Kiel
Kiel Fjord · Kieler Förde · Kiel-Düsternbrook
54°19.4'N 10°09.1'E
Depth
3–8m
Bottom
mud
Alarm Radius
70m
Holding
Good
Recommended Anchor Alarm Radius
70m
70m for the fjord anchorage in 3–8m. Excellent mud holding — anchor will set easily. Baltic tidal range 0.1–0.3m means depth remains almost constant. In E or NE conditions, the fjord provides good shelter from the west shore — the fetch across the fjord is only 3km.
About This Anchorage
Kiel is Germany's most important sailing city — the venue for the 1936 and 1972 Olympic sailing events, home of Kieler Woche (the world's largest sailing event, last week of June), and the capital of Schleswig-Holstein. The Kiel Fjord (Kieler Förde) is a 17km-long Baltic inlet with excellent sailing conditions and deep, sheltered water. The German Navy (Deutsche Marine) has its main Baltic base here, and the Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) — the world's busiest artificial waterway — enters the Baltic at Kiel-Holtenau. The city was almost entirely destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in a functional but uninspiring 1950s style — but the waterfront, museums (Kieler Stadtmuseum, Schleswig-Holstein Landesmuseum), and the Fjord all compensate. Full urban services: chandleries, marine engineers, haul-out, provisioning.
Protected From
S · SW · W · NW · N
Exposed To
E · NE
Anchoring Rules
- Anchoring fee
- Free (fjord anchorage); marina fee approx €18–25/night
- Permit required
- No
Restrictions: Kieler Woche (last week June) — AVOID unless participating; naval base areas: do not enter; Kiel Canal entrance (Holtenau) — VHF 13; commercial shipping in inner harbour; speed limit in Kiel Hafen approaches.
Hazards
- !Kieler Woche (last week June) makes harbour and approaches dangerously congested — 3,000 racing boats, spectator vessels, and cruise ships; avoid this week unless participating
- !German Navy naval base — exclusion zones strictly enforced; marked on charts; do not approach
- !Kiel Canal (NOK) entrance at Holtenau — large commercial traffic; monitor VHF 13; do not obstruct the entrance
- !Commercial shipping and ferries to Norway/Sweden in the inner harbour — monitor AIS
- !Baltic water level varies with wind: strong E winds raise level 0.5m; strong W winds lower it
Skipper's Tips
- →The Kiel sailing Olympic legacy: the Schilksee Olympic Sailing Centre (8nm north of city) still has the Olympic harbour — visit for the museum and to see where Sailing history was made in 1972
- →Kiel Canal transit: if crossing to/from the North Sea, the 98km NOK canal is a remarkable industrial experience — plan 1 full day; book lock passages in advance via NOK Canal Authority
- →The Kiellinie waterfront walk (3km) from the Seebadeanstalt to the ferry terminal passes the Naval Memorial (Marinedenkmal), museums, and the best views of the fjord
- →The Aquarium at GEOMAR (Leibniz-Institut für Ozeanforschung) is free and has the finest Baltic Sea marine life display in Germany — 30 minutes walk from the main harbour
- →For crew changes: Kiel Hauptbahnhof (10 minutes walk from the waterfront) has direct ICE trains to Hamburg (50 minutes) and onwards — the most convenient crew change port in the German Baltic
Facilities
Full city services: chandleries, marine engineers, haul-out yard, supermarkets. Kiel waterfront (Kiellinie) has restaurants and cafes. Kiel has Germany's best sailing equipment shops.
Nearest provisions: Kiel city centre (10 min walk) (0.5nm)
Best Months & Season
May, June, July, August, September
May–September. Kiel is the gateway to the German Baltic — most Baltic sailing circuits begin and end here. Avoid the last week of June (Kieler Woche). The fjord sailing in May and September is excellent with fewer boats.
Recommended Anchor Types
Nearby Anchorages
Set Your Anchor Alarm to 70m
In the Baltic fjords, wind-driven water level changes and boat traffic make overnight anchor monitoring important. Safety Anchor Alarm monitors your GPS position continuously.
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