1/3 of Germany: Dortmund–Ems Canal (DEK) 🇩🇪
The Northern third of Germany 🇩🇪: the Dortmund–Ems Canal (DEK) 🇩🇪
Haren is a small town in Germany, located on the Ems river. It is a popular destination for boaters and tourists, with a charming old town and a variety of shops and restaurants. The town is also home to the Haren Marina, which offers mooring facilities for boats of all sizes.
From Haren, you can access the Dortmund–Ems Canal (DEK), which is a major waterway in Germany that connects the cities of Dortmund and Emden. The canal is approximately 269 kilometers long and is used for both commercial and recreational boating. It passes through several towns and cities along the way, including Münster, Datteln, and Rheine, and offers a scenic route for boaters to explore the German countryside.
One of the highlights of boating on the DEK is the opportunity to see the historic locks and bridges that line the canal. The locks are used to raise and lower boats as they navigate the canal, and many of them are still in operation today. The bridges that cross the canal are also a sight to see, with some of them dating back to the 19th century.
Overall, Haren and the Dortmund–Ems Canal offer a unique and enjoyable boating experience for those looking to explore the waterways of Germany. Whether you're a seasoned boater or a first-time visitor, there is something for everyone to enjoy along this scenic route.
Technically, at the German side of the HRK, you have the same situation as in The Netherlands:
- Going North on the Dortmund–Ems Kanal to Emden
- Going South on the Dortmund–Ems Kanal to Dortmund
Alias for the Dortmund–Ems Kanal is DEK
Both routes have their charmes and options. The route North takes you to the connection of the Küstenkanal near Dörpen, or to Herbrum, where you go from fresh to salt water at the lock. Further North you can enter the Leda, or take other connections inland towards the east and finally end up on the Dollard, where you can get to Emden or Delfzijl.
The route South takes you to Dortmund, and from there even further into Germany. Along the DEK there are other canals connecting, taking you further east. And using this route you can also reach the Rhine river to head back to The Netherlands.
Heading North
This image is copyright of "T H".
Lock Herbrum 2008
In 2008, only the east basin of Lock Herbrum was available. Now the west basin is in use.
The old lock and pleasure craft
As you can see on the picture, the old chamber of the lock was not very "pleasure craft"
friendly. Actually, it was even more pleasure craft unfriendly than the other
locks on the DEK. In 2008, only the eastern lock chamber at Herbrum Lock was in operation.
Today, the western lock chamber is in use, while the old one has been closed and completely
filled with earth. The former lock chamber was extremely unfriendly to recreational boating.
As can be seen in the photograph, the lock was clearly designed for commercial shipping.
The other locks, with their coarse sheet pile walls and almost no bollards, were and still are not particularly pleasant for pleasure craft either, but this lock was a real challenge. This was especially true because the lock transitions from fresh water to salt water. This has surprised many boat owners making this passage for the first time.
Salt water is heavier than fresh water and therefore enters the lock beneath the fresh water. As a result, the fresh water pushes vessels toward the salt water side, creating a current inside the lock that runs from aft to forward. Most people expect the current to come from ahead. Not in this lock.
As can also be seen in the photograph, there was very little opportunity for pleasure craft to secure themselves properly due to the lack of bollards. In 2008, Erwi was therefore secured on the right side of the photograph, to the wooden structure in the right foreground. With considerable effort and improvisation, it was possible to keep Erwi in position. It was far from ideal.
Fun Fact: The moment you are coming up the EMS from the DOLLARD and heading for Dörpen, you will enter lock Herbrum. See also the route of the Canicula where they take the HRK to Haren and then the DEK to Herbrum. And from Herbrum to Ditzum.
Heading south
When heading south, you are heading towards connections that taken you further into the eastern parts of Germany, like the "Mittellandkanal" all the way to the Elbe river. Or going to Munster, connecting to the Datteln-Hamm-kanal that brings you to (obvious) Hamm, and connecting at Datteln to the Rhein-Herne-kanal. The Rhein-Herne-kanal will take you to the Rhine river at Duisburg (obviously).
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