Many thanks to John Jedrlinic for sending along these photos, and thereby piquing my interest in the Kiel Canal. At just over 60 miles with draft of 31′ and airdraft of 131′, it strikes me as a model of what could have been with the almost equally-long Delaware and Raritan (D&R) Canal. The Kiel Canal cuts distance and challenging waterways off a transit between the North and the Baltic Seas; the D&R at one time cut off even more distance and challenging waterways between the sixth boro and Philadelphia.
photo date 14 June 2018
Tugboat (aka schlepper) Kiel works the Canal for STK, Schlepp- und Fährgesellschaft Kiel, translating as tugboats and ferries, Kiel. The tug is 104′ x 36’and powered by an ABC diesel generating 5632 hp.
John took all these photos the same day.
Tailing this barge transporting what appears to be a refinery module
is Stein, 88′ x 32′ and rated at 3554 hp.
As I said earlier, many thanks to John for these photos. Kiel Canal just landed on my list of places to see, waterways to transit.
February is turning into tugster “thanks” month, as I work on some projects that are keeping me housebound.
Unrelated but just plain interesting, check out this new installment from vintagediesel.
tugster: a waterblog 
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February 20, 2020 at 12:26 pm
Daniel Meeter
Are there any locks on the Kiel Canal? I doubt it. Its great virtue, for Germany, was to allow for German intercity shipping without having to go through the waters of other sovereignties. Not an issue for the Delaware and Raritan.
February 20, 2020 at 1:29 pm
tugster
From looking at a map, I believe there’s a lock at either end of the canal but none in between.