Why East Frisia anyway? "It's at the end of the world, where rabbits and foxes say goodnight to each other". But this prejudice is also the greatest advantage of a region where the clocks perhaps go a little slower and the "blessings" of commercial developments progress a little more cautiously than elsewhere. As a result, we drive through unsettled landscapes in the area between the Ems and Jade rivers, whose unspoilt nature is given unmistakable contours by the intense, constantly changing light. That stays in your head.
>>> Via Weser and Hunte to Oldenburg
But progress also leaves behind remarkable images in East Frisia: Only a few of the Dutch windmills, which were mainly used for drainage, remain. All the more impressive are the modern wind turbines for generating electricity that tower over meadows and fields.
And then there are the lively little towns such as Leer, Emden and Aurich. Water sports centres where nobody would expect them, such as Barßel and Timmel. Fehn villages such as Rhauderfehn, Großefehn and Elisabethfehn. Overlooked by flying clouds, we dream of "Frisian freedom" and let our souls dangle.
We approach via the Weser and Hunte. Like the Weser below Bremen, the Hunte is also tidal. So it makes sense to moor at the sports boat jetty in Elsfleth town harbour, visit the small town and its shipping museum (www.schiffahrtsmuseum-brake.de) and wait for the right time to set off for Oldenburg. There is water and electricity at the floating dock. Showers and toilets are located in the "Panorama" restaurant. The "Grand Duchess Elisabeth" is moored at the pier: "Lissi", once a cargo ship, then a coastal motor vessel and finally a three-masted schooner for travelling under sail, is maintained by a school ship association (www.grossherzogin-elisabeth.de).
The bridges on the Hunte are a special topic: the Elsfleth-Orth railway bridge and the Huntebrück lift bridge are movable and open on request (VHF channel 73). Their clearance heights when closed are 4.50 and 4.30 metres respectively at MThw. Bridge gauges are available. Attention at the lift bridge: Experts say that it can be problematic to turn in front of the bridge when the water is moving because of the strong current! The railway bridge in Oldenburg is only 1.9 m high at MThw. It opens nine times a day at fixed times by appointment. Signal: Two long tones or contact via VHF channel 73. You should cross in front of the bridge, but not moor.
We reach Oldenburg a little above. The boats of the Oldenburg Water Sports Club (www.owv-ol.de) are moored in the turning harbour (port side), while the Oldenburg Yacht Club (www.oyc.de) has a floating dock in the city harbour at the traffic jam (right ahead). Both clubs offer water and electricity at the jetty and share a small sanitary block in a residential building at the OWV harbour basin. This is bearable, as both harbours are located directly in the city centre, not far from the castle, now the State Museum of Art and Cultural History. On the harbour promenade opposite, there is a panoramic view of the harbour and delicious food in the restaurant "Der Schwan".
>>> A nice surprise on the coastal canal
Incidentally, both clubs have additional berths in an arm of the Hunte (Neue Hunte) below the Oldenburg lock. On the way there, you have to pass the Cäcilien lift bridge (VHF channel 73), which only has a clearance of 0.5 metres when closed at MThw. Open, it is 3.5 metres higher. The 68 kilometre long, monotonous coastal canal is not really worth mentioning. But: at kilometre 29.3, the Elisabethfehn Canal branches off from the Küstenkanal. It would take us on the shortest route to the Leda and thus to Leer in East Frisia. However, bridge damage in Elisabethfehn makes a through passage impossible for the time being and we have to continue along the coastal canal. The Elisabethfehn Canal remains for the return journey.
At KüK-km 55 we experience a surprise: the cosy harbour of the Yacht Club Surwold (www.yachtclub-surwold.de) at the mouth of the Splitting Canal. The harbour basin, framed by a row of trees, offers 30 berths for boats up to 15 m in length and 1.40 m draught. Water and electricity at the jetty. Showers and toilets are located in the brick clubhouse. There is also a handcart with canisters for the journey to the petrol station at the Netto supermarket on the south side of the canal bridge (600 m). The harbour of WSV Lehe is located in the underwater part of the Dörpen lock in a bay on the north bank in a rural setting, but we are unable to call at it due to time constraints.
