The lock systems of the Kiel Canal are not getting out of the headlines. As the "Kieler Nachrichten" report, last Friday morning a freighter rammed the replacement gate that had just been installed in the large south lock in Kiel-Holtenau. The lock chamber then had to be locked in order to examine the gate for possible damage. Apparently they weren't too big, after about two and a half hours it was clear that the gate could still be opened and closed.
On the other hand, a disaster at the other end of the canal was less harmless. In Brunsbüttel, a bulk carrier collided with the wall of the large south lock there. According to "Kieler Nachrichten", parts of the masonry broke off and fell into the chamber. The salvage of the debris should take place today, Monday. The lock chamber was closed at the weekend.
According to the Brunsbüttel Waterways and Shipping Office, the large northern chamber and the two small locks are currently available for shipping in Brunsbüttel. For sailors, the impairments should therefore be limited.