Berths on the Baltic Sea: Ports under pressure despite full capacity utilisation - the situation in Kiel

For our latest berth report, we surveyed 83 marinas along the entire German Baltic coast and analysed the data. In order to obtain an authentic picture of the challenges faced by harbour operators, we also conducted two interviews. One of our interviewees was Philipp Mühlenhardt. As Managing Director of Sporthafen Kiel GmbH, he analyses the current situation in the state capital.

Why the waiting lists in Kiel are not getting any shorter

The waiting lists in Kiel are long. The demand for permanent berths is constantly growing, but the supply remains limited - for several reasons: New jetties quickly cost five-figure sums. The cost of clearing explosive ordnance alone drives up the cost of a single pile considerably, explains Mühlenhardt. There is often simply not enough space for extensions. There is also another problem: numerous abandoned boats have been blocking the moorings for years without their owners taking care of them.

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Operators therefore often have no choice but to maintain the old systems or only repair the bare essentials. "As a result, we have to bake smaller rolls for the time being," says Mühlenhardt. However, he gives the all-clear for guest moorings. When the tenants of the permanent berths are on holiday, new capacity usually becomes available.

"With the exception of Kieler Woche, every guest sailor can actually find a place here."

Cost increases at the jetty

Mühlenhardt is deliberately keeping the cost increases moderate in order to secure affordable berths for its customers. However, the announced price increase of 12 per cent does not even cover the actual costs. According to Mühlenhardt, expenditure on staff, cleaning and maintenance has risen by 30 to 35 per cent.

Hydraulic engineering in particular has become a cost driver. The mere operation of a berth, including the maintenance of sheet piling and jetties, is often a loss-making business these days. "Without downstream services such as winter storage, the crane or mast positioning, we would probably no longer be able to cope at all," explains the head of the marina. The profitability of the harbours depends on a mixed calculation: the business on land must compensate for the deficit in the water.

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Innovations for more safety

The rising costs are compounded by the damage caused by the 2023 storm surge. In Kiel-Schilksee, for example, a large part of the jetty facilities had to be replaced after the storm surge. In order to avoid such disasters in the future, the harbour protection team is relying on innovative technology. Together with the GEOMAR Institute, Sporthafen Kiel GmbH is building a water level measuring station in Schilksee to enable more precise predictions in the event of storm surges.

The port also remains active in environmental protection: a specialised boat washing facility is planned to combat the pollution caused by anti-fouling coatings. Although the technology reaches its limits with ships over 15 metres or double rudder systems, Mühlenhardt emphasises:

"We want to see what we can do and not close ourselves off to new developments."