Feeling Small

The route out of Lake Vanern into the Skagerrak at Göteborg is through the Trollhätte Canal. Unlike the delightful old Göta canal, used entirely by tourists, the Trollhätte exists for commercial cargo ships to load and unload goods to the centre of Sweden, and we little sailing yachts are merely tolerated, when the locks aren’t busy.

There are in fact only six locks, but they are huge. By the time we have been lowered, only the top of the mast is above the level of the lock. An 88m cargo ship just fits, and how it manages to manœuvre in without bashing its sides beats me.

Thankfully, we can only wait (two hours this time) until the big ship has passed through. Then it’s our turn …

Whereas the Göta is staffed at each lock and bridge by summer students, the entire Trollhätte is managed centrally with video cameras on every lock and every rail and road bridge crossing. We call on our ships radio, and ask for permission to have the bridge opened, or to use the lock, and then we wait. They really don’t want to stop the traffic in the centre of Sweden’s third city just to let us pass – but they do! To think we have such power. Eventually.

The following day we shared the queue with four of His Majesty’s Warships, and they too took priority, and another two hours to wait. But it’s all very interesting, and at least the two knot current in the river was in our favour.

Our final night in the river was spent on an island under Bohus Fortress, then down river and through the new bridge in the centre of Goteborg (open only at 11:35 precisely for leisure boats) and into the city marina for a day to catch up on laundry and supplies.