We reach the end of the coastal canal via Dörpen lock and enter the Dortmund-Ems Canal. We have reached the tidal Ems in the tailwater of Herbrum lock. Five hours after high tide at Herbrum, the diked banks of the Ems are already full of silt. But it is still just under two hours until low water in Leer, 26 kilometres away, so we will be travelling most of the way down the Ems with the ebb current. Passing Papenburg, where the huge factory halls of the Meyer shipyard dominate the view for a long time, we finally reach East Frisia.
>>> On the Ems and Leda to the "Pearl of East Frisia"
At km 14 we leave the Ems and turn into the Leda, which leads us to the Leer sea lock after two kilometres. Despite fixed times for free pleasure boat locks, the locks are dependent on the water level and you should always obtain up-to-date information for the Leer sea lock (Tel. 0491-927 70 41; VHF channel 13 "Leer Lock"). In addition, the harbour master of the City Marina coordinates the opening of the Dr.-vom-Bruch Bridge (Rathausbrücke) and the Nesse Bridge in the inland port in coordination with the locks.
And another thing: there is a very strong current at the waiting jetty for the sea lock. If the tide turns during the waiting time, lush branches can get caught on the stern of the boat. We experienced this and had a lot to do to get free again. Experts say that the high current speed on the Leda has to do with the deepening of the Ems, which is "thanks" to the transfer of the large cruise ships from the Meyer shipyard.
With its magnificent towers and gables, Leer is not only the "gateway", but for me also the "pearl of East Frisia". So it's no wonder that the popular touring skippers' meeting under the motto "Leer Maritim" is being held for the 35th time this year and that guests are happy to make the longest journeys here.
If there is anything to criticise about the town's marina, it is the clunky wooden fence that runs alongside the promenade between the boat and the walkway and is almost impossible for less athletic water sports enthusiasts to negotiate. However, the infrastructure and location right next to the old town are perfect. And what is not available here, namely a slip and crane, can be found at the Leer Sailing Club, whose harbour lies 300 m above the sea lock, entering the town harbour on the port side.
For tea lovers, a visit to the Bünting Tea Museum is a must (Brunnenstraße 33). If you want to experience a large or small tea ceremony, it is best to book in advance (www.buenting-teemuseum.de). A genuine East Frisian "Teetied" with "Kluntje" (rock candy) and "Wulkje" (cream cloud) is unforgettable. The "Haus Samson" from 1570 is one of the most beautiful houses in Leer. There is a renowned wine shop on the ground floor and a private museum of East Frisian home decor upstairs.
The tidal area of the Leda and Jümme extends from Leer in an easterly direction to Barßel. The southern tributaries of the Leda, the main Fehn Canal as far as Rhauderfehn and the Sagter Ems as far as Strücklingen are also subject to the tide. The Osterhausen lock, above the tributary of the Sagter Ems to the Leda, prevents the Elisabethfehn Canal from also being subject to the tides. The NGFK I lock has the same function for the northern part of the Nordgeorgsfehn Canal, the southernmost part of which between NGFK I and Jümme even falls dry at low tide.
>>> Under the spell of the tides to Barßel
If you want to make the most of the tidal currents in the Leda-Jümme area and have sufficient water depths, you should observe the following rule of thumb: When travelling from west to east (e.g. from Leer to Barßel), you should start at the Leer sea lock about half an hour before the local high tide. In the opposite direction (i.e. from east to west) about one to two hours before the local high tide.
The Leda meanders wildly through flat, green countryside. Difficult passages are marked with spars. A few isolated farms in the vast greenery, nothing else. This is not spectacular, but reassuring. The Potshausen bridge, only 0.6 metres high at NW, opens without further request after timely notification by telephone. In the eastern extension of the Leda, Dreyschloot and Barßeler Tief (buoyed) lead into a lake-like widening of the Soeste: Barßel and the Barßel harbours are reached.
With two club harbours (WSC-Soeste and WSC Poseidon) and a municipal harbour, Barßel in Saterland is a popular water sports centre. Another club harbour is located in Nordloher Tief on the northern edge of the town. However, the WSC Neptun jetty is only accessible from 2 hours before to 2 hours after high tide with a draught of 1 metre. The "Müllerhaus" restaurant next to the Ebkenssche Mühle, a fully preserved Dutch windmill built around 1720, serves regional specialities.
