GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Aug 15, 2026

Fairway Depth

Before booking a container barge from Rotterdam to Basel, a planner checks the fairway depth on the Middle Rhine, because it determines how much cargo can actually travel.

Quick Answer

Last updated: 15 August 2026

Source: Frachtportal-News «Rhein-Schifffahrt am Limit: Kaub bei nur 11 cm – Zuschläge explodieren» (13.08.2026); ELWIS Pegelvorhersage Kaub

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Logistics Concept

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1 min

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Definition & Explanation

Before booking a container barge from Rotterdam to Basel, a planner checks the fairway depth on the Middle Rhine, because it determines how much cargo can actually travel. Fairway depth is the usable water depth within the officially marked navigation channel of an inland waterway, measured from the riverbed to the current water surface. It is derived from the reading at the relevant reference gauge but is not the same figure: at the Kaub gauge, a reading of roughly 11 centimetres in August 2026 corresponded to a calculated fairway depth of about 1.24 metres. Once an under-keel clearance is deducted, the fairway depth sets the permissible loading draught and therefore the maximum payload. It should not be confused with draught, which is the vessel's actual immersion depth.