cold now that some rain comes down as snow, especially in the hills. Not to worry seeing that the gauge at Koblenz currently shows 168cm, so 100cm more than on those bad low level days about four weeks ago.

Yesterday there was a bit of snow in the air when I was shopping and the family walking next to me was sooo excited. I am not sure who was more excited, the little girl or her mother. :D

I have been to one Christmas market so far but have not indulged in Glühwein or masses of food yet. ;)

A bit of frost, some rain and little snowfall forecast for tomorrow and the day after.

Thanksgiving - the US-American way - is not a tradition nor a holiday in Germany, by the way. Sunday the 29th November (the date this year) is "Erster Advent", the first Sunday in Advent with, of course, the lighting of the first Advent wreath candle. I can almost taste the Stollen cake talking about it...

In which ever way you are celebrating: have a great weekend!

notamermaid

Just wondering if someone (Notamermaid??) might be able to post an update to the water levels on the Rhine. I've been checking Viking's "current sailings" update, and haven't seen any changes for several days now. That leads me to believe that as of now, there may not be a low-water level issue. My wife and I are on the Viking Kara departing Basel on Dec 12th.

Thanks for any updates!!

I have been watching http://www.bafg.de rather obsessively for the past few weeks (we sail on 12/5) and water levels at all stations on the Rhine are now well out of the "low water" levels. River traffic is moving normally on the Rhine now, and it continues to rain off and on so I think the time for ship swapping has passed!

It is still unseasonably warm so I'm not sure how Christmasy the weather will feel but better warn than super cold!

Just off the AmaSerena on the Rhine and we had a good bit of rain and no issues whatsoever with water levels. We did not see any Viking boats except in Cologne and Amsterdam.

Have returned from a short trip. The water level has risen to 260cm at Koblenz. This is a bit over mean water level. There is no low water level situation on the Rhine and there is lots of space to fill in the river bed before there can be any talk of flooding. December looks to be a pleasant month for sailing. It is just a little too warm for Christmas feelings or snow in the valleys. :(

The Viking Idi is currently in Koblenz, so are the De Zonnebloem, Switzerland II and Amadeus Silver. And that is just the large cruise ships!

The Rhine is the busiest river in Europe and today it really looks that way. Lots of barge traffic.

If you are currently travelling or you have a cruise soon coming up: enjoy the Christmas markets. :):)

notamermaid

Notamermaid,

 

it's a brilliant day here in tropical Bavaria day, doing gardening in a T-Shirt.

 

I don't mind if there is a drinking water shortage, so long as the beer is not rationed.:D

 

According to the forecast we should expect some really heavy rain next Wednesday.

Have returned from a short trip. The water level has risen to 260cm at Koblenz. This is a bit over mean water level. There is no low water level situation on the Rhine and there is lots of space to fill in the river bed before there can be any talk of flooding. December looks to be a pleasant month for sailing. It is just a little too warm for Christmas feelings or snow in the valleys. :(

 

:):)

 

notamermaid

G.M.T and notamermaid - I just want to thank you both for your absolutely wonderful reporting on the river levels over these past 5 (:eek:) months! You've been so helpful to so many cruisers. We should probably take up a collection to send you both on a river cruise :D. Happy holidays!

G.M.T and notamermaid - I just want to thank you both for your absolutely wonderful reporting on the river levels over these past 5 (:eek:) months! You've been so helpful to so many cruisers. We should probably take up a collection to send you both on a river cruise :D. Happy holidays!

Since they live in Germnay....I think we should send them on a cruise to the Caribbean!!! :D

Since they live in Germnay....I think we should send them on a cruise to the Caribbean!!! :D

It would be a nice change for them to report on water levels in the Caribbean!

G.M.T and notamermaid - I just want to thank you both for your absolutely wonderful reporting on the river levels over these past 5 (:eek:) months! You've been so helpful to so many cruisers. We should probably take up a collection to send you both on a river cruise :D. Happy holidays!

Thank you for the kind words.

Now I'll have to see how I can link Paypal to my CC Profile.;)

PS. I also know about the Danube than just it's ups and downd.

Merry Christmas to All.