This has been a truly dreadful summer for the Dresden paddle steamers with persistently low water causing many cancellations for much of the season. The situation has been worst between Pillnitz and Bad Schandau where day after day and week after week sailings have been cancelled due to insufficient water to float the very shallow draft paddle steamers.

PS Dresden’s engine.

There have been days when the river water level has been below 0.6m above datum causing cancellations of everything. Sometimes it has been a little bit above 0.6m allowing some one and a half hour cruises from Dresden for some of the paddlers to run.

Today and tomorrow it is predicted to rise above 0.8m and touch 0.9m enabling the paddle steamer service to Castle Pillnitz to operate.

However this is still not enough water to float the paddle steamers in the shallower parts of Saxon Switzerland on the way down to Bad Schandau so all these sailings remain cancelled as I write this.

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