Kiel, Schleswig and Schleimünde: How the Baltic Sea storm surge continues to have an impact to this day

For recreational boaters, the first priority following severe damage to the harbour is to know when moorings and facilities will be available again. In Kiel’s marinas, the rapid restoration following the Baltic Sea storm surge in October 2023 was therefore a top priority. Kiel Week set a firm deadline for this. According to Philipp Mühlenhardt, managing director of Sporthafen Kiel GmbH, Kiel’s harbours were among those that were restored particularly quickly.

Three years on, however, the reconstruction is still not fully complete. Above all, a repaired harbour is not automatically better protected against the next storm surge.

The Damage caused by the Baltic Sea storm surge affected numerous ports. Mühlenhardt saw the opportunities offered by a fundamental overhaul at a meeting of port stakeholders in Nykøbing, Denmark. The programme included a tour of Hesnæs. The local authority had the Reopening of Hesnæs Harbour announced for summer 2026 and unveiled a more robust system. “They’ve really made a difference there,” says Mühlenhardt.

• ​The 2023 Baltic Sea storm surge: The night the harbours were destroyed

Schilksee: Mooring spaces quickly made available again

In Schilksee, Sporthafen Kiel GmbH initially focused on the bare essentials. The stone jetty was raised and damaged facilities were repaired. According to Mühlenhardt, fundamental changes that could offer boats greater protection in the event of another storm surge are still pending.

The Reconstruction of Damp Harbour illustrates a different approach. Mühlenhardt does not consider a similar refurbishment to be feasible in Schilksee, given the time constraints at the time.

He explains, using the mooring posts as an example, just how narrowly further damage to the floating jetties was averted. The jetty is guided along these posts by so-called post locks and can move up and down with the water level. If the water rises above the usable height of the posts, the jetty can become dislodged from its guides.

“Looking back, we were also a bit lucky that the floodwaters weren’t ten centimetres higher,” says Mühlenhardt. In his estimation, it would have taken just five to ten centimetres more for the jetties to have been submerged above the piles.

One possible adjustment therefore under consideration is to extend the mooring posts by welding pieces onto them. According to him, fixed jetties have also already been raised by 20 centimetres. He does not see this as a permanent solution: “That won’t last forever.”

Why fixed footbridges aren’t simply replaced

For boat owners with a mooring in the South Harbour, fixed jetties will remain in place for the time being. According to Mühlenhardt, converting to floating jetties would have required new mooring posts and an explosive ordnance clearance operation. As a result, parts of the harbour would have been unusable for an extended period.

“Installing new piles would have required a clearance operation for unexploded ordnance. That would have meant that parts of the harbour could not have been used for three to four years,” he says. In his view, this would also have called into question whether Kiel Week could have gone ahead.

The decision was therefore initially made in favour of the existing facilities: to repair them and make the berths available again, rather than carrying out a major redevelopment of the harbour.

Storm surge damage still needs to be repaired in Wellingdorf

Whilst many boat owners have long since returned to using their moorings, the refurbishment work continues behind the scenes. According to Mühlenhardt, the funding guidelines for the repair work were not published until March 2024. By that time, the work in Schilksee was already well advanced.

“However, looking back, there were criteria of which we, as a private company, were unaware,” he says. The rapid repair therefore had to be meticulously documented retrospectively and processed in accordance with funding regulations.

Repair work in Wellingdorf is also not yet complete. An embankment there gave way during the storm surge. The project involves the clearance of unexploded ordnance and the installation of a new sheet pile wall. Mühlenhardt estimates the costs at 1.6 million euros. According to him, Sporthafen Kiel GmbH is covering 25 per cent of this, whilst the state of Schleswig-Holstein is covering 75 per cent.

New breakwater: Olympic prospects influence the planning

A new, taller breakwater is under discussion to ensure the future protection of the moorings in Schilksee. However, according to Mühlenhardt, the bid to host the Olympics also plays a part in any further investment.

The aim of the planning is to ensure that structures do not have to be altered again at a later date to meet any potential Olympic requirements. “We don’t want to have to do it twice,” he explains.

The prospect of additional investment in infrastructure therefore makes it more difficult to decide which protective measures should be implemented in the meantime, regardless of this.

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Schleswig: A higher quay and an earlier move to winter storage

At the Wiking Marina in Schleswig, owner Björn Hansen is focusing on structural precautions and bringing the season to a close earlier whilst the boats are still in the water. The plan is to reinforce the existing jetty with more than 2,000 tonnes of stone. This will raise it by around half a metre and reduce the impact of waves entering the harbour.

For boat owners, the second change has a direct impact on their winter storage plans: Hansen has set the earlier date for lifting boats out of the water as 1 October, rather than the usual 15 October. His aim is to shorten the time boats spend in the water at the end of the season and to make owners more aware of the risk of storm surges. In his view, there were still too many boats in the water during the storm surge in October 2023.

His approach therefore combines improved structural protection with a change to the way the end of the season is organised. A higher breakwater alone does not provide complete protection against damage.

Schleimünde: Jetties and shore power restored

Motorboat owners have been able to use the Schleimünde marina again since 2024. According to Marc Müller, chairman of the Friends of the Schleimünde Nature-Oriented Water Sports Centre, the jetties and electricity supply had been restored by then. New electricity points and repaired jetties made it possible to resume operations at the marina.

The jetties belong to the Friends’ Association. According to Müller, their ongoing, phased renovation is no longer intended to repair storm surge damage, but rather to address normal wear and tear. The ongoing work is being funded from port revenues. The association looks after the site during regular volunteer days. The volunteers have also made the path to the lighthouse passable again.

The disruption lasted longer for pleasure boat services. According to Müller, the boats did not operate from Schleimünde in 2024 and only resumed service in August 2025, once the jetty in Kappeln had been completed. The restoration of the recreational boat moorings and the return of the passenger boats were therefore separate stages.

Damaged jetty: Further harbour protection remains to be decided

The repair of the damaged jetty in Schleimünde is still pending. The damage is particularly severe on the side facing Olpenitz, says Müller. Furthermore, around 50 metres of the stone jetty facing Maasholm needs to be refilled to improve protection against scouring and wave action.

Due to the costs involved, the aim is to carry out the project jointly with Damp or Maasholm. According to him, it is still unclear when work will begin. For users of the port, this means that a significant part of the protective structure remains on the list of outstanding measures.

‘Lütte Giftbude’ caters for visitors to the harbour

Anyone calling at Schleimünde on their next sailing trip will now find some food and drink on offer again. The ‘Lütte Giftbude’ in the harbour master’s office serves, amongst other things, tarte flambée, pizza and fish rolls.

The original ‘Giftbude’ was severely damaged during the Baltic Sea storm surge. According to Müller, the owner, the Lighthouse Foundation, has not continued with the previous project. The Friends’ Association has rented the harbour master’s office and the toilet facilities. The future of the original ‘Giftbude’ remains uncertain.