Things are seldom as you expect them to be. Part 2

Although I know these posts are not being sent, thanks to the pathetic Vodafone nl systems (it now won't allow me to activate a foreign databundle although there is plenty of money in the account), I am continuing to write these posts. Once we have WiFi, I'll send them to the blog in the correct order.
Well, we are in Otterndorf. So if you have read the previous post, that means that the low (railway) bridge was high enough. Yes, it was. Here is the story:
During the night it rained a bit, so we were a bit apprehensive about the water level when we woke up. But if anything it had dropped a bit. Good!
We left around 9:30 to be at the lock when it opened at 13:30. As we proceeded in grey weather, the current became stronger and stronger and we had to slow down the engine all the time to keep within the speed limit. We passed under some bridges and Lyn took the measuring tape and found that all of these gave us 40cm clearance or more. Not that this really helped, as we did not know how their nominal height compared to the 2.70 of the critical bridge. Finally (after 24KM) the bridge came in sight. We had taken the searchlight and the GPS antenna off to get to the lowest possible profile and..... the scale on the bridge showed about 2.80m... We passed under it with about 50cm to spare (which we don't understand as from previous experiences we believe we are about 2.45 high). Anyway, we were now on the correct, North side of the bridge. The explanation is that they were letting water out at such a high rate that a level profile had been built up in the canal, which also explains the unusually strong current. A canal, behaving like a river!
Not long afterwards, we arrived at the Otterndorf lock. There were already three boats waiting, one of them at least as high as we are. They told us that they have been up and down the canal twice in the past three days, waiting for the water to drop. As they are 'locals' (their boat is kept in one of the small harbours on the canal), they know this occurrence, its not the first time 'the canal plays up' after heavy rains. This was confirmed by the Ottendorf harbour master too. He reckons that they have already had enough rain for the year (scientifically measured by how often he has to empty the water from his little harbour runabout boat).
Our plan now is to leave at 6am tomorrow on the last of the incoming tide. Do the 9 miles upstream on the Elbe to Brunsbüttel where we enter the 'Kiel Canal'. This is 100KM long and brings us to the Baltic at Kiel. But tomorrow, we'll go as far as Rendsburg, which is a bit over half way the canal. Hopefully we'll have Internet there and I can upload these last three posts!

Location:Otterndorf