Kiel and the Flensburg Fjord: boating safety
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Kiel is Germany's sailing capital and the Baltic entrance of the Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal), the short-cut to the North Sea. To the north, the long, sheltered Flensburg Fjord forms the border with Denmark and is a popular base for cruising the Danish South Funen archipelago. Both fjords carry ferries, naval and commercial traffic.
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Harbour and marinas
Leisure boats transiting the Kiel Canal must listen on the canal VHF channels while under way: channel 12 ("Kiel-Kanal IV") at the Kiel-Holtenau locks, 3 ("Kiel-Kanal III") Breiholz–Kiel-Holtenau, 2 Brunsbüttel–Breiholz and 13 at the Brunsbüttel locks. The Kiel lock master can also be reached on +49 431 3603-152.
Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes (GDWS) – Merkblatt für Sportbootfahrende Nord-Ostsee-Kanal · GDWS – Merkblatt für Sportbootfahrende Nord-Ostsee-Kanal ▾
Weather
DP07 Seefunk broadcasts the sea-weather report (gale warnings, 24 h forecast and outlook) in German on VHF channel 21 (Flensburg) and 23 (Kiel), announced on the working channels, from Good Friday to 3 October at 09:45, 12:45 and 16:45 UTC, plus 07:45 and 19:45 UTC in peak season (about May–August).
BSH (Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency) – Wetter- und Warnfunk, Stand 23 Sept 2026 · BSH – Wetter- und Warnfunk, Stand 23 Sept 2026 · BSH – Wetter- und Warnfunk, Stand 23 Sept 2026 ▾
Local rules
On the Kiel Canal leisure craft may only transit by day and not in reduced visibility; maximum speed 12 km/h over ground; sailing is prohibited (motor-sailing allowed with a black cone, point down); water-skiing, jet skis, windsurfing and SUP are banned.
GDWS – Merkblatt für Sportbootfahrende Nord-Ostsee-Kanal · GDWS – Merkblatt für Sportbootfahrende Nord-Ostsee-Kanal · GDWS – Merkblatt für Sportbootfahrende Nord-Ostsee-Kanal ▾
Hazards
In the Kiel Canal take special care at ferry crossings (cross-currents) and when passing ships, because of their suction. Keep to the right and respect the marked minimum distance from the sloping banks.
GDWS – Merkblatt für Sportbootfahrende Nord-Ostsee-Kanal · GDWS – Merkblatt für Sportbootfahrende Nord-Ostsee-Kanal ▾
Hospital and medical
UKSH (University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein) Campus Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Straße 3, Haus C: interdisciplinary emergency department open 24 hours, no appointment needed; phone 0431 500-24440.
Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) ▾
Frequently asked
Who do I call in an emergency at sea near Kiel and the Flensburg Fjord?
Call MRCC Bremen on +49 421 536870. On the radio: MAYDAY on VHF channel 16, or a DSC distress alert on channel 70.
How do I contact the harbour in Kiel and the Flensburg Fjord?
Leisure boats transiting the Kiel Canal must listen on the canal VHF channels while under way: channel 12 ("Kiel-Kanal IV") at the Kiel-Holtenau locks, 3 ("Kiel-Kanal III") Breiholz–Kiel-Holtenau, 2 Brunsbüttel–Breiholz and 13 at the Brunsbüttel locks. The Kiel lock master can also be reached on +49 431 3603-152.
Where do I get the marine forecast for Kiel and the Flensburg Fjord?
DP07 Seefunk broadcasts the sea-weather report (gale warnings, 24 h forecast and outlook) in German on VHF channel 21 (Flensburg) and 23 (Kiel), announced on the working channels, from Good Friday to 3 October at 09:45, 12:45 and 16:45 UTC, plus 07:45 and 19:45 UTC in peak season (about May–August).
Read before you sail
Nearby destinations
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