<\/p>\n
Day 1: Sunday in The Slapy Dam<\/h2>\n
As at the beginning of our each navigation we are taking over a ship. It is Sunday morning. Everything goes easily and after less than an hour we make ourselves at home on the ship deck. Five people and a dog: myself, my wife, our son, two little grandaughters and Ajda The Dog. It is time to introduce our boat: River Boat 26 \u201eOtis\u201c motor yacht, 8 m long, standartly equiped with everything needed for \u201epermanent confortable stay\u201c, usage of 3l DO per hour in max. speed 11 km\/hour. Later we are finding out that the navigational atributes are not bad. Afterwards we finally find time to look around the marina \u2013 The Blue Marina (Modr\u00e1 Lod\u011bnice) in \u017dd\u00e1\u0148 on The Slapy Dam (Vltava – 95 riv. km). We are about to spend there the Sunday night and I must say that this marina is the best one in both provided equipment and services of the ones we visit during our journey.
\nIn the afternoon we spend few hours paddling accross the dam with all the Sunday mummery iverywhere around us: sail-vessels, scows, pedal-boats, liloes, heads\u2026 good slalom training. After getting to know the dam about 15 km against the stream we have not spotted even one useful manmade landing place or marina We findd it rather risky to disembark at the rocky banks or to anchor with another ship. The jetties we passed were all private or meant for holiday water-buses.<\/p>\n\n\t\t
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Day 2: Embargo On Ships At Prague Entrance<\/h2>\n
Second day in the morlning we are sailing of to the dam where we get through an interesting maneuvre \u2013 transporting the ship accross the embankment. Even though everytheing is arranged ahead by the phone we have to wait and hour and call the \u201emaneuvrists\u201c once again before a tractor with a trailer finally appears on the slip and the transportation itself can start. After the ship is fastened onto the trailer platform we set out for kilometr long journey accross a village to the lagoon under the weir. Eventhough this happening is a very new experience, everything works smoothly and fast, we even do not have time to get out of the boat.
\nWe have moved from one pool into another one – The \u0160t\u011bchovice Dam Lake. While navigating through a deep rocky and wooded valley I think about the original settlers of these river banks and their sorrow after watter began to flood Saint-John Streams to bury the place forever. If I was them I would be very upset, but without flooding the original river banks I could hardly sail through this place\u2026really unpleasant quandary. The \u0160techovice dam is deserted, only 7 km long and soon we see a dam crown and a lock. While waiting for getting through we are swiming. Whoa, water temperature is 10 dgrees colder than in The Slapy Dam.
\nTo cope with the height difference of 20 m is easy, the lock is the only one with floating bollards. And it is time to scuddle into Prague! There is a refill station in \u0160t\u011bchovice placed about 100 m far from a jetty on the left bank, but we do not need anything yet. Then we pass \u201etwo-coloured water interfernence\u201c on The S\u00e1zava River and The Vltava River confluence in Davle and without waiting with ease go down locks in Vran\u00e9 nad Vltavou and in Mod\u0159any, than we a home dock-yards of our ship in C\u00edsa\u0159sk\u00e1 louka and look forward to a river-transpor mummery in inner Prague. So far we have kept our speed quite high thanks to the river stream what make us think that we will manage to reach today\u00b4s destination – Nelahozeves. Ther is also a very good anchor in C\u00edsa\u0159sk\u00e1 Louka Yacht Club in Sm\u00edchov Dock Yards.
\nWe are lucky \u2013 Sm\u00edchov lock is not busy and after calling we have to wait only few minutes. It spits us out under The Charles Bridge into a jostle at all possible boats and other vessels, which only reason is to offer the tourists on the deck as many views at the Mother of Towns as possible in the shortest time possible. This leads into a traffic clutter where the big ships are tottering like whirl abouts between three bridges not considering the smaller ones. I wish we were already in \u0160tvanice chamber.
