Useful information for your canal journey

The canal is 2.97 m deep at the shallowest places just by the lock sills. The excavated sections are often a bit deeper, but remember that the middle of the canal is deepest and it quickly becomes shallower towards the sides at a gradient of around 30 degrees. The maximum draught for boats is 2.82 m.

The stated closing time of the canal is not the same as the last lockage time. The basic rule is that lockage is not initiated if there is not enough time to finish before closing time, or if no suitable mooring can be reached before closing time.

The best places to stay are the marinas. They have all the facilities you need. Consult the lock keeper if you plan to spend the night at a jetty near a lock or bridge. This may not be a good idea if a passenger boat passes during the night.

If you have a dinghy with you, it should be kept onboard the boat during lockage, in order to avoid unnecessary problems. If this is not possible, it should be held behind the boat by as short a line as possible.

When descending, be sure to pull the dinghy well into the lock so that it does not fill up with any water that might overflow from the lock gates at the back. The dinghy must not be above the sills of the back lock gates.

In flights of locks, such as Carl Johan in Berg and Borenshult in Motala, you may have to wait a few hours during peak traffic. That is because at certain times of the day we only lock boats in one direction before redirecting the water in the flight of locks for the other direction.

During certain parts of the season, the same person controls several locks and bridges on a stretch of the canal. This can lead to a certain waiting time for lock and bridge openings. The opening hours can be limited during big events on or near the canal.

Passenger boats have priority at locks and bridges. You must wait until they have passed through the lock.

In the event of lightning, all lockage and bridge openings are cancelled or postponed for safety reasons.

You are not entitled to any form of compensation for waiting times that occur due to problems with the canal facilities or other external circumstances.

In heavy winds boats may drift during lockage. It is the boat owner's own responsibility to decide wheterh or not to lock in such conditions.

The Göta Canal Company's staff are equipped with com radios to efficiently direct traffic. The Canal Company has its own frequency, so you cannot contact the lock keepers with a regular marine VHF radio. You can, however, contact the locks in Sjötorp and Mem on channel 16.

Passing bridges
In all bridge passages, it is important to position yourself right at the bridge to show that you want to pass. If you stay by the dock or pier, it is hard for the bridge keeper to see if you want to pass or not.

Traffic signals

Red light means stop. Green light means go. White light means you have been seen.

Make sure to respect the red light even if the bridge is open and you do not see any other boats. A passenger boat may be on its way around the curve.

1. Road bridges with special opening hours

The most heavily used road bridges open at specific times for pleasure craft. The following times apply during the Göta Canal's peak season. During the order season (off season), the bridges only open for scheduled trafiic under a specific itinerary.

The road bridges in Töreboda and Karlsborg 

open every whole and half hour during the canal's peak season, except noon, 1 PM and 4 PM on weekdays. The last bridge opening is at 6 PM. 

The E22 bridge in Söderköping

opens every whole and half hour during the canal's peak season. The last bridge opening is at 6 PM. On Fridays and Sundays the bridge only opens at whole hours between 3 and 6 PM. This also applies on the Thursday before Midsummer. 

2. Remote-controlled bridges
Some bridges over the Göta Canal are remote controlled. For safety reasons, bridge masters can only open one remote controlled bridge at a time. If
several bridges are controlled from the same place, there may be a certain wait.

The remote control bridges are monitored by CCTV. The bridge keeper can communicate with pleasure craft using the speakers and microphones set up at the bridges.

For a list of remote-controlled bridges, see Traffic Regulations.

3. Railway bridges
Rail traffic has priority, which means you may have to wait at the railway bridges in Norsholm, Motala, Töreboda and Lyrestad. Be prepared to pass quickly at the opening of a railway bridge, as the Swedish Rail Administration only allows short interruptions for bridge openings.

General

Passenger boats often have a speed of 3 to 4 knots. The limited depth of the Canal does not allow them to move faster. Do not follow too close behind; the vessel may need to stop or reverse.

Due to currents and undertow effects, it is very risky to overtake a passenger vessel.

Meetings

a) Follow any instructions you receive from the duty officer on the passenger boat. If the duty officer does not indicate on which side to pass, standard maritime regulations apply.

Pass at 2-3 m from the passenger vessel at a speed of about 4 knots. This allows for good steering and a good overview. Do not stray close to the edge - the canal does not have its full depth there. 

b) If you meet a passenger boat in a curve, it usually wants to be on the outside. This means that you may pass starboard to starboard - meaning that the ship is "driving on the left". The vessel may indicate its intentions with two short blasts on his horn (means "We will alter course to port"). 

Secure your boat

Pleasure craft at at jetty or dock when a passenger boat passes, must be securely moored at bow and stern. As the larger vessel passes, the water sinks and you get a strong undertow effect. Make sure your boat is securely moored.

You will not have the strength to hold the lines in your hand. 

Traffic information

The lock keepers know when passenger vessels are on their way. Feel free to ask them so that you are ready for a meeting.

Signals used by passenger vessels

We will alter course to starboard (right): 1 short blast .

We will alter course to port (left): 2 short blasts . .

We will reverse: 3 short blasts . . .

 Passenger boats give the following signals before entering:

Spetsnäskanalen: 
One long – (eastward bound)
Three long  – – – (westward bound)

Billströmmen:
Two long and one short  – – . (eastward bound)
Two long – – (westward bound).

Should you have an accident with another traveller on the canal, please resolve it without involving the Göta Canal Company.

Should your vessel incur damage and you wish to claim compensation from the Göta Canal Company - claims will be adjusted by an insurance company - inmmediately contact the nearest lock/bridge keeper, who will contact their management. 

You must remain at the site of the inicident and provide your version of the events in writing a damage report.

In general all travel on the canal is taken at the boat owner's own risk. 

All vessels on the Göta Canal must at least have liability insurance.

Feel free to take a dip, but for your own safety you may not bathe within 50 m of locks and bridges. There are extremely strong currents when a lock is emptied or filled, and our bfridges are mobile.