Question of conscience: Is it worth travelling up the Sagter Ems to Strücklingen? Frankly, no. Neither the town nor the somewhat outdated landing stage of the Strücklingen water sports club make this seven-kilometre detour a must. Just under two kilometres from the confluence with the Leda, in the Sagter Ems below the Osterhausen bridge, lies the landing stage of the WSV Elisabethfehn (water, electricity, shower, WC). If you want to spend a night in rural seclusion, this is the place for you.
>>> A detour on the main Fehn Canal
There is no better way to "experience" real Frisian Fehn villages by boat than on a detour along the main Fehn Canal. Although I have to admit that we head for the more beautiful Westrhauderfehn from Ostrhauderfehn in the saddle. Why? Because we literally "didn't get round the bend" at the division of the canal into the west and east arms and got stuck in the mud at the bend into the west arm. We managed to get free again under our own steam, but we felt too uneasy to try again, so we pointed the bow into the east arm - and towards the Ostrhauderfehn lock.
From now on, Günter Lüken was in charge: in real Frisian pig weather, he acted as lock, bridge and harbour keeper and provided us with the only guest berth on the clinkered quay wall of the old turning harbour in Ostrhauderfehn. We get electricity from the neighbouring club ship "Osterfehn" and freshly tapped beer from the "Dampfschiff", the catering steamer also moored in the Wendehafen. It's easy to get over the fact that the nearest sanitary facilities at the motorhome site (Hauptstraße 117) are a good kilometre away. On the other hand, Aldi and a Combi supermarket are just around the corner and the Score petrol station is only 400 m away.
Down the Leda, past Leer, out onto the Ems. The water is calm, west with 3 to 4 Beaufort. There is wind against current and the muddy grey Ems is throwing up short, choppy waves. It's not likely to get any better below the Ems barrage in Gandersum in the direction of Emden. So I call the Oldersum lock (VHF channel 13), which leads into the calm Ems side canal at Ems kilometre 30 and from there via the Borßum lock to my destination, namely the Emden inland port.
"If you step on the gas, you'll come along," promises the lock keeper, and a little later we join the boats already waiting in the lock. "If you want to go to the Emden inland harbour, I'll register you in Borßum," says the friendly lock keeper. "You'll need about an hour". More service is not possible. After exactly 55 minutes, we enter the chamber in Borßum, which is already open, and a little later we enter Emden's industrial harbour.
On the way to the sports boat moorings in the Old Inland Harbour close to the city centre, we encounter another obstacle: the railway and road bridge, which only offer a clearance height of 1.60 m when closed. We are lucky again: the next bridge crossing is in ten minutes. A little later, we moor on the east side of the old inland harbour below the motorhome site. The sanitary building is only 150 metres away. There is also a roadside petrol station at Falderndelfts. Refuelling with a canister could hardly be easier.
>>> Emden and its boiler lock
We are right in the centre: 500 m from the Ratsdelft with the town hall and the lightship "Amrumbank/Deutsche Bank", which houses a museum and restaurant. Opposite: Alter Markt and Stadtgarten, with restaurants, cafés and a good Italian restaurant. During the "Emder Matjestage" (last week in May) and the "Delft & Harbour Festival" (mid-July), things really get going here. Many skippers head for Emden especially for these party days. The Emden Art Gallery is part of the "high culture": the building is a gift from the publisher Henri Nannen and his wife Eske to their home town.
How do you connect four waterways with different water levels for shipping? The answer was found in Emden as early as 1887: With a "round chamber lock" and four smaller chambers branching off from it. If a boat is channelled into the round central chamber via one of these four chambers, it can exit in three directions. This unique structure in Europe is known as the "Kesselschleuse" and is a special attraction.
