13 July 2021

Insight into shipping in Austria by Fashion.at's Karin Sawetz: Rivers and lakes for motor boat tours

Recently, I got the skipper's license which is obligatory in Austria for motor boats with more than 4,4 KW or 6 PS. In most cases it's not necessary to have an engine with more power. Electric boats with a comfortable speed are great for most lakes when it comes to explorations of a region from waterside such as the Neusiedlersee in Burgenland or the Hallstättersee in the Salzkammergut. But traveling on waterways (sort of highways on water) means driving a boat on rivers with strong currents. The comfortable electric boat won't bring you anywhere other than with the stream to the next downriver destination where you will be happy about a safe landing.

The skipper's license for inland shipping (lakes, rivers, waterways) is called in Austria also 'Donaupatent' after the Danube river which is the country's most important waterway. Geography was an important part of the exam which was divided into theoretical (legal, technical, nautical) and practical parts.

Geography concerned all three theoretical parts. At the legal part of shipping, the knowledge of geography is crucial for the applicable regulations which are based on federal state laws as well as federal law. Geography and legislation is important for planning trips as it's not allowed to drive a motor boat everywhere and anytime. The regulations in Vorarlberg at the Bodensee or in Carinthia at the Wörthersee foresee more restrictions for motor boat drivers due to circumstances such as that the Bodensee has borders to Switzerland and Germany and that the Wörthersee has a very limiited amount of the lake's special licenses. In the case of the Attersee (Federal State Upper Austria) for example, motor boating is prohibited in the months July and August because of swimmers and other guests who are on holidays in the peaceful surrounding.

The technical part of the exam interplays with the legal part concerning how the boat is powered. In short words: At many lakes, electro motors are preferred while boats with combustion engines are often forbidden. At the Traunsee in Upper Austria for example, it's allowed to drive boats with electric engines in the summer months July and August. Even whether the motor is in- or outboard is relevant. At the Wolfgangsee, boats with combustion engine outboard are forbidden to drive.

The nautical part is per se geographical as the river currents, the water level, the water depth are characteristics of the landscape. The nautical part is equipped with digital applications such as special nautical weather apps with wind speed information given in knots or the Danube waterway DoRIS App (Donau River Information Service) by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. DoRIS provides real-time information about water levels, shallow sections, lock status, bridge clearance, and the very practical feature 'My position' which locates the own position and shows it on a map with the latest news concerning the Danube waterway.

The practical part of the exam began with tying ship knots such as the bowline or square knot and was continued with driving maneuvers such as simulating the rescue of a person overboard or passing a bridge by following the navigation signs of the waterway.

My next plan for a boat tour? The exploration of the Wachau region between Melk and Krems via the Danube waterway and in September perhaps a tour at the Traunsee.

Images: The picture left shows the Danube at the Wachau seen from castle Aggstein (photo captured in 2020 on occasion of the visit of last year's exhibition 'The Danube - People, Treasures & Cultures' at Schallaburg in Lower Austria; article). The picture right was shot last month in Gmunden (article) at the Traunsee in the Salzkammergut, Upper Austria.

The video shows the making of the boat knot 'Figure Eight' (in German 'Achterknoten').