Navigation Channel
The Douro River is one of the most emblematic waterways in Europe. It has the virtue, like no other, of bordering or passing close to UNESCO World Heritage sites (Salamanca in Spain, the rock carvings of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Porto and the Douro Wine Region).
In Portugal, the Douro waterway is 208 kilometres long, from the Douro bar (where it begins at the Atlantic Ocean) to the border at Barca D'Alva and Vega Terrón (a Spanish port), with a gradient of 125 metres overcome by 5 navigation locks (gradient between 13 and 35 metres).
The waterway has the characteristics typified at international level, open throughout its length to all types of vessels, limited only to the following dimensions (length: 83m, width 11.40m, draught 2m and air draught 7.20m).
The maximum size of boats allowed in the locks:
- length 83m;
- beam 11.4 metres
- draught 3.8m;
- air draught 7.5m.
Restrictions upstream of Pinhão, due to canal bottlenecks:
- length 83m;
- draught 2m.
The navigation channel is marked with river signs, identified with the regulatory colour code and there are around 60 river quays along the route. In addition to its natural beauty, the Douro offers water sports such as rowing, sailing, canoeing and motor boating.
Characterisations
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Width
The navigation channel, marked where necessary with buoys, green on the left bank and red on the right bank, has the following minimum width:
on rocky bedrock: 40m
on alluvial beds: 60m
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Depths
The Navigation channel currently allows for the following minimum depths:
3.80m from the sea to Pinhão and from Pocinho to the cross-border site of Barca D'Alva and Vega Terrón
2.00m from Pinhão to the Pocinho dam (although there are stretches where the value is higher)
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Elevation Difference
The river's 125 metre drop between the sea and Barca d'Alva/Vega Terrón is overcome by 5 locks that are all the same width (11.40 metres), with a length along the longitudinal axis of between 86 metres and 92 metres. It is considered that an 83m ship can use all of the Douro's locks and that it will be possible for longer ships to pass through some of them. However, the passage of these ships depends on prior authorisation from APDL - Via Navegável do Douro.
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Advantages of River Navigation
The cost of transport from Sardoura to a northern European port by FLUVIO-MARÍTIMA is about one fifth of that by road
The waterway contributes to nature protection
Lower fuel consumption per tonne transported
Less noisy
Reducing road traffic
A sea-going vessel can carry the equivalent of:
100 trucks weighing 25 tonnes
11 trainsets of 11 20-tonne wagons
With one litre of fuel, or its equivalent in electricity, you can travel 1 km:
By ship: 100 tonnes
By Train: 67 tonnes
By Truck: 20 tonnes
