We spent the entire day traveling through the Iron Gate region—not unlike the tourists cruising by on their excursion boats. But our journey came with a few challenges of its own.
Passing through the Đerdap I Lock, a double-chamber system with a total drop of about 35 meters, was certainly an experience. Strong winds and choppy water made mooring—both before and inside the lock—a bit more complicated than usual. At one point, while switching from one chamber to the other, we even encountered traffic coming in the opposite direction—something completely unfamiliar to us. In the second chamber, we drifted into a large patch of floating debris. At first, it felt a little unsettling—but then almost like drifting through a collection of river-found curiosities.
In the end, everything went smoothly—beneath a large, colorful Tito sign above the lock.
We’re now moored at the customs pontoon in Kladovo. Our original plan was to check out of Serbia today and continue on to Romania. But due to high winds and rough conditions, authorities recommended we stay put for the night.
Fortunately, our unplanned stop was made all the better by our Serbian neighbors on a nearby freight vessel, who generously shared some local beer with us. Fingers crossed we’ll be able to cross into Romania tomorrow as planned.
