Brunsbüttel
Brunsbüttel Schleuse · NOK Eingang West · Kiel Canal West Lock
53°53.5'N 09°08.0'E
Depth
4–8m
Bottom
mud
Alarm Radius
70m
Holding
Good
Recommended Anchor Alarm Radius
70m
70m for the Brunsbüttel inner harbour in 4–8m. Good shelter from the main Elbe current and commercial traffic. The NOK lock area has significant turbulence when ships lock through — move to the far end of the harbour if large ships are locking.
About This Anchorage
Brunsbüttel is where the world's busiest artificial waterway — the Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, NOK) — enters the Elbe. The NOK is 98km long, connects the North Sea and Baltic, and carries 32,000 vessels annually (more than the Panama and Suez canals combined). The western locks at Brunsbüttel are massive — the large lock chamber is 330m x 45m. Yachts use the small lock (Kleine Schleuse) alongside tugs and coasters. The town of Brunsbüttel itself is primarily industrial — oil refineries and chemical plants line the river — but the NOK transit experience more than compensates. The lock waiting harbour is comfortable; the full canal transit takes 8–10 hours. Also here: the Elbe-NOK junction is one of the most commercially intense stretches of waterway in Europe.
Protected From
N · NE · E · SE · S · SW · W · NW
Exposed To
None (fully sheltered)
Anchoring Rules
- Anchoring fee
- Free (waiting harbour); NOK transit fee approx €28–45 for yachts (length-dependent)
- Permit required
- No
Restrictions: VHF 13 Kiel Canal mandatory; NOK transit: maintain 6kt min in canal; no overtaking commercial shipping; keep to starboard; lock times variable — enquire VHF 13; tidal range 3.4m in Elbe.
Hazards
- !Massive commercial ship traffic entering/leaving NOK — supertankers, bulk carriers, LNG tankers; their wash is extreme; stay well clear of the lock approach channels
- !Tidal range 3.4m in Elbe at Brunsbüttel — strong currents in the Elbe; the harbour approach is in the tidal stream
- !NOK lock turbulence — when large ships lock through, significant water movement in inner harbour; use spring lines
- !Monitor VHF 13 (Kiel Canal) at all times when near the locks
- !Chemical industry and LNG terminal adjacent — no smoking in the outer harbour areas near tanker berths
Skipper's Tips
- →NOK canal transit tip: depart Brunsbüttel at first light on a fair tide; the 98km transit to Kiel-Holtenau takes 8–10h; average speed 6–7kt; time to arrive Kiel before dark
- →The small yacht lock (Kleine Schleuse) is far more manageable than the large lock — radio VHF 13 for small craft instructions; yachts are usually locked with other small craft and coasters
- →Stock up on provisions here — the NOK canal has almost no stops; Rendsburg (at the mid-point) has limited facilities; Kiel is the next fully-provisioned stop
- →The NOK bridge at Rendsburg (mid-canal) has a railway transporter bridge (Schwebefähre) — unique in Europe; time your transit to see it in operation
Facilities
Brunsbüttel yacht harbour: chandlery, water, electricity. Town centre (15 min walk): supermarket, restaurants. NOK transit provisions: stock up here before the 98km canal passage.
Nearest provisions: Brunsbüttel town centre (15 min walk) (0.8nm)
Best Months & Season
May, June, July, August, September
May–September for leisure sailing. The NOK is navigable year-round but winter conditions make it uncomfortable. Summer is the best time for the full canal experience.
Recommended Anchor Types
Nearby Anchorages
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