We wrote recently about the many canals around the world that assist cruisers to cut corners or take routes that would otherwise be lengthy or inconvenient. Well, we have once again taken THETA VOLANTIS through a canal, but this time just for the fun of it.

The Gota Canal dissects Sweden close to 60 degrees north, linking three beautiful lakes and covering over 200 miles. Before deciding to transit the canal we contacted the canal authority to ascertain the size limitations. Maximum length was 30 metres and
7 metres beam, so in that dimension at least THETA VOLANTIS would fit. The vertical limits were more challenging, however. Depth was in theory 3 metres, but rumour suggested that in one area the depth could be closer to 2 metres, though a soft mud bottom would not pose too many problems.

Air draught at 22 metres was another matter, however, as the solid bridge would not be as forgiving as the muddy bottom. We measured our main mast three times and, allowing for the instruments, we calculated a height of 21 metres. Close, but as long as everyone had the maths right it was viable.

Gotaborg on the west coast was our starting point and early on our first day we followed the instructions we'd been given-- "Just turn up near the bridge, a video camera will see you and the bridge will open soon afterwards"--and tested the system. To our amazement the bridge's barriers halted the city rush hour traffic and the bridge swung open for us, as did every bridge thereafter, all 20 of them.

As well as 20 bridges, there are 68 locks, most of which are small and THETA VOLANTIS took up the entire available space. On day one, however, the passage up the river to Vanersburg has 7 ship-sized locks, each of which has a rise of over 20 feet and bollards vertically every 10 feet, necessitating some very fast rope work to lasso the next bollard before the lower one was below water.

The first section is by far the most difficult for a small yacht, and thereafter the canal is a delight. The main lake is 70 miles across with lovely anchorages, and the canal sections are extremely picturesque. After a long section through the canal, it was good to emerge into one of the lakes for a brief sail before once again having to navigate a narrow channel--and some of the sections were very narrow. Because we steer from the back of the boat, it required close concentration to stay clear of the sides, especially on the bends.

Getting into the locks was fairly straightforward, but with so many departures from a rocky wall, it's worth giving some thought to how you'll get off and start moving forward without scraping the fenders along the wall. We free the bow, then using a well placed fender near the stern, we reverse against the stern line until the bow swings off the wall then we can motor forward clear of the wall and the fenders.

The trip can take anything from a week to a whole season--it just depends how long you want to spend in the lakes and how long you pause at the many small towns along the way. The canal fees ($400 for THETA VOLANTIS) include most of the moorings, and you are issued with a card giving access to toilets and showers.

And we can confirm that a yacht with a 21-metre air draught can get under the lowest bridge, though it takes strong nerves and a trusting belief in statistics.

We celebrated our relief immediately afterwards with a very large ice cream from one of the numerous "glace cafes" along the way.