Navigating the River Danube

(article to be completed)

I have been doing some research into the sailing conditions etc on the Danube. I have had difficulty finding definite legal restrictions for things like vessel size and water speed, so if anyone does have/find any such figures please let us know!



Water speed-

The Danube is between 100-200 m and 2 km wide in its lower section. It flows along peaceably. Not more than 5 km an hour on average. The waters from the Alps, the Carpathians and the Balkan mountains feed it as it meanders between towns, forests, vineyards and fields of cereal crops. Thanks to a flow of 6,850 m3 per second, it can be navigated by the largest of vessels after Ratisbonne. Fifty cruise ships and convoys more than 350 m long transport dozens of tonnes of merchandise per year, pass each other in this water course which also provides colossal amounts of hydroelectric energy for Austria and Hungary and especially for Serbia and Romania, which share the power station at the "Iron Gate". This channel, which is 80 m wide and 3 m deep over 2,200 m, has been hollowed out of the rocks referred to as the Iron Gate (the name given to the Djerdap gorge which separates the Balkans from the Transylvanian Alps) to eradicate forever the reefs which, for centuries, had hindered international navigation on the Lower Danube. This gorge has made it possible to link East and West.

http://cruise.croisieurope.com/cruise/european-rivers/danube/river-story.html

"There are unfortunately many channels in the danube. From start of the bulk shipping street in Kehlheim, the locks have again larger distances. Strong current changes with back-ups before the obstruction walls. Behind Vienna only 2 channeling, from there it is possible to travel freely and fluently to the iron gate at the Romanian boundary. Before Budapest and behind Belgrade, one must reckon with violent Fallwinden. Covered boats are then unconditionally necessary. "

http://www.werow.com/mod.php?mod=guide&op=show&postfix=donau&lang=ENG

Hungary 6-7 Km/h
http://kation.elte.hu/e/acidrain.htm

Climate, Landscape, Pollution etc

a great website from the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) giving information on the Danube in various sections, including info on climate, pollution, landscape and water flow
-http://www.icpdr.org/icpdr-pages/home.htm

http://www.blacksea-commission.org/main.htm

http://www.grid.unep.ch/activities/global_change/danube.php

Locks, dams and bridges

The height of locks along the Danube--

http://www.doris.bmvit.gv.at/en/services/locks/locks_anlong_the_danube/

Sectioning

* Upper Section: From spring to Devín Gate. Danube remains a characteristic mountain river until Passau, with average bottom gradient 0.0012%, from Passau to Devín Gate the gradient lessens to 0.0006%.
* Middle Section: From Devín Gate to Iron Gate. The riverbed widens and the average bottom gradient becomes only 0.00006%.
* Lower Section: From Iron Gate to Sulina, with average gradient as little as 0.00003%.

(http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Danube_River)

The Path of the Danube-descriptive

As I said, I have had difficulty in finding specific widths and depths so far but I'm sure they are out there so feel free to add.

General Description of the Danube's path through Europe
http://www.cruisingholidays.co.uk/river/blacksea/index.htm

With an overall length of over 1800 miles, the River Danube flows from
its source in the Black Forest of Germany through eight countries to
the Black Sea - it is the only major European river to flow from west
to east.

From Nuremberg the Main-Danube Canal leads to the River Danube. The
river flows through Austria to its capital Vienna and on to Budapest
in Hungary.

From Budapest the Danube flows south through the Hungarian plains, and
then turns east through Serbia.

The river passes through Belgrade with its ancient streets and
Kalmegdan fortress above the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers.
The scenery becomes dramatic and the life more rural.

After passing through the spectacular ‘Iron Gate’, a dramatic Danube
gorge between the Carpathian and Balkan mountains, the river forms a
natural border between Bulgaria and Romania on its way to the Black
Sea.

http://www.werow.com/mod.php?mod=guide&op=show&postfix=donau&lang=ENG

a website detailing water conditions along the river-key is in German

http://www.romaniatourism.com/danube.html. - a useful guide to boating on the Danube in Romania-includes a description of a river boat trip terminating at the black sea

http://www.danube-cooperation.com/library/2004montalenti.htm

Another description of a trip fown the danube to the black sea. Some useful book titles mentioned here-

The Danube - A River Guide by Rod Heikell - Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson
The Danube - a river's lure, Yachting guide 2003 - Danube Commission
Pleasure Navigation on the River Danube by R.W. Cooper - Conference Nov 13-14 2003 E' Oriente by Paolo Rumiz - Feltrinelli
Danubio by Claudio Magris - Garzanti
Back Door to Byzantium by Bill, Laurel Cooper - Sheridan House

Boating Info

http://www.cabri-volga.org/DOC/EG4/ManualDanubeNavigation.pdf.
sailing manual for vessels on the danube

http://www.dpc-belgrade.rs/project_mutand.htm#THE%20DANUBE%20WATERWAY%20AS%20A%20TRANSPORT%20RESOURCE
-project mutland- MUTAND - MUltimodal TraANsport on the Danube River

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-European_transport_networks

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCP/is_1_23/ai_76549192/.

I am currently looking into

a) Specific measurements necessary (max and min) for vessels travelling down the Danube

b) Boating forums

c) Rules regarding Matriculation and Boat Captains

OK so that is where I am at the moment, as I have said twice now and will say again to reaffirm PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EDIT

Before I finish for now I will mention two more useful websites:

http://www.donauschifffahrt.info/en/

-a website detailing navigation along the Danube (though I have not yet succeeded in finding actual data)

http://www.osce.org/documents/eea/2008/01/29416_en.pdf

-the economic importance of the Danube Region

Et voila, for now
Samantha Penn


http://www.via-donau.org/en/