\nIn \u0160tvanice we receive bad news. The Vltava River is \u201eclosed\u201c under Tr\u00f3ja untill tommorrow noon. So we have to \u201elook for accommodation\u201c. We are finding \u201eshelter\u201c in a dock-yard of SC Libe\u0148sk\u00fd ostrov in a public marina Prague-Libe\u0148. If I was asked about my opinion on a services quality and tidiness of the place I would have to say that \u201eone day it might become a quite okay marina with interesting museum of historical vessels on the bank\u201c. But they serve good beer there and it is 47.6 riv. km.<\/p>\n\n\t\t
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Day 3: From Vltava To Labe<\/h2>\n
On Tuesday we set out before 10 A.M. hoping that we might be lucky and a lock in Podbaba might open earlier. But no way \u2013 we will be navigated throught exactly at noon. While the rest of the family is shopping or maybe sitting in confectionery I am thinking if it is possible to navigate all the way to Kol\u00edn and arrive back to Prague by Saturday morning.
\nJust before noon a tow-boat with a cargo tug tears to the lock, the green light turns on and The Vltava River is \u201eopen\u201c again. We follow the tow-boat as our \u201eadvance guard\u201c almost the all day. The river stream leads out ship through a beautiful rocky valley that stretches all the way to Lib\u010dice n.v. In the critical parts, where the fairway narrows and the river is faster, we do not have to pay a lot of attention to checking on the nautical depth because dams on Vltava above Prague are drainning off enough water. We pass lock in Roztoky and Dol\u00e1nky without any waiting due they are ready for our \u201eadvance guard\u201c, we even do not have to inform the stuff ahead. Just in front of Kralupy on the left bank we pass Ka\u010duk Kralupy Club Marina (22.4 riv. km.) and a bit furher Lobe\u010dek Marina (21 riv.km.) Both sport dockyards provide \u201eaccomodation\u201c for guests.
\nAfter reaching Mi\u0159ejovice lock on time I know that we will make it all the way to The Labe River. Under The Vra\u0148any Weir The Ho\u0159\u00edn Canal branches off. This canal is 10 km long and so narrow that a nautical sign forbids overtaking and passing ships. If you do not hav a radio station it is recommendable to call the Ho\u0159\u00edn lock to find out about possible ships in the opposite direction and use the wider passing points on the canal. Our speed stabilizes on 10 km\/h so it takes us 50 min to spot a M\u011bln\u00edk castle silhouette that means that the canal is coming to its end.
\nI have always liked a double lock in Ho\u0159\u00edn mainly for its seeming of historical architecture but I have never had chance to see it from a ship. Nine metres of difference in hight is even nowadays appreciable in Czech circumstances. It is almost 6 p.m. that means our ship together with one sailing-vessel is propably the last round of today.
\nWe se another 800 metres and\u2026vow \u2013 The Labe Riv. on the right! We, the Kol\u00edn people, are finally on our own river. Two km furher se reach a place we had chosen to stay overnight \u2013 a dock-yard and former lock Hlad\u00edk. Even though there are some old vessels anchored, the workers fixing them welcome us kindly and allow us to anchor onto a giant tow-boat.<\/p>\n\n\t\t
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Day 4: Kol\u00edn Marathon<\/h2>\n
Olb\u0159\u00edstv\u00ed, Lobkovice, Kostelec n.L., Brand\u00fds n.L., \u010cel\u00e1kovice \u2013 five of thirteen lock on 84 km of waterway we have to tackle todayf if we want to anchor in Sandberg Marina in Kol\u00edn tonight. Let\u00b4s go for it!
\nFirst thing we do today is \u201ebooking a term\u201c in Ob\u0159\u00edstv\u00ed lock by phone. The Labe Riv. is not busy today so everything proceeds smoothly. Eventhough my phone book contains phone numbers for all the other locks on our way, we actually do not need them\u2026 Thanks to the kindness of people working on the locks the greenwave is set up for us and we can decide us wheather we use this or not. We appreciate it and go with the wave.