Falderndelft and Rotes Siel lead from the Old Inland Harbour directly to the Kesselschleuse. The three movable bridges are operated by the harbour master by appointment (0160-3 62 47 44). The Kesselschleuse then offers three travel options: Straight ahead into the Ems-Jade Canal in the direction of Aurich and Wilhelmshaven, northwards (entering on the port side) into the Emden Stadtgraben and the Trecktief in the direction of Hieve, Großes Meer and Marscher Tief to the harbour of the WSV Dre Deep Loppersum, or southwards into the Fehntjer Tief to Timmel.
The trip across the Fehntjer Tief to Timmel is a half-day stage of 26 kilometres. The Boekzetelermeer boating club and the municipality of Großefehn share a harbour basin, which is approached hard to port behind the L 14 road bridge: The club on the east bank and the municipality on the west bank. Both harbours offer water, electricity, sanitary facilities, faeces extraction station and slip - and are also just a stone's throw away from the wonderful bathing beach on the Timmeler Meer, which is also suitable for fishing.
>>> Fehntjer Tief and Great Sea
The Fehntjer Tief is becoming increasingly silted up and only offers a real water depth of 0.8 to max. 0.9 m between Petkumer Klappe (a self-operated bridge) and the A 31 motorway bridge. Hermann Buß, chairman of the boating club, reports with frustration that the state government is aware of the catastrophic situation, but that no-one is prepared to address the causes. The responsible authorities point out that the Fehntjer Tief is primarily used for drainage and that the depth is sufficient for this purpose. The fact is: without dredging, water sports in Timmel will be dead in a few years. This raises the question of whether politicians are prepared to accept this further decline in tourism...
Timmel, Kesselschleuse, Emder Stadtgraben, Trecktief, Hieve (Kleines Meer) and Marscher Tief to the harbour of the WSV Dre Deep: you can cover these 35 km in one day. However, the route only allows boats with a maximum draught of 1 metre and a height of no more than 2.50 metres above the waterline.
But the detour is worth it: at the Kleines Meer, also known as the "Hieve", we pass through a popular leisure and recreation area, on whose lake and canal banks the so-called "Seebuden" guarantee beautiful living by the water. At the exit towards Marscher Tief, the Hieve becomes extremely shallow. The channel, which is only around 1 metre deep, is also very narrow. However, thanks to an initiative by the "Team Wassersport Ostfriesland", this passage has been buoyed since 2013. The Marscher Tief leads through solitude and tranquillity on the edge of the wide reed beds of the "Großes Meer" nature reserve. It may not be motorised.
The idyllically wooded harbour of the WSV Dre Deep Loppersum can be reached a good kilometre north of the Great Sea via the Marscher Tief. The harbour has water, electricity and sanitary facilities in the clubhouse. Please note: The pedestrian bridge over the entrance is 2.55 metres high!
Now the eastern exit of the Kesselschleuse, the Ems-Jade Canal, the most important inland connection between Emden and Wilhelmshaven, is still missing. It was built at the end of the 19th century because Prussia wanted to connect its war harbour Wilhelmshaven, located on Oldenburg territory, by water with East Frisia, which was also Prussian, in order to secure the supply of weapons and ammunition from the Ruhr region. The canal was therefore primarily of strategic military importance. Today, however, it is used almost exclusively for tourism.
>>> The Ems-Jade Canal to Aurich
On the 72-kilometre journey from Emden to Wilhelmshaven, Aurich is not only an important stage destination, but also one worth seeing: the "secret capital of East Frisia", residence of the East Frisian princes for centuries, government capital of the Prussian province of East Frisia from the mid-18th century, seat of the East Frisian district government after the war. Today, Aurich is "only" the seat of the administrative district, but still home to the "Ostfriesische Landschaft", the region's most important cultural institution, which is housed in the Landschaftshaus am Georgswall. You can take a leisurely stroll and shop in the pretty town centre.
Aurich harbour (EJK km 25.5) was completely redesigned a few years ago. The operating harbour of the shipping administration was turned into a pleasure craft harbour with 30 berths in a completely new basin (New Harbour) and berths on a jetty on the south bank of the canal north of the harbour bridge. Water, electricity and sanitary facilities are available. Unfortunately, the faeces extraction system is not accessible for "normal" boats due to the lack of water depth. The highly recommended Balkan restaurant "Jugoslavija" is located directly at the harbour. The supermarket in the "Carolinenhof" (Fischteichweg) is 800 metres away.
The harbour of Wiesens above the lock of the same name (km 32.8) is considered a rural alternative to Aurich. But the village infrastructure is so modest that you really need to know what you're getting into.
The jetty of WSV Marcardsmoor (EJK-km 42.0) (www.wsv-marcardsmoor.de) is ideal if you want to set off on the Nordgeorgsfehnkanal (NGFK) the next morning. This jetty is only 200 metres west of where the NGFK joins the EJK. The jetty, which runs parallel to the bank, is 240 metres long and offers water and electricity connections as well as showers and toilets in the clubhouse. The "Schützenhof" on Wittmunder Straße (600 m) is a simple country inn with rustic food. There is a roadside petrol station right next door and a handcart for transporting canisters at the WSV.
You should book your trip on the Nordgeorgsfehn Canal at least two working days in advance. This is stated on the website of the Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency (www.nlwkn.de).
>>> In convoy on the Nordgeorgsfehn Canal
The registered boats meet at the agreed time at the entrance lock, in this case NGFK VII (Wiesmoor Nord). They pass the NGFK VIII lock, which is always open. Our "convoy" consists of two boats. We set off at 10 a.m., bridges and locks are operated as if by magic. A "Moin" here, a "Moin" there, the warmth of the Fehntj people knows no silly chatter, and by 3 p.m. we have reached the waiting jetty in front of the last canal lock NGFK I in Brückenfehn.
Do you remember? Of course: below this lock, the canal with its connection to the Jümme and Leda is tidal and even dries out at low tide. And so, two hours before low tide, we see a lot of silt and little water in the canal bed below. We have to wait. Fortunately, our "escort boat" is manned by a local skipper who not only knows the waters very well, but also the local operating staff. The lock operator promises a lock for 8 pm, which is around 3 hours before high tide and of course far outside normal operating hours. But: If not now, that would mean waiting another 12 hours for the next high tide, with considerable time consequences for the rest of the trip.
Why? Because there is a road and railway bridge at the end of the NGFK immediately before the entrance to the Jümme in Stickhausen, which is only passable for us at low water and even then only has a clearance height of 2.65 metres! The next low tide in Stickhausen is tomorrow morning at 4.45 am.
It takes us around an hour to get from the lock to the waiting jetty in front of the bridge. It's almost high tide here and we can see the shallow slit between the water and the lower edge of the bridge. Another beer to calm us down, then we turn in. We wake up at four o'clock: it's darker than we had hoped. The bridges ahead can only be guessed at. Our companion is equipped with a solid on-board spotlight and takes the lead. In his wake, we make our way under the bridges. We have no idea how much room we still have to go up.
We reach the Jümme and with it the jetty of the WSC Jümme (www.wsc-juemme.de), which is only 200 metres west of the canal mouth on the north bank. We carefully feel our way towards the jetty with the handheld spotlight. Of course, our guide knows his way around and suggests that we accompany him to the clubhouse with its sanitary facilities. Of course, we gladly accept.
>>> Finally, the Elisabethfehn Canal
Refreshed, we leave the welcoming WSC Jümme at 7am. At 12 noon, the convoy starts in Osterhausen, the entrance lock to the Elisabethfehn Canal, heading for the coastal canal. We don't want to miss this appointment. Ten kilometres of Jümme (against the current) and 16 kilometres of Leda (with the current) lie behind us after a good three hours, with the Elisabethfehn Canal and the Osterhausen lock ahead of us.
The conflict over the preservation of the canal for recreational boating is or was precisely about this lock. As things stand, its future now seems secure: The urgently needed new construction of the Osterhausen lock has cleared all political hurdles. According to the citizens' initiative "Save the Elisabethfehn Canal" (www.elisabethfehnkanal.de), discussions are currently underway as to how the operation of the locks and bridges can be guaranteed in the long term.
Our "convoy", still two boats, starts on time. We leave the East Frisian waters behind us on the shortest conceivable inland route, impressed by the peaceful atmosphere of the Elisabethfehn Canal. Unfortunately, we don't have time to visit the Moor and Fehn Museum in Elisabethfehn (www.fehnmuseum.de) on this trip. Our home harbour in Hamburg is calling!
