Danube expedition

The preparations

First I had to take care of the material for the trimaran. I told a lot of pontoon suppliers about my plans, which is how I got in touch with Frank from Ufloat. Many suppliers replied very quickly and sent me their price lists. All of the offers were not possible for me as a pensioner.

I wrote back and forth with Frank for two weeks, he was very interested in my project and when I asked him how much it would cost, I received the answer at the end of October: “Josef, today is Christmas for you. Just send me an address that I can deliver to”. At first I thought I wasn’t hearing correctly and had to ask for confirmation.

Delivery & warehouse

Until the truck from Ufloat arrived at my home in Geisenfeld, the whole project was still completely surreal for me.

First of all, the delivered pontoons and wooden parts had to be stored. I was able to store all the parts temporarily at a timber merchant.

The timber merchant also put me in touch with a construction company that was able to provide me with a free space in a heated hall for 4-5 weeks.

That was an absolute luxury, the size of the space and the time was also sufficient for the initial work on the boat. There was also a truck and a crane on site, which helped me a lot to transport the material and later the finished trimaran.

Building the trimaran

I started building the boat in mid-December. In the beginning, I literally had no plan of what the finished boat should look like – I planned from one day to the next and loved the challenge:

Basic structure

I arranged the pontoons according to the instructions and built the basic structure of the platform. The pontoons and all the screws including bits were included in the delivery from Ufloat. I kept the width to 2.60 meters so that the boat could be transported on the road without a special permit.

For the journey of around 2,500 kilometers, I had to reckon with a corresponding swell, which is why I reinforced the frame again as a precaution before I mounted the boards for the deck.

Motorization & control

I found the engine, a 40 hp outboard fuel-injected engine, on the Internet and brought it from Lübeck. Attaching the engine to the wooden frame was the biggest problem; it has to be incredibly stable. The motorization should be sufficient in any case; the boat must also maneuver in the harbor or in (head) wind.

For the engine’s fuel supply, I attached three petrol tanks with a total capacity of 160 liters, as well as two 20-liter canisters. When building a mirror (the bracket to which the engine is attached), it helped a lot that I know how to use a welding machine. Someone without experience should seek support here.

I built the steering stand myself and got the instruments for it over the internet. For this, I needed an extension for the gearshift so that I could control the engine from my steering stand. With the cables, the control stand was about 7 meters away from the engine. So I needed shift cables that were that long.

The steering was a challenge. First, we had to decide whether to use cable or hydraulic steering. Hydraulic steering is more expensive than cable, but I was able to get the hydraulics cheaper from a company in Hungary in exchange for an advertising banner.

When building a boat like this, an additional electric motor is highly recommended. At first, I only thought of it as an emergency back-up, but it was incredibly helpful as a bow motor, as it makes you incredibly maneuverable. This is especially helpful in the harbor.

The cabin

The size of the cabin is 2.50 meters wide and 3 meters long. The cabin itself is made entirely of wood. The corner connectors and the U-profiles for attaching the motor are of course made of metal.

Thanks to my contact with the timber trade, I received good advice and got every beam I needed from there. When building the hut, it was important to have a cross-cut saw to cut all the boards, beams and uprights to the right length. In principle, you only need a cross-cut saw and a cordless screwdriver for the entire construction.

I later realized that I wanted the roof to be accessible, which is why I built it a bit more stable than it actually needed to be. Looking back, I wouldn’t do that again as we were only very rarely on the roof. This would make it possible to build the boat lighter and use the free weight for other things. I chose to build the cabin without insulation and heating as I was sailing in summer. However, you should make sure you have adequate sun protection when traveling to the Black Sea.

Interior fittings & equipment

I built two sleeping berths. At first, a gas-powered fridge was installed, but I later replaced it with an electrically powered fridge with freezer compartment.

The electricity is generated by solar panels, which feed a total of 4 large batteries. I had no idea about the electrics, but my son is very knowledgeable in this area and helped me with all the electrical work.

There is a 60 liter fresh water tank with a pump and a sink for the water supply. Of course, the boat has exterior and interior lighting, including the prescribed driving lights with anchor light, a large flashlight and headlights. I have fitted 4 halogen headlights at the front for night trips.

I chose a 5 kg gas cylinder for cooking and making coffee. I also had a VHF radio. Otherwise: a small cupboard for pots and plates, a lifebuoy, a first-aid kit, a camping toilet and a large aluminum box with spare parts in case anything breaks during the long trip.

Building the platform with the cabin and the engine took a total of 4 – 5 weeks. I finally had to leave the hall again in mid-January. We then put the boat in a parking lot in front of my house.

Dimensions

• Width: 2.64 m
• Length: 8.45 m
• Height 3 m

Travel preparations

I didn’t want to go on the 6 – 8-week trip alone. Originally, I had a few friends who wanted to join me, but the closer the departure date got, the more it didn’t work out. I appealed for a passenger via an interview for a newspaper. On the day the interview was published, the phone was ringing off the hook with inquiries.

After many phone calls and a few visitors, I got to know Hans-Peter, who helped me with the final work on the boat and then had the time and inclination to join me. We took the boat from Geisenfeld to the Donautal harbor in Kehlheim, 60 kilometers away, and launched it there.