\n\u201eSmall\u201c Labe compare to \u201elarge\u201c Vltava is quite an \u201eeasy\u201c river, fully canalized and with help of locks we are climbing \u201efrom a pool to another one\u201c. The crew can pay its full attention to looking at the countryside. Labe flows calmly through soother lowlands and the only elements that might spoil the idyll are chemical factories that surround the river in few places. We learnt in german industrial areas that buildings of chemical industry turn their more affable face to the river side and today confirms the experience. We pass Brand\u00fds n.l., Lys\u00e1 n.L., Nymburk, Pod\u011bbrady \u2013 all these places have an interesting history and offer interesting sights to visit\u2026
\nBecause we know these places from our onland trips, we whirl through without stopping. Even here the magical hour for getting through the locks without complications is 6 p.m. It seems that we will not make the last one, Kol\u00edn lock, today. In Nymburk we almost give up \u2013 it is really too late for us to be in Kol\u00edn on time \u2013 but after phoning the stuff working there today\u00b4s shift and explaining the situation, especially after stressing that we are \u201epatriotic Kol\u00edners\u201c, they decide that the lock will stay open untill we pass through. This happens at 6:40 p.m. and at 7 p.m. we anchor in Sandberg Marina by friends. It has been a day full of hard work today!<\/p>\n\n\t\t
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Day 5: Resting<\/h2>\n
Our plan: morning in Sandberg \u2013 swimming, shopping in Kol\u00edn, bringing barrels with fuel, afternoon \u2013 to set out for journey back and stay over night wherever we get to. Simply today is a calm day. Early in morning, after the lock operators come to work, we are heading down\u2026with navigation all the way to Nelahozeves on Vltava River ahead. This day navigation is going to be tough. The river stream seems too strong for the strenghs of our vessel. Pass the Mi\u0159ejovice weir it starts to be really strong. Pillars of closed bridge above Kralupy n.L. are beginning of a notorious Chvat\u011bruby river gut. This test will decide if we manage to clamber all the way up to Prague. <\/p>\n
\nMarina in Sandber is miles around the best dock-yard on the middle Labe Riv., actually we could say the only one. Following a river branch on riv. km 86 after navigating through 300 m long canal we get into a lake formed after sand mining, where the marina is seated. There are jetties, drinking water, electricity, refreshment, water skiing avaible, but it is apart from \u201ecivilisation\u201c \u2013 more on www.sandberk.wz.cz<\/a>.
\nAfter lunch we follow the river stream down to Pod\u011bbrady to find out if there are any other possibilities to anchor than just to berth to the river bank. While passing Kol\u00edn lock we once again thank for yesterday and carry on along for Kol\u00edners so well known river banks and head out of the town. All the way to Pod\u011bbrady we know the river as our own backyard and eventhough we are trying really hard we can not spot any anchorage. Only on riv. km. 75 at the confluence with Cidlina riv. anchorage is possible if you are carefull, but it is nothing that great. And what about Pod\u011bbrady, famous spa resort, very attractive for turists, is there anywhere to stop? The landing place next to a castle is meant only for a steam boat Kr\u00e1l Ji\u0159\u00ed (King George) that provides tours for tourists.
\nThere is a big chance for holiday \u201ecanal boating\u201c in Nymburk \u2013 a total reconstruction of a harbour right under the town fortification walls is finnishing. It should not be a problem to adapt a part of it for an ideal sport harbour. Let\u00b4s wait if someone realises this idea. On riv.km. 55.5 (Drahelice) you can stay over night anchored onto a high mole of \u201ean abandoned industrial areal\u201c but actually without a chance to get out of the ship.