The busier waterways:
- Lower Hunte Maritime waterway, tide-dependent. Length: 25 km from the mouth of the Weser to Oldenburg. 1 barrage; lowest clearance height (DFH): only movable bridges. Draught: 2.50 m at MTnw. Maximum speed: 10 km/h.
- Coastal canal Inland waterway. Length: 70 km from the junction on the Lower Hunte to the junction with the Dortmund-Ems Canal. Locks 2; DFH 4.58; draught 2.50; speed: 12 km/h.
- Dortmund-Ems Canal Inland waterway; tidal waters below Herbrum lock. Length: 22 km from the mouth of the coastal canal to Papenburg. Locks 2; DFH: 4.52 at HSW; draught: 2.00 m; below Herbrum water level dependent speed: 12 km/h.
- Lower Ems Sea waterway, tide-dependent; length: 40 km from Papenburg to the junction to the Große Seeschleuse/Nesserlander Schleuse in Emden. 1 barrage, no locks; DFH: only movable bridges; draught: water level-dependent; speed: none
- Ems Lateral Canal Inland waterway. Length: 9 km from Oldersum lock to Borßum lock. 2 locks. DFH: 4 m; draught: 1.55 m to 2.00 m depending on water level. Speed: 7 km/h.
- Leda Maritime waterway from the confluence with the Ems to the junction with the Leer sea lock; inland waterway above the junction with the Leer sea lock; length: 25 km from the confluence with the Ems to the confluence with the Sagter Ems; 1 barrage; DFH 3.80 at MThw; 2 movable bridges. Sagter Ems; 1 barrage; DFH 3.80 at MThw; 2 movable bridges. Draught: depending on water level, speed: 7 km/h against current; 10 km/h with current.
- Dreyschlot/Barßeler Tief National waterways. Length 6 km from the confluence with the Sagter Ems/Leda to Barßel. No locks. 1 movable bridge; draught: depending on water level (approx. 0.8 m at NW in Barßel). Vmax 7 km/h against the current; 10 km/h with the current.
- Sagter Ems National waterway. Length 7 km from the confluence with the Leda to WSV Sagter Ems in Strücklingen. DFH 4.0 m at MThw; 1 movable bridge; draught: depending on water level (0.8 m at NW in Strücklingen). Speed: 7 km/h against current; 10 km/h with current.
- Main canal National waterway. Length: 6 km from the confluence with the Leda to Ost- and Westrhauderfehn. DFH: only movable bridges; draught 1.20 at MThw. Speed: 7 km/h against current; 10 km/h with current.
- Fehntjer Deep National waterway. Length: 27 km from Kesselschleuse Emden to Timmel; no locks. Locks; DFH 2.50 m; 2 movable bridges (SB operation). Draught 1.20 m; speed: 5 km/h.
- Emder Stadtgraben/ Hieve/Marscher Tief National waterway. Length: 14 km from Kesselschleuse Emden to Loppersum; DFH 2.50 m; draught 1.00 m; speed: 5 km/h.
- Ems-Jade Canal National waterway. Length: 42 km from Kesselschleuse Emden to Marcardsmoor; 2 locks. DFH 4.00 m (fixed bridge). 12 movable bridges; draught 1.70 m; speed: 6 km/h.
- Nordgeorgsfehn Canal National waterway. Tidal waters below lock NGFK I. Length: 32 km from the junction with the Ems-Jade Canal to the junction with the Jümme. 8 locks. DFH 2.65 m at MTnw. 10 movable bridges. Depth: water level dependent. speed: 6 km/h.
- Jümme National waterway. Length 10 km from the junction of the Nordgeorgsfehn Canal to the junction with the Leda. K. locks, k. bridges. Draught: depending on water level. Speed: 7 km/h against current; 10 km/h with current.
- Elisabeth Fehn Canal Inland waterway. Length: 15 km from the junction with the Sagter Ems to the junction with the coastal canal. 4 locks. DFH 4.00 m. 7 movable bridges. Draught 0.90 m (official). Speed 7 km/h.
