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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat
    Troy's Avatar
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    Canoe Trip along the Danube

    One of my wife's friends happened to mention she had picked mussels in the Danube and that was enough reason for us to have to do the trip ASAP. The result was the impulse buy of an Itiwit 100x+ inflatable canoe to go with the 3 man canoe her friend owns. To be honest, I was a bit anxious about this little venture, the wife is a weak swimmer and the Danube is a big river. However, since we had already had a paddle in the sea off Croatia last year, and I found some life jackets, I decided all would be okay.

    The trip along the Danube is not far from where we live, from Vohburg to Kelheim:

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-v2k-jpg

    To make it a little easier, we drove to the start point and dropped off the canoes and then drove to the end and left one car there. The start and end points are quite popular, with beer gardens for sailors and spectators to enjoy the sunshine.

    The inflatable canoe was pretty simple to put together and inflate, took about 10 minutes. We then lashed it to the main rigid canoe to add stability and make things a little safer.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-vohburg_start-jpg

    We just lashed them together with the straps used to attach the canoe to the car. It was a lovely sunny day and lots of people were out to enjoy the river. I was surprised to see very few people with life jackets, the river looks inviting and peaceful but things can go very wrong, very quickly, in my experience. So better safe than sorry.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-set_off-jpg

    Suitably lashed, off we set and the river looks deceptively calm. The current is actually quite strong and we are just drifting along without paddling at a little over walking pace.

  2. #2
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    Along this stretch of the river, the authorities have put in rocks along the bank about every kilometer in order to attract more fish with breeding grounds. It means that there are eddies created and these can be quite dangerous so it's best to avoid and give the a wide berth.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-bank_rocks-jpg

    It's nice to have someone familiar with the river along for the first trip. After an hour or so we reached a small sand bank where there are a lot of fresh water clams.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-first_stop-jpg

    The wife and friend were happy here, in the shallows, finding clams but no fresh water mussels.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-foraging_clams-jpg

    and it wasn't long before we stopped again for a second collection.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-second_stop-jpg

    As well as the canoes, we also had a tractor inner tube towed behind. It was a great place to sit on such a hot day but was also an extra piece of safety in case someone fell in accidently or the canoes overturned.

    Plenty of others on the river...

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-floating_by-jpg

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-many_people-jpg

    Just over half way there is a lovely beer garden next to a small ferry. Easy enough to tie up the boats and climb up the bank...

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-third_stop-jpg

    .... and a well deserved couple of pints.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-beer_garden-jpg

    More later, I have to catch a flight to the UK...

  3. #3
    In Uranus
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    That looks like a blast! I loved floating down the Rhine and Mosel rivers when I lived in Germany.

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat DrWilly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Troy View Post
    ... and a well deserved couple of pints.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-beer_garden-jpg

    More later, I have to catch a flight to the UK...

    Sold!


  5. #5
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Looks a great day out, Troy! Beautiful weather.

  6. #6
    Making people dance. :-)
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    Top day out



    Thanks for making me want to move back to Europe.

  7. #7
    Away

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    Looks nice and relaxing, Troy! Nice pics!

  8. #8
    A Cockless Wonder
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    Super, smashing, great Troy.

    These inflatables are the bollix

    I got this bewt in Canberra in 2005 and she is still floating my boat 17 years later.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-p6304895-jpg

    She is a Sevylor made from bullet proof rubberised canvas so can hit sharp submerged rocks and she will never go down on me!

    And she goes in teh boot of teh jaag without any complaints.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-p6304883-jpg

    I once drove the jaag 200m across the grass to the bank edge of lake burley-griffin to launch and 2 blokes fishing (obviously without a permit) must have thought I was an inspector and grabbed their gear and legged it at a sprint. Oh how I laughed as I unrolled my flatabale canoe at an unoccupied lake edge.

    They flatables are way comfier than the hardshells too. Sometimes I paddle her int' middle o' goose-pond and just float looking at the clouds and letting my consciousness become one with the spirit in the sky.

  9. #9
    Isle of discombobulation Joe 90's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Troy View Post
    Suitably lashed
    Respecto!


    Great pics mate,looks idyllic!

    Thanks for sharing.

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat
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    Thanks, for the comments, and apologies for the time between posts but I'm a bit busy at the moment...

    Anyway, the beer garden is accessible from the other side of the river via a small ferry, which is actually powered by the river.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-ferry-jpg

    We had to wait for it to cross before setting off again on a stretch where the Danube widens and it's just a matter of floating along.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-wide_river-jpg

    All is calm until you reach Waltenburg abbey, which is a good place to stop for a paddle on the beach and a get a bite to eat at the restaurant.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-weltenburg_abbey-jpg

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-beach-jpg

    This is where the river narrows, has double bends, and passes through a gorge.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-gorge_start-jpg

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat
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    ...It is also where the cruise boats from Kelheim travel to bring sightseers through the gorge to the abbey. Another good reason fro having someone knowledgeable as he knew the ferry times and it was best to stop and wait for the next one to pass through. It's not easy navigating this part of the river and much harder if there is a ferry on your tail...

    It just so happens that this is also the place to pick fresh water mussels...

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-wait_for_ferry-jpg

    I didn't really see much of the gorge as I was too busy paddling to keep us in the right part of the river. Once you get through you see Liberation Hall on the hill just before Kelheim.

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-liberation_hall-jpg

    ...and then it's just round the corner to the finish...

    Canoe Trip along the Danube-kelheim_end-jpg

    We started off around noon and finished a little after 7pm. Quite a long day once you include the setting up and packing and unpacking the boats but thoroughly enjoyable. We plan to go again soon, although I want to have a paddle in a lake close by to see how Mrs Troy feels in the canoe on its own. Even with the cost of the canoe it is a cheap weekend since the local campsites are free for one night stays.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Troy View Post
    The wife and friend were happy here, in the shallows, finding clams but no fresh water mussels.
    Mrs Toot would have sacked the canoeing too and been digging, she also gets sea sick badly.

    In Laos the fist time on the water we did a canoe trip and i paddled the entire 10Ks from the back whilst she didn't speak from the front and me getting increasingly angry. I was so livid I paddled to a riverside bar and lunched out for 4 hours until they came by car and collected the equipment and her....I followed later and apologised once she told me she got sea sick.

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