The expert from Regensburg also came there for the necessary expert opinion to register the trimaran with the water management office and the Danube navigation authority. After an initial test run on the Danube, the expert determined that an additional row of pontoons was required at the front due to the power of the engine, so that the boat would lie better in the water when sailing.

I picked up the certificate and the papers for the boat in mid-May. I already had my driver’s license, i.e. a boat license, which you need from 15 hp. Before I went on the trip, I also got a radio license because it was important for me to have a radio on board in case of an emergency so that I could call for help.

There is an extra exam especially for river shipping to be able to communicate with all commercial vessels. This is a theoretical and a practical test with a one-day course beforehand, which can be completed over a weekend. You can also register by radio at each lock. The signs at the edge of the river show which channels can be used for what. You can get such a radio for about 250 euros, the radio license costs about 150 euros.

Our travel log

After saying goodbye to my family, I finally set off on 01.06.2022. I used the book: “The Danube, from Kehlheim to the Black Sea” as a logbook in which I entered all the anchorages. Here are the stops on our journey:

KM 2404

Our journey started at around 11 a.m. on 01.06.2022. 15 minutes before the start, I gave an interview for Niederbayern TV, who were also covering the start of the ride.

KM 2355

We spent our first night here. A friend was waiting there with a snack and a crate of beer to wish us a good journey. We spent the next nights in Deggendorf and Passau.

KM 2187

At the Schlögener Schlinge, we were greeted again by friends in the harbor. We stayed there for two nights – fortunately, as it turned out later, because a heavy thunderstorm passed over Upper Austria.

KM 1920

We spent the ninth night in the harbor in Vienna after anchoring in a side arm and a bay for the last few nights. The next day we reached Slovakia, where we sailed through Bratislava. A very beautiful city with magnificent buildings! Due to very strong winds in the evening, we were unable to enter the last port before the Gabcikovo lock canal, so we had to sail the 32 km long canal. Fortunately, we managed to get through the lock that evening.

KM 1652

We reached Budapest, where we were checked by the water police for the first time. This was probably due to the officers’ curiosity about our floating vessel.

KM 1392

Once we entered Serbia we had covered our first 1000km. When we anchored, a fisherman came by with his boat and brought us 3 large fish. The next checkpoint was in Novi Sad, where the police boat accompanied us for a few kilometers.

KM 1202

On day 17 of our trip, we had covered half of the total distance. We reached Belgrade in the early hours of day 18. On day 20, we cleared out of Serbia and cleared into Romania. We were able to go ashore in Romania over the next few days. On the 20th night we were on a private jetty, where the visitor invited us for a welcome drink. As on the entire trip, people in all countries were enthusiastic about our boat and the trip and were also very helpful. Especially when it came to getting fuel, as only diesel was available at the river petrol stations.

KM 846 – KM 376

The Danube forms the border between Romania and Bulgaria again here. As it is up to 300 meters wide in places and forms beautiful sandy islands, we went swimming here every day. The water temperature was always over 27, sometimes even over 30 degrees.

KM 76

Day 35 and the last few kilometers to the Black Sea. We navigated the approx. 15 square kilometer port with the help of our cell phone, so that we found the exit to the Black Sea straight away. On the way back to the canal, we were caught by the harbor police, who had been looking for us in the harbor for an hour. We should not have been allowed to sail through the harbor and certainly not out into the Black Sea without permission.

After being told off by the harbor commander, we spent the night behind the lock in the Constanta Canal. Over the next few days, we then sailed back to Ruse in Bulgaria, where our boat was loaded onto a truck and brought back to Geisenfeld.

Our life on the boat

The first rays of sunshine shining through the porthole wake you up. After airing out, we have breakfast and coffee on the foredeck. If the weather permitted, we would weigh anchor and set off. We took it in turns to drive the boat. The other person was allowed to relax and get a tan on the sun lounger. We mostly had very high temperatures during our trip.

We usually had a small snack at lunchtime and a coffee in the afternoon. We also had cake if we had enough in stock. From time to time we also had time to look for a place to swim and take a break.

From about 5 p.m. onwards, we looked for a place to anchor. In rare cases, there was also a harbor where we could spend the night. Once everything was anchored, we prepared a hearty dinner. After dinner, we discussed the day over an after-work beer and prepared everything for the next day.

Interesting facts about the boat trip on the Danube to the Black Sea

We encountered current changes and obstacles due to the low water and had to be careful and sometimes also measure the water depth with the echo sounder.

Each boat has the national flag of its country of origin at the stern. The guest country flag is hoisted at the bow. When you leave Hungary, you have to deregister there and declare yourself out.
In Serbia you then have to clear in, otherwise you are not allowed to go ashore. There are certain points where you can moor. In Bulgaria, there are special regulations for the transportation of fuel, which you should find out about before you start your journey.

Conclusion

We spent a total of 6 weeks on the Danube and not only did a dream come true for me, but I also made new friends who helped me to realize this dream. A big thank you to everyone, especially Frank from Ufloat! You can find videos, pictures and more information about our trip on our Instagram channel.  If you have a similar plan or would like to get in touch with me, you can ask for my address via Ufloat.