Recreational boaters on the Jade must be prepared for restrictions: The Wilhelmshaven sea lock will be closed from 11 to 13 May from 16:00 to 01:00. The almost 60-year-old facility has been making a name for itself with recurring technical problems - and there is no end in sight.
Old building with recurring weaknesses
The Weser-Jade-North Sea Waterways and Shipping Authority has The full closure was announced in the latest news for seafarers (BfS 16/26). Both commercial shipping and pleasure craft are affected.
The sea lock has an eventful past: begun in 1936 in the shadow of the Kriegsmarine rearmament, only one of the two chambers was completed by 1942 - Grand Admiral Raeder inaugurated it with the passage of the cruiser Emden. After the end of the war, the victorious powers blew up the facility and it was not until 1964 that the rebuilt double lock with its two chambers, each measuring 390 by 60 metres, went into full operation - at the time the second largest lock in the world and still the largest lock in Germany today. The four original lock gates have been in use since this commissioning and are correspondingly decrepit. Breakdowns occur time and again, hindering shipping traffic.
No single locks during the week
The full closure is one of a list of restrictions. Just a few weeks ago, the WSA announced that the east chamber of the sea lock is out of operation until further notice due to a fault. Until it is reopened, there will be no individual locks for pleasure craft from Mondays to Thursdays - those who still wish to pass can use the lock passages for government vessels or wait to lock together with naval or commercial vessels.
Fixed locks at the weekend
Locks were set up for pleasure craft at fixed times at weekends:
Friday:
- 8:45 am - 9:00 am and 1:00 pm - 1:15 pm seaward
- 3:30 pm - 3:45 pm and 5:15 pm - 5:30 pm inwards
Saturday and Sunday:
- 8:45 am - 9:00 am and 1:15 pm - 1:30 pm seaward
- 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm and 5:15 pm - 5:30 pm inwards
New rules for the outer harbour
Since December 2025, Wilhelmshaven has also had a new harbour usage regulation for the outer harbour to the sea lock, the so-called Fourth Entrance. Every vessel intending to enter the lock must register with the sea lock before entering. The coastal radio station "Wilhelmshaven Lock" is ready to receive on VHF channels 13 and 16 during lock operating hours.
The outer harbour is a marine area - passage to the lock is only permitted in the corridor 100 metres on either side of the guideline at moderate speed. Mooring is prohibited. Sailors intending to enter the lock must therefore wait outside on the Jade in front of the harbour basin for the lock to open. Not an easy task with tidal currents and waves, especially for smaller yachts.
Also interesting:
- North Sea: District update 2026, part 2 - Jade and Weser
- North Sea: Two new restricted areas on the Jade
- District portrait: Binnentief Hooksiel is an idyll in the countryside
Solution in sight?
The new waterway construction office in Hanover is working on a design for three new lock gates, and the contract for all three gates is expected to be awarded at the end of 2026 following a call for tenders. The new gates to be built are to be closed at two-year intervals from 2026/27 - meaning that the gates are expected to be fully equipped in 2032.
Ursula Meer
Redakteurin Panorama und Reise
