Rhine water levels

[casp42]

Did you know that you can monitor ships whereabouts online? This link will let you see where the S.S. Antoinette is.

 

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=269057366

 

This works for other ships too :)

Thanks for the website. We're on GCT River Rhapsody June 10th from Basel and saw it's progress from Antwerp--looking good so far and weather forecast sounding good. Can't wait! Any info is helpful. Thanks

[willcodeforfun]

Keep your fingers crossed and your thoughts positive - the forecast for Cologne and Koblenz tomorrow is a 90% chance of heavy rain (according to http://www.weather.com).

 

Come on rain!!!

[nancycoop1]

Most of the stops on the Rhine cruise are showing rain for several days next week - YAY.

[willcodeforfun]

That is so exciting! Really really hoping!!

[steamboats]

We do have some severe thunderstorms in our forecast for today (up to 100 l per sqm).

 

Two days ago a river cruise ship got stuck on the Elbe river blocking the channel there. All pax left the ship with the help of an excursion vessel. The Elbe river does not have any locks on the German part. So there´s no way to control the depth of the channel. Usually there you get problems first when the water is low.

 

steamboats

[willcodeforfun]

Thank you for that news about the Elbe, steamboats... Is there a website anywhere that tells the real-time water level on the Rhine?

[nancycoop1]

Steamboats - thanks so much for the continued info. It is so nice of you to let us know what is going on with the rivers. Please keep advising us of river conditions.

[willcodeforfun]

Does anyone have any more news about the rain in past day or so -- did it help at all with water levels?

 

Many thanks to everyone who has taken trouble to post information -- bree28, I certainly hope I didn't offend you, I really do appreciate your help!

[euro cruiser]

Weatherunderground reports that just under a half inch of rain fell today in the area of Cologne/Koblenz/Luxembourg.

[willcodeforfun]

Thanks for the update, euro_cruiser...

[steamboats]

It´s currently raining in Munich and we had some heavy rain and thunderstorms yesterday. But it´s definitely too early to tell anything about the river levels. And I do think it´s not enough to have a major effects on the river levels.

 

It´s gonna be dry and warmer by tomorrow.

 

steamboats

[euro cruiser]

It´s currently raining in Munich and we had some heavy rain and thunderstorms yesterday. But it´s definitely too early to tell anything about the river levels. And I do think it´s not enough to have a major effects on the river levels.

On the plus side, at least it didn't get any worse yesterday.

 

We leave today for Luxembourg and board the AMA Legro in Remich on Friday.

[willcodeforfun]

Thank you for the update, steamboats. Sounds like euro_cruiser should be all set hopefully! We have to make the decision about whether to cancel our trip by a week from tomorrow, and it's going to be a real nail-biter. I'm a first-time cruiser and naively never researched the question of water levels before we booked the trip, and now I'm understanding that water levels can often be an issue, whether too low or too high, and there will never be a guarantee that if we rebooked our Rhine trip, Mother Nature would cooperate and nicely fill the Rhine to the right level for us...

[nancycoop1]

Thank you for the update, steamboats. Sounds like euro_cruiser should be all set hopefully! We have to make the decision about whether to cancel our trip by a week from tomorrow, and it's going to be a real nail-biter. I'm a first-time cruiser and naively never researched the question of water levels before we booked the trip, and now I'm understanding that water levels can often be an issue, whether too low or too high, and there will never be a guarantee that if we rebooked our Rhine trip, Mother Nature would cooperate and nicely fill the Rhine to the right level for us...

 

We have taken many river trips and they have always worked out. The weather forecast is showing about 5 days of rain later next week, so I really do believe the river levels will be fine. Enjoy

[willcodeforfun]

Thanks, Nancy!

 

It really does sound like concerns about the Rhine are easing day by day (I went and looked for the SS Antoinette on the vessel finder, but it wasn't in range). Google News fed me this article, which is about coal supply:

http://www.steelguru.com/raw_material_news/Steam_coal_supply_concerns_ease_in_Germany/207441.html

 

I figure coal industry folks are at least as preoccupied with the weather as I am, and if they're not so worried, then I probably shouldn't be so worried either!

[steamboats]

The rain here in the South added some water to the Danube river which is now showing a regular level (but that can change when this water is gone downriver).

 

The freight ships draw more water than a river cruise ship. So they have to take on less freight not to sit in the water too deep. The river cruise ships are usually the ones having problems as the last ones (only excursion vessels are drawing less water). Freight ships are usually the first ones which are getting problems.

 

The Rhine river got some water too. But it´s sort of a wave. As of today the Upper Rhine river is showing falling levels while the Lower Rhine river is still showing raising levels (area around Cologne). That means the water which came down in the Alps made it´s way to Cologne and is going downriver. It´s just a wave rolling down the river but nothing which adds a substantial amount of water to the river levels.

 

steamboats

[nordski]

The rain here in the South added some water to the Danube river which is now showing a regular level (but that can change when this water is gone downriver).

 

The freight ships draw more water than a river cruise ship. So they have to take on less freight not to sit in the water too deep. The river cruise ships are usually the ones having problems as the last ones (only excursion vessels are drawing less water). Freight ships are usually the first ones which are getting problems.

 

The Rhine river got some water too. But it´s sort of a wave. As of today the Upper Rhine river is showing falling levels while the Lower Rhine river is still showing raising levels (area around Cologne). That means the water which came down in the Alps made it´s way to Cologne and is going downriver. It´s just a wave rolling down the river but nothing which adds a substantial amount of water to the river levels.

 

steamboats

Thanks for the clear description of the issues. Your expertise is really appreciatwd

[willcodeforfun]

Ditto -- thank you very much for helping us understand, steamboats. I guess my optimism was unwarranted.

[willcodeforfun]

But, I think I finally figured out how to use the website that bree28 linked to -- up till today, I was just clicking there and seeing that it was "not in range", and I finally understood that I can click to the "live map" and see that the SS Antoinette is making its way down the Rhine toward Amsterdam. So, since there is some cloudy weather forecast for the next week or so and maybe some rain for the Rhine area, perhaps it's not going to get worse in the Rhine at least? So maybe I can go back to being optimistic? Anyone have an opinion?... I've been dreaming about this trip for literally years now!

[49er]

This website might be of interest and also contains other news worthy items from Germany.

 

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20110603-35443.html

 

49er

[willcodeforfun]

Thank you, 49er, that does sound like some potentially good news for water levels? Or at least for their not getting lower this weekend.

[steamboats]

As for Munich we have clear blue skies, hot temps and of course it´s sunny. Some thunderstorms are in the forecast today...

 

steamboats

[49er]

Stayed at this Best Western in Boppard a few years ago. Good views of the Rhine from their webcam. Nice rainy day there today:-)

 

http://www.bellevue-boppard.de/videos

 

49er

[willcodeforfun]

Oh, 49er, you just made me so happy -- it's wonderful just to look at that one place and see boats going along the Rhine with rain falling on them :) :) :)

 

I note that our boat, the SS Antoinette, has now made it to Dusseldorf since yesterday. I'm so encouraged. I don't know what I'd do without this thread to feed my obsession!

[49er]

We are taking a Uniworld cruise (European River Romance on the River Princess) in August and hope the levels on the Mosel, Rhine, an Main rivers will be good. You just have to hope for the best. Have a wonderful trip and in the meantime we can watch the Rhine go by with this web cam:-)

 

49er

 

PS. If you ever get back to this part of Germany, I highly recommend this place. Boppard is wonderful little town and this hotel is ideally situated right on the river.