\nOther opportune anchorages that are marked on nautical maps are hardly to be used \u2013 for instance the one on riv.km. 51 and others. If we wanted to visit very interesting \u201eBotanicus\u201c in Ostr\u00e1 or a castle in Lys\u00e1 nad Labem, we would not find a place to wharf. The next anchorage is in Brand\u00fds n. L. just befor a lock. The mooring is good and very long , but of course without any equipment and next to a public road. We stay there over night. In morning we passing a club marina under the lock. We do not ask if there is chance to anchor for non-clubers, but the marina does not seem like one that welcomes tourists.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/figure>
\n\t\t\tDay 6: By friends in Nelahozeves<\/h2>\n
\nAlso this part of Labe River does not offer pleanty of chances to anchor. It would be good if the marina in an old gravel pit lake \u201eborek\u201c allowed was open aldo for public, not only vessels of one particular sport club. And after observing an entrance into an old harbour of a sugar factory in Kostelec nad Labem we can not help ourselves to stop thinking how easily the old \u201eretired\u201c harbour could be converted into a place offering its servises for a sport navigation.
\nThis time we pass a confluence with Vltava riv. without dissembling and enjoy our Labe cruise admiring view at beautiful M\u011bln\u00edk panorama. And soon after we are again on Vltava riv., actually on the Ho\u0159\u00edn lateral canal. There are some opportunities to cop, the best one on riv.km. 5 in the Chramostek dock \u2013 but again without any equipment.
\nSailing into Vltava river predicts troubles. The news that the dams above Prague will release bigger quantity of water are confirmed. The river stream is considerably stronger and the level of water highr than on our way to Kol\u00edn. Our spead sharply decreases and tomorrow it will be worse.
\nBut we are leaving the Mi\u0159ejovice lock and finally can see the Nelahozeves castle with a construction of a new sport areal with a marina beeing built on the river bank under the historical sight. On a jetty our friend Petr Ko\u017een\u00fd is catchingour sheet cable. He is the person that is \u201ecreating\u201c the all project. So a part of today\u00b4s anchorage is a detailed guided tour through the already built part of marina and then long chat on a ship board over a bottle of wine, mainly about other plans and navigations.If you want to know more, look at www.pristavnelahozeves.cz<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/span><\/figure>
\n\t\t\tDay 7: Fighting against the stream and a good ending<\/h2>\n
\nThe increasing river speed makes me feel like the ship was standing still, eventhough the engine is working on its maximum. The river banks on sides are moving very slowly. I recorded comments of the crew: !…we are standing on a spot\u2026\u201c,\u201c\u2026vow, we have moved a bit\u2026\u201c, \u201e\u2026I will have to turn back\u2026\u201c, \u201e\u2026do not give up\u2026\u201c, \u201e\u2026we are reversing\u2026\u201c\u201e\u2026it seems we are gaining speed\u2026\u201c, \u201ewe might tackle this\u2026\u201c. This one kilometr of the river took us almost fourty minutes. But it is over.
\nFinally we are swinging over the Dol\u00e1nky lock and have chance to \u201etake a rest\u201c. Next two locks we are passing in \u201ehigh speed\u201c of 3 km\/hour and a calm river above a Podbaba chamber gives us forget all the troubles. Once again we have chance to enjoy cruising through Prague. I have navigated through many towns and citiesb but I can say that Prague viewed from \u201efrog \u00b4s-eye view\u201c is unique.
\nNavigation through a Sm\u00edchov lock is a very special experience. In a line there are four vessels waiting: three tourist ship, a paddle steamer \u0160umava and we. From the opposite direction few ships and a huge ship Vy\u0161ehrad. At the end we take place in the lock right next to \u0160umava expecting the moment when the steamer smashes us against the lock walls\u2026But if it was not fot this kind of stories, wouldthere be anything to write about?
\nWe return the ship in Cind on The C\u00edsa\u0159sk\u00e1 Louka (The Emperror Meadow) and\u2026.next time we will follow Vltava all the way down to T\u00fdn.
\nAhoyyy!<\/p>\n