Please enter text hereSalty air, tranquillity and lush green marshland as far as the eye can see. Windmill blades turning lazily against the blue summer sky - in the north-easternmost corner of the republic, a truly idyllic corner of East Frisia juts out into the vast mudflats of the Ems estuary: the Krummhörn.
Hardly anyone knows that this "corner" just behind the dyke offers a unique sport boating area in Germany: Between the old, picturesque coastal fishing village of Greetsiel and the traditional seaside town of Emden, there is an almost 150 km long, navigable network of "deeps" (through which the moorland was once drained), canals and rivers - perfect for a short weekend cruise or a rewarding longer detour for skippers "travelling through" between Germany and the Netherlands.
We chose the most flexible option (and the shallowest draught) and went on a discovery tour in an inflatable boat. We recommend Emden as a starting point, which can be reached on its own keel both from inland via the Ems-Jade Canal and directly via the Ems. For trailer boat drivers, the city's harbour not only offers recently created berths with electricity and water (also in the historic Ratsdelft, directly opposite the museum lightship "Deutsche Bucht"), but also a solid slip ramp. Access to the harbour is via the striking Kesselschleuse lock (for operating times, see the special "Lock Calendar" booklet in this issue, tel. 04921-242 39).
Coming from the North Sea, the route leads through the Leysiel sluice gates (open 4 hours before to 3 hours after HW Norderney, tel. 04926-20 00, VHF: channel 17) and Greetsiel (collective sluicing by telephone registration: 04926-851, max. clearance height: 1.30 m, max. width: 2 m). Our two-day circuit looked like this: Behind the Kesselschleuse lock, we turned east out of the Emden city moat and followed the Trecktief to the Kleines Meer, a very shallow lake, where it is essential to keep to the buoyed fairway when crossing.
We then travelled along the winding Marscher Tief along the Great Sea (which is closed to motor vehicles) and across the Knockster Tief to Loppersum, where we turned off onto the Alte Greetsieler Sieltief (mooring facilities in Grimersum and Eilsum), which took us to Greetsiel. Incidentally, the maximum speed permitted throughout the area is a comfortable 5 km/h.
Greetsiel, which announces itself from afar with the imposing "twin mills" directly on the banks of the deep, offers plenty of East Frisian charm - from the old Dutch-style skipper's houses at the fishing harbour to the many nice cafés and restaurants (our tip is the quaint inn "Zur Börse"). You can moor at the limited berths of the public jetty or at the fully equipped jetty of the YC Greetsiel (with slip ramp) on the other side of the Sielschleuse (tel. 04926-402, www.yacht club-greetsiel.de).
After a short detour, the second day brought us to Pilsum, whose small marina has a few guest berths and a slipway (call 04926-860 to book). Despite its name, the Neue Greetsieler Sieltief, which takes us to Hinte, is less navigable than its old eastern "neighbour" - many parts are narrower than 10 m and heavily weedy.
This only changes again in Hinte, a kind of waterway junction in Krummhörn, with a public jetty right next to the windmill.
jetty right next to the windmill. From here it is only a short distance across the Hinter Tief and we are back in Emden. The length of our two daily stages: From Emden to Greetsiel it was 32 km, from there back to Emden another 24 km, so 56 km in total.
All that remains to be said is that there is still a lot to discover in the Krummhörn even away from our short round trip. The only drawback of this otherwise beautiful area is the shallow depths and clearance heights (see box), which often make the waterways only passable for small boats. The Ostfriesland water sports team, an initiative of 30 clubs, has been successfully endeavouring to improve the infrastructure for water tourism for years. The continued success of the dedicated East Frisians is to be wished for: only then can this "insider tip" be made accessible to even more skippers.
WHAT SKIPPERS NEED TO KNOW
1st Leyhörner Sieltief Leysiel lock to Greetsiel; via Störtebekerkanal to Norden (21 km, depth: 1.50 m, height: 2.30 m with closed bridges)
2.Pilsumer Tief Pilsum to Neues Greetsieler Sieltief (1.2 km,T:o.90 m)
3. old Greetsieler Sieltief (19 km, T: 1 m, H: Loppersum to Grimersum 2 m, Grimersum to Greetsiel
1,50 m)
4th Abelitz Upgant-Schott to Altes Greetsieler Sieltief (9 km,D: 1 m,H:1,90 m)
5th Abelitz-Moordorf Canal Abelitz to Georgsheil (11 km, D: 1 m, H: 2.50 m)
6th Marscher Tief Kleines Meer to Abelitz-Moordorf-Kanal (8 km, D: 1 m, H: 2.50 m)
7th Trecktief/ Kurzes Tief Emden to Kleines Meer (7 km,D: 2 m, H: 2.50 m)
8 .Hinter Tief Emden to Hinte (5 km, D: 1 m, H: 2.20 m)
9. new Greetsieler Sieltief Greetsiel to Hinte (15 km, D: 0.90 m, H: 1.60 m)
10th Knockster Tief Hinte to Siel Knock (24 km, D: 2.50 m, H: 1.50 m)
11. Twixlumer Tief Knockster Tief to Emden (9 km,T:1.80 m,height:2 m)
12th Emden city moat (D:2 m, height: 1.70 m)
13th Ems-Jade Canal Emden to Jade near Wilhelmshaven (64 km, D: 1.70 m, H: 1.10 m with closed bridges, otherwise 3.80 m)
14th Fehntjer Tief Emden to Timmel (27 km, D: 1 m, H:2.40 m with open bridges)
15 Ems-Seiten-Kanal Emden to Oldersum (9 km, D: 2 m, H: 4 m). Sections closed or unsuitable for motorised vehicles are shown as fine lines. I
Internet Current information on diving depths, clearance heights and moorings (including tourist information) is also available online: www.nordwestreisemagazin.de/bootstourismus
