Locks of the Danube Rhine system

Tuesday 22nd May

Something about Locks, those that you find on a river or canal system.
During our cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam we were to pass through many Locks. They were invented by the Chinese in the 10th Century, the Dutch also used them in the 13th Century.
Similar locks are used today to raise and lower shipping from one level to another in the Panama canal, The Great Lakes USA and rivers and Canals around the world.
A ship traveling upstream which needs to be raised to the next level, usually at a dam wall across a river or canal, sails into the lock at the lower level, the gates behind it are closed, water from the higher level is then run into the lock which raises the ship to this higher level, gates at the higher level end are opened and the ship sails onwards, for ships traveling downstream the reverse applies.

During our cruise we were to pass through 68 Locks.
Danube:-  Budapest to Main Danube Canal -  810 klms. 16  locks.
Main Danube Canal:- 175 klms.
Main River:- 385 klms.  34 Locks.
Rhine River:- 420 klms.  16 Locks.
Rhine Amsterdam Canal:- 75 klms. 2 Locks.
Total klms.  1865.
The heights that the above Locks raised and lowered our ship at any one time ranged from around 3 meters to 25 meters.
Over the whole trip Budapest - Amsterdam the ship was raised by Locks  around 350 meters to pass over the Alps and then lowered around this height on the remainder of the journey to Amsterdam.
So much for the locks on this trip of which the majority were usually passed at night, however many of the passengers aboard we're often heard to say "ABL" coming.
(Another bloody lock).
From Crackers the